Colorado

Name: Historic Tales from Park County
Brand: Laura Van Dusen
SKU: 9781626191617
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: InStock

There is decidedly less pickaxe toting in contemporary Creede than when wild frontiersmen first flooded the gold mines in Colorado. But the pioneering exploits of Colorado history didn’t cease when modern comforts lined the shelves at Denver Dry Goods and luxury hotels opened shop in Durango. Just visit Fort Collins to observe the work of Temple Grandin or watch the laws of physics flex at Lowry Airforce Base. From pristine Rocky Mountain peaks to the deepest incursions of a coal cart, push the limits with our Colorado history books. [View all Colorado books]

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Historic Tales from Park County

Hidden History of the Upper Rio Grande

Sandra Elaine Wagner

$21.99

4UR Ranch at Wagon Wheel Gap Hot Springs Resort

Sandra Elaine Wagner

$24.99

Laura Van Dusen

Historic Tales from Park County

9781626191617

$21.99

The geographic center of Colorado, Park County has long served as a recreational area for Denver and Colorado Springs residents looking to get away. The scene has not always been so idyllic. Marshal Cook was shot while investigating a loud party in Como in 1894, and rumors spread by the Michigan Creek School Board sent Benjamin Ratcliff on a killing spree in 1895. But the county's hardscrabble heritage includes triumphs as well as tragedies. In 1873, county seat Fairplay lost every business on Front Street to a horrific fire. But by 1878, they had rebuilt it all. It still stands today, a true testament to the strength of this old mining town. Journalist Laura Van Dusen shares these stories, outlining the many trials and successes of Park County's earliest settlers.

Sean Scott

Around Frederick

9781467130356

$24.99

In the 1880s, Frederick was nothing but prairieland, and its only inhabitants were prairie dogs, rabbits, coyotes, and snakes. Coal brought settlers to the area, and Frederick was incorporated in 1907 as a coalmining town. The mines needed workers, and immigrants arrived from across the globe to help fill this need for labor. Men and their families came from Italy, Russia, Turkey, Greece, Mexico, and the Slavic countries to make Frederick their home. While not considered a gold or silver boomtown, Frederick had its share of growing pains. Liquor and illegal gambling were constant sources of problems, and the town saw natural disasters such as persistent flooding as well. As its location on the Union Pacific Railroad helped the miners, farmers, and merchants build a strong community, the history of Frederick provides a classic example of growth and development on the eastern Colorado plains.

Sandra Elaine Wagner

Hidden History of the Upper Rio Grande

9781467137171

$21.99

Home to long-forgotten mining towns, defunct fisheries and neglected cabins, the turbulent headwaters of the Upper Rio Grande conceal a largely unknown history. Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys brought their legendary Texas swing to Crooked Creek Canyon's S Lazy U barn dance, while a comedy of errors unfolded around the ranch's secret still. Obstetrician Dr. MaryAnn Faunce, the daughter of an abolitionist and suffragette, made house calls as a real-life Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Rough-and-tumble miners drawn to Creede's silver boom found accommodations ranging from the primitive to the opulent, though none as enduring as the Creede Hotel. Upper Rio Grande native Carol Ann Wetherill and author Sandra Wagner preserve and celebrate the pioneering spirit that defined the early days in this obscure corner of southern Colorado.

Sandra Elaine Wagner

4UR Ranch at Wagon Wheel Gap Hot Springs Resort

9781467144506

$24.99

Native Americans used the healing waters of the Wagon Wheel Gap hot springs for thousands of years prior to American settlement. An area rich in geologic features enticed pre-treaty explorers. But it was the 1873 Brunot Treaty that brought mining interests and a silver boom to the San Juans. Modernization to a first-class resort followed. More than three thousand acres and six miles of world-class fishing attracted illustrious guests such as Walt Disney, John Wayne and Dwight Eisenhower. Follow the history of this century-old ranch, including its various owners, from its infancy through to the establishment of the surrounding exclusive community. The 4UR Ranch has been in the Leavell family for more than forty years. Now with the fourth generation contributing, the Leavells hope to be welcoming guests for many years to come and continue their stewardship of this extraordinary valley.