The Mountain Thread | Estes Park | November 5, 2026 |
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Before It Was the Legion
An old office, a tunnel under the mountains, and the eagle by the Visitor Center
AI illustration based on reference photos of American Legion Post 119.
Moe wanted to know how long the American Legion had been in that building on North St. Vrain.
“Since 1954,” I told him.
“Seventy-two years. That's a pretty good run.”
“The building's older than that.”
“What was in it before?”
“A government office.”
Moe looked disappointed. He'd been hoping for something with a better story.
Then I told him what the office was for.
There Was a Mountain in the Way
The building went up in 1939 for the Colorado-Big Thompson Project. The people working there had a problem to solve: much of Colorado's water was on one side of the mountains, while people who needed it were on the other.
Their answer included a tunnel beneath Rocky Mountain National Park.
Thirteen miles of tunnel.
“You're telling me they went under the park?” Moe asked.
“Under the Continental Divide.”
“And that was easier?”
I don't imagine anybody doing the digging used that word.
Work on the Adams Tunnel began in 1940, with crews digging from opposite ends. The first water came through in 1947. I found a good account on NASA's Earth Observatory website.
“NASA?” Moe said. “I thought we were talking about the Legion.”
We were. But NASA looks down as well as up. Earth Observatory made the tunnel its Image of the Day on June 9, 2022. The mountain view came from Landsat 8 imagery laid over elevation data from a space shuttle mission. It shows the country the water has to get through.
NASA didn't build the tunnel. The Bureau of Reclamation did. But I hadn't expected a trip through the Legion's history to take us to a satellite picture.
The little office building wasn't where they dug the tunnel. It was where they handled the project's administration. The Legion's building history describes a 23-acre project base below it.
Moe had pictured a desk and a filing cabinet. He hadn't allowed for thirteen miles of tunnel.
According to History Colorado, the building remained a project office until 1953. The next year, the veterans bought it.
The Legion also helped with a place you may have stopped at without connecting it to the post: the Veterans Monument west of the Visitor Center.
There’s a story behind that eagle, too...
Veterans Monument near the Visitor Center. Photograph supplied by Sherry F.
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Veterans Day is Wednesday, November 11. To our veterans here in Estes Park, across the valley, and among our readers: thank you for your service. We’re grateful for what you’ve given our country and for all you continue to give our communities. |
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Trivia Question❓Before it became Post 119's home, what project used the Legion building as its administrative office? Answer at the bottom of the newsletter |
A Place for Your Next Chapter
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Joke of the Day |
What do you call a bear with no teeth?
A gummy bear. |
💡 Answer to Trivia Question: The Colorado-Big Thompson Project. History Colorado dates its administrative use to 1939–1953. |
UNTIL NEXT WEEK
If you pass the eagle this week, take a minute with the stones beneath it. And if you pass the Legion, you've got another piece of its story.
See you next Thursday.
Buck |
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THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
History Colorado, Post 119, NASA Earth Observatory, Town records and Daniel Glanz's commissions list support this week's feature. Weekend details come from Earthwood Collections and the Town of Estes Park. Park and beaver information comes from the linked National Park Service pages.
Event and park sources rechecked November 3, 2026. Recheck the organizer and park links before heading out. Weather: AccuWeather’s Estes Park outlook, rechecked live November 3, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. MST. Extended forecasts can change. Check the latest forecast before heading out. |