Branson, Colorado is situated less than a mile from the passageway between two mesas that was a favored route for early travelers and a military freighting branch of the Santa Fe Trail. Branson owes its origin to the selection of this desirable pass, now known as Emery Gap, as the routing for the Denver, Texas, and Fort Worth Railroad.

A switching track called Wilson Switch, adjacent to the present townsite, where railroad freight such as lumber, windmills, and farm machinery could be unloaded and the train "flagged" to take on passengers, eventually spawned the little village of Branson.

By the year 1915, the nucleus of a little settlement consisting of a grocery store, a blacksmith shop, a clothing store, and a feed store had sprung up alongside the railroad switch, and in August of that year, a post office designated as Coloflats opened up. The surrounding land which had been previously used only for cattle and sheep grazing was now blossoming with homesteads, tar paper shacks, and dugouts, where the flocking settlers had high hopes of converting the prairie grassland to fertile farms.

In 1918 a depot was established and the town was renamed Branson, after Josiah F. Branson, a town planner who had acquired the land upon which the village was plotted. The homesteaders enjoyed a few good years with above normal moisture, and as they and their crops prospered, so did the rapidly expanding little trade center. Three grain elevators were established to accommodate the abundance of wheat and other grains that were hauled from as far as fifty miles away to this railroad shipping point. A cream station was also established to accommodate the needs of the settlers, who often relied on the butter and egg money as their cash income between harvest-time sales. Besides the usual assortment of business establishments, Branson was proud to claim the services of a bank, a newspaper, and a doctor.

By 1920, the population had reached 400 and would ultimately grow to nearly 1000 in the 1920’s. Growth was hampered somewhat by two disastrous fires, one in 1921, and another in 1922. Before the city water system was established in 1926, a third fire ravaged a block of business buildings. Prior to the existence of the water system, water was delivered at prices of $0.35 and $0.50 per barrel, and some homes had cisterns for water storage.

After juggling students in the series of make-do buildings and utilizing the church facilities, a large two-storied brick school building was constructed in 1923, adequate to accommodate twelve grades of education within the community.

By the late 1920’s weather patterns had returned to normal, and the homesteader population had begun to wither. The drought years of the 1930’s, coupled with a depression, sounded the death knell for the area as a farming community, and as the disheartened settlers began to move away, so also did the little town begin to fade.

All of this was coupled with changing transportation patterns. For a community whose daily life was geared to the railroad, relying upon it for the delivery of groceries and supplies, its mail and passenger service, as well as the shipment of its produce, changes were coming about. With the advent of the automobile as a common family possession and the growth of the trucking industry, coupled with more and better roads, there was a gradual movement away from the reliance upon the railroad.

By the same token, the new freedom to travel also afforded the people greater shopping opportunities. They were no longer confined to doing business just in Branson.

After World War II, few of the veterans and younger residents chose to cast their lot with a fading community. A few individuals with ranching inclinations saw a future in an area where the plowed up acres had been abandoned and were now reverting once more to grazing land. There appeared revived hope for ranching, but such an industry would result in a much smaller population for the area.

This combination of factors caused the remaining businesses to close their doors and move on. A few older families chose to remain with their family home, some with ranching interests remained, and the quiet little town became home base for a few individuals employed nearby or with businesses conducted in surrounding areas. The school, the county, and the postal department provide employment for other residents, and retired people represent a segment of the town.

As the little village moves into the 21st Century, the school, in which great pride is taken, the community church, and a strong sense of community spirit are the elements that keep alive a little town, struggling, but too determined to die.

-Taken from A History of Branson written by Richard Louden