Omayra Acevedo, Peak to Peak. The years were 1859-1924. The location: 8,520 feet above sea level, along the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway. Bordering Rocky Mountain National Park, is Allenspark, Colorado. Allenspark was established in 1896, and incorporated in 1917. But its story doesn’t end there, nor is it where it truly began. However, this is where we will begin our journey back in time.

Alonzo Nelson Allen prospected for gold and ran cattle in what is now Allenspark. The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 first brought Allen to Colorado from Wisconsin. In 1864, he decided to build the first log cabin in the area. It was a 12X18-foot cabin with a stone fireplace. In 1871, he joined the Chicago-Colorado Colony. It marketed Denver Pacific Railroad expansion opportunities to wealthy investors; raising funds to create a new city. A city we all now call Longmont. 

Mr. Allen was also known as a good mechanic. He helped build some of the earliest saw mills, but focused primarily on stock raising and mining. Sadly, in 1894, two tragedies occurred. At the age of 74, A.N. Allen passed away, and his cabin burned down. The Daughters of the American Revolution designated a marker, in 1928, that reads, “1860 – 1928 The site of the first log cabin in the St. Vrain Valley lies 200 feet west of this marker. The cabin was built by Alonzo N. Allen and used as a stage station on the Overland Trail.”

By 1895, George Mack homesteaded the area on part of the Crystal Springs water source site. Mack sold some of his land to the Allens Park (old spelling) Land and Townsite Company on May 9, 1896. This is the location of the Allenspark village we see today. Most of the residents, during the 1890s, were ranchers or farmers. However, in the early 1900s, there was an increase in gold and gold fever – or so they thought. 

The Clara Belle Mining and Reduction Company attracted miners, investors, and tourists. To the disappointment of miners, this gold rush was, in simple terms, a fake. Tourism, however, took off and became the real boom of the town. Farmers and miners found a more reliable source of income during the summer months, by catering to tourists. 

Between 1900 and 1920, many of the summer people bought land and began building homes. Some came as far as Oklahoma during this initial growth spurt of Allenspark. Ski jumping also became popular in the area by the 1920s. A lot happened throughout the progress of this little gem near Rocky Mountain National Park. 

A man by the name C. K. Hirschfeld, filed the first Post Office application at the end of May 1896. The location of the Allenspark Post Office, was once the property of George Pheifer. Mr. Pheifer was one of the earliest businessmen in Allenspark. He started the Allenspark Hotel, also known as the Crystal Springs Hotel, circa early 1900s. George Pheifer was also friends with Allenspark’s first school teacher, Alice Douglas. 

A lot of the original structures, like the Allenspark Hotel, the George Mack homestead, and Hirschfeld’s store, have been destroyed. Some parts of its structural history, however, remain in bits and pieces, here and there, throughout Allenspark. History has painted the way in which society, government, and even nature, worked many years ago. This helps us understand and appreciate where we are now. Allenspark isn’t a huge place, but the stories of its past are endless. Were it not for early settlers, miners, and the folly of a gold rush, Allenspark may have been completely left out of the map. 

Nowadays, Allenspark is still a tourist destination and a great place for a Colorado staycation. It offers horseback riding, fishing, hiking, camping, lodging, a gallery, a gift shop, and easy access to Estes Park. Allenspark expands to the surrounding areas of Raymond, Riverside, Ferncliff, Peaceful Valley, Wild Basin, Meeker Park, Cabin Peak, and Longs Peak. All which hold their own influential place in history. 

The next time you’re driving on Highway 7, the Peak to Peak Scenic and Historic Byway, or the Peak to Peak Highway, remember that you’re not just out for a scenic drive. You are traveling through time, back to a place where local history paved the path to where we are today.

(Originally published in the February 11, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)