Edward Wallace Hoskins was born in Nashville, Vermont on 16 October, 1879. He was married to Maude Hurbert Bicknell, and they immigrated to Colorado in 1910 because of his failing health. He had tuberculosis. He was a painter and decorator by trade, and when physically able, worked at it around the Parker area. 

 

Maude was a graduate of both the Vermont Normal School, and the New Jersey Normal School, and had taught school for eight years prior to coming to Colorado. She had prepared for their move to Colorado by securing a job as teacher at the Pine Grove School. She taught there from 1910 to 1915. Maude was an excellent teacher and well liked, and as such, she was recruited to run for the position of Superintendent of Douglas County Schools in 1914. She was elected and took office on January 1st, 1915. She initiated several innovative programs while in the position, such as the idea of “Centrals”, which were groupings of schools that would interact scholastically and in other activities. She also founded the first parent-teacher association in Parker.

 

In 1911, the Hoskins purchased a 50’ by 150’ lot in Dr. Walter Heath’s “Vermont” addition to Parker, and upon securing a $50 loan from Dr. Heath, they had a nice two-story home built on the property. After Maude’s election as Douglas County Superintendent of Schools, they sold the property to Thomas & Flora O’Neil for $300 and moved to Castle Rock. Edward died there, and is buried in the Castle Rock Cemetery. After serving multiple terms as Superintendent, Maude left the area, and eventually remarried.

 

Today the Hoskins House has had a large addition added to it and is the home of a day beauty spa. Interestingly, Hoskins House is one of only two houses that escaped damage in the flood of Tallman Gulch in 1912.

 

Information for this brief was obtained from various articles in Record Journal and A Guide to Historical Sites in Parker by F.B. McLaughlin.

 

This building has been landmarked by the Town of Parker.

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