Pearl Lake State Park, located near the Elk River in Routt County, is currently noted for its “rolling green meadows and pasture lands that enfold quaint farms and horse and cattle ranches. Framing the horizons are a string of mountain ranges located within the Routt National Forest and Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area including parts of the Park, Sierra Madre, and Sawtooth ranges.” Constructed in 1962, Pearl Lake is adjacent to Steamboat Lake State Park and the historic village of Hahn’s Peak (1). Pearl Lake State Park’s history predates the lake’s building by nearly 70 years. Seeing the beauty of this mountain lake often leaves tourists believing that the state park is named for the magnificent gemstone. In actuality, the Lake and Park are named for Mrs. (Minnie) Pearl Hartt (2), wife of Wyoming sheep industry pioneer, John Kelly (J.K.) Hartt. The Hartts were officially residents of Rawlins, Wyoming.
Over several years, J.K. Hartt purchased many acres of land and established a summer headquarters for his corporate sheep operations on the land that is now Pearl Lake. In fact, during the summers of 1916 & 1917, the Hartt family summered in a small cabin that is now under the waters of Pearl Lake (3). It was in 1894, when Hartt stepped off the train in Wyoming, the wheels of change started turning: A change that would turn the primary use of this land from agricultural to recreational use.
Exploring the History of Pearl Lake State Park: A Journey Back in Time
The Beginning of the Legacy: Go West, John Kelly Hartt
Exploring the History of Pearl Lake State Park: A Journey Back in Time: Chapter Index
- 1. Introduction: the History of Pearl Lake State Park in Routt County
- 2. The Beginning of the Legacy: Go West, John Kelly Hartt
- 3. The Beginning History of Cow Creek and Pioneer Sheep Companies in Wyoming
- 4. Colorado Cattlemen vs. Cow Creek Sheep: The 1903 Stampede
- 5. A Bride From New Brunswick: John Kelly Hartt Marries M. Pearl Hartt
- 6. Sir, They Shot Wilkes Last Night: Life in the Wild West
- 7. Taking the Rap: The Minister’s Son Escapes to Mexico
- 8. The 1910s Tax Dispute: Wyoming Sheep vs. Colorado Cattlemen
- 9. Hartt Family and Sheep Companies at Hahn’s Peak: A Historic Legacy
- 10. Sheep On God’s Mountain: Grassroots Issues
- 11. Hartt’s Business Ventures Expansion in Rawlins | Sheep Business Development
- 12. Family Feuds and Financial Controversies: The Legacy of J.K. Hartt’s Estate in Wyoming
- 13. Pearl Hartt: An Ending Tribute to the Legacy of Pearl Lake’s Namesake
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.
Pearl Lake State Park History 