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Sunnycrest, the Story of the Cheyenne Cañon Inn

THE BEGINNING OF SUNNYCREST: 1871-1904

The scenic beauty is breath taking where the Great Plains meet the majestic
boundary of the Rocky Mountains beneath the towering heights of Pikes Peak.
Such an awe inspiring setting impressed General William Jackson Palmer so
much that he founded the Fountain Colony resort settlement at the foot of this
spectacular backdrop in Colorado Territory in 1871. Fine scenery, clean air, and
abundant natural springs were the resort attractions he promoted to a number of
well heeled Americans and Europeans.

General Palmer was also the driving force behind the building of the Denver &
Rio Grande Western Railroad, a unique miniature narrow gauge rail system that
people called the "baby train". Eventually, the D&RGW would expand throughout
the rugged Colorado Mountains, connecting the emerging gold and silver mining
camps with the outside world. As the railroad grew, the colony prospered and
expanded into a small city. The Fountain Colony name was dropped and
changed to Colorado Springs in order to capitalize on the main resort amenity.

Economic growth in Colorado Springs really began to flourish after major gold
deposits were discovered at nearby Cripple Creek in 1891. Cripple Creek was
destined over the next several decades to evolve as the fifth richest gold strike in
the world, producing almost 433 million dollars 'of the precious metal and at least
twenty-seven millionaires. Most of these newly rich mine owners had originally
been plain men who were employed as plumbers or carpenters before they took
their chances at prospecting. Once they hit pay dirt though, much of their newly
acquired wealth was lavished on Colorado Springs.

Around the Turn of the Twentieth Century, Colorado Springs enjoyed world wide
recognition as a fashionable address for millionaires of all sorts. Many of their
homes were large Victorian mansions, or grand English Tudor and French Louis
XIV country homes and castles. In fact, the English influence was so great, and
the popularity of serving afternoon high tea was so common, that the city
acquired the nickname "Little London". This affectation acted as a lure to attract
even more wealthy residents and tourists who came to enjoy Colorado's healthy
climate and use the resort spas for medicinal purposes.

A real estate boom accompanied this growth. It was especially desirable to
locate a permanent house or summer cottage along one of the pristine streams
flowing out of the mountains. As a result, residential development edged further...

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