3597 Galway Dr, Laporte, CO
Born in Missouri to a French father and a mulatto mother, Antoine Janis (1824-1890) traveled on trading caravans with his father. He journeyed west on his own in 1844 and worked as a scout and interpreter at Fort Laramie. He married First Elk Woman of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. On the return from one trip, he passed through the Cache la Poudre Valley and remembered what he called “the loveliest spot on earth.” At the time, it was not open to settlement, but Janis staked out a claim with plans to return once the area was free to be homesteaded. Janis settled among 150 Arapaho lodges and is credited with being the first Euro-American settler in Larimer County. He later constructed a cabin and founded the town of Colona, now known as Laporte. His cabin can be viewed at the Heritage Courtyard at Matthews St. and Olive St. in Fort Collins. This marker, erected by the Daughter’s of the American Revolution in 1974, marks the original location of the Janis cabin. Behind the marker is the open area where the original Camp Collins was located.
Accessibility
Accessible
Directions
From Hwy 287-B in Laporte, turn left (south) onto Galway Drive. The monument is on the west side of the street approximately 175 feet from the intersection of Galway and 287-B.
