Larkspur, Colorado

A Brief History of Larkspur

Larkspur developed as railroad travel reshaped southern Douglas County. In 1871, the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad reached the new community south of Huntsville, an older stage-route settlement. Huntsville’s post office moved to the railroad depot and took the name Larkspur, shifting an important local service toward the tracks. The community served surrounding ranches and farms while also attracting summer visitors. A 1921 account described a creamery, shops, a hotel, two railroad depots and a brick schoolhouse, showing its varied commercial life. Larkspur incorporated in 1979, establishing municipal government more than a century after the railroad helped anchor the settlement.