Stroll again into Estes Park’s historical past – Estes Park Path-Gazette

Each Thursday morning at 10 a.m. by September 29 a docent from the Estes Park Museum begins a strolling tour of downtown Estes Park.

From the earliest historical past of the world to the most recent about long-time Estes Park households, Patty Bartlett, a lifelong resident of Estes Park and the August 25 tour chief, enthusiastically educated the group concerning the distinctive historical past of the buildings, occasions and people who have molded Estes Park’s historical past.

Beginning close to the statue of Enos Mills in Bond Park, Bartlett kicked off the tour for the group of 12 speaking concerning the definition of a park: a mountain valley.

“When you see a five-letter phrase in a New York Instances crossword puzzle with the trace ‘a mountain park’, plug in Estes,” stated Bartlett. “The reply might very properly be Estes Park.”

She continued speaking concerning the first individuals within the valley – the Arapaho and Utes – who spent the summer time right here following the big herds of elk and deer. However then the hunters and trappers arrived and worn out the herd populations within the late 1800s. Funds have been raised and elk from Yellowstone have been reintroduced within the early 1900s.

Earlier than Bartlett led the group throughout Bond Park to start the strolling portion of the tour, she talked concerning the two well-known early settlers of the world. The primary settler to homestead within the valley was Joel Estes together with his spouse Patsy in 1860. Their cabin not stands however, in accordance with Bartlett, stood close to what’s the Estes Valley Canine Park at the moment.

The Estes household solely stayed 5 – 6 years after they offered their property to Griff Evans. He turned their cabin right into a visitor home the place early explorers, together with Isabella Hen, stayed to discover the area.

The opposite early settler Bartlett talked about was Enos Mills. Thought of the daddy of Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park, Bartlett identified that his statue in Bond Park faces straight in the direction of Longs Peak. Mills arrived in Estes Valley in 1884 and later bought the Longs Peak Inn on what’s now Colorado Freeway 7. After assembly John Muir, Mills turned captivated with defending the primary parcels of land that may grow to be Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park.

The tour now moved to the nook of Elkhorn and Virginia Drive the place the group realized extra concerning the varied buildings on this space. Bartlett talked about how Abner Sprague developed the plans for plotting Estes Park with Bond Park being the center of city and the 1908 constructing on the nook that now homes Beef Jerky Outlet and Dakotah Jewellery and Presents.

“This constructing, initially in-built 1908, was owned by Sam Service and was a normal mercantile,” stated Bartlett. “It was a protected approach retailer within the Thirties however that was the Despair. Folks didn’t have cash so Sam Service stated, ‘purchase your groceries and pay when you’ve got cash the protected approach.’”

The group chuckled.

Simply previous the mercantile constructing was the Espresso Bar restaurant.

A lady from Texas cheerfully talked about how she remembered that restaurant.

“I realized to ski within the very small Hidden Valley ski resort within the park,” she stated. “We’d come to the Espresso Bar restaurant after snowboarding within the Seventies.”

The tour continued west on Elkhorn Avenue. Because the group stopped outdoors The Taffy Store to find out about its lengthy historical past as a saltwater taffy store because it opened in 1935, the proprietor, Mark Igel stepped out the door with candies in hand for the group.

“I used to work right here,” stated Bartlett. “Right here, I’ll present you a photograph.”

She pulled out the sq. Kodak print. Igel stated he needed to get a photograph of the photograph and ran contained in the store. When he returned – with one other bag of candies, cinnamon this time – he snapped a photograph together with his mobile phone.

One other tour participant spoke up.

“I keep in mind standing outdoors after I was 5 years outdated watching these pullers within the window,” he stated. “That was 62 years in the past. I keep in mind the surface being inexperienced then.”

Igel added the within was pink and that he hears a lot of these tales all day lengthy.

The group continued one other block west on Elkhorn, crossed the road, walked east on the alternative facet of the road, walked as much as the Historic Park Theatre, took a path alongside Fall River, got here out in Confluence Park and completed again up at Bond Park.

In complete, Bartlett shared the historical past, confirmed pictures and answered questions on greater than 35 buildings in downtown. Most included tales concerning the individuals concerned with the companies in these buildings. Company realized about how the MacDonald Bookshop was the house of the MacDonald household, the highschool soccer area was the parking zone close to the police station, an outside swimming pool cooled off swimmers on the nook of Rockwell Road and Riverside Drive, and tales concerning the many lodges, lodges and inns within the rising, rustic city of Estes Park.

“I attempt to get a number of data into the tour about individuals,” stated Bartlett. “Buildings are buildings, however individuals carry it to life.”

Along with the Thursday morning excursions, there’s a tour at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31. Excursions are free and first come, first served for about 12 individuals; no reservations required. For extra details about the excursions, go to https://estespark.colorado.gov/museum.