All facilities are ably managed by our resident managers. All booking of lodging, maintenance issues, oversight of all ranch operations and fishing are their responsibilties. Contact Our Managers
Wason Ranch Outreach
Wason Ranch supports Project Healing Waters, the Repertory Theater and more with annual contributions and activities. Learn More
Wason Ranch Projects
The Wason Ranch Corporation leases its 1580 acres for cattle grazing, has invested in extensive river and land restoration efforts since 2003, and has seen significant improvements in soil, water quality, vegetation, and wildlife populations as a result. Learn More
History of Wason Ranch
The Beginning: The Wason Ranch was founded by Major Martin Van Buren Wason and became one of the most famous ranches in Colorado. Major Wason was born in New Hampshire in 1832 and among his early adventures were sailing around Cape Horn on a whaling ship, touring China, Europe, Japan and India, prospecting for gold in South America, participating in the California Gold Rush and serving as a Major in the Union Army during the Civil War. In 1877 he married Harriet Louise Castle who was English born. In 1880, they took out the second homestead patent in this area and by 1889 Wason Ranch was one of the largest ranches on the Upper Rio Grande. Mrs. Wason brought the first piano to the area and it's still on display in the Creede Museum. She studied medicine and was also known as "the poet of Colorado." Major Wason raised horses and cattle on the ranch, had a freight service between Del Norte and Silverton (credited with building the first road over Stony Pass). Following the beginning of the silver boom in Creede, he also established a toll road up Willow Creek Canyon and had a toll booth at Wagon Wheel Gap.
Major Wason felt that his ranch would be an ideal setting for principal town of the area due to the confluence of roads, waterways, and safety from floods. Most citizens of Creede felt differently, but when Mineral County was incorporated on March 27, 1893, state legislature surprisingly named Wason as the County Seat. The Town Council of Creede took the matter to a vote and on November 1893, Mineral County voters chose Creede as the county seat. Mr. Wason attempted to delay this move on technicalities, and so citizens of Creede, when "darkness had barely settled," made way for Wason and hijacked all the town records and docket books by wagon, deposited them at the Bank and in several hotel rooms, and began setting up shop. Thus the matter was settled, and Creede became the County Seat of Mineral County.
Today the ranch is owned by the Wason Ranch Corporation.
Full Chronology
- 1832 April 15: Martin Van Buren Wason is born in Hudson, Hillsborough County New Hampshire
- 1839 August 11: Harriet Louise Castle is born in London, England
- 1851-52: Twelve year old Harriet Louise Castle comes to the United States
- 1856: Wason embarks on epic travel around the world with many alleged adventures and enterprises
- 1861: M.V.B. Wason is residing at 503 Commercial Street, San Francisco California
- 1866 March 4: Harriet Louise Castle marries Henry Hume Wilcox in Philadelphia Pennsylvania
- 1869 January 5: Henry Hume Wilcox, Jr. is born, first of three Wilcox children
- 1870: US Census lists Wason as a ranch owner in Deer Lodge Montana
- 1872-1882: Wason prospects and invests in mining properties in Baker’s Park and the San Juan Mining Districts
- 1874: Wason organizes a freighting business hauling mining supplies and equipment up the Rio Grande from Del Norte to Bakers Park
- 1875: Wason builds one-story, four room log home
- 1875 July: Wilcox family arrives in Del Norte Colorado
- 1876: Wilcox family lives between Del Norte and Summitville.
- 1877: Harriet Wilcox divorces husband Henry Wilcox
- 1877 November 29: Harriet L. Wilcox marries M.V.B. Wason, moves with her three children to Wason’s W Oxyoke ranch a few miles from Wagon Wheel Gap
- 1880: First of many Wason homestead patents is granted
- 1886 October 30: Fourteen year old Frank Wason dies in Denver, first of family burials in the family vault at Wason
- 1889 July: Nicholas C. Creede discovers silver up East Willow Creek
- 1890 October: Creede sells the Holy Moses to David Moffat, president of the Denver ands Rio Grande Railway and they form the Holy Moses Mining Company
- 1890 December 30: M.V.B. and H.L. Wason incorporate the Wason Toll Road and begin improving a road to the Holy Moses mine in East Willow Creek
- 1891 May 23: Toll Road opens to favorable review in the San Juan Prospector
- 1891 September 19: work begins on the Rio Grande-Gunnison Railway extending rails from Wagon Wheel Gap to Creede
- 1891 December 2: first train arrives in Creede camp
- 1892 February 24: Wason loses his lawsuit against the State School Board over cancellation of his agricultural lease
- 1892 February 26 and 27: School Land lots sale held
- 1892 March 19: Jimtown, Lower Creede and Upper Creede incorporated into the Town of Creede.
- 1892 March 22: Hal Wason marries Frances Rogers. They have two children, Norma and Loren.
- 1892 June 5: Creede virtually destroyed by fire
- 1893 February 3: Wason proposes his Town of Wason as the county seat of the to be formed Mineral County
- 1893 November 7: Wason loses election to Creede to determine Mineral County seat (the same day Colorado women are given the right to vote)
- 1893 August 8: Sherman Silver Purchase Act repealed, price of silver continues to fall and Creede’s boom is over
- 1894 December 7: Edith Wason dies at home and is interred in the family vault
- 1899 September 28: Wason sells his toll to the state for $10,000. He demanded cash payment.
- 1900 February 17: Mrs. Hal Wason dies and is interred in the family vault.
- 1903 December 27: M.V.B. Wason dies and is interred in the family vault.
- 1904 August 16: Harriet Louise Wason dies and is interred in the family vault.
- 1923 July 5: The Wason Ranch is sold to the Fahnestock family
- 1936 April: Henry Hume (Hal) Wason dies and is interred in the family vault.
- 1960 December 18: Loren Wason dies, is cremated and his ashes spread in the family cemetery. He is the last descendent of Harriet Wason with the Wason name.
- 1963 July: The Wason Ranch is sold to the current owner, the Wason Ranch Corporation.
