A Fort Collins realtor Sean Dougherty discovered a very old safe built into a wall with the words “Larimer County Treasurer’s Office” painted above the door in a home he was touring in 2016. The realtor sent a photo of the 2500 pound Moser safe to the Larimer County Treasurer, Irene Josey. After researching the safe, Josey discovered it was the first safe used in the original 1887 Larimer County Courthouse.
Originally, the safe was used by the county until 1964 when it was replaced with a newer safe, which Larimer County is still using. Larimer County gave the old safe away in 1977 to Ken Mosness, then Superintendent of the Larimer County Roads Department. Mosness moved the old safe to his home in Skyview Estates.
Ms. Josey knew this piece of Larimer County history had to come home. The former and new homeowners agreed to donate the safe to the county. Getting the safe back to the courthouse proved to be very expensive, but President Mark Driscoll with First National Bank donated the funds to transport the safe back to the courthouse.
The safe had a minor “facelift” and is now on display in the remodeled Treasurer’s Office lobby as shown in this photo. The Treasurer’s Office hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony in April to celebrate the new lobby, which is now larger, easier to navigate, and designed to improve in-person transactions for citizens.
Photo Caption: Current county treasurer Irene Josey and past treasurer Myrna Rodenberger standing by the historic safe.