Hartt Family and Sheep Companies at Hahn’s Peak: A Historic Legacy (History pp. 10)

During the years that followed, it was not just the sheep that multiplied. Pearl and John Kelly Hartt became the parents of six daughters, all born in Rawlins, between April 14, 1910 and January 5, 1921. Raising Pearl, Marie, Marge, Louise, Catherine and Dotty became the focus of attention for Pearl and her mother, Matilda Spragg, during those years.

The picturesque Hahn’s Peak Basin became the official summer headquarters for Cow Creek and Pioneer Sheep Companies in 1911, when Hartt was finally able to officially relocate summer headquarters to Colorado. Previously located near Baggs, Wyoming, the new summer headquarters were located on the site that is now Pearl Lake.

Little Brown House was used as the Cow Creek Headquarters in Baggs – the house is now located at Little Snake River Museum in Savery

By the summer of 1916 Hartt was bringing his wife, Pearl, and daughters up to these headquarters, where they lived in a small cabin. The family moved the headquarters to a “little green school house” in Hahn’s Peak Village and, then, to an old ranger station (now under the waters of Steamboat Lake) before actually building their own summer home in 1926 (44). This house is now privately owned and and is now located at the Elk River Guest Ranch and can be rented as an Airbnb (The Pearl Hartt Cabin). The property where the Hartt’s lived is also privately owned.

Early summer headquarters at Hahns Peak

The Hahn’s Peak area is known for its role in the gold rush era of Colorado history. Gold was first discovered here by a Joseph Hahn in 1862. In 1865, one of Hahn’s friends and companions climbed to the summit of a picturesque old volcano that was close to the gold strike, and named the peak Hahns Peak. During the next few years, a mining settlement was located in a community at the base of the mountain, also named Hahns Peak. During the years 1877 and 1879, the Routt County seat was located in Hahn’s Peak, although the community never produced significant enough gold to continue in this role (45).

Hahn’s Peak was nearly a Ghost Town by the time Hartt arrived in the area in 1911, with some local businesses and a few residents keeping it alive. Hartt brought the first large sheep company to Hahn’s Peak. A sign in the Hahn’s Peak Museum (2001) reads as follows:

Harold Spragg’s hat at the Hahns Peak Museum

The first sizeable herds of sheep to be brought to Hahn’s Peak were those of the Cow Creek and Pioneer Sheep Companies, owned principally by John K. Hartt and managed, first by F. Harold Spragg and later by Charles H. Higley. From 1911 until the late 1950’s these companies played a big part in the economy of the area, purchasing most of their summer supplies through the stores at Columbine and Hahns Peak.

Each summer the hills and meadows were filled with the sounds and smells of more than ten thousand ewes and lambs. Separated into ten or twelve individual bunches, the sheep were watched over by Mexican herders and camp movers. The Company headquarters buildings were located on Lester Creek, now Pearl Lake (46).

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Exploring the History of Pearl Lake State Park: A Journey Back in Time: Chapter Index

All content in the Exploring the History of Pearl Lake State Park: A Journey Back in Time, including all subsections, are written by Cathy Hartt, granddaughter of Pearl and John Kelly Hartt. Original article written in 2001 with revisions through 2024. Please request written permission for reprints by emailing the author.