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"A Look Back"
The Stories presented here are about people and events during the early days when
this corner of Colorado was first settled.
Other stories in the "A Look Back" series:
"Bad Man" Bob Meldrum
509 Yampa – Standing the test of time
595 Colorado Street
Al Martinez – a man of faith and leadership
Architect turned homesteader – L. A. Heard
Attractive New Filling Station Nearly Finished
Augusta Wallihan
Bringing a touch of class to Northwest Colorado
Byron Cooper – A man of integrity
Charles and Effie Osborn
Christian Church of Craig – up from the ashes
Christina Murray – last and first
Cosgriff Hotel
Craig airport an important part of city’s history
Craig Armory building an important part of history
Craig Becomes An Official Town
Craig Bottling Works
Craig drugstores
Craig Motel
Craig, Colorado The First Twenty Years
Craig’s Early Gas Stations
Craig’s oldest continuous retail business still going strong
D. W. Diamond, Photographer
D.W. Diamond
Doc Montgomery Early Craig Cobbler
Drawing the lines of a new territory
Duffy Tunnel
Elsie Wingo
Ersel Deakins – A man of Craig
George and Julia Welch – part of Craig’s founding tapestry
Gregory Cash Grocery
Hamilton Hamlet Home to Hundreds
Historical Church Changes With Time
Historical Movers and Shakers
I.P. Beckett – born to lead
J.J. Stanton – One of Craig’s early movers
John and Fern Sherman
Joseph S. Collom, Pioneer Axial Basin Rancher
Joseph S. Collom, Pioneer Axial Basin Rancher
Julia Carpenter – Craig’s grand Lady
L.S. “Ted” McCandless – caring for Craig
Ladore Canyon Dam Project
Lawrence couple strong supporters of Craig
Lay, Colorado
Lewis M. Hellebust, photographer
Loyd DeuPree III
Martin Lukas – Bohemian homesteader
Mary Wiley Humphrey
Maurice Flynn heads for Hollywood…and back…and back
Mining something
Moblile Economy Run
Moffat County High School – history repeats itself
Moffat County homesteader goes to State
Moffat County’s railroad legacy
One Boy's Life
P. F. Kremer, Artist and Homesteader
Persinger sisters showed true style
Piecing together a good life
R.V. Bryan Helped To Lay The Foundations of Craig
Rangewars - Sheep Massacre on the Yampa
Red Wash Jones
Rev. J. N. Bridges
Rosetta Webb-McKinney – an early Craig dynamo
Russell Coles – Keeping the books for Moffat County
Sawtooth Range Riders
Sheep industry/Winder
Stoddards recorded the history of Craig as they lived it
Teacher brings Europe to Craig
The Bilsing Family
The Crosthwaites – providing a legacy of excellence
The Fuss family – Bringing the staff of life to Craig
The Future of Craig
The last of the bad good guys
The last passenger train to Craig
The Legacy of Tracy & Lant
The lost Freeman grave
The Osborn clan grows up and out
Tragedy at Wadge Mine Part 1
Tragedy At Wadge Mine Part 2
Tragedy At Wadge Mine Part 3
Tragedy At Wadge Mine Part 4
Tragedy At Wadge Mine Part 5
Tragedy At Wadge Mine Part 6
Victory Highway
W.P. Irwin – Pharmacist and friend of Craig
Wantland – hope or speculation?
Washington Held – a friend of Craig
William Penn Finley – Supporter of Craig and her people
William Terrill – keeping the peace
Yampa Canyon
Craig’s early Motels
By Dan Davidson, Director
   ##image4## As major highways began to see improvements during the 1920s and 1930s one of the new features on the American scene were motels first called Tourist Camps or Cabin Courts. In Craig the first one was the Craig Collage Court at 894 Yampa Ave. now known as the Craig Motel.
The Craig Cottage Court was begun in the fall of 1927 by a Mr. Ellis, and was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Dresser in 1928. The Craig Empire of Feb. 6, 1929 mentions the following about the new tourist camp. “Each cabin is electric lighted and furnished with bed, springs, mattress, stove, table, chairs, and cupboards, also good water, coal, and kindling are supplied.” The following improvements we’re planned for the spring. “several new cabins with kitchenettes and garage, also a laundry and bath house, including separate sanitary toilets and hot shower baths.” The Dresser’s owned the Motel with many improvements until 1977.
Most likely the second of Craig’s motels was the Moffat Lodge located at what today is 510 W. Victory Way. It was built in the early 1930s in conjunction with the new filling station built on the southwest corner of Ranney St. and W. Victory by R. B. Thompson with his son-in-law and daughter E.V. and Lois Coons. Ranney St. south of Victory Way was US Hwy 13 until the early 1970’s, making this intersection a prime development area. The R. B. Thompson family was responsible for building four motel properties near this intersection. Photographs clearly show the garages between the units. This motel went through several owners over the years and was torn down when owned by the Shockley’s in the late 1960’s.
Many of the motels in the older section of Craig were built beginning in about 1940 to 1960 as the American public took to the road in mass, before the day of the Interstate Highway System took a good deal of tourist traffic off of US Highway 40. By that time, the traveling public was expecting a lot more in accommodations. It is doubtful if any of this second generation of motels furnished wood and coal for the stoves.
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