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Benjamin Whedbee LbNA #15200

Owner:Ramdelt
Plant date:May 21, 2005
Location:
City:Fort Collins
County:Larimer
State:Colorado
Boxes:1
Found by: Ramdelt
Last found:May 23, 2015
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFaaO
Last edited:May 21, 2005
*** Box replaced 5/23/2015***
*** This letterbox has been placed in a new location so please read the new clues. 4/1/2006 You may want to bring a glove for this one.***

This letterbox is the ninth in a series commemorating the history of Northern Colorado, and will take you to various outdoor historical sites.

Benjamin Whedbee was a man with direction. A true leader. Nicknamed "Uncle Ben", Whedbee was the first mayor of Fort Collins from 1873 to 1879. Whedbee wasn't one of the very first people in Northern Colorado, arriving in 1863, but truly was a man that was appreciated and loved by everyone in town.

One of the stranger facts about "Uncle Ben" is the fact that as the city grew, the cemetary began to get closer and closer to town. Now, town folks didn't like the idea of living by the cemetary, which was then at the corner of College and Oak (now the old post office), so Whedbee exhumed and moved all of the bodies to the Grandview Cemetary at the west end of Mountain Avenue.

There will be a first finder “certificate” for the first finder of this letterbox. ENJOY!

Clues:

1. Find the road in town named for this great Fort Collins leader and follow it until it runs into the "bank of a river".

2. If this road could continue on, you would run into a structure that was the first commercial business in Fort Collins. Oh by the way, it was founded originally by Auntie Stone, but you already knew that after reading about her letterbox, right?

3. Near this structure you will find the intersection of a president and a tree. You will also find a sign for Water Quality Wetlands. You can enter here and park at the first green gate as in the original clues, or cross the bridge and park on the side of the road. From here, you will want to walk to the north side of the bridge and follow the footpath down to the paved path which is part of the Poudre Valley Trail system.

4. Once down to the trail which runs along side the river, head away from the bridge a short distance until you see a stone bench. You have not walked far but sit down to watch for others in the area.

5. When the coast is clear, turn away from the river and look for a large grouping of trees spread out with 5 large trunks to the north west. From the bench, it should be 21 steps to the tree. About knee to waist high you will notice a small hiding hole which goes deep into the tree for nearly 2 to 3 feet. Carefully reach down and towards the front of the hole (inside the tree) to find this former leader.


Please attempt to hide the box better than you found it as this location is in town and could be found by people that may not appreciate letterboxing the way that you an I do. Also, since this is a public place, please be discreet. Leave a message in the journal if you wish. If you want, please let me know when you find the box and it‘s condition. After you are done, check out the other letterboxes in Northern Colorado.

Planted by Ramdelt.
A handmade stamp and journal.