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was only a 160 acre ranch when plans were made to expand it to a 2,000 lot townsite upon <br />the discovery of oil (Koucherik 2009). According to the Craig Courier (August 6, 1924): <br />Hamilton, once the `halfway house' for cowpunchers and freighters, has had a <br />figurative shot in the arm. The `shot' consisted of oil, and the old town doesn't look <br />the same. It has, in fact, changed the Tom Hamilton ranch into a booming little town, <br />with the sound of carpenters' hammers drowning out the coyote's wails. It is <br />conservatively estimated that Hamilton now has a population of some 200, where six <br />months ago the citizens could be enumerated on the fingers of one hand. <br />Little remains of the townsite today, which consists of a post office and community <br />building. <br />Pagoda, situated five miles south of the project area, was founded in 1890 by Horatio <br />H. Eddy, a cattleman, lawyer, and state senator. "The post office and general store were <br />established in February 1890 by James Bennett whose family continued both operations until <br />1947. A one room school served as many as 150 ranching families along the South Fork of <br />the Williams Fork, but today all that remains of Pagoda is a pioneer cemetery with graves <br />dating from the 1890's through the 1970's" (Tread of the Pioneers Museum 1979). The <br />Pagoda Cemetery is still in use today. <br />Early Transportation <br />In 1873, John Q. Rollins constructed a wagon road that was passable most of the year <br />over what had been Boulder Pass (Athearn 1977:66). Three years later, the Berthoud Pass <br />road was rebuilt, making it the preferred route to that of Rollins Pass. By 1880, the Rollins <br />Road was in ruins. The Hayden Survey parties made use of the Berthoud road in their travels <br />through the Routt country. The route had changed from earlier construction, and when <br />survey parties used it, the route went "over Gore Pass to Stampede Creek, across Egeria Park, <br />down the Yampah [sic] seven miles, across Oak and Sage Creeks to Skull Creek to the <br />Yampah River." (Ladd 1876:439). The development of these roads increased accessibility to <br />northwest Colorado; previously, most non -aboriginal entry into the region had come from <br />Wyoming. During the highway building period of the 1920s, State Highway 13 was <br />constructed, eventually connecting northwestern Colorado to the future Interstate 70. Also, <br />during the same period, US Highway 40 was constructed. It was a coast to coast highway at <br />the time, however, it now ends at Interstate 80 in Utah. <br />Railroading <br />The Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway was a railroad company incorporated <br />in 1902 by David Moffat, Walter Cheesman, William Evans, Charles Hughes, Jr., George <br />Ross -Lewin, S.M. Perry, and Frank Gibson. After Denver was bypassed by the Union Pacific <br />line, which ran through Cheyenne, Wyoming, and by the Denver and Rio Grande Western <br />Railroad (D&RGW), which was routed through Pueblo, Colorado, the Denver community <br />13 <br />