PHOTO (Above): Wagon wheels are a reminder of the early days at the Coulter house



PHOTO (Above): Janzy Crane displays handcrafted jewelry



PHOTO (Above): The gift shop is ready for holiday shoppers


PHOTO (Above): Jeff Crane finds a new art in engraving plaques, awards and jewelry

In passing along the main highway or back roads of our County, have you noticed the old log cabins, some leaning with age with their ghost-like images of pioneering days? Ever wonder who lived there, what their life was like? I’m sure we all have wondered at one time or another. There is one rustic log cabin that still remains standing strong along Highway 40, just east of Granby. The Coulter House , a rustic-style log cabin with its graying log exterior, is an early example of the type of architecture built in the late 1800’s. Many of these treasured cabins, once filled with the early history of our County, have folded. The Coulter House is one of the few still remaining to remind us of the days when stagecoaches, mules and horses were the only means of travel. Visible from Highway 40 on the outskirts of town, it once marked the division point from the main road for the stagecoach to cross over Cottonwood Pass, on to its next stagecoach stop in Hot Sulphur Springs.

Now owned by Jeff and Nona Crane, the history of the cabin remains with the legendary stories of life in the late 1800s that have passed down through the ages. Named after John A. Coulter, a lawyer from Georgetown who first leased the land from the government in November of 1874 along with 160 acres at the foot of Red Dirt, the Coulter House served as a Stagecoach Stop welcoming weary travelers on their journeys west and east of the Rocky Mountains. Not long after the cabin was built, it became the first post office of the County. The cabin was deeded and sold to Robert O. Throckmorton, who became the second postmaster. The now bordered up window on the front porch leads you to wonder what important mail crossed its threshold, how long would it take to get to its final destination? Neighboring rancher, Bud Linke, told the Cranes stories of the days he used to ride a mule to the post office to get the mail—he was just a kid then.

With humble, overnight accommodations for travelers, one could only wonder whether they were gold and silver seekers, entrepreneurs heading west to California, or just early pioneers wanting to find a new life in the west. The Coulter House offered a night’s rest and a meager meal before the long journey ahead. The upstairs holds three small bedrooms with floors slightly slanted; on the main level, a small kitchen and living area with a stoned fireplace open on each end.

Nona Crane’s parents, Wayne and Marge Harbert, purchased the cabin and surrounding property in 1955. They modernized the cabin in 1960 by remodeling the kitchen and adding a bath. In the small bedroom a light fixture adorns the ceiling. Sparked by its beauty, I asked “Was this original to the house?” The light fixture came from a hay ranch that the Harberts bought in Encampment, Wyoming and were original light fixtures in the Wyoming State capital.

The cabin was one of the first to have indoor plumbing. The outhouse still stands in the back of the cabin, its own beauty framed by a grove of aspen. The barn, built at the turn of the century, still holds visions of the team of horses being changed out for the next leg of the trip.

The Coulter House, with its treasured memories of times when luxuries of modern times were not yet born, stands tall to remind us of the early years of Grand County.

Today, the Coulter House name has a new meaning. The Cranes, Nona & Jeff along with their daughter Janzy, have opened a gift shop; a small brick building in the heart of town. Engraving is Jeff’s specialty---“Just about everything can be personally engraved, and all engraving is done right in the shop”, Jeff said. After 20 years, Jeff retired from real estate and as a volunteer fireman. He was ready to make a change. He happened to meet an engraver at one of the craft shows he travelled to. Jeff always had an interest in gold plating and as he learned more about the process of engraving, it fit quite comfortably into something Jeff could enjoy---and so it began. Jeff has found his “nitch” as he skillfully engraves plaques, awards, jewelry and even bottled wine. Janzy is the design artist for all the jewelry in the shop. Every piece of jewelry is unique with gemstones, gold and silver artistically designed by its artist, Janzy. Nona has finally realized her dream come true—a gift shop she has always wanted to have right here in Granby.

With the holiday season upon us, look no further than the Coulter House for the gift that will be remembered for a life time. The Coulter House name lives on and now shares a new treasured history. The Coulter House gift shop hours are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Gift shop phone number is 970-887-2667.