The issue of commercial development in a national park has been long debated.
On the Grand Canyon’s South Rim there are hotels, motels, restaurants, curio shops, gas stations and even a railroad depot. Surrounding Yellowstone’s Old Faithful there are similar amities for tourists including bleachers arranged in a semicircle for best viewing of this famous geyser plus a spacious cafeteria.
At one time, Rocky Mountain National Park included similar commercial developments, many dating back prior to 1915 when the park was established.
Unlike other parks, officials made a decision to return most of the park to its natural state through the systematic purchase and removal of the many lodges within its boundaries.
This included 40 structures that once constituted Steads Ranch in Moraine Park.
In addition to the removal of buildings, the swimming pool was filled and the golf course reseeded with native grasses.
The Park Service was so thorough that only bits of pavement and an occasional posthole can be found today. Of the thousands of people that come to see the elk, few are aware this extensive commercial development.
In 1874, Abner Sprague and his parents homesteaded in Moraine Park, originally called Willow Park. They constructed a cabin the following year and started ranching.
They harvested the abundant native hay and planted oats to feed their cattle. Abner Sprague cut the timber that surrounds the park and milled it into lumber.
In 1888, Sprague married Alberta Morrison. She was 18 years his junior, but quickly adjusted to ranch life.
As visitation to the area increased, tourists began to stop at the ranch, asking to purchase a meal or pitch a tent in the meadow. The Spragues elected to ease into the tourist business with a modest investment in a few cabins. Soon the cabins were fully booked during the summer. This led to the construction of a large two-story log hotel with a dining room and kitchen.
J.D. Stead was the husband of Abner Sprague’s cousin Dora. Stead became a partner in this dude ranch business.
According to the authors of Steads Ranch and Hotel, Abner and J.D. got along quite well, but their wives quarreled constantly. This led Stead to ask Sprague how much he wanted for his ranch.
In 1904, Stead borrowed every penny he could to meet Sprague’s price. After Stead assumed title, he changed the name to Steads Ranch later simplified to Steads.
J.D. Stead began a series of improvements and additions to the ranch, all designed to attract more tourists.
The Pine Log Inn was constructed and acted as a store. It carried clothing, groceries and provided lunches for those going on a trail ride.
Cabins, with colorful names such as the Columbine, Bungalow and Hayden, were added. The original homestead cabin was razed and replaced by a cottage named Log Cabin.
In 1909, a large dance hall was constructed, and in 1921, an 8,000-square-foot barn was added to the property. The barn had accommodations for the wranglers on the upper floor and stalls for horses and milk cows on the lower floor.
Stead constructed a residence for this family in 1917 called the Rock House for its river rock exterior.
More construction continued over the years and to provide a reliable water supply, two small reservoirs were added. Other cabins were built including Pine Lodge, Willow Court, Horseshoes and Stars and Stripes. For long-term guests, the Gold Coast was built, and a large “L” shaped lodge, called Meadow View, was constructed for families.
For over three decades, J.D. and Dora Stead ran the ranch.
J.D. died of a heart attack in 1931, and after his death, Dora’s health began to fail. She passed away in 1936 leaving the ranch to Will and Myra Lewis.
In 1950, Steads was sold to Edgar and Dorothy Stopher and they found that a great deal of work was required to make it operational. Among the major renovations was the addition of private baths in the cottages. A tennis court and swimming pool were added as amenities necessary for a modern tourist facility.
In the meantime, park officials had started the process of purchasing of all commercial development within Rocky Mountain National Park. They leased the facilities to the owners for a specific period of time.
In the case of Steads, $750,000 was paid for the ranch which included 560 acres.
Kenneth Jessen has been a Loveland resident since 1965. He is an author of 20 books and more than 1,600 articles. He served on several Loveland boards and was an engineer for Hewlett-Packard for 33 years.
