Grand Lake, Colorado

Grand Lake, Colorado
Statutory Town[1]
Town of Grand Lake[1]
Grand Lake village in winter
Location of the Town of Grand Lake in Grand County, Colorado.
Grand Lake Location of the Town of Grand Lake in the United States.
Coordinates: 40°15′2″N 105°49′28″W
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	Grand County[1]
Established	1879
Incorporated (town)	June 23, 1944[2]
Government
• Type	Statutory Town[1]
Area [3]
• Total	1.034 sq mi (2.679 km^2)
• Land	1.032 sq mi (2.672 km^2)
• Water	0.003 sq mi (0.007 km^2)
Elevation [4]	8,439 ft (2,572 m)
Population  (2020)[5]
• Total	410
• Density	400/sq mi (150/km^2)
Time zone	UTC−07:00 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−06:00 (MDT)
ZIP code[6]	80447
Area code	970
FIPS code	08-31715
GNIS feature ID	2412701[4]
Website	www.townofgrandlake.com

The Town of Grand Lake is a statutory town located in Grand County, Colorado, United States.^[1] The town population was 410 at the 2020 United States Census.^[5]

History

Established in 1881, Grand Lake sits at an elevation of 8,369 feet (2,551 m) and derives its name from the lake on whose shores it is situated: Grand Lake, the largest natural body of water in Colorado. The town of Grand Lake was originally an outfitting and supply point for the mining settlements of Lulu City, Teller City, and Gaskill, but today is a tourist destination adjacent to the western entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, which surrounds the lake and the town on three sides. Grand Lake was the Grand County seat of government from 1882 to 1888. It was incorporated on June 23, 1944.^[2]

The Kauffman House

The Kauffman House is an NRHP-listed rustic log house that functioned as a hotel from its construction in 1892 until 1946. The Grand Lake Area Historical Society purchased the house in 1973 and converted it into a museum as the only pre-20th century log hotel remaining in Grand Lake.^[7][8]

Fred N. Selak, ″The Hermit of Grand Lake″

Frederick Nicholas Selak (1865–1926) was an early pioneer of the Grand Lake area. He operated a stage line with his brother as well as saloons and other businesses in the early days of Grand Lake. When he died he owned 300 acres of land in and around Grand Lake as well as interest in two mining operations.^[9][10]

In 1926 Selak lived alone in a small log cabin about 3 miles outside of Grand Lake. He was referred to as "The Hermit of Grand Lake", but was known to have loaned money to locals, and rumored to have stashed up to $500,000 on his property. After friends became concerned they had not seen Selak for over a week, they checked on him, found his house had been ransacked, floorboards torn up, and Selak nowhere to be found. An investigation by the local Sheriff was unable to identify any leads.^[10] The intrigue surrounding the hermit and his wealth made the crime mystery a national story. An article in True Detective Mysteries magazine described the crime in the June 1930 issue. The article had the title Echo Mountain′s Hanging Spectre and was written by A. G. Gertz of The Denver Post.^[11]

Selak's sister in California, Lillian Coffee, and her husband, Lawrence W. Coffee, were notified when Selak went missing. The two traveled to Colorado to assist in locating her brother. Lawrence Coffee was credited for helping identify the two suspects that would later confess to Selak's murder.^[12]

The two men had hanged Selak July 21 as retaliation related to a fencing dispute. When found on August 17, Selak's remains were still hanging from the pine tree where he was killed almost a month earlier. Selak's murderers said they only found $75 and some old coins when they searched Selak's property. It was the coins that alerted Coffee as to who the perpetrators might be.^[13] Rumors of the hidden cash persisted. In March 1927, convinced there must be more valuables or cash stashed somewhere on the property, the townspeople planned a search of his property as soon as the snow cleared.^[14][15]

The two perpetrators, Arthur Osborn, 22 at the time of the murder, and his cousin, Ray Noakes, 21, were found guilty and given the death penalty. Like the man they killed, they themselves were hanged. They were executed in Cañon City, Colorado, on March 30, 1928.^[16]

East Troublesome Fire

On October 14, 2020, the East Troublesome Fire ignited north of Parshall. The wildfire rapidly spread eastward toward Grand Lake and into Rocky Mountain National Park. As many as 794 firefighters fought the wildfire as it consumed 193,812 acres (784 km²) of forest and rangeland to become the second most extensive Colorado wildfire in recorded history. Thousands were evacuated, more than 300 homes were destroyed, and two residents were killed. The wildfire became the most expensive in Colorado history with insured losses alone of $543 million.

Geography

Grand Lake is located in northeastern Grand County. U.S. Route 34 (Trail Ridge Road) runs through the western side of the town, entering Rocky Mountain National Park just north of town and leading 45 miles (72 km) across the mountains to Estes Park. To the southwest, US 34 leads 15 miles (24 km) to Granby.

At the 2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 662 acres (2.679 km²) including 1.7 acres (0.007 km²) of water.^[3]

Climate

Due to its elevation, Grand Lake has a subalpine climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc) with a short growing season, averaging just 49 days per year.^[17] Temperatures are chilly at night even through the summer months, and only three months have an average temperature of above 10 °C (50 °F).

Climate data for Grand Lake, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1939–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	53 (12)	56 (13)	67 (19)	73 (23)	82 (28)	89 (32)	92 (33)	92 (33)	89 (32)	80 (27)	68 (20)	55 (13)	92 (33)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	45.5 (7.5)	48.6 (9.2)	56.6 (13.7)	64.4 (18.0)	73.9 (23.3)	81.7 (27.6)	85.8 (29.9)	82.8 (28.2)	78.9 (26.1)	70.5 (21.4)	56.8 (13.8)	45.6 (7.6)	86.5 (30.3)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	30.2 (−1.0)	34.3 (1.3)	42.2 (5.7)	49.1 (9.5)	59.2 (15.1)	70.5 (21.4)	75.9 (24.4)	73.3 (22.9)	67.6 (19.8)	54.9 (12.7)	40.1 (4.5)	30.0 (−1.1)	52.3 (11.3)
Daily mean °F (°C)	17.4 (−8.1)	20.3 (−6.5)	28.0 (−2.2)	34.8 (1.6)	43.4 (6.3)	52.3 (11.3)	57.8 (14.3)	55.8 (13.2)	49.7 (9.8)	39.0 (3.9)	26.7 (−2.9)	17.5 (−8.1)	36.9 (2.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	4.5 (−15.3)	6.4 (−14.2)	13.7 (−10.2)	20.5 (−6.4)	27.7 (−2.4)	34.2 (1.2)	39.8 (4.3)	38.4 (3.6)	31.8 (−0.1)	23.1 (−4.9)	13.2 (−10.4)	5.1 (−14.9)	21.5 (−5.8)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	−16.6 (−27.0)	−14.5 (−25.8)	−7.3 (−21.8)	4.7 (−15.2)	16.5 (−8.6)	26.3 (−3.2)	33.0 (0.6)	31.4 (−0.3)	21.9 (−5.6)	8.6 (−13.0)	−7.7 (−22.1)	−15.6 (−26.4)	−21.0 (−29.4)
Record low °F (°C)	−43 (−42)	−41 (−41)	−36 (−38)	−21 (−29)	1 (−17)	16 (−9)	21 (−6)	18 (−8)	7 (−14)	−15 (−26)	−28 (−33)	−35 (−37)	−43 (−42)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	1.65 (42)	1.50 (38)	1.23 (31)	1.55 (39)	1.59 (40)	1.36 (35)	1.98 (50)	2.09 (53)	1.59 (40)	1.27 (32)	1.29 (33)	1.50 (38)	18.60 (472)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	30.6 (78)	25.1 (64)	17.6 (45)	17.1 (43)	5.3 (13)	0.4 (1.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.4 (1.0)	7.4 (19)	22.5 (57)	28.5 (72)	154.9 (393)
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm)	25.6 (65)	30.5 (77)	30.1 (76)	19.2 (49)	3.7 (9.4)	0.2 (0.51)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.1 (0.25)	4.4 (11)	9.3 (24)	17.5 (44)	33.3 (85)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	14.8	13.2	11.6	11.1	12.3	10.5	13.6	15.3	11.9	9.5	10.9	13.8	148.5
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	14.5	12.1	8.7	6.6	1.8	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.4	3.3	9.4	13.5	70.5
Source 1: NOAA[17]
Source 2: National Weather Service[18]

Grand Lake

Grand Lake and Mt. Craig

Grand Lake is Colorado's largest and deepest natural lake, and is part of the headwaters of the Colorado River. The lake became a component in the Colorado-Big Thompson Project (C-BT) in 1937, when it was recruited as a conduit for C-BT project water. The C-BT project diverts water from the Colorado River Basin east via the Alva B. Adams Tunnel under the Continental Divide and Rocky Mountain National Park to the Big Thompson River watershed, thence the South Platte River and ultimately the Mississippi River basin.

Grand Lake Yacht Club is a private club that hosts sailing races on the lake, and there are also publicly and privately operated marinas, a public boat ramp, and public boat docks on the lake.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1950	309		—
1960	170		−45.0%
1970	189		11.2%
1980	382		102.1%
1990	259		−32.2%
2000	447		72.6%
2010	471		5.4%
2020	410		−13.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

Culture

Grand Lake Post Card circa 1940s

The image to the right features a vintage post card of Grand Lake in its early days as a tourist attraction. The description reads: "Shadow Mt. Lake and Granby reservoir are a vast new development for fishing, cabins and water sports."

Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre

Grand Lake is home to the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre. This summer stock theatre company produces various theatrical productions throughout the year, usually three Broadway musicals from June through August and one musical in September. In the spring of 2010, a new 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m²) theatre complex was built for the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre in Grand Lake.

Grand Lake Boardwalk

Grand Lake citizens call a block of boutiques and shops the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk is all small owned and operated and has no chain restaurants or shops. At the boardwalk you can find anything from coffee shops and restaurants to tourist shops, boutiques, and homemade jewelry. At the Boardwalk you are sure to find everything you're looking for.^[19][20]

Notable residents

• Tim Allen^[21]
• Marv Heemeyer^[22]
• Fred Selak

See also

• Arapaho National Recreation Area
• Grand River

References

1. "Active Colorado Municipalities". Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
2. "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. December 1, 2004. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
3. "Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data". United States Census Bureau, United States Department of Commerce. August 12, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
4. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Grand Lake, Colorado
5. United States Census Bureau. "Grand Lake town; Colorado". Retrieved April 23, 2023.
6. "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original (JavaScript/HTML) on November 4, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2007.
7. "Kauffman House Museum Information". grandlakehistory.org. Grand Lake Area Historical Society. n.d. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
8. "Kauffman House". npgallery.nps.gov. National Park Service. November 21, 1974. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
9. Fay, Abbott. "The Selak Hanging". Grand County History Stories. Grand County Historical Association. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
10. "Chronicles of Clarence: Number III: The Selak Mystery". Estes Park Trail. Vol. V, no. 17. Estes Park, CO: A. B. Harris. July 30, 1926. p. 9. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
11. Gertz, A. G. (June 1926). "Echo Mountain's Hanging Spectre". True Detective Mysteries. MacFadden Publications. pp. 60–63, 97, 98.
12. "Mystery of Selak Murder Solved by Brother-In-Law". The Denver Post. Denver, Colorado. August 18, 1926. p. 5.
13. "Grand Lake Mystery May Be Cleared Up". The Steamboat Pilot. Vol. 42, no. 5. Steamboat Springs, CO: Chas. A. Leckenby. August 18, 1926. p. 1. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
14. "Hermit Slain, Neighbors To Seek His Gold". The Tampa Daily Times. Vol. 5, no. 38. Tampa, FL: The Tampa Publishing Company. March 28, 1927. p. 10. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
15. "Planned Search for Gold of Slain Hermit". The Bee. Danville, VA: Rorer A. James Jr. March 30, 1927. p. 5.
16. "Boys Laugh and Joke During Death Hour; Face Noose Calmly". The Denver Post. Denver, CO. March 30, 1938. pp. 1, 3. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
17. "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
18. "NOAA Online Weather Data". National Weather Service. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
19. "Shopping the Boardwalk". Grand Lake Chamber. July 29, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
20. Annie (June 20, 2016). "These Spots On This Colorado Main Street Boardwalk Will Make Your Summer Awesome". OnlyInYourState®. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
21. Schnell, Caramie (October 2011). "Vail Daily travel: A Grand getaway". Vail Daily. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
22. Best, Allen (July 2004). "The Dark Side of Paradise". Colorado Central Magazine. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved April 11, 2007.

External links

• Town of Grand Lake website
• CDOT map of the Town of Grand Lake
• Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce Archived July 31, 2018, at the Wayback Machine