We are standing at the boundary between the Town of South Denver, and the City of Denver. The Town of South Denver was not incorporated until 1886 when it became the Denver that we know today. The area became known as an escape from the dirty city living and had fresh air away from the smelter’s cloud, and it had plumbed water so you did not have to dig a well.

We are standing at the site of Avery and Charlotte Gallup's property. Avery and Charlotte Gallup were responsible for much of the development of housing in South Denver. Avery Gallup was known for building greenhouses and creating subdivisions with artesian wells. He plotted four additions to the city and turned a piece of trackless prairie into the town of South Denver. 

Avery also built the Gallup- Stanbury Building (A Denver landmark in Larimer square). On the corner of Alameda between Lincoln and Broadway (Where the McDonalds, the Shops, and DogTopia is today, he had built a large house on twenty acres with a large greenhouse. 

One of the best parts about the Gallup's choice of land where they built their home was the proximity to the City of Denver. Alameda was the dividing line between the town of "South Denver" and Denver. The street car ended here, and there was a “Streetcar turnaround right here known as the “Alameda Balloon Loop”. You can see it in the first photo. So all Avery and Charlotte had to do was hop onto the Broadway streetcar and head straight up to Denver. The line at Alameda and Broadway first had Horse Drawn streetcars and were known as the “Little Brown Car”. The horse drawn streetcars made the trip to 16th and Broadway in thirty-five minutes.

The Gallup's first built a smaller “country house” that was surrounded by lush gardens until their larger house was built at Alameda and Broadway They planted rare trees, shrubs, and flowers and kept their lawn velvety. They had developed and converted the grounds into a magnificent botanical garden modeled after the gardens Avery had seen during his travels to Europe. The Gallup's were famous for their lavish parties and guests looked forward to each dazzling new floral arrangement designed by Mrs. Gallup. The arrangements became the center of attention of each party. Together, Avery and Charlotte developed much of Littleton and expanded their nurseries and planted over a thousand acres of orchards and operated several dozen greenhouses.

Charlotte was president of the "Gallup Floral Company" which became known throughout the region. Avery tended to the real estate; Charlotte tended to the greenhouses and nurseries. She continued to manage the business and estate even after Avery's early death in 1894. Their beautiful mansion on South Broadway was torn down in 1909 and pieces of it were used to build Charlotte's new home in Littleton. 

The Gallup's sold their greenhouse here at Alameda to John L Russell in 1881. Mr. Russell took great care of the greenhouses and became very successful. One of his commissions was to plant the shrubs around the new State Capitol. He is often quoted in botanical magazines at the time expressing new methods to plant exotic plants. In 1896, he entered various stages of politics and he became the Chief of Police in Denver, Special agent for the US Land Office, State inspector of Oil, and in his later years, he became the superintendent for City Parks. It is said that he frequently used his own funds to import shrubs for the plants in the City's parks. He is responsible for bringing in the original "George Washington" elm tree to our city. He also brought a tree that is in City Park relating to Young Shakespeare that came straight from Stratford-on-the-Avon. You can also check out the tree tour of Washington Park to find some of his accomplishments.

Here are two photos of the home of EB Field that was also built as Gallup's neighbor on Broadway and Alameda.

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