Today, it may be known as a mountain retreat for the elite, with median home prices often exceeding $2M, but the original settler history of Aspen was much more humble – and much more difficult to attain due to the sheer difficulty of accessing and living in this alpine environment. The Ute Nation has called this place home for generations; non-Indigenous settlers only recently began to arrive in droves during the 1880s in order to extract silver ore for financial gain. Although the Ute held a treaty granting them “absolute and undisturbed use and occupation,” settlers ignored it and instead chose violent methods of removing Ute peoples by force. The resulting conflict is known as the Meeker Massacre.

Barely more than a decade later, the silver mines had all but played out, and by the 1930s Aspen held a population of just 1,000 people as recorded by the US Census. By the mid 20th century, ski tourism economies were blooming and visitors began to flock to this remote area. Pop musicians like John Denver romanticized the town’s beautiful setting to a national audience. Soon after these songs hit the airwaves, the community experienced a boom in new residents and funding. Today, the town retains its commitment to portions of its history through investing in its beautiful small downtown where local and internationally-recognized brands can be found, growing its economy through ski tourism, arts & culture events, and cooperating with land management agencies to ensure easy access to the spectacular environment surrounding the town.

The Hunter Creek Valley is a supremely popular and beautiful hiking area just outside of Aspen. During this HistoriCorps project, volunteers will get to experience a once-in-a-lifetime, all inclusive trip to this internationally-renowned destination while also giving back through preserving the iconic Hunter Creek Road House. According to the Hunter Creek Historical Foundation, “This 60-acre site includes both pre-historic and historic components and has been identified by the Forest Service as officially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Properties. However, a lack of public funding has allowed these structures to deteriorate to a state of near oblivion, and the historic barn on the Adelaide Ranch has already been completely lost.” HistoriCorps to the rescue! Learn more about this great preservation project in the Aspen Times! We hope you will join us this fall as we return to the Hunter Creek Valley to continue the next phase of our work.