Hot Sulphur Springs,Colorado

Town view with depot c1900

Additional Images

Depot c1950

Related Information

This area was originally a Ute camping site and spa. Legend has it that a wise medicine man proclaimed the virtues of stopping the wars between the tribes, and the benefits of peace. But a young warrior refused and insighted the tribe to continue the yearly wars with the rival tribes in the area. The medicine man proceeded to phase into some kind of twilight zone and his campfire remained burning forever, thus heating the springs.

In 1860 a Cherry Creek (Denver) business man tried to promote the area as Saratoga West emulating Saratoga, NY. This effort was a dismal failure. There was hardly a wagon road to the place at the time.

A town was incorporated in 1863 as Grand City due to its location along the Grand River (changed to Colorado River in 1921). This site had its ups and downs and during a mostly down period William Byers came to possess most of the town and the hot springs. Eventually the canyon a couple miles downstream would be named after Byers.

The Denver Northwestern and Pacific railroad arrived in 1905 and soon the tourists were able to come and enjoy the springs. Although the local owners did their best to promote the joys of the spa, nothing much really happened there. It was still a long way from home for most travelers.

But the town did manage to grow. As a travel and supply hub for the region it became the seat of Grand County and is today the offices of the Arapaho National Forest.

Hot Sulphur Springs served as helper station for the climb over Rollins Pass. A wye turnaround was located about a mile south of the Depot and within the wye there was a three stall engine house, coal trestle, water tank and sand house. Later the water tank was also located near the depot. The Depot was a wooden structure that was very similar to those of the Denver and Rio Grande at the time.