Modeled after Fort Collins
Did you know that Old Town Fort Collins was the inspiration and model for Disney's Main Street USA? Harper Goff and Walt Disney created the original Main Street USA in the 1950's using photographs of Goff's home town, Fort Collins, Colorado.
In a 1992 interview, Harper Goff stated "Yeah, I was born in that little town Fort Collins, Colorado. My dad owned a newspaper there, the "Fort Collins Express Courier" and I grew up there.
It was a very prosperous town. We had banks that looked like banks, you know, and there was a Victorian city hall. I was born in 1911 and these buildings were around when I was a kid. When I started working on Main Street, I had photographs of Fort Collins taken. I showed them to Walt and he liked them very much. Disneyland's City Hall was copied from Fort Collins, so was the Bank building and some of the others."
At Disney Main Street USA's entry there is a roundabout grassy streetscape that is also rumored to be modeled after the roundabout existed at the Fort Collins intersection of LaPorte Ave. and North College (pictured above in 1922).
So...next time you visit Disney's Magic Kingdom, you should feel right at home knowing that Main Street USA was modeled after our picturesque Old Town Fort Collins.
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PLF Spotlight
Our spotlight is shining brightly on Evie Reuter, our Avery House Special Tour Coordinator. Evie arranges tours for dozens of groups each year that happen outside of our normal open house hours. Second grade curriculum in Colorado includes the study of local history and that's when Evie works her magic. Each year thousands of local 2nd graders make the trip to the Avery House and learn about the Avery's everyday life and their many contributions to the history of Fort Collins. Local teachers know that their students will be treated to a fun, informative tour.  Evie and other docents are always delighted when parents who accompany the students say " I remember when I was in 2nd grade and we toured the Avery House." April and May are especially busy for Avery House school tours and we have Evie to thank for arranging all of them. Thank you Evie for your dedication and many contributions to the Avery House and PLF!
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