History Rebel

The legend of the missing treasure along Highway 287 in Fort Collins is said to be a myth, but the story is neat none the less 😎. Happy Sunday!

Ever wondered why the Taco Bell on College and Prospect in Fort Collins looks a little different than the rest?

Built in 1930 by Richard Mawson, owner of Mawson Lumber he built a Spanish, Mediterranean style home for his family to live in. They lived there until 1943.

After the Mawson’s moved, Dr. James Wickersham, an optometrist lived and set up his practice in the home.

In 1972, a Taco Bell was built at 1538 S. College Ave. Due to the popularity, plans for expansion and addition of a drive thru were necessary.

The original plan was the raise the Mawson home and the Taco Bell would expand, however, the city of Fort Collins fought against that plan. They called Taco Bell Corporate, convinced them that it was a Spanish style home so there would be no reason why they should tear down the real thing and build a fake one.

Finally in 1993, the Taco Bell that sat next to the Mawson house for 21 years was demolished. Employees got to participate by throwing bricks and trash can lids through the windows before it was torn down.

The city renovated the home. They added an addition in back for the kitchen and they converted the bathroom window to the drive thru window.

It was the first Taco Bell to ever be a placed inside a residence.

Does anybody remember the original Taco Bell?

Murder Monday:

Nearly 22 years ago, one of the most notorious murders in Colorado history shook the city of Boulder.

Personally, this one still hits home for me. I grew up near Boulder, was the exact same age as JonBenét when she died and one of my childhood friends was in the pageant circuit with her. My husband grew up in Boulder and apart of Boy Scouts and was in the Boulder Christmas parade with her just the week before. Although I was young, I still vividly remember hearing about this on the news and as a young girl, not knowing who hurt her, terrified me. This murder remains unsolved and I hope someday JonBenét gets the justice she deserves.

Do you remember where you were when you first heard about this case?