The Frisco Historic Park & Museum (Tour)

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It may not appear so today, but this house began its life as a barn. When Frank and Annie Ruth came to Frisco, they converted the barn into a home on Main Street. Annie Laura Scott was born in Canada in the 1880s and married Colorado local Frank Ruth in 1906. They were ranchers and dairy farmers and briefly managed a summer resort at Uneva Lake. Frank died in 1943, followed by Annie in 1957. They are both buried in the Dillon Cemetery.

2. Log Chapel

In October, 1940, Pastor Harold Thompson and his wife, Ethel, headed into Frisco with $2.00 to their name. Often having to rely on the services of traveling ministers to fulfill their spiritual needs, Frisco would finally have a resident pastor, and welcomed the Thompson’s arrival. At the time there was no formal house of worship in Frisco, and no funds to build one. Realizing the task at hand, Pastor Thompson decided he was going to build on the faith of the people. In 1943, the pastor built the chapel from logs harvested locally. Originally located between Main Street and Granite near Sixth Avenue, the Log Chapel was moved to the Frisco Historic Park & Museum in 1986.

3. Bill's Ranch House

Bill’s Ranch House is located in the far southeast corner of the Frisco Historic Park & Museum. It was built in 1892, by Jane and John Thomas, who were Welsh immigrants that relocated to Frisco from Georgetown in 1887. This historic structure was originally located in the Bill’s Ranch neighborhood of Frisco, and served as the primary residence for the Thomas family as they managed their large cattle ranch. In 1930, the Thomas family was “long on land, but short on neighbors.” The family’s eldest son, Bill Thomas, invited reputable individuals plucked from the Denver society pages to claim a free parcel of land on his ranch for their summer cabins. Six families took Bill up on his offer, and with that, the dwindling population of Frisco in the early 1930's began to grow again.

4. The Bailey House

The Bailey House is a two-story log house built circa 1895. Constructed with hand-hewn logs, it is a classic example of the late nineteenth-century style mountain home. The house was built on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Main Street. It was one of the first houses moved to the Historic Park in 1982. While there is still plenty more to learn about the original owner, Emma J. Brown, we do know that the house was renovated several times as newspaper linings date back to 1884 with some sections dating around WWI and WWII. Newspapers were commonly used as a layer of insulation along with other materials like cotton batting, cloth, and plant fibers. The Bailey House is dedicated to exhibits on Frisco's pastimes.

5. Trapper's Cabin

This simple structure was moved to the Frisco Historic Park & Museum in 1993 from the alley between Fifth and Sixth Avenue on Main Street. The cabin was restored and staged to resemble a trapper's cabin from the 1800s. While this structure was built circa 1942, the logs were pulled from Curtin, a mining town in the Tenmile Canyon. It was common practice in rural areas to construct new buildings with logs from abandoned businesses, houses, mines, and towns. These logs are believed to date back to the 1880s at the start of a major mining rush into the Tenmile Canyon.

6. Prestrud-Staley House

Constructed in 1899, this building is representative of middle-class mining family homes with its clapboard siding and pioneer logs. The Well House associated with the building is typical of structures used by families at the time for water. The Outhouse came from either the Giberson property or by the Staley House on Galena Street. Built by Henry Hickman, the Prestrud-Staley house was moved to the Frisco Historic Park & Museum in the 1980's from the northwest corner of Fourth Avenue and Galena Street. Colorado skiing legend Peter Prestrud lived here with wife Alice and their family for many decades.

7. Wood's Cabin

The Wood's Cabin is one of the oldest structures in Frisco, built around 1860. This little cabin stood proudly through many historical eras and illustrates the transformations of commerce in Frisco. At the turn of the 20th century, Frisco became an important transportation hub. Mail, mining supplies, food, clothing, and people, passed through the town. They first rode on wagons and stagecoaches before being loaded onto one of the two railroads that ran through town. Businesses and residences lined Main Street, consisting of boardinghouses, hotels, livery stables, Blacksmith shops, and the post office. Following the devaluation of silver in 1893, businesses closed and families moved away. It was not until later decades that Frisco came to life again thanks to an economy based on summer and winter recreation.

8. Niemoth Cabin

The Niemoth Cabin is located in the front of the Frisco Historic Park along Main Street. Built in 1931, by Emmanuel Bellom for Max and Marie Niemoth, this structure is made of native logs and river rocks from Miner’s Creek. The Niemoths were one of the first families to build a cabin on Bill Thomas' dairy ranch just outside of Frisco. This quaint one-room cabin with a loft was moved to the Frisco Historic Park & Museum in 1995 after being donated by local Bill’s Ranch residents, Bob & Judy Anderson. Note: The audio introduction provided was recorded as an oral history.

9. Frisco Jail

To deal with those visiting the saloons too frequently, Frisco needed a calaboose, or jail. In 1881, the town board appointed a committee to locate a site, pay for, and build the “lockup”. Approved supplies included a heating stove, three mattresses, four blankets, two comforters, lamps, and locks. At the time of construction, Frisco had three Marshalls, all of which received $4 for every arrest that led to a fine. Many a rowdy miner spent a night or two in the Old Frisco Jail. Most were arrested for claim-jumping, fighting, or cheating. The Jail originally had four cells. When it was moved to its current location, one cell was left to demonstrate what it would have been like to be a prisoner in Frisco. The other cell doors act as the entrance doors to this historic building.

10. The Frisco Schoolhouse

The Frisco Schoolhouse was built in 1899, by Oliver Swanson. Its original purpose was to serve as a saloon, but never opened as one. The Summit County school district purchased the newly constructed building and opened it as a school in 1901. The Frisco Schoolhouse remained in operation until 1963, when it was turned into administration and storage space. By 1980, the Schoolhouse was in danger of being torn down, and the citizens of Frisco rallied and restored the Schoolhouse as part of the creation of the Frisco Historic Park & Museum. The Schoolhouse is now listed on the National Register for Historic Places and serves as the primary exhibit space for the Frisco Historic Park & Museum. This building continues its role in education while serving more than 35,000 guests a year.

This Tour is a Virtual Museum or Site Tour.

The Frisco Historic Park & Museum

Created by Rose Gorrell on August 13th 2020, 7:06:06 pm.

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Description

The Frisco Historic Park & Museum is located on downtown Main Street, in Frisco, Colorado. It was founded in 1983 by the former Frisco Historical Society, and they maintained operations until 2006, turning over operations to the Town of Frisco. There are ten historic cabins and buildings in the Historic Park from around Frisco, all of which have been maintained and restored to preserve historic character. This self-guided tour touches on each historic structure with a brief history of the building, its occupants, and related topics.

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The Frisco Historic Park & Museum

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