Article of facts by Shaun Boyd of the Douglas County Library:

So being a giant nerd, I felt the need to examine the Douglas County newspapers to see if it sheds any light on this…

http://coloradohistoricnewspapers.org

1938-1952 Record Journal of Douglas County
1951-1966 Douglas County News

  • 1938 – 3 Highland
  • 1939 – 1 Highlands, 2 Highland
  • 1940 – 4 Highland
  • 1941 – 2 Highlands
  • 1943 – 1 Highland
  • 1946 – 3 Highlands
  • 1947 – 1 Highlands, 2 Highland
  • 1949 – 1 Highlands
  • 1950 – 4 Highlands, 1 Highland
  • 1951 – 8 Highlands, 2 Highland, 1 Highland’s
  • 1952 – 5 Highlands, 3 Highland
  • 1953 – 7 Highlands, 3 Highland
  • 1954 – 7 Highlands, 4 Highland
  • 1955 – 8 Highlands, 1 Highland
  • 1956 – 6 Highlands
  • 1957 – 2 Highlands, 1 Highland
  • 1958 – 11 Highlands, 3 Highland
  • 1959 – 7 Highlands, 3 Highland
  • 1960 – 9 Highlands, 1 Highland
  • 1961 – 12 Highlands
  • 1962 – 5 Highlands, 2 Highland
  • 1963 – 11 Highlands, 1 Highland
  • 1964 – 6 Highlands, 1 Highland
  • 1965 – 8 Highlands, 1 Highland
  • 1966 – 3 Highlands, 1 Highland

 

Grand Totals
    Highlands – 127
    Highland – 40

It looks like (superficially) if the Phipps Family or someone who worked for them were consulted it was usually “Highlands” and if it was someone else, it was “Highland” with the exception of long-time County Extension Agent Charlie Kirk, who provided a lot of the references.  He migrated from “Highland” to “Highlands” over the course of about 1951-1954.

Interestingly, it appears that they continued to refer to it as Highland Ranch even after the Phillips Sale.

And there are references to the “Diamond K Ranch” referring to the property as late as 1945.

– Shaun Boyd