Mary Peace Finley
Award-winning author of books for young people
© Mary Peace Finley 2012
The new town of Lamar, Colorado, was named for
the United States Secretary of the Interior, Lucias
Quintas Cincinnatus Lamar.
Raephy McDowell as a grown woman.
“Smells good, doesn't it, Mr. William Barstow Strong?" Raephy ran her dust cloth around the
black and white drawing of the president of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway.
Amos Black objected to a town being developed around Blackwell Station which was on
his ranch. Others disagreed.
Jordon Wheeler was one of the railroaders who moved Blackwell Station. Interviewed in 1956 when
he was ninety-three years old, Jordon Wheeler said, "The call-boy called me for a work train with
engine number 345. That night we got orders to proceed to Blackwell (Station). We got there at
11:55 Saturday night. Ed Marshall, Superintendent, was on the work train. He got off and wakened
all the men in the work cars. Shorty after 12:01 a.m. all those men were out there with shovels, picks, jacks and
blocks, getting the station ready to move. "The station was a two-story frame building. After much effort they
finally got it loaded on flat cars which were part of the train. The people who were living in the upper story---
telegraph operator, I guess--remained right there. After all the necessary buildings and equipment was
loaded we proceeded to Lamar."
