Craig Daily Press

Craig — Compiled by Chuck Mack

When I first found this article in the June 4, 1913, Steamboat Pilot, I thought how wonderful it was that I happened to find it in 2008, the year of Craig’s 100th birthday.

After reading the article, I left it word for word the way it was in the Steamboat Pilot, and then I sent a copy to Dan Davidson, director of the Museum of Northwest Colorado.

Dan had the same thoughts as I; he thought it was one of the most descriptive article on early Craig that he had read.

I was concerned about the dates, Dan said, “They are within a year or so of the actual dates, and close enough for an article of this type.” So, everything in this article is just as it appeared the way it was written for the Pilot in 1913.

Here is part 3 of a 3-part series. Part 1 appeared in the Feb. 2 Daily Press. Part 2 appeared in the Feb. 9 Daily Press.

To have seen Routt County in its primeval wilderness was a privilege vouchsafed to but few white men.

Before the white man came it was a land of beauty and romance, a verdant expanse of the hill and valley ruled by countless herds of elk, deer, bear, antelope and occasional buffalo. One who once saw it was Henry Schaffnit Sr., for many years a resident of Routt County but now living at Long Beach, California. Mr. Schaffnit was a pioneer settler in the Hayden Valley and built the first hotel at Steamboat Springs. But previous to that he had made a trip through this section when there was not a permanent settler south of Hahns Peak.

It was the day after the big fire at Central City, which occurred May 22, 1874, that a party of men from that town, including Mr. Schaffnit, set out across the range with pack animals to visit the land of the westward. They tried to cross at the James Peak Trail, but the snow was deep and crusted, treacherous in places, so they crossed over to the Rawlinsville road which crossed the range at almost the same place that the Moffat road does now. The wagon road followed the natural “Causeway” just above and to the north of Yankee Doodle Lake, and the thriving mining camp of Yankee Doodle was then in full blast high with hopes that did not materialize. The Rawlinsville road was then being cleared of snow by means of shovels in preparation for spring traffic.

After a wait of several days the party was enabled to get down into Middle Park, where other perilous experiences incident to a new country awaited them. The creeks and rivers were swollen by the melting snows and fording was dangerous. At the Fraser River the party nearly lost a pack animal and did lose some provisions. At the Muddy they tried to cross on a raft, which capsized, throwing the men into the water, filled with floating ice. Here one of the party lost a rifle.

At Hot Sulfur Springs there was a cabin built of cottonwood logs but no one was living in it at the time. Crossing the Gore Range the party came down through Egeria Park and camped on the banks of Spring Creek, now in the upper part of Steamboat Springs and were much interested in the springs which bubbled out here in such profusion. From here they went to Hahn’s Peak, where extensive placer work was being conducted by Stephan D. M. Bennett. They spent a few days at Hahns Peak and then went to Snake River, the only residents there being Jim Baker and Mr. Reeder, the later conducting a small trading post. Returning the party intended to go westward through Routt County but upon again reaching Elk River, where the George Frantz ranch now is, they encountered a band of about fifteen Utes who were extremely ugly. The red man kicked the shins of their white brother, threatened to take their horses, knives, guns etc., and wound up with the injunction to “vamoose,” which advice was heeded at once.

Mr. Schaffnit moved to Routt County with his family in 1884, settling at Hayden. He remained there until 1888 when he moved to Steamboat Springs. Before coming to Routt County he had taken a very active interest in the early day life of Central City, when that was one of the richest mining camps of Colorado. He settled in Central City in 1864, resigning his commission as lieutenant in front of Atlanta, after serving his country faithfully during the war of the rebellion. In 1865 he served in the first Colorado militia called out by Colonel Moonlight of Kansas.