| History | Asahel Haines pre-empted 159 acres at $1.25 per acre, northwest of Arvada c. 1859. In the required five years, Haines had paid $198.76 for the property, built a cabin and Haines Irrigation Ditch (1861), was given ownership of the property at Denver City, January 29, 1864, and received U.S. Patent No 144 on April 6, 1866. Six Haines children were born in the cabin, eventually a half story was added for two bedrooms and an addition on the north for two more bedrooms. Haines had a good business selling wares to the gold miners and to traveling merchants. He was a successful farmer and sold vegetables, eggs and fruit. It has been said that John Gregory camped on Haines property during the winter in the 1860s. After the property changed hands several times, Montie Blunn bought the cabin and grounds in 1946. Mr. Blunn repaired the cabin without the additions for his sons to use as a bunkhouse. At that time it was known as the Blunn Cabin. The City of Arvada bought the Blunn property, January 12, 1971 for the future Blunn Reservoir. The Arvada Historical Society proposed to the City Planning Department and to City Council that this cabin be preserved since it was the only one of its kind in the area. The City moved it to the newly built Arvada Center in 1978. It had to be dismantled, log by log , and rebuilt in the Museum area in the Center. By December, 1978, Christmas was held inside the cabin. |
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