Childhood Memories of Creede CO

Sometime before 1947, several families in Lamar CO bought 130 acres just south of Creede.  The property was called Pine Crest Ranch.  From about that time until 1962 or so, Alan spent all or part of the summers in Creede.  There were several cabins on the property, each owned by a different family.

Alan's stepfather, Cecil's dad and his second wife owned one - that would be CJ and Freeda.
Family friends, George and Ardis owned another one.
A family named Stevens owned a third one.
The final cabin had at least 3 owners that Alan remembers.

He really doesn't know who owns any of the cabins now, but they are still here in varying degrees of repair or disrepair.  The cabins are in fairly easy walking distance of the RV park where we are spending the summer, so on one of our walks, we took these pictures.

At one time, Alan woodburned a Pine Crest Ranch sign, but the current one is painted.

This was Freeda and CJ's cabin.  Many of the logs are rotting and it doesn't look as if it has been used for a long time.

 

Alan would often come up with CJ and Freeda and Margaret and Cecil (his folks) would come up on the weekends or when they had vacations.  Although most of the land in the area is now fenced off with no trespassing signs posted, back then, that wasn't the case.  He tells stories of wandering all over the area, fishing (the Rio Grande River is very close) and riding horses.  The stable in Creede kept their horses on part of this land and rotated them as necessary down to the stable.  Alan was able to ride the horses left on the property as much as he wanted.

These cabins were owned by the Stevens and the people Alan doesn't remember.  The back of CJ and Freeda's cabin is just like this, but because of an addition, you can't see that part.

 

The outhouse, obviously.  Some of the cabins now have electricity, but we couldn't tell if they have plumbing.

The old barn has seen better days.

 

 

Views from the cabins - such beautiful scenery.

Oh, don't ask me why this picture is extra LARGE.  Hmmmmm.  We are just down the road a little from the cabins and that is our RV park through the trees.

A distance shot of the ranch.

Alan ignoring the no trespassing sign!  This was the original ranch house that has had a screened in porch enclosed and also another addition.  George and Ardis Havens owned this cabin.

He is having a fun time remembering (or trying to remember) so many experiences he had here.  Lots has changed in 60 years, but it is amazing how much he can recall.  Folks here in the RV  park are pretty much newcomers to the area, so they are very interested in hearing what it was like back then.