James B. Earl originally acquired this property on May 2, 1889 from the U.S. Government (through the Homesteading Act). The property changed hands numerous times during the following 38 years, including being sold several times for property taxes. In 1927 the property was purchased for approximately $32.50 an acre by Charlou E. Dake, an ancestor of the Bansbach family. In 1978 Mr. Dake sold 39 acres of the property to Bansbach, Perry, and Macey, Inc. for the development of Charlou at Cherry Hills. In 1980 he sold an additional 35 acres to Barton Investment, Inc. for the development of Chaumont at Cherry Hills. The property that eventually became our exclusive residential neighborhood was previously used for grazing cattle and horses. The main agricultural product grown on this and the surrounding land was wheat. During this agricultural era the operations were quite similar to those on the eastern plains of Colorado. Agricultural production ceased on our property in approximately 1950 and the ground was left fallow. In 1954 Margaret D. Bansbach (daughter of Charlotte F. Dake) and her two children: Charlotte B. Warren (Spelman) and Louis P. Bansbach, Jr., decided to build their residences in what is now Charlou at Cherry Hills. These three homes were originally built on two and one-half acre sites in Araphahoe County, east of Cherry Hills Village. In 1967 the Bansbach family annexed the property to Cherry Hills Village and it was zoned for one acre sites in Charlou and a portion of Chaumont. The remaining portion of Chaumont was half-acre sites equal to the density of development then existing north of Quincy and in Southmoor Vista. During the 1950’s after the original three homes were built, much wildlife still existed in the area with pheasants, red foxes, and coyotes commonly observed. Occasionally, deer tracks would be found on the front lawn of a home. |