"A Look Back"

The Stories presented here are about people and events during the early days when this corner of Colorado was first settled.

Craig’s oldest continuous retail business still going strong
By Shannan Koucherik for the Museum of NW Colo

As the town of Craig grew her people saw many businesses come and go. Some were but a flash in the pan, dying quick and sometimes painful deaths. Others provided the community with much needed services and materials to keep homes and other businesses moving forward.

Born April 5, 1892 in Warrensburg, Missouri, Mark L. Shepherd came to Moffat County in the spring of 1915 to take up a homestead. He had heard about free land, good climate and a growing economy and chose to become part of that growth. He also had cousins who were homesteading in the area. He found a piece of land north of Maybell and began the hard work of proving up on it while he worked at various jobs around Craig. One of his first was constructing the metal fascia that is still present on the school administration building.

In 1918 he joined the Marines and served until the end of 1919 before coming home to Craig. His military service granted him full ownership of the homestead and the young man was ready to begin what would be a long, productive life in the Yampa Valley.

While Mark Shepherd was in the military, a young Kansas girl moved to the Yampa Valley to live with her father on his homestead southwest of Maybell. Elda Showers finished her schooling in Craig and graduated as part of the class of 1919. She then went to work at a drugstore in town. She was an attractive girl who was very popular with the young people – particularly the young men.

Mark Shepherd was one of those young men, and although he was several years older than Elda, the two hit it off.

The Craig Empire reported just how well they got along on May 24, 1922. “Elda Showers and M.L. Shepherd stole a march on their Craig friends by motoring to Steamboat Springs yesterday. They were married last night by the Rev. C. Upham of Steamboat Congregational Church.” That elopement proved to be a good decision as the couple remained together until they were separated by death more than 40 years.

In 1924, the Shepherds embarked on a business venture that would put them solidly into the history of Craig. M.L. Shepherd Plumbing and Heating soon became a well-known trade name that is still alive today.

They built a frame shop at 575 Russell St. and settled in for a very long haul. Each of the four Shepherd sons served in the military – Bob and Jim were drafted into WWII; Bob into the Air Force and Jim into the Marines. John and Al both served in the Army during the Korean War, along with other Craig men.

After their military service, three of the brothers eventually joined then owned the business beginning in 1945 when Bob went to work with his father and seven other employees. His brother Jim followed him into the trade the next year and their youngest brother Albert went to work in 1956 after graduating from Colorado Aggies College – now Colorado State University.

In 1965, Jim and Al bought the family business from their parents and in 1967 Bob left for Grand Junction where he opened his own plumbing business.

The frame shop was eventually replaced with the larger block structure that is in use in 2008. It still houses some of the first Lennox furnaces that Mark installed in Craig homes. The Lennox Company honored the Shepherd family in 2000 with an award for 60 years of service.

In 1967, after the death of their father, the Shepherd brothers changed the name of the company to Shepherd and Sons.

Throughout the years each member of the Shepherd family took an active role in the Craig community. Mark was honored as a 40 year Lion’s Club member and Al will reach that mark in 2009. Jim has been active in Kiwanis and has been a member of the Masonic Lodge for 60 years. Each of the men has received honors over the years for their service to Craig and her people.

Although he is officially retired, Jim still shows up at the shop regularly. He also indulges in his passion for golf. He was the first board president of the Yampa Valley Golf Assoc. in 1961 and played an important role in the development of the Yampa Valley Golf Course.

Jim’s son, Marty is now a part of the business and continues the family tradition of quality work and community involvement. At 84 years old, the business, which is the longest continuous retail business in Craig, shows no sign of slowing down. The brothers’ positive attitude about their town mirrors that of their parents.

In a 1983 interview with the Craig Daily Press, Al Shepherd voiced his opinion about the future of Craig; “Craig is not going to be a town to dry up and blow away.” The paper went on; “In his lifetime he’s seen tree booms from oil, uranium and the power plant. He notes that there was a slump after each boom, but adds that Craig has ‘always come out of it and been better than before.’”

This dedication to Craig and her people has helped the Shepherd clan move through the years with determination and optimism. The younger generations of the family may not choose to follow in their ancestors’ footsteps, but the history cannot be revoked.

M.L. Shepherd’s oak office chair still sits in the small upstairs office that is the heart of the business. Its battered arms have grooves from decades of fingers and burns from cigarettes.

But it is still a strong, trustworthy chair.