Just outside Roxborough Park, a little more than a century ago, the town of Silica seemed as solid as any other. Maybe more so, because the Silicated Brick Company built it!
Silicated bricks were said to be stronger than fired clay bricks. "They improve with age," the company claimed as it churned out 30,000 a day, stamped with an "S." Demand was so solid the railroad came, and a sturdy town grew: houses, a grocery store, even a dance hall where 50 neighbors once gathered for a birthday party. "All report having had a fine time," said the Record-Journal newspaper on March 24, 1911.”
But two years later, the Silicated Brick Company turned to dust. Soon after, the town was dismantled and weathered away. Today the only reminder of Silica is an old limestone kiln, looking like a lonesome citadel, an official Douglas county landmark.
About Colorado Postcards
Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado.
