One of the first schools in Highlands Ranch (that we know of and actually BEFORE it was part of Highlands Ranch) was the Dry Creek school or Welte School. See the photo and information below on that early one room schoolhouse.
Now that Highlands Ranch has a population of approximately 100,000 there are MANY schools, both public, charter, and private!
Above photo of the Welte School, 1931, which was located near/along present day Colorado Blvd in Highlands Ranch, about a one-half mile south of present day County Line Rd. The dresses of the girls and the teacher are all at or above the knee. The building is a wooden frame structure with siding. L to R: Grace Dell Bates, Matilda Dietrich, Elizabeth Renner, Florence Carolson (teacher), Elwood Jewell. Courtesy of Douglas County Schools District Library Media Center.
The Highlands Ranch Historical Society is available to visit Second Grade Classes and present our School History Program to your students. This program meets the requirements for second grade history. Local history is reviewed, starting with the dinosaurs that lived in the area. 
A variety of methods are used to disseminate the information and also interact with the students, including digital, posters, and actual implements.
Ranching history and hands-on time with old fashioned implements is a fun activity, such as the butter churn here.
Students in the second grade class are given the Activity Book and a cute dinosaur-inspired ruler!
The second grade teachers are complimentary of the program. Here is what Teacher Kim said about a recent 2025 school visit:
” I think the presentation was excellent! My students were very engaged and truly enjoyed learning about Highlands Ranch. The hands-on activity was especially engaging and perfectly suited for second graders—it’s always their favorite part. Thank you for taking the time to share this information with my students.” |
Read the Tidbit HERE for a tour of past presentations at local HR Elementary and specialty schools.
For an overview of the content and methodology, see below:
Our mission is to encourage an appreciation for history with a focus on preserving and sharing Highlands Ranch history. One way we do that is by visiting Highlands Ranch Elementary Schools and talking with second-grade students about the history of our community. This program is free and scheduled on request by emailing info@thehrhs.org.
PROGRAM LENGTH: One Hour
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
Speaker(s) from the Highlands Ranch Historical Society share the story of Highlands Ranch from the dinosaurs to today through a series of poster boards and discussion. The students then form five table groups to handle and identify five different artifacts from early home life in the area. Handouts are given for written notes as they complete the rotation. Each group moves through all five artifacts/tables to identify: What is this item? What was it used for? Was it made or bought? Students reconvene to go over the old (artifacts) vs. new (what we do today). Teachers are provided with dinosaur rulers and Activity Books to be given to the students after the program.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Twenty-five minutes of interactive discussion covering the timeline in the Highlands Ranch area with visuals. Twenty minutes of discovery and interaction on the five artifacts brought for investigation. Fifteen minutes of now vs. then debrief on the artifacts.
SETUP:
Typically, the students sit on the floor for the discussion and debrief. Five small tables are useful for displaying the artifacts and promoting interaction for the hands-on section. The Highlands Ranch Historical Society provides the handouts. Students should have a pencil or pen for taking notes.
VOCABULARY AND CONCEPTS COVERED
Fossils Triceratops Torosaurus Paleo-Indians Megafauna Utes Pioneers Churn Lantern Switchboard Indigenous Peoples
Homestead Act Master-Planned Community Metro Districts
To schedule a visit at your school, please contact us at info@theHRHS.org
For those who have just had the HRHS visit and present the School History Program,
fill out our HRHS School Program Survey here ›