Fort Westernaire -- A Beacon of Western Heritage and Excellence

Fort Westernaire in its current state with its newest facilities, now accessed from Indiana Street. Thank you to Steve Nelson Photography for the use of this picture.

Fort Westernaire, perched majestically atop a hill, commanding a panoramic view of the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, has been the cherished abode of the Westernaires since 1959. What commenced as a modest five-acre donation from John Hayden has flourished into an expansive estate, spanning over forty acres. This transformation has seen the evolution of a once-humble space into a thriving equestrian complex boasting three outdoor and four indoor arenas.

Additionally, it encompasses five well-appointed classrooms, an array of offices, a fully equipped kitchen with a dining area, and a peerless, award-winning Museum of Western and Riding History, reborn in an expanded and enhanced form in 2007. The facility also boasts a store, a first aid room, costume storage and sewing facilities, a truck workshop, an assortment of sheds housing antique wagons and carriages, and stables capable of accommodating over 200 horses and ponies, constituting the Westernaires remuda.

This is unequivocally the heart and soul of the Westernaires. On June 1, 2003, the Westernaires proudly dedicated their newest addition, the Westernaires Glen E. Keller, Jr. Equestrian Center. This state-of-the-art building boasts two expansive indoor arenas, one rivaling the scale of the Denver Coliseum, an expansive gallery entry area showcasing Westernaire memorabilia, a suite of offices, an eagle's roost, and other cutting-edge facilities. Its construction marked one of the most ambitious endeavors in Westernaires history, made possible through the generous contributions of many, with special recognition to United States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell. Senator Campbell's passionate advocacy secured congressional support in 2003, a testament to his profound commitment to fostering robust educational programs for Colorado's youth. A seasoned horseman, Senator Campbell has been an avid observer of the Westernaires for countless years, earning a permanent place in the hearts and minds of the Westernaires community.

Fort Westernaire truly serves as the cherished haven for over 1,000 riders and approximately 400 dedicated adult volunteers who unite in their pursuit of the Westernaires' noble objectives. Here, they collaborate the values of self-respect, personal responsibility, and are free from drug and alcohol use. Amidst these nurturing environs, they diligently pursue their education, liberating themselves from the perils of unseemly outlets, and discovering their potential as future leaders.

The outcome of their rigorous training and unwavering dedication is a level of athleticism and equestrian skill seldom witnessed elsewhere. It is within these hallowed grounds that the "finest precision mounted drill at speed in the world" has been meticulously crafted year after year for the past seven and a half decades.

Here’s a little more about the long, rich history of Fort Westernaire.

Fort Westernaire and the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, in the early 1960s. The primary entry to both the Fairgrounds and Fort Westernaire was off of the 6th Avenue Frontage Road. Thank you to Steve Nelson Photography for the use of this picture.

THE BUILDING OF FORT WESTERNAIRE
By Elmer E. Wyland, Westernaires founder, as written in 1972
The building of Fort Westernaire is an interesting story and perhaps this writer is the only one who experienced and thus knows this background. Since the information is a vital part of the history of the Westernaires it needs to be set down in writing before facts and dates are forgotten.
I & others had been looking for suitable property adjacent to the Fairgrounds and a location reasonably accessible to young people who made up our membership. Mrs. Elizabeth Stienmetz was the realtor who did the record research to locate the necessary property. Keep in mind that we could have obtained the needed land with ease if we had no requirements for ready accessibility, but this was and still is a necessity so a location near the Fairgrounds was a must.
Before giving the background on securing the present property, some other dates and reference points are in order:
1949 – The Westernaires were organized at the request of the Lakewood Youth Council. The council asked me to form a year around riding organization for young people. We were to receive the support of the civic clubs and other organizations in the area. We were to meet at the Mississippi Riding stables. We went by the name "Paul Gregg Pony Club" in honor of the Denver Post western artist. However, the young folks objected to the 'Pony" part since they all rode horses. Thus the name was changed to Westernaires in the year 1953. We incorporated as a non-profit youth group Aug 5, 1955.
1954 – The Westernaires moved to the quite new Jeffco Fairgrounds where the only building was a portion of what is now called the Livestock Building. We were the first youth riding group to be located at the new fairgrounds and we utilized one of the two rooms upstairs as a storage room. The Fairgrounds had previously been located at Youngfield and Clear Creek about the location of the RI Bus Depot. The Westernaires assisted the Lakewood Riding Club and the Buffalo Bill Riding Club in building the lower arena which was the first arena on the Fairgrounds. We provided and set the light poles.
1956 – We obtained a quonset hut (now used for show properties) from Bob Creighton. We moved it from his little air strip under Table Mountain where many Applewood homes are now located. We moved it onto the property just west of the Jeffco Fairgrounds at Fairview Stables operated by Lonnie Arington. Later on it seemed desirable to obtain a lease on the ground we used and so such a lease was made Nov. 21, 1958.
1958 – Elizabeth Steinmetz located a desirable half block of ground just south of the Jeffco Fairgrounds. This property was owned by John Hayden and his mother. It had a dimension of 163' x 654.1' and is the east half of the block the Westernaires own outright. I negotiated with John Hayden who was willing to give it to our youth group on the basis that it was for this use and would not be turned over to some commercial venture. The property had no means of access at the time and so was of little value due to this. We said that we proposed to give the ground to Jeffco in return for a 99-year lease. The Commissioners had agreed that they would give the Westernaires access thru the Fairgrounds. Mr. Hayden said that it would be simpler to let him deed the property to the county with the stipulation that it would be leased to the Westernaires for 99 years. Such a lease was entered into and the commission gave the Westernaires the lease in a letter from chairman Bob Schoech on May 29, 1959. The other commissioners were Bauer and Osborn. Since the County then assumed that they owned the ground and were leasing it back to the Westernaires, they leveled the ground so we could build and move in our buildings which were to be our property and responsibility. Our proposed plans were reviewed with the Commission and the building inspector. The Inspector objected to moving in frame buildings and gave a written view in March 1960. We appealed to the Board of Adjustment and they overruled the Inspector on April 11th, 1960. They also ruled that the proper notice had been posted for the required time and that no complaints had been received. Commissioner Bob Schoech gave us the OK to go ahead with all our plans of moving in and rebuilding buildings to make them usable for our youth program. (Some buildings had already been moved in with prospect of favorable decisions before the first objection from the building Inspector).
June 1959 – When the Westernaires decided to build a covered arena it was necessary to secure a bank loan. Note: most other clubs would have solicited the support of community leaders and had a capital fund drive. Since we strive to be a “self-supporting” group, we decided to make it on our own. In the process of having the Title Guarantee Company research the property and lease, the point was raised that the County couldn’t accept the property and lease it back with the lease restrictions. Negotiations were again opened with the Commissioners under Joe Lewis. The original transaction was voided and John Hayden made the deed direct to the Westernaires as of the original date of June 3, 1959. Thus, in effect, the County never did actually own the land. This was all brought about by a ruling of the State Supreme Court about Commissioners not being able to lease beyond their term of office except in special cases.
August 15, 1959 – A building permit obtained for construction of a covered arena (later to be known as the Westernaires Red Arena). Ground breaking was held with Joe Lewis, judge George Priest, and Mr. Kirschke among those present.
December 24th, 1959 – The Westernaires Club Store was the first building moved onto the grounds. The building was donated by the Howell Construction Co.
January 5th, 1960 – The Print Shop and Sewing room was the second building to be moved in place and rearranged for our use. I negotiated for this building with Howell Construction company. The moving charges were a problem and were taken care of by loans that were taken out by Westernaire parents (as many early expenses were).
Spring 1960 – Westenaires Executive Board member Oliver Phillips arranged for the donation of the building in which the Westernaires Museum resides. This building was secured from John Eastman as they made way for a subdivision. The wood show horse barn building was moved from 32nd and Kipling and at that time was said to be the largest building ever moved over county roads. In fact, the state “Courtesy Patrol” (as it was then called) objected to the moving of the building, but Jeffco Commission Chairman Bob Schoech advised that since the move was almost entirely on county roads we would go ahead.
Spring 1960 – Caretakers’ house and the Truck Shop were the next to be moved in place. These were also acquired from John Eastman. All the Eastman buildings were exceptionally well-built and were obtained on the basis that they were to be used for our youth program and were not to become county property. This stipulation was also insisted upon by Cal Bacon who donated the building now used for the Fort Auditorium and Lounge. This was a well-built two-story frame building that had to be moved for an upcoming housing development. Since the roof was of the hip-type and too high to move, we had to remove the top before moving the building. After it was in place, we built a new flat-type roof, stairway, etc. Oliver Phillips also arranged for the moving of this building and agreed to the stipulation that the buildings would not be given to the County but would be used for the Westernaire youth.
January 1960 – I negotiated with the Central Colorado Power company (now known as Public Service) for power to serve the new Fort Westernaire. It required that they set a pole and hang a 10KVA transformer. The Westernaires had to pay for this. Later, we arranged for Public Service Company to replace the transformer with a 25KVA. I secured this thru Mr. Kock as a donation to the Westernaires. In August of 1972, it was again necessary to increase the transformer capacity to care for the welding machine, print shop, etc., on peak loads. The transformer cost us $325.00 and we paid $125 more to put in a new service, anchors, etc.
January 1960 – I negotiated with the pleasant View Water District to serve Fort Westernaire from the Fairgrounds water mains. We worked out a plan with the Jeffco Commissioners whereby we would dig all the trenches on the Fairgrounds for their new sewer (replacing septic tanks) and added water mains to the ball park, etc. This trenching also included that for the Westernaires and the whole project was a package to permit the Westernaires to get sewer and water.
1963 – We built the North stables when it was necessary for Fletcher Wood to give up furnishing livery horses (he felt that there was not enough profit). The first livery horses had been furnished from the Mississippi Stables and later from the Fairview Stables. The Westernaires realized that the outside horse liveries were not furnishing all the service needed. We wanted to let the riders learn to bridle & saddle the horses and the livery owners wouldn't permit this. Also, we could not insure the quality of horses desired. Thus, even though we had no desire to get into the livery business, it was a must since many young folks in the rapidly-urbanizing area found it impossible to own and keep a horse. The Westernaires opened the operation with the purchase of nine saddle horses with the others being brought in by private owners each Saturday. We also own a number of Shetland ponies used for the younger riders. They train and handle these ponies and learn about the animal care.
August 20, 1963 – After forms had been built by Westernaire parents, Coors poured the cement footings. Work was started by Acme Steel Bldg. Co. immediately afterward.
1964 – The Westernaires Print Shop started with a donated 1250 Multilith that came from the Mountain Bell Telephone Company.
April 7, 1964 – Fort Westernaire ground was deeded back to Westernaires. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that county commissioners could not utilize a lease that exceeded the commissioner’s term of office, ergo, the requirements of the previous gift could not be met. Ground was given back to the Westernaires.
April 31, 1964 – I negotiated with Mr. Hayden and secured the west half of the block. There had been a mix-up in recordkeeping resulting in unpaid taxes on the land, so the Westernaires paid $45.64 to Jefferson County and took over ownership of the west half of the block (thus having both sides now).
July 1964 – Moved our quonset hut from the leased ground at Fairview Stables onto our new property in the west half of the block.
1966 – Moved the 2nd quonset hut onto grounds for costume storage and office functions, and classroom. This building was donated by Morey Da Volt and had been used as the transmitter station for KLAK radio station.
1966 – The carriage barn was built along the northwest side of the property to house and protect the horse drawn museum rolling stock.
1968 – A 100-ton hay shed was built to protect our horse feed. A grain feeder was also added.
1970 – A lease was negotiated with Mr. Hayden for the approximately 15 acres of land immediately to the west of Fort Westernaire. Fencing was installed and it was put in use for our livery horses.
1972 – Two mobile homes were brought in and converted to classrooms and offices.

“The parents of the Westernaire organization represent many occupations and many crafts. Consequently, they donate their talents to the good of the cause. A public-spirited citizen donated the land adjacent to the fairgrounds. Another friend of the Westernaires donated buildings which were on property to be cleared for subdivision. Two other donations of buildings were secured. The Westernaires are now arranging to move these buildings onto the property where the ground has already been graded and placed in condition for them. It will then be necessary for the Westernaires to make certain rearrangements and do the painting and carpenter work to place the buildings in condition for the use required.”

— Elmer E. Wyland, Westernaires Founder

“To indicate the public support accorded the organization, the superintendent of public schools gave the dedication address, and high county and state officials were present on stage. Also present on stage were the dean of all rodeo, Verne Elliot, the outstanding rodeo announcer Cy Taillon, Miss Rodeo Colorado, and many others. The dedication grand entry was most colorful with the flags and uniforms of all 23 show troops and class groups represented. The ultimate plan calls for one covered arena. This will facilitate the year-round training program of the organization.”

— From the April 1960 article "Fort Westernaire", by E. E. Wyland, in Western Horseman magazine.