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<br />. <br /> <br />30 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />named the county seat for Larimer County, and it had aspirations <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />of becoming the capital of the Territory. <br /> <br />In 1862, the name was changed to Laporte, meaning "the <br /> <br />gate." Also that year, it was made headquarters for the <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Mountain Division of the Overland Stage Company (30:165). <br />I Laporte, at that time, was considered the most important <br />trading post in Colorado, north of Denver. A quote from <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />an old newspaper article said, "Laporte in 1868 was a lusty, <br /> <br />roistering settlement with 4 Or 5 saloons, a brewery, <br />! <br /> <br />wagon trains passing thru, a stage station on the trail, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />the first county courthouse, soldiers, Indians, trappers and <br /> <br />"squaw men". (19) <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />In Laporte, along the OV6,rland Trail not far from <br />the river, are three other olq buildings. The Baxter Store <br /> <br />or Stover Store, the Stearly ~ouse and a log cabin built <br /> <br />by Sam Deon. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The store was built in la64 by Louis Philippe Orleans <br /> <br />(6). It was a general store ~nd the post office. It <br /> <br />has had several owners but has been some type of commercial <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />lbusiness for most of its years. <br />I <br /> <br />Next door to the store is the Stearly House, built <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />in 1875. It is now an antiqu~ shop. It was built by Mr. <br /> <br />George Stearly as a home for his bride to be, Barbara <br /> <br />Bingham. Unfortunately, she Uied suddenly of nose bleed <br /> <br />just before they were to marry. This was the first wood <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />frame house in Laporte. <br />Just across the street is an old log cabin built in <br /> <br />1858 by Sam Deon. It was ori~inally a saloon and at one <br /> <br />. <br />