Stage Coach Inn
by Lynn Sprowl
Title
Stage Coach Inn
Artist
Lynn Sprowl
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Stage Coach Inn by Lynn Sprowl.
Where's the hot tub??? buffet? shower? wifi?
The Stage Coach Inn is a magnificent, two-story structure made of hand-hewn timbers. Many are 18 inches thick. It was moved to its present site from Mosquito Pass. There, it served as a halfway house for the stagecoach lines operating between Fairplay and Leadville during the late 1800’s.
The trail leading to the Inn was overgrown and strewn with rocks. It was difficult to visualize the many stagecoaches that traveled this route daily covering a distance of 23 miles from Fairplay to Leadville.
The Inn is furnished with authentic pioneer articles that were used in the remote mountain inns of that period. A long wooden table, set to feed the stagecoach passengers, makes one feel the stage is about to arrive. The large cast iron cook stove in the corner and a cabinet with dishes and cooking utensils provides a homey feeling. Old trunks wait to be loaded on the stage and a handmade cribbage board longs for players. A steep, narrow, wooden staircase leads to an upstairs hall that divides the building in half. This is the sleeping area; a Spartan arrangement composed of a bed, pitcher and basin, boot remover, foot warmer and an antler attached to the wall for hanging clothes. A unique double-wicked oil lamp made from an old sorghum can awaits lighting. It was used at the first polling place in Alma. The other side of the building was an open room where a traveler could sleep on the floor instead of a bed. It was not a very comfortable way to spend the night after a long and hard day’s journey. In those days meals and lodging in Fairplay cost $3.00. Meals at this famous Inn cost $.50. When leaving the Stage Coach Inn one wonders what those early pioneers would think of our luxurious and comfortable hotels of today.
Uploaded
August 21st, 2019
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