The Salt Works Ranch, at 3858

U.S. Route 285 U.S. Route 285 is a north–south United States highway, running 846 miles (1,362 km) through the states of Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. The highway's southern terminus is in Sanderson, Texas at an intersection with U.S. Route 90. US ...

Park County, Colorado Park County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,390. The county seat is Fairplay. The county was named after the large geographic region known as South Park, which was named by early ...

near

Hartsel, Colorado Hartsel is a census-designated place (CDP) and post office in and governed by Park County, Colorado United States. The Hartsel post office has the ZIP Code 80449. At the United States Census 2010, the population of the 80449 ZIP Code Tabu ...

, was founded in 1862. The land is unusual for the presence of saline springs. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 2001. The ranch includes the Colorado Salt Works, which is separately listed on the National Register, and is crossed by

U.S. Highway 285 U.S. Route 285 is a north–south United States highway, running 846 miles (1,362 km) through the states of Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. The highway's southern terminus is in Sanderson, Texas at an intersection with U.S. Route 90. ...

and by the 1879 railroad grade of the Denver South Park & Pacific. The listed area includes 17

contributing buildings In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...

, two

contributing structures In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distric ...

, and a

contributing site In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distric ...

, on . The main ranch house was built in 1872; it has elements of Second Empire style. A number of homestead

log cabins Log most often refers to: * Trunk (botany), the stem and main wooden axis of a tree, called logs when cut ** Logging, cutting down trees for logs ** Firewood, logs used for fuel ** Lumber or timber, converted from wood logs * Logarithm, in mathe ...

, some moved from elsewhere to serve as quarters for ranch hands, survive on the property. With The property has senior water rights used for hay meadows. In the same family for 140 years, it has been designated a

Colorado Centennial Ranch History Colorado is a historical society that was established in 1879 as the State Historical Society of Colorado, also known as the Colorado Historical Society. History Colorado is a 501(c)(3) organization and an agency of the State of Colorado un ...

by the

Colorado Historical Society History Colorado is a historical society that was established in 1879 as the State Historical Society of Colorado, also known as the Colorado Historical Society. History Colorado is a 501(c)(3) organization and an agency of the State of Colorado un ...

References

Centennial ranches Ranches in Colorado Log buildings and structures in Colorado National Register of Historic Places in Park County, Colorado Buildings and structures completed in 1862 {{Colorado-NRHP-stub