Steamboat Springs & It's History
Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation
2305 Mt. Werner Circle
Steamboat Springs, Colorado 80487
Phone: 970-879-6111
Reservations: 800-922-2722
Fax: 970-879-7844
email: info@steamboat.com
url: www.steamboat.com
Steamboat - Full of Western Lore and Pioneering Spirit
Archeologists have found evidence that the nomadic Ute Indians spent summers in the Yampa Valley as early as the 14th century. The Utes roamed the vast lands alone until the 1800s, when early settlers ventured into the valley.
Three French fur trappers traveling down the Yampa River are said to have named Steamboat Springs in 1865. One man heard a chug-chug sound like that of a paddle wheel steamer. The men hurried towards the rhythmic sound and found it to be a bubbling mineral spring -- hence the name. The numerous springs around Steamboat are still popular today as a source of relaxation, and are rumored to have medicinal benefits.
Steamboat Springs’ first permanent settler was James Harvey Crawford, who discovered the Yampa Valley region while on a hunting trip along the Gore Trail in the fall of 1874. Crawford staked a homestead claim during this trip and moved to Steamboat Springs the following year with his family.
Stories about the beauty of the Yampa Valley spread, and other families relocated to the area. Among the early pioneers were two prominent Missourians, Perry A. Burgess and William H. Walton. They, with Crawford and a few others, entered preemption laws for the town site known as Steamboat Springs. Each took 160 acres and registered a homestead, forming the first community.
The first major catalyst to growth came in the summer of 1883, when H. H. Suttle opened a sawmill. With the capacity to produce logs for homes and stores, further community development was assured. One of the first businesses to open was the newspaper, The Steamboat Pilot, which printed its first edition on July 31, 1885. By 1886, the town business district also included a general store, post office and hotel.
The Origins Of Skiing In Steamboat
Communication with the outside world was difficult, due to long winters and poor road conditions. On snowshoes and skis, mail carriers delivered letters and parcels. Faced with mountain passes and the prospect of settling where winter lasts six months and averages 28 feet of snow, pioneers quickly learned to travel the same way.
In the early 1900s, the same hardy settlers who battled winters to survive began turning the hills of Routt County into a winter playground. The change accelerated with the help of Norwegian Carl Howelsen, who arrived in Steamboat Springs in 1912. Soon after his arrival, Howelsen was ski jumping off a wooden platform in Strawberry Park and teaching the sport to local youngsters.
In 1913, Howelsen organized the first Winter Carnival and jumping competitions. During the 1917 Winter Carnival, Steamboat Springs honored the man who transformed skiing from a means of transportation to a sport by naming the ski slope Howelsen Hill.
As skiing grew more popular, adventurous downhillers sought new hills to test their ability. When Rabbit Ears Pass opened to winter traffic in 1938, the Forest Service cut two runs down the back slopes of the pass to the Valley View Lodge. For the next few years, numerous Winter Carnival events took place on these hills.
A Ski Resort Is Born
In 1955, Jim Temple, son of a local ranching family, spearheaded the development of the Steamboat Ski Area in response to the growing popularity of the sport. Engineered and largely built by John R. Fetcher, the new hill opened in 1961 with one Poma lift, the Cub Claw.
The ski area did not open for the 1961/62 season due to the inability of a lift manufacturer to complete an order for a double chairlift. Storm Mountain officially reopened in January 12, 1963 with a double chairlift and an A-frame warming house. The day's cash receipts were $13.75 and the temperature hovered at -25°F. The two years following were profitable for the ski area, which helped in gaining permits from the Forest Service to expand the area.
Steamboat lost its favorite son when hometown Olympic skier Buddy Werner was killed in an avalanche in Switzerland on April 12, 1964. Storm Mountain was renamed Mt. Werner in his honor.
By the end of the decade, Mt. Werner had five new chairlifts, a modern restaurant facility atop Thunderhead Peak, ski patrol buildings, a nursery, and numerous maintenance and snow vehicles. This "million-dollar building boom" generated excitement and development, making tourism a prominent part of the local economy.
The 1st International Winter Special Olympics were held on Headwall during February, 1977. The event brought athletes from around the world together for four days of competition. Special guests included Olympic Gold Medalist Bruce Jenner; Colorado Governor Richard Lamm, Ethel Kennedy, Eunice Shriver and Steamboat's Director of Skiing, Billy Kidd. In addition, Kidd played host at Steamboat to the first ever Jimmie Heuga Express for MS back in 1986, starting a tradition that has spread to resorts across the country.
Ownership of the ski resort changed several times in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Previous resort owners include: LTV Recreational Development, Inc. (1969-1979); Northwest Colorado Ski Corporation spearheaded by Martin Hart (1979-1989); and Kamori International (1989-1997).
During the 1997/98 season, Steamboat started down a new path when American Skiing Company purchased the resort. American Skiing Company resorts share four common values: guaranteed snow conditions; fast, efficient lift systems; widely diverse terrain; and superior service.
Ski Town USA®
Since its humble beginnings, the Steamboat Ski Resort has grown into one of the premier resorts in the world offering 20 lifts, 142 trails and seven on-mountain restaurant facilities, all spread over 2,939 acres/1,176 hectares.
When Carl Howelsen introduced recreational skiing to Steamboat Springs in 1913, he could never have realized the tradition he was starting. Steamboat has produced more winter Olympians than any other town in North America-a record 54 and counting.
Perhaps the town’s Olympic heritage is due to the fact that the community not only allows the kids to get out of school for a race-they encourage it. Maybe it’s the abundance of school programs or the supportive parents. Perhaps it’s because of one of the largest winter sports clubs in the United States-the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.
Whatever the reason, Steamboat is sure to always remain Ski Town USA®.
