[Image of Connaughton House on Red Mountain, 1976. *Aspen Historical Society/Courtesy photo*][Image of Connaughton House on Red Mountain, 1976. *Aspen Historical Society/Courtesy photo*] In 1882, the Aspen Times Weekly described two “very desirable ranches” on Red Mountain, opposite Aspen. The first, known as the Connaughton Ranch, featured a “large, hewed-log ranch house” and “several acres of fine garden.” The second, called the Red Mountain Ranch, had a “fine stock range” on the higher benches of the mountain. Both ranches were situated on 160 acres of land, with the potential for additional hay land and grazing areas.
One b/w photograph of the Connaughton House on Red Mountain, 1976.
Aspen Historical Society/Courtesy photo
“Up on the second bench of Red Mountain opposite Aspen, near the head of the Red Mountain Irrigating ditch, are two very desirable ranches, to which we recently paid a very pleasant visit,” noted the Aspen Times Weekly on July 15, 1882.
“Though not large, they are excellently suited for market gardens; and when, in the fullness of time and mining development, this city shall have become a busy metropolis, will be valuable for that purpose. Here, apparently shut off from the rest of the world, with verdure and flowers, running brooks and birds, and all the pleasant surroundings and cares of country home-life, we can easily imagine life to be idyllic. The first ranch we came upon was the Connaughton, and below toward the West, is the Red Mountain ranch, more noted perhaps, but not superior, excepting that behind it, on the higher benches of the mountain, is a fine stock range, where , summer and winter, many heads of horses and cattle find ample grazing. On this ranch but little work has been done, save a fine ranch-house, four or five acres plowed, a few vegetables planted, and some fencing. But upon the Connaughton ranch, there is a large, hewed-log ranch house, several acres of fine garden, and about six acres fenced. Each ranch is surveyed 160 acres, and much of the ground taken in on the lower benches will, when water can be gotten upon it by a separate ditch from Hunter’s creek, make fine hay land, and in many places are small parks of several acres extent that can be cultivated.”
