Grand Lake in Grand County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
The Smith-Eslick Family
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 17, 2015
1. The Smith-Eslick Family Marker (panel 1)
Inscription.
The Smith-Eslick Family. .
The Smith Eslick Family (panel 1). Entrepreneur P.H. Smith brought his family to Grand County from Kansas. In 1893 he started a sawmill in Grand Lake and acquired several local properties. , A skillful craftsman, P.H. Smith built many significant structures, including the Grand Lake Yacht Club, completed in 1912, and the Grand Lake Community House in 1920. These two structures still stand, and are each designated as an historic structure. This was a family business, and P.H.'s children also worked hard to make it a success. His second daughter, Georgia, married an English miner named Alfred Eslick in Idaho Springs, and moved her family, including their first five children, to Grand Lake in 1904. , The Cottage Court was said by the last owner, Grace Eslick, to have been built in 1911 by her future husband Clyde Eslick and father-in-law Alfred Eslick, with the guidance of Clyde's grandfather and successful builder P.H. Smith. Clyde would have been only ten years old at the time, but he had already quit school after the fourth grade to go right to work with his grandfather. He learned to log, mill the lumber and use it to build. He soon joined his uncles working the freight route to Granby, which by then was operated with a Model-T in the summer, so Clyde developed his love of and skill with automobiles early-on. , Noted Grand Lake historian Patience Cairns Kemp wrote that the Cottage Court was completed in 1915, and it is that date that appears in the series of walking tour publications, Historical Society presentations and signage produced since 1973. , (panel 1 photo captions) . P.H. Smith with daughters Genevieve, Mabel and Georgia. . Clyde and Claude Eslick . Grand Lake Yacht Club, 1912 . Grand Lake Community House, 1960 ,
Hard Work (panel 2). The Cottage Court was right on the main road into town, close to the Eslick family home, and was grouped together with other detached cabins built by P.H. Smith and his family. This must have made it easier for Georgia Eslick to run her laundry business, raise a family, and care for overnight guests. , Running the Cottage Court business was never an easy endeavor. One has only to read the list of items the Great Lakes Area Historical Society removed from the Cottage Court to get a sense of what had to be done to keep the business running all those years, from before 1920 through the 1960s. There are washtubs and trunks, sewing machine, axes, vacuum cleaners, battery operated radios, huge stacks of laundered linens, window repair items, coat hooks and hangers, glass and ceramic dishware, blankets, aprons, candle holders, light bulbs, mothball canisters, cutting boards, paint brushes, pillows and so much more. One item helps tell the story of early automobile travelers: the circa 1930 Durkee-Atwood Safety Frost Shield, designed to protect your car window. , The Eslicks, Alfred and Georgia, Clyde and Grace, worked hard and without additional employees. Georgia Eslick sold the Cottage Court to her son Clyde and his wife Grace in 1946. In 1947, rooms rented for $1.50 a night. One couple recently shared their memories of staying in the Cottage Court in 1956, with their three children. They told of how Clyde Eslick always made sure there was a stack of firewood outside each unit, which was a good thing as the wife was busy cooking on the wood stove while the kids frolicked on the wide lawn and the husband sat gossiping with friends. The wood stove was also the only source of heat to take the chill off the early morning air. The entire family stayed in one accommodation unit. The Eslicks closed the business in the 1960s. ,
Grand Lake Area Historical Society . www.kauffmanhouse.org . 970-627-9644 [email protected].
The Smith Eslick Family (panel 1)
Entrepreneur P.H. Smith brought his family to Grand County from Kansas. In 1893 he started a sawmill in Grand Lake and acquired several local properties.
A skillful craftsman, P.H. Smith built many significant structures, including the Grand Lake Yacht Club, completed in 1912, and the Grand Lake Community House in 1920. These two structures still stand, and are each designated as an historic structure. This was a family business, and P.H.'s children also worked hard to make it a success. His second daughter, Georgia, married an English miner named Alfred Eslick in Idaho Springs, and moved her family, including their first five children, to Grand Lake in 1904.
The Cottage Court was said by the last owner, Grace Eslick, to have been built in 1911 by her future husband Clyde Eslick and father-in-law Alfred Eslick, with the guidance of Clyde's grandfather and successful builder P.H. Smith. Clyde would have been only ten years old at the time, but he had already quit school after the fourth grade to go right to work with his grandfather. He learned to log, mill the lumber and use it to build. He soon joined his uncles working the freight route to Granby, which by then was operated with a Model-T in the summer, so Clyde developed his love of and skill with
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automobiles early-on.
Noted Grand Lake historian Patience Cairns Kemp wrote that the Cottage Court was completed in 1915, and it is that date that appears in the series of walking tour publications, Historical Society presentations and signage produced since 1973.
(panel 1 photo captions)
• P.H. Smith with daughters Genevieve, Mabel and Georgia.
• Clyde and Claude Eslick
• Grand Lake Yacht Club, 1912
• Grand Lake Community House, 1960
Hard Work (panel 2)
The Cottage Court was right on the main road into town, close to the Eslick family home, and was grouped together with other detached cabins built by P.H. Smith and his family. This must have made it easier for Georgia Eslick to run her laundry business, raise a family, and care for overnight guests.
Running the Cottage Court business was never an easy endeavor. One has only to read the list of items the Great Lakes Area Historical Society removed from the Cottage Court to get a sense of what had to be done to keep the business running all those years, from before 1920 through the 1960s. There are washtubs and trunks, sewing machine, axes, vacuum cleaners, battery operated radios, huge stacks of laundered linens, window repair items, coat hooks and hangers, glass and ceramic dishware, blankets, aprons, candle holders, light bulbs,
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 17, 2015
2. The Smith-Eslick Family Marker (panel 2 - Hard Work)
mothball canisters, cutting boards, paint brushes, pillows and so much more. One item helps tell the story of early automobile travelers: the circa 1930 Durkee-Atwood Safety Frost Shield, designed to protect your car window.
The Eslicks, Alfred and Georgia, Clyde and Grace, worked hard and without additional employees. Georgia Eslick sold the Cottage Court to her son Clyde and his wife Grace in 1946. In 1947, rooms rented for $1.50 a night. One couple recently shared their memories of staying in the Cottage Court in 1956, with their three children. They told of how Clyde Eslick always made sure there was a stack of firewood outside each unit, which was a good thing as the wife was busy cooking on the wood stove while the kids frolicked on the wide lawn and the husband sat gossiping with friends. The wood stove was also the only source of heat to take the chill off the early morning air. The entire family stayed in one accommodation unit. The Eslicks closed the business in the 1960s.
Grand Lake Area Historical Society • www.kauffmanhouse.org • 970-627-9644 [email protected]
3. Marker photo: Clyde and Grace Eslick. Clyde was called “Grand Lake's longest-term resident”
W. Marker is in Grand Lake, Colorado, in Grand County. Marker is on Vine Street north of Lake Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Marker panels are mounted at eye-level, directly on the Smith-Eslick Cottage Court building, beside the carport door of the north unit, near the northeast corner of the row. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 725 Lake Avenue, Grand Lake CO 80447, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. This is a two-panel marker; each panel is framed and covered with transparent acrylic.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. The Smith-Eslick Cottage Camp
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 17, 2015
4. The Smith-Eslick Family Marker (wide view; showing marker panels on carport wall)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 15, 2019. It was originally submitted on February 12, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 136 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 12, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3. submitted on February 13, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 4. submitted on February 12, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
