When Colorado Springs was founded in 1871 many of its inhabitants came from England. Through the efforts of William Bell, General Palmer’s friend, business partner and son of a wealthy British family, much of the early development of the town was accomplished with funds provided by British investors. By the end of the first decade of settlement, nearly 20 percent of the population of El Paso County consisted of British subjects. This relatively small group set the tone of early society with their customs and manners. Even in the pioneer days their influence was apparent.
Due to both Palmer’s and Bell’s strong overseas marketing approach, the resort at the foot of Pikes Peak drew many people from the British Isles. Some were the younger sons of powerful aristocratic families who sought to build their own fortunes in the American west. Many were trades people who looked to open their own business ventures in the growing town. Most, like all immigrants to the United States, dreamed of creating a new and better life for themselves and their families. As a group these British people were a positive addition to the city’s population.
Two families in particular placed the imprint of English society upon Colorado Springs. The Kingsleys and the Bells resided here in the earliest days of the town. In 1871, Rose Kingsley and her brother Maurice, an engineer for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, lived in a paper-lined shanty. It was very different from the London home of their father Charles Kingsley, Canon of Westminster Abbey, but Rose especially was an eager advocate of the town. She helped create a reading room, which was the forerunner of the library and was instrumental in forming the city’s first Episcopal Church (Church of England) in 1874. She organized cultural event and concerts, and wrote extensively about her experiences in the Springs. Her observations encouraged her countrymen to come and see Colorado Springs for themselves.
William Bell and his wife Georgina were the social leaders of the town. They built their beautiful English style home Briarhurst in what is now Manitou Springs, and entertained friends and visitors in a warm British fashion. English and Americans alike enjoyed teas and games of lawn tennis and croquet; soon the people of Colorado Springs were celebrating all things British. During the first two decades of our city’s history the residents carried umbrellas in the rain or in sunshine. They observed English holidays like Boxing Day. British flags were flown on the Queen’s birthday. The traditional English sports of cricket, rugby and polo were so popular that teams were formed and regular games were played. Foxhunts were organized, even if a fox was sometimes unavailable. Tea and crumpets were served daily at 5PM. Impressive buildings of varied function were constructed in the style of English architecture. Cutler Hall on Colorado College Campus is a prime example. Colorado Springs earned the nickname “Little London.” The townspeople even referred to the police force with the British term ‘bobbies’.
That brings us to the icon on the mural, the Little London Bobbies. The Colorado Springs Police Department began with one officer in 1872, but by the latter part of the 1880s the force had grown to nine members. Following the fashion of the town, the police uniform resembled the ones worn by London constables. Patrolmen dressed in heavy, long, blue coats and hard felt helmets with long visors in the front and back. They carried nightsticks with woven silk cords to keep order when necessary. They did carry a firearm, but it was not in plain sight. Horace Shelby, the officer pictured here standing second from right in the back row was the first African American on the CSPD, and he served the city for 22 years. He was also the first public servant to retire in the city’s history. He is remembered as a responsible and resourceful policeman and a kind and loyal friend.
The English influence faded in the 1890s when the Bells returned to their home in Britain and the impact of the Cripple Creek gold strike was beginning to change the town. Colorado Springs has gone through several developmental stages since the days of the Bells and the Kingsleys. Over a century has passed since the local law enforcement officials have been called Bobbies, but it is still possible to see glimpses of the town that once was Little London.
Written by: Darcy Mazel
Sources:
Davant, Jeanne, Wellsprings, Gazette Enterprises, Colorado Springs, 2001.
Ellis, Amanda M., The Colorado Springs Story, The Dentan Printing Co., Colorado Springs, 1954.
Ormes, Manly Dayton, The Book of Colorado Springs, The Dentan Printing Co., Colorado Springs, 1933.
Skolout, Patricia Farris, Colorado Springs History A to Z, published by author, Colorado Springs, 1989.
Sommers, Herbert M., Pioneer Colorado Springs 1896-1904, published by author, Colorado Springs, 1966.
Sprague, Marshall, Newport in the Rockies, Sage Books, Denver, 1961.
Sprague, Marshall, One Hundred Plus, Colorado Springs Centennial, Inc., Colorado Springs, 1971.