The Naming of Sheep Draw Veterinary Hospital
It was late summer 1985, a golden time when our founder, Dr. Klingerberg (Dr. K), says he had more hair, less weight, and didn’t need reading glasses. The building on the western edge of Greeley, which his mom claimed was actually in eastern Loveland, was near completion. The veterinary clinic, which had been designed in his head for many years, was finally becoming a reality. The equipment had been researched and ordered, and the medical supplies were arriving daily. A staff, of one, had been interviewed and hired. One problem remained……what to name the practice?
Earlier that year Dr. K had obtained a one acre plot of land from the Mahan’s, who owned the farm immediately to the west. The Mahan’s had owned and farmed their property for many years, and it had been affectionately known as “The Pumpkin Farm,” due to their selling pumpkins, Indian corn, and tri-colored gourds every fall. He felt especially fortunate to have obtained this land, as the Mahan’s had turned down many previous offers. Dr. K always prided himself on his persuasive abilities and thinks that the Mahan’s daughter being a Veterinary Technician was an important factor. In any case, he became the proud owner of the new veterinary clinic near the pumpkin farm. The Mahan’s immediately lobbied him to name the clinic “Pumpkin Ridge Veterinary Hospital.”
Unfortunately, Dr. K just never wanted a clinic named after an orange vegetable famous at Halloween. His parents proudly advised him to include his family name and call it Klingenberg Veterinary Hospital. Or, maybe, Dr. Klingenbergs’ Small Animal Hospital. Nah, it just seemed a little presumptuous to him. How about naming it after some local features? West 10th Street Veterinary Hospital? Boring! Mountain View Veterinary Hospital? Too common! Besides, with the buildings to the west to come later, you would have to stand on the roof to see the mountains.
Finally, Dr. K dug out an older map of Greeley to look for other ideas. Aha, the maps all labeled the area around the clinic as “The Sheep Draw.” The city of Greeley assured him that the housing areas around the clinic would all be known as the Sheep Draw Annexation. Perfect! “Sheep Draw Veterinary Hospital.” He would be the first to commercially tap into the name that the entire region would become known as. Well, maybe not. Until just recently, he was the one and only person to tap into this name. Those pesky Mahan’s had a provision in their contract when they sold their farm that the land be named “Pumpkin Ridge.” He always thought that he should have known they would. Now, we have a unique name that everyone remembers even though they don’t understand where the name came from. Now you know.