The Greeley tribune., 1907-01-24
G0TEARLDOM
b. D. SANBORN BUYS DUN
RAVEN PROPERTY
Great Deal if Realty Concluded
Saturday and Greeley Man
Now Owns Finest Re-
sort in State

Late Saturday night in Denver
transfer was made Of all of the Earl
Of Dunraven's property in Estes park
to B. ID. Sanborn of Greeley. The
purchase price was in the neighbor-
hood of $50, 1000, and Mr.. Sanborn
gives as part payment a section of
land near Fort Collins and valuable
water stock In the North Poudre
Irrigation company. The deal in
cludes 6,4oO acres of decided land and
several hundred acres more that
there is some litigation about, also
the Dunraven hotel, the Earl's own
cottage, the stables, dairy, fine
meadows and country club house.
The porpertv was held by 'the Estes
Park Development company and Mr..
Sanborn takes over the stock Of this
company from its Denver and Eng
lish owners.
1t is understood that the owner Of
one of the largest automobile fac
tories In the east will Immediately
commence the erection Of one of the
finest summer hotels in the country
on the beautiful heights north of the
Big Thompson river, near the Love-
land entrance to the park. The
same man will put on y line of his
steam automobiles to run between
Lyons and the new hotel, and prob
ably also line from Loveland to
the park. Mr.. Sanborn Will CO.
operate In every way possible Will
the hotel company to make the park
the most popular summer resort, not
alone in Colorado but in the entire
country.
1t is the intention of Mr.. Sanborn
to especially encourage the construc-
tion Of summer homes In the park
and as soon as the weather will per-
nit thorough survey Of the land
will be made and the ground all
plated in the most desirable way to
encourage home building there by
rich and poor alike.
Mr.. Sanborn already has property
in the park of considerable value.
He was the owner of two cottages in
the Greeley colony and the exclusive
owner of Bierstadt and Bear lakes,
two of the most beautiful bodies OF
water in the state. He has already
had the preliminary work done on
these to turn them into fine power
plant to furnish electricity for the
entire park. This will be done
without in any way marring their
beauty or spelling them for fishing.
Mr.. Sanborn's interest In Estes
mark has been rather remarkable.
He first visited the place about
twenty-eight years ago, while he was
practically boy, and the grandeur
of the scenery made such an impress
sion upon his mind that he visited
the place practically every year since
then, and as he became successful IN
business he made it his summer nome
altogether. He has for long time
recognized the possibilities OF the
place as summer resort ana mas
been quietly at work there securing
control of the water supply and In
every other way making the place
more valuable to himself in a busl-
ness way than to any other man.
The history Of Estes park is full OF
romance and tragedy. 1t was prob
ably discovered by Kit Carson and
his trappers In ls4o. and 1T was
named by W. N. Byers, founder OF
the Rocky Mountain News, who
found the lofty mountains surround
ing the park a constant attraction
for himself and his friends. He was
one of the very first men to reach the
summit of Longs peak, which STANDS
as the southern wall Of the park.
Joel Estes and wife, after whom the
placs was named, we're the first
white settlers in the place, locating
there in 1859.
In the autumn and early winter
of 1872 the Earl Of Dunraven, with
his guests, Sir William Cummings
and Earl Fitzpatrick, shot big game
in the park, and so taken was Dun
raven with the place that he decided
to turn 1t into Q great game pre-
serve. He accordingly set about Sc
curing title to the land. and did at
one time claim Is, 900 acres there.