Cozens Ranch Museum

Cozens Ranch Museum. Gateway to Grand County Heritage. , Cozens Ranch Museum , Welcome to historic Grand County, known by early explorers as Middle Park. Connect with history by visiting the Heritage Coalition's many historic and cultural sites - from the top of Berthoud Pass, west along Highway 40 to Kremmling, and north to Grand Lake and Rocky Mountain National Park. The Heritage Coalition unites all county organizations dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of Middle Park's rich history and culture. , Cozens Stage Stop , Former sheriff of nearby Central City, William Zane Cozens and his family crossed Rollins Pass in 1872 to homestead in the Fraser Valley. When stagecoach service over Berthoud Pass commenced a few years later, the Cozens Ranch was the first stage stop on the west side. , Dusty and tired travelers enjoyed a hearty thirty-five cent lunch prepared by Mary York Cozens and her daughters. , Have time for a short walk? Visit the Cozens Cemetery and Ave Maria Shrine on the hill behind the ranch, accessible via the Fraser River Trail. , Mary York and William Zane Cozens , The Cozens family moved to the Fraser Valley in 1872. Structures were completed between 1874 and 1881, which provided a family residence, a small hotel, a stage stop, dining room and the first Fraser Valley Post Office. , Billy (William) Cozens was appointed postmaster of the Fraser Post Office in 1876 and held the post until he died in 1904. Their large house with six guest rooms served as the hotel. , The Cozens Brothers at Cozens Ranch , The Cozens cattle and hay ranch grew to over 700 acres. Their home, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, includes the first post office, restaurant and hotel in the Fraser Valley, and possibly the oldest building in Grand County, circa 1900. , Crossing the Continental Divide , Over 10,000 years ago, the first people of the Rocky Mountains followed game animals to discover the easiest passes across the Continental Divide. Generations of Ute, Arapaho, and other Native Americans trekked into Middle Park, favoring what later mapmakers named Rollins Pass, also known as Corona. , Entrepreneurs in Denver sought a more direct route over Berthoud Pass, one that could eventually lead all the way to the Pacific Ocean. In 1861, they hired Edward Berthoud, a Swiss engineer, to survey a new route. The 11,315 ft (3,449 meter) Berthoud Pass is named in his honor. Ten years later, Captain Lewis Gaskill led the road's perilous construction. The narrow stagecoach road came from Georgetown and dropped west over the Continental Divide passing through Middle Park. , Due to deep snows and avalanche dangers, the road over Berthoud Pass was closed every winter since it opened in 1874 until 1931. Now called US Highway 40 or The Victory Highway, the road over Berthoud Pass has undergone many safety and modern improvements since the hardy stagecoach days. , The Moffat Tunnel , David Moffat's dream to build a tunnel through the Rocky Mountains at Idlewild, now Winter Park, was fulfilled in 1928. Since then, the Moffat Tunnel has permitted transport of natural resources such as coal and lumber, along with a multitude of passengers from the East to the West, and back. Adventurers from the East made the long rail journey to the wilds of Middle Park in search of big game, fish and unspoiled mountain scenery. , Gaskill Toll House , At the summit of Berthoud Pass there was a large house of hewn logs, occupied by Lewis Gaskill and his family. They collected the tolls for the road and gave welcome shelter to those weathering the variable passage. The house was located on the West side of current Hwy 40. Today no trace of the building remains. , Top of the World , Corona, Colorado , After the opening of Berthoud Pass to stagecoach travel, railroad man David Moffat conceived the idea of building a transcontinental railroad from Denver to Salt Lake City across the Rocky Mountains. In 1904, the Moffat Road Railroad Line opened across the Rocky Mountains at Rollins Pass, to Fraser and eventually was extended through Kremmling to Salt Lake City. Snow and avalanches proved a daunting challenge to keeping the train running in the winter. , The Victory Highway , Planned in 1921, the Victory Highway was envisioned as a cross-country highway, a 3,271 mile route from New York City to San Francisco. The highway was dedicated to American forces who died during World War I. The then newly paved road over Berthoud Pass and west through Grand County was highlighted as part of the Victory Highway. , For more information, please go to: www.GrandCountyHistory.org