Craig, Colorado -- The first 20 years

Museum of Northwest Colorado

When Craig was incorporated in 1908, the town was just 20 years old, and the first settlers in the community had been here for almost 30 years.

William Rose arrived in 1889 and took up a homestead along Fortification Creek. He built the first cabin on ground which is now within the incorporated limits of the City of Craig. He gave his name to Rose Street and to the first suburban area of the town, Rosedale.

A sturdy group of homesteaders soon followed Mr. Rose to become community leaders. Among these were the Taylor brothers, the Haugheys, John Mack, Archie McLachlan, the Ranney brothers, Charlie, Frank, and Louden, the Teagardens, and Breeze families, and R.H. Green to mention only a few.

W.H. Tucker first came to the area in 1887 from Glenwood Springs. He was looking for a place to establish a townsite. There was already talk of building a railroad through the area and he had visions of a strong demand for lots in a town if he could locate one in the right place.

After careful examination he chose the ground on which Craig has grown for his townsite. After his visit, he went to Denver and secured the financial help of the Rev. Bayard Craig and one Frank Russell. In 1888, he returned to secure the ground and lay out the townsite.

He built a residence and a store building. He started a general mercantile business but gave his chief attention to advertising the new town to which he gave the name Craig, after his chief financial backer. Tucker street was named for Mr. Tucker and Russell street got its name from the third member of the partners who started the town.

Taylor, Breeze, Ranney, streets received their names from three leading families of the community.

The town started growing at once. Within three years J.W. Hugus and Co., had opened a branch store at the corner of Fifth Street, now Victory Way, and Yampa Avenue.

Taylor brothers had opened a blacksmith shop at the corner of Fifth and Russell.

William Woodruff had a livery and feed barn at the corner of Fifth and Breeze.

B.C. Hull had opened "The Craig Hotel" on Yampa Avenue north of Mr. Tucker's general merchantile store.

In 1891, Clarence Bronaugh, a relative of the Teagarden family, arrived with a press and some type. He published the first issue of his newspaper, the Pantagraph, in April of that year.

But after the first few years growth of the community was slow. It became the trading and social center for a large area, but many of the dreams of the founders were not immediately realized. A good school was built and it attracted pupils from outlying areas. A group of men built a community building on Yampa Avenue. Here home talent plays were given to be followed by dances.

Then in 1897 a great catastrophe struck the community, a fire started in the community hall on Valentine's Eve after the decorations had been put up for a big party. The fire was soon out of control and swept up Yampa Avenue destroying a number of buildings.

The community hall was rebuilt, this time out of bricks burned just east of Craig. It was built by subscriptions from interested citizens and was so pretentious that it was given the name, "The Opera House." This continued for many years to be the social center of the area and even more pretentious plays were given by the dramatic club and the literary society.

By 1904, the block from Fifth street north on Yampa was almost solidly built up. The Baker House had been built at its present location and on the corner of Fifth and Yampa where the Texas Company filling station is now located was the Webb Hotel, operated by Rosetta Webb McKinney.

Charles Van Dorn had been instrumental in securing a second bank for the community and at about that time, Carl Van Dorn came to town to wed a daughter of Bob Bryan who had served Routt County as Assessor and was an early resident of Russell Street.

In that year, George Welch arrived to start a barber shop in a room just north of the Ledford saloon.

The White family had been a part of the community for some years. The Tower building had been built and the Mike Smith Saloon became the second one for the community.

The Pantagraph had become the Routt County Courier. Humphrey Jones had come to re-establish the newspaper in 1895 when young Bronaugh decided to go east and had graduated to a political appointment. Walter Spencer had become its editor.

Space does not permit the recording here of all those who had an important place in building the communmity. From 1904 to 1908 it continued to grow slowly and there was increasing talk of the need for an incorporated town.