Steamboat Springs, CO

Town view c1910

Main Street c1920

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Lush river valleys and majestic mountains encircle the town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, the seat of Routt County. Located 157 miles north west of Denver, Steamboat was originally a ranching town. The downtown area still radiates a feel of the old west, even with the all upscale boutiques, galleries, and gift shops that have infiltrated the area. Steamboat Springs has a down-home, friendly, pioneer feel to it.

There is a permanent population of about 11,000 residents in Steamboat Springs, but during the ski season, twice as many tourists arrive. Thus, it’s no wonder that “Ski Town USA” is the name the town of Steamboat Springs gave itself. From November to May, the main reason people go to Steamboat is for the world-class ski resort located just three miles from town. Equiped with around a hundred runs, and with an uphill capacity for about 30,000 skiers an hour, coupled with about 300 inches of snow per year, Steamboat is one of the best ski resorts in the United States.

In a way, Steamboat Springs was always a resort area. As far back as the 14^th century, the Ute Indians vacationed at Steamboat Springs, staying throughout the summers, not only taking advantage of the pleantiful game available, but also the hot springs in the Yampa River valley. The name of Steamboat Springs was given to the area by a group of fur trappers heading down the Yampa River. They heard a chugging sound, and thought it was a steamboat coming up the river, but it turned out to be the sound of the hot springs bubbling up out of the ground.

In 1868, the United States government claimed the Steamboat Springs area and forced the Utes onto a reservation. The Utes didn’t give up their land easily, and up until 1880, many scuffles took place between the Utes and the settlers.

The founder of the town of Steamboat Springs, James Crawford, was the first settler who homesteaded the area in 1875. He moved his family there the following year. Crawford respected the Utes and became friends with them. So the Utes attacked the other settlers, leaving Crawford and his family alone.

By the 1880’s, the Utes were completely gone, and the fertile river valley began to attract ranchers and farmers into the area. More and more settlers homesteaded the area, eventually forming the community of Steamboat Springs. In 1885, Crawford started the Steamboat Springs Townsite Company. He built streets throughout the town and sold plots of land. One of the first businesses in the community was the local newspaper, The Steamboat Pilot, which printed its first paper on July 31, 1885. Within a year, the town had a general store, hotel, and post office.

The arrival of the Denver Northwestern and Pacific railroad on December 13, 1908 was extremely important to the growth and development of Steamboat Springs. A marching band met the first train as it chugged into town, and hundreds of residents were waiting for the train at the depot, cheering it on. One negative of the railroad was that when the railroad grade was constructed across the springs the town was named after, the steamboat sounds were silenced forever.

This town was named after a local spring which cascaded down a rocky outcrop and produced the sounds of a steamboat running in the canyon to early pioneers. In 1908 the Denver Northwestern and Pacific railroad built into town.

In 1913 a Norwegian cross-country skier, Carl Howelsen, came to Steamboat. He built a ski jump platform out of wood and started to teach ski jumping to the local men and women. The next year he organized the first Winter Carnival, including jumping competitions. Local legend tells of how some jumpers at the carnival flew off the platform and landed in a herd of elk grazing peacefully nearby

By 1943, Skiing had become popular with everyone living in Steamboat; so popular it was added to the school curriculum. The Steamboat Ski Area opened in 1963 on Storm Peak, three miles south of town. In 1944 one of Steamboat’s winter Olympic hopefuls, Buddy Werner, was killed in an avalanche while skiing in Switzerland, and Storm Peak was changed to Mt. Werner.

Today, Steamboat is a destination for outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world. During the past 4 decades, the Steamboat ski area has grown into a world-class powder and tree skiing resort, covering four mountains. At the base of the mountain there are many restaurants, condominiums, bars, and ski shops to cater to the visitors.

In a world full of exclusive ski resorts, Steamboat springs offers more than just great skiing. It has kept the charm of the old west, and a pace that is more relaxed than most other ski resorts, even amongst the many boutiques, gift shops, and other touristy stores. And though skiing is Steamboats main attraction, the fun doesn’t stop when the snow melts. Golf, tennis, cycling, rafting, hiking, camping, and backpacking are some of the activities enjoyed during the summer months. There are lakes for boating, fishing, and water-skiing as well.

On the weekends, there is always something happening in Steamboat to entertain tourists and locals alike. For one week in early February, the Winter Carnival has been happening for over 80 years. One can participate in or just watch, ice sculpture contests, a parade on skis, hockey games, and ski jumping competitions. On the forth of July weekend they hold Cowboy Roundup Days, complete with fireworks and a barbecue. Strings in the Mountains is a music concert series lasting six weeks. Musicians from all over the world come to play classical and chamber music at the base of the ski lifts.

David Moffat's Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway reached Steamboat Springs in 1909, thus opening up an important rail link between the community and Colorado's Eastern Slope markets.

Denver architect Frank Edbrooke designed the two-story Depot which included a passenger section, with waiting rooms and station office below upper level living quarters, and a long freight and baggage extension to the west. The depot closed when passenger service ended in 1968.