Hartt began buying out many of the smaller sheep ranches in the Hahn’s Peak region. Not all of the area homesteaders were happy about having such large bands of sheep summer in these mountains. Although the range wars had ended, locals voiced concern about the damage done to the landscape by the sheep. In her book, God’s Mountain: The Last of the Hahn’s Peak Homesteaders (written about homesteading in the 1920’s), author Rose Wheeler writes:
It was the first week of June when Rose heard the sheep. In the early morning hours, sound traveled easily in the clear mountain air. She could hear the dogs barking above the bleating of the sheep as they moved them along the road from Columbine. She wondered how many there were. It sounded like hundreds of them. The must be the Wyoming sheep, (Wheeler refers to the Cow Creek Sheep Company as the “Wyoming Sheep Company” in her book) being moved to the small homestead from the Red Desert. It seemed bad that the country should have sheep. They destroyed the grass, flowers, and little grouse in their nests on the ground with their sharp little hoofs” (47).
It was typical for Rawlins to be the winter home of the sheep ranchers, and for them to summer their sheep elsewhere. At that time about 100 sheep families and 300,000 sheep wintered in Rawlins. All the families were known to have nice houses in Rawlins and to spend the summers at the sheep headquarters. The sheep families would gather to have parties would celebrate together by serving sage chicken and vermilion (a form of Jell-O). The sage chicken was considered a delicate morsel (48).
Despite the fact that some locals were opposed to the large numbers of sheep, the Hartt family became a part of the Hahn’s Peak region over the years. Harold Spragg, Pearl’s brother and Cow Creek foreman, married Etta (Roark) Spragg. Etta’s sister, Edna (Roark) Trullinger, is a beloved area school teacher who came to Hahn’s Peak in 1917. Edna taught not only in Hahn’s Peak, but in many schools in Western Colorado and Wyoming (49). Her school houses were on display at the store in Columbine, Colorado for many years.
Etta Spragg was considered a “crackerjack” with a .22 and would kill the sage chickens (for the parties) while helping at the summer headquarters in Columbine and Battle Creek (50). Sisters Etta and Edna are well known area pioneers and were life-long residents of the area.
Hartt Family and Sheep Companies at Hahn’s Peak: A Historic Legacy
Hartt’s Business Ventures Expansion in Rawlins | Sheep Business Development
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 