A Place in Time

As you travel through the pages of this book you will visualize and experience the colorful history brought about by the many players who worked so very hard to bring about the life of Rustic Resort. This book is not only about the history of the resort, but also the trials and tribulations of those who chose to make it a special place in time. Their persistence and tenacity to create a place sought out by those who loved the beauty and adventure of the Poudre Canyon is everlasting. Located 42 miles northwest of Fort Collins, Colorado on Colorado Highway 14, the Rustic Resort is tucked away in the hills of the Poudre Canyon. In existence since the 1860's when George W. Pingree set up camp on what is the Rustic Resort today. He came in search of pelts for the haberdasheries' throughout the world and ended up locating lodge pole pine trees for the railroad to be cut into railroad ties. The operation for the tie cutting business was set up at Pingree's camp and soon timbering could be found throughout the upper canyon. By 1870 the tie business had gone bust. Samuel Stewart, who managed the tie operation, then turned his attention toward other ventures. He built the Rustic House and a toll road over Cameron Pass to accommodate the up and coming mining boom. The hotel offered travelers a place to clean up, rest their weary horses and get a bite to eat before heading off to Walden or Fort Collins via the toll road. Over time, the Rustic expanded and offered a store with gas pumps, rustic cabins and a hotel while touting itself as a vacation venue. It was able to supply its' own power from the hydroelectric plant built by Norman Haskins and the water well produced the best water in the area and never ran dry. In the end, it offered rustic cabins and RV sites as a retreat at the end of the day, a restaurant and bar to catch a snack or meal and the Coffee Shop and Ice Cream Parlor to enjoy that special treat. Today, many of the cabins still stand although the lodge is