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A Brief History of Lake City:
Recreation & Tourism, 1915-1954
Summer Residences
Lake City's increasing accessibility for automobile and the large stock of vacant, mining-era dwellings created an incentive for people to spend summers in Lake City.
The trend began in 1915, when Richard and Hildegarde Wupperman of Seguin, Texas, began summering in Lake City. The Wuppermans arrived by rail each season, shipping their touring car with them. The family stayed in rented dwellings until 1921, when they purchased the story-and-a-half dwelling at 430 Gunnison Avenue and erected a small cabin next door as living quarters for their cook.
The number of summer folks grew during the 1920s as people bought vacant houses, purchasing them for a few hundred dollars or merely paying back taxes. People also built summer cabins at Lake San Cristobal and other locations.
During the 1930s, the trend of summer homes continued. Most property owners hailed from Texas; others came from Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, or elsewhere in Colorado.
The large stock of vacant houses remaining from the mining era met the demand for both year-round residences and summer homes. Some property owners expanded historic dwellings with additions and built stone fireplaces. Summer residents included descendants of Lake City pioneer residents, as well as hobby prospectors and miners.
After World War II, people began building summer cabins within the historic townsite on scattered lots, many on former locations of mining era dwellings lost to fire or demolition. These dwellings were typically of log with prominent stone fireplaces and modest front porches. In recent decades, summer dwellings have been frame with exteriors of log and of lapped, rough boards stained brown.
In recent years, most residential development has occurred outside the Lake City Historic District. The northeast section of the 1875 townsite known as "Ball Flats" has developed with both year-round and seasonal housing.
Recent residential growth has taken place outside the Historic District, such as: in the in Ball Flats at the east edge of the historic townsite; Lake City Heights subdivision southeast of town; and Packers Knob, Lake City North, or J&M Addition, San Juan Ranch, Riverside Estates, and San Juan Springs subdivisions north of town.
>>Next: Historic Preservation in Lake City
<<Previous: 1950s to 1970s: Tourism Infrastructure & Promotion
A Brief History of Lake City:
Recreation & Tourism, 1915-1954
Summer Residences
Lake City's increasing accessibility for automobile and the large stock of vacant, mining-era dwellings created an incentive for people to spend summers in Lake City.
The trend began in 1915, when Richard and Hildegarde Wupperman of Seguin, Texas, began summering in Lake City. The Wuppermans arrived by rail each season, shipping their touring car with them. The family stayed in rented dwellings until 1921, when they purchased the story-and-a-half dwelling at 430 Gunnison Avenue and erected a small cabin next door as living quarters for their cook.
The number of summer folks grew during the 1920s as people bought vacant houses, purchasing them for a few hundred dollars or merely paying back taxes. People also built summer cabins at Lake San Cristobal and other locations.
During the 1930s, the trend of summer homes continued. Most property owners hailed from Texas; others came from Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, or elsewhere in Colorado.
The large stock of vacant houses remaining from the mining era met the demand for both year-round residences and summer homes. Some property owners expanded historic dwellings with additions and built stone fireplaces. Summer residents included descendants of Lake City pioneer residents, as well as hobby prospectors and miners.
After World War II, people began building summer cabins within the historic townsite on scattered lots, many on former locations of mining era dwellings lost to fire or demolition. These dwellings were typically of log with prominent stone fireplaces and modest front porches. In recent decades, summer dwellings have been frame with exteriors of log and of lapped, rough boards stained brown.
In recent years, most residential development has occurred outside the Lake City Historic District. The northeast section of the 1875 townsite known as "Ball Flats" has developed with both year-round and seasonal housing.
Recent residential growth has taken place outside the Historic District, such as: in the in Ball Flats at the east edge of the historic townsite; Lake City Heights subdivision southeast of town; and Packers Knob, Lake City North, or J&M Addition, San Juan Ranch, Riverside Estates, and San Juan Springs subdivisions north of town.
>>Next: Historic Preservation in Lake City
<<Previous: 1950s to 1970s: Tourism Infrastructure & Promotion
Town of Lake City, PO Box 544, Lake City, CO 81235. 970-944-2333.
Youmans-Carey House. 600 Gunnison Avenue. Click on image for larger pop-up view.
McLeod-Stewart House. 408 Silver Street. Click on image for larger pop-up view.
Ann Blanchard Cabin. 101 Bluff Street. Click on image for larger pop-up view.
