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Woods Lake Resort Historic District is located 11 miles north of Thomasville in Eagle County, Colorado. It lies in a valley completely surrounded by the White River National Forest. The historic district is roughly 300 acres of land highlighted by two lakes and a connecting stream which made it famous for its fishing in the early 1900s. There are 41 log structures in the district most of which were built in the early 1900s. Due to its lack of accessibility (accessible only by a jeep road which is closed in winter) and because the owners have carefully reviewed exterior changes, there have been few modern additions through the years. Most of the cabins remain as they were originally built by the founder of Woods Lake - Peter J. Engelbrecht. Woods Lake Historic District accurately portrays the architecture and physical setting of one of Colorado's earliest fishing and hunting resorts. It also portrays a sense of early 19th century resort life in the Rocky Mountains. The success of Woods Lake as a fishing resort was due in part to its beautiful physical setting within the Rocky Mountains. At an altitude of 9,405 feet, it is surrounded by peaks from the Sawatch Range which are usually snow laden. Fool's Peak and Eagle Mountain lie at the head of the Valley. Lime Creek Valley lies just below Woods Lake which is 26 miles south of Eagle. Surrounding the cabins at Woods Lake Resort are forests of aspen, pine and spruce. There are many elk and deer and the lakes are stocked with an abundant supply of fish. In 1898, the ninety acre lower lake (Lake Alicia) was first constructed by damming up a stream. The upper lake (Woods Lake) existed as a small pond of still water until 1901 when Engelbrecht began making it into a lake. In 1922 Woods Lake was enlarged to its present size of 88 acres. Both lakes have always been stocked with trout to please guests staying at the resort. These lakes are fed by streams from the mountain peaks surrounding the area. Both lakes are contributing elements to the district. Woods Lake played a significant role in the development of tourism and recreation in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Tourism in Colorado began to thrive shortly after the gold rush in 1858 and expanded greatly with the spread of mining and the railroads. People came from all over the world to see the "Wild West" in Colorado's high country during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The promotion of tourism came about with the distribution of literature by everyone from local boards and chambers of commerce, to state government. One of the major sources of promotional literature came from the railroads. In particular, the Colorado Midland Railroad (which ran from 1886–1918) was instrumental in bringing tourists into the mountains especially for fishing expeditions. There are stories of fishermen on the Midland telling the conductor where they'd like to get off to fish along the Frying Pan River. After a day of fishing they would flag the return train down. The train crews became so involved that they would carry cans of fish from the Leadville fish hatchery and then put them in the river at various points along the route. Milk cans carried on the Colorado Midland Railroad also contained live trout which went to stock Woods Lake. The District consists of 41 structures, all of which conform to the traditional log cabin style: hand notched logs placed in an alternating pattern with square notching and wide chinking between the logs. The chinking material has always been the same: cement, sand, and sometimes some sawdust is thrown in. The whole log was used and there are no cabins with butted or superficially applied logs. Even the newer cabins or additions placed there since 1947 conform to this style. These cabins represent a typical style of mountain rustic log architecture built during the turn of the century. Most of the roofs are barrel-type roofs which were easy to construct and are known for standing up to heavy snow loads - a necessary component in this setting. The lower roof also made it easier to heat the cabins. Most of the cabins were built without any permanent foundations. Through the years many of the bottom logs that were placed directly on the dirt floor have rotted. These cabins have been raised up and repaired with new concrete foundations. There were originally basically four types of structures: (1) living cabins to accommodate the guests, (2) bath houses, (3) utility cabins for laundry and maintenance functions and (4) common area buildings for dining and recreation. While many of the living cabins were originally rectangular in shape, some are now either L or T shaped due to additions or alterations. All of the cabins are one story and many have fireplaces. The logs were debarked which alleviates some of the problems of rot when moisture is trapped in the wood. In some cases, wooden planks have been attached vertically into the corners of the cabins. This was done to repair notches which had become rotted through time. (The ends of the logs were cut off square to accommodate the new boards that were placed perpendicular to the horizontal logs.) A majority of the cabins are grouped around the lower lake in order to take advantage of the lake views. Many of the utility cabins used for barns and the old laundry or ice house were placed on the N.E. edges of the grouping. Bath houses were often placed beside the main cabins. Many of the cabins were built in a row on "Main" Street. Although most of the cabins remain intact a few cabins have been added to or altered as noted below. In general, however, the architectural integrity remains untouched, allowing visitors to experience the setting and physical surroundings that were evident in the early days of the resort. History: Like other resorts in the mountains, Woods Lake would never have been so popular without the convenient transportation that was provided by the railroads. In 1918 after the Colorado Midland was closed down, guests were driven from Glenwood Springs to Woods Lake. By the 1940s tourism suffered a decline, due at first to the depression, and then because of wartime restrictions — causing many of the mountain resorts to close down. Woods Lake Resort, however, survived successfully until 1969 when the Bowles sold it to the current owners for private use. Woods Lake flourished during this early 20th Century boom of tourism in the mountains of Colorado. Peter J. Engelbrecht, the founder of Woods Lake Resort, first came into the area as a prospector. Pete was born in Kansas in 1863. He arrived in White Pine, Colorado, near Gunnison in 1889 to work in the mines. In Aspen, he worked in the mines during the winter, then, he and Mr. Charles Todd prospected the area around the current Woods Lake in the summer. In 1893, Jim Woods and his sister, Alice, bought a permit from the Forest Service to 160 acres where the lower lake and cabins are today. Alice was a school teacher at Thomasville and Jim was a prospector. Pete acquired an interest in the property in 1897 and a year later, he and Alice were married. Because Jim and Pete were unable to get along, Jim Woods soon sold all of his interest in the property to Pete. In 1898, the ninety acre lower lake, which is called Lake Alicia, was first constructed by building a dam with a wheel barrow. The next spring, with high water, the dam washed out so Pete borrowed a horse to rebuild the lake. By 1901, Pete began building the upper lake by damming up a stream to a still water pond. This lake was named Woods Lake. Pete could have only one homestead, so Joseph Debois, from Aspen, homesteaded the adjacent 160 acres that included the upper lake. In 1915, Dubois patented the land and in 1922 the land was put in Pete's name. Then Pete enlarged Lake Alicia to its present size of 88 acres. Pete was ready for his first guest in 1900 with only a few cabins. He met them at Thomasville on horseback when they arrived on the Colorado Midland Railroad. It was not unusual to see ten to fifteen head of horses being ridden or packed the 11 miles to the lake each day. By 1906, the guests were met by wagon. The road to the lake from the Frying Pan River was built in 1915. Charles Keck, who had a garage in Glenwood Springs, would drive guests from Glenwood Springs to the resort. The road was narrow, a terrifying experience for the guests. The road from Eagle (26 miles north) was constructed by 1929. Where the idea for a resort originated is unknown. It is known that the Colorado Hotel in Glenwood Springs was a mecca for summer visitors, with most families staying all summer, playing polo and swimming in the natural hot spring pools. The men staying at the Colorado Hotel were some of the first guests at Woods Lake. Leaving their families at the hotel they would spend a week or more fishing at the lake in the early 1900s, staying in some of the first log cabins built by Engelbrecht. Beginning in 1900, each spring Pete built a cabin. Between 1915 and 1917, the present dining room was built which also included a kitchen. The cabins, built in a row on main street, were three and four room cabins with each room rented as a separate unit. Later, some of the partitions were removed to make roomier cabins. The cabins were all constructed of hand hewn logs. The cabins were built without foundations. Because of this, the floors are continually being refloored and new concrete foundations being added. When the resort was nearly complete (about 1930) there were eighteen rental cabins. A post office, called Troutville, was established at the lake in 1915 in what is now Cabin #9B. It was closed in 1955 when all 4th class post offices were eliminated. This cabin also housed the owner and later was used entirely as owner's living quarters. The fishing at the resort was excellent. Pete Engelbrecht had an arrangement with the state fish hatchery near Leadville, where, in the fall, he would strip the female brook trout for eggs to send to the hatchery. Each spring, he would get half the hatch back to stock the lake. Other recreational activities at the resort included; trap shooting, horse pack trips and day riding, climbing, boating and hunting of everything from elk and deer to grouse and ducks. Occasionally guests were able to hunt bears and mountain lions. For those wishing to stay near the resort, croquet and reading were a favorite past time. The brochure used to advertise for Woods Lake States "Woods Lake ... is a mountain camp in the wildest part of the Rockies where one can rest, fish, hunt, and be cool and comfortable. Its aim is to provide complete, rustic comfort with none of the elements of hotel life." Pete constructed a telephone line to the lake in 1919. Since 1908 Woods Lake has produced its own electricity. In 1918 they used a Kohler light plant without storage batteries. Later they used a Kohler light plant with batteries that worked better because it would store electricity. In 1928 they used a star auto engine to generate power. It was hooked up to an alarm clock set to go off and on to run the engine. Then in 1930 they built a Hoppe plant (a small water wheel) between the two lakes in the stream. It was not very successful because the water was often too low in the fall. In 1984 a new hydro electric plant was installed and a new pipe line for water added to provide a steady source of electricity. Woods Lake Resort receives water from a spring, located south of the majority of buildings, on the hill, about 300 yards away. In 1912, the Eaton family, from Colorado Springs, had Pete build a cabin for their use when they stayed at the lake. The cabin was called Antlers. Dishes are still at the lake that they brought from the Antlers Hotel in Colorado Springs. Mr. Eaton enjoyed spending his time at the lake making furniture for use in the cabins. Much of the original furniture is still in use. The dressers, desks, beds and tables were made of scrap lumber, with the legs and knobs of lodge pole pine. Alice and Pete Engelbrecht had two children, Ralph and Pearl, who were born in 1901 and 1904. Alice passed away in 1921 at the age of sixty of a heart attack. In 1927, Pete became partners with his son Ralph and Pete gave the managership of the resort to Ralph and his wife Thelma in 1933. Ralph passed away December 1, 1944 due to a heart condition. Pete died in April 1945 at the age of 82. Woods Lake was then sold to the Luthe brothers from Des Moines, Iowa. They hired Clarence Bowles and his brother and wife (Adelbert and Thelma Bowles) to manage the lake. In 1947, the Bowles' bought the resort. Adlebert and Thelma Bowles passed on the management of Woods Lake to their son Arthur Bowles and his wife Pauline in 1958. They managed the resort until 1962 when they purchased it. The Bowles owned and operated the resort until 1969. It was successful and full every spring, summer and early fall. They also operated during elk and deer hunting seasons. They fed 75 guests plus a staff three meals per day during the open period. Finally in 1969, after dealing with countless problems with keeping a cook and having become tired of the work, the Bowles sold the property to a group of investors, headed by Art Pfister, who retained the property from then until now for their own private use. The current owners use the property for summer recreation and for fishing and hunting as in the early resort days. Each owner has a main cabin for their own use plus several guest cabins. A full-time manager takes care of the property for the owners. There are currently (as of 1988) four owners of the property. Woods Lake Historic District is significant as an example of early resort log cabin architecture in the Colorado mountains. Basically, Woods Lake has never changed from the early days. The cabins have been modernized with bathrooms added, but the same rustic and comfortable look prevails today. All of the contributing buildings in the district represent a relatively unaltered version of horizontal square-notched log construction, with either a gabled or barreled roof. These structures were made to withstand rough winters and were easily enough constructed that architects were not required. The material for these cabins was readily available from the woods surrounding the district. All cabins had fireplaces and low roofs for heating purposes. Little decoration was included other than half-timber trim around the windows and doors. The design of the cabins was kept very simple and changes were made for functional purposes only. Many of the autographs of early guests are carved into the door frames and are visible today. All in all, the architectural integrity of both the individual buildings and the district remains intact offering visitors an excellent chance to experience turn of the century resort life in the Colorado mountains. While Woods Lake is in active, private use today, the 1898-1933 period of significance was chosen because it represents the period of ownership and active management of Peter Engelbrecht, the founding owner of Woods Lake Resort. It was during this period that Woods Lake developed and flourished as a resort. As stated earlier Pete turned over management to his son Ralph in 1933, which coincides with a decline in Colorado tourism following the great depression. Tourism became even more depressed in the 1940s during WWII due to travel and other restrictions. 〔Danielson, Clarence T. and Ralph W. Basalt; Colorado Midland Town,Pruett Press Inc., Boulder 4 Colorado. 1965〕 〔Shoemaker, Len: Roaring Fork Valley. Sundance Ltd., Denver ,Colorado. 1958〕 〔Mehls, Steven F. Colorado Mountains Historic Context. Colorado Historical Society.1984〕 〔Author Unknown; United States Dept of Interior National Park Service National Register of Historical Places Evaluation Sheet, Reference Number 88001226, Entered into the National Register 11 Aug 1988〕 == References == 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Woods Lake Resort Historic District」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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