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I F. The Sand Nouse Trout creek emerges from the hills through a small canyon and gap and here was once a ranch owned by Benjamin Schwander. This ranch was very productive because of all the top soil washed down by Trout Creek. Benjamin and his wife had a large apple orchard, gardens and a two story frame house. There were numerous out buildings, including a barn and sheds . This ranch was started in 1864. It produced native hay and also alfalfa as shown in this drawing. In December of 1877 Benjamin recorded his brand for his livestock. He is recorded in the area until 1881. After that time have found no mention of him. His ranch was evidently owned by a number of other people. The Denver South Park and Pacific brought its track down through this box canyon to what became known as Schwanders. No Depot was ever built but there was a wood water tank, a coal chute, -ios- I i a wye and some side track. There were also a few section houses. Four to six men and their families lived here to service the track and trains. There were many Floods which washed out track and carried sand to bury the track. By 1908 the DSPP had abandoned their line through this box canyon and the gap which ran down to Schwanders. The Chaffee County Surveyor I.M. Cuenin wrote that the county offered to build a large drainage ditch to carry the water off to the Arkansas River. The Friskeys, who lived at the ranch, refused to cooperate and this cost them their ranch and orchard. There is no main stream of Trout Creek through here, it spreads out and most of it • goes underground to the river. In 1924 a terrible cloud burst up on Trout Creek Pass came down. It washed out bridges and track of the Denver South Park and Pacific and the huge wall of water carried tons of sand. This water and sand Flooded and filled the bottom of the two story house. The orchard was also covered in three (eet of sand. Gus Friskey and his Mother were living in the house at the time. Gus tells that he and his mother only had time td run upstairs as the water and sand buried the lower level of the house. Everytfiing in the groud floor of the house was covered with sand and debris. The buried house is still sitting dilapidated and abandoned at the site. For many years the apple trees tried valiantly to bloom and bear fruit. Rr of ~XN)r3/'r T~FG+-4/..IAT/Qh/ F1..fdN ~~