The Story Behind Auntie Stone Street
Elizabeth Robbins Stone and Fort Collins’ Founding Mother
Drive through Fort Collins long enough and you start to notice something: some street names feel personal. In this case, they are. Auntie Stone Street points back to Elizabeth Robbins Stone, one of the most important women in early Fort Collins history and a figure widely remembered as the city’s “Founding Mother.”
The Woman Everyone Called “Auntie”
Elizabeth Robbins Stone was born Elizabeth Hickok in 1801. After being widowed, she later married Lewis Stone in Minnesota. In 1862, Elizabeth and Lewis traveled to Denver by covered wagon, and in 1864 they moved to the military post at Camp Collins, the frontier outpost that would eventually become Fort Collins.
At Camp Collins, Elizabeth and Lewis built a log cabin that served as both their home and the officers’ mess. Elizabeth’s warmth, cooking, and hospitality made such an impression on the soldiers that they began calling her “Auntie” Stone. That nickname stuck, and so did her place in local history.
Why “Auntie” Stone Mattered
Elizabeth Stone was more than a kind host. She helped create a sense of home and community in a place that was still rough around the edges. The Fort Collins History Connection describes her good humor, hearty cooking, and generous hospitality as the reason she earned that affectionate title from officers and enlisted men. The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery also notes that she was the first non-Native woman to permanently locate in Fort Collins.
Her cabin became one of the earliest gathering places in the area, and it also served a practical role in the town’s growth. In 1866, her niece Elizabeth Keyes (also spelled Keays) became the first schoolteacher, and Stone’s cabin served as the first schoolhouse in Fort Collins.
A Businesswoman Who Helped Build Early Fort Collins
After Lewis Stone died in 1866, Elizabeth kept going. When the army left Fort Collins in 1867, she converted the old officers’ mess into a public hotel. She later ran other hotels as well, including the Blake House and the Cottage House Hotel.
She also played a direct role in building the local economy. With Henry Clay Peterson, she helped start the town’s first grist or flour mill. She also launched the first brick yard/factory in Northern Colorado or Fort Collins, depending on the source’s wording. Either way, the point is clear: Elizabeth Stone was not just present at the beginning of Fort Collins, she was actively helping build it.
The Legacy She Left Behind
Elizabeth Stone was known for her energy almost as much as her hospitality. On her 81st birthday, townspeople held a dance in her honor, and the local stories say she outlasted younger guests and then went home to cook breakfast. She was also an ardent supporter of women’s suffrage and voted in a municipal election in 1894 at age 93.
When she died in 1895 at age 94, Fort Collins marked her passing in a memorable way: businesses suspended operations during her funeral, and the firehouse bell tolled 94 times, once for each year of her life. Her cabin, now preserved at the Heritage Courtyard in Library Park, is recognized as the oldest building in Fort Collins.
Why Auntie Stone Street Still Matters
Auntie Stone Street is more than a street name. It honors a woman whose hospitality, grit, and business sense helped shape early Fort Collins. The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery notes that Auntie Stone Street is named in her honor, and that Elizabeth Street may also be named for her.
That makes the name feel a little different once you know the story. It is not just a sign on a corner. It is a reminder that Fort Collins was built not only by forts and maps, but by people who made the place livable, welcoming, and real.
Written by Nathan Weinland, leader of the Weinland Team at RE/MAX Alliance
Phone: (970) 690-4088
Email: Sales@TheWeinlandTeam.com
Written by fortcollinsexperience
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