The Secrets of Elk Creek: Shaffers Crossing, Staunton State Park and Beyond

The Secrets of Elk Creek: Shaffers Crossing, Staunton State Park and Beyond by Bonnie E. Scudder. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780989329705.

The Secrets of Elk Creek is a local history set in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, southwest of Denver. It follows a small mountain stream named Elk Creek flowing from the watershed of the massive Mt. Evans and meanders southward to the North Fork of the South Platte River. The trip takes us through Colorado’s new Staunton State Park and to the areas (and communities) that border it. In this seemingly quite stretch of water, one might assume that nothing much has happened; however, this is far from the truth. From the Ute Indians to stage coaches, bandits, and buried treasure, to ranchers and homesteaders in the early 1900s, to current residents and visitors, everybody who has passed through has left a mark. The book features maps and many photographs, including pictures of Frances Staunton and her physician parents Dr. Archibald and Dr. Rachael who homesteaded 680 acres of pristine land in the Elk Creek Valley beginning in 1918. This land is now part of Staunton State Park, which opened to the public in May 2013, some thirty-five years after daughter Frances donated her family’s ranch, which had grown to 1,720 acres by 1930. Pictures and stories about two other large ranches and another property which now comprise the 3,800 + acre park are also featured. Interesting old cabins, an unusual old mill and cable system and the magnificent Elk Falls are also described and pictured. Some very interesting “secrets” are revealed, but some of the mysteries remain subject to speculation. A nudist colony, sanatorium, buried car and treasure, spirits, and activities of clandestine societies are among the secrets discovered and revealed.