Keota, Colorado

Keota is a mostly abandoned town located on the prairie in the Pawnee National Grasslands in Weld County in the U.S. state of Colorado.

The remains of the old Keota church, 23 May 2010.

Keota's elevation is 4,964 ft (1,513 m) 'Keota' is an Indian word meaning "Gone to visit" or "The fire goes out".^{[citation needed]} Keota is located approximately 50 miles east of Greeley on County Road 103. Pawnee Buttes, a pair of prominent sandstone escarpments which are significant nesting areas for hawks, falcons, and eagles, is located nearby.

History

Keota was established as a homestead in 1880 by two sisters, Mary and Eva Beardsley and sold to the Lincoln Land and Cattle Co. in 1888. Keota was a station stop on the "Old Prairie Dog Express" on the Colorado-Wyoming Division of the Burlington-Missouri Railroad. The railroad (used mainly for cattle shipping) was abandoned and the trackage removed in 1975. Keota lost its incorporated status in 1990. There were four different newspapers at four different times from 1908-1975. The last operating post office closed in 1890. The school was established in 1888 and closed in sometime in the 1951 The foundation is still there.

The foundation of the Keota Schoolhouse. The schoolhouse was torn down in the 1950s

The Dean Bivens family, who maintained the roads, moved out in September, 1999. As of 2008, the town is home to several residents in modern houses surrounding the historic townsite. There are remains of the general store, several houses, and foundations on what was the northside of the town along with several foundations (including the foundation of the previously-mentioned Schoolhouse).

Keota water tower still stands to this day however, is not in operation and would likely no longer be safe for storage of public drinking water. Water was once brought to Keota via rail cars due to its isolated location on Colorado's eastern plains.