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Sunnycrest, the Story of the Cheyenne Cañon Inn

In 1928, Lillian sold her new Sunnycrest to her youngest sister Grace and moved
away from Colorado Springs. Ironically, she invested in a sawmill that was
supposedly located close to the one she and her father had formerly worked at.
Unfortunately, Lillian was financially overextended when the Great Depression
arrived in the 1930's and had her sawmill was repossessed by the bank.
'vAvhatever became of Lillian afterwards is unknown. She was a remarkable
woman whose energy and resourcefulness shaped a family and established the
rich legacy of Sunnycrest.

GRACE CASEY AND THE DIXELAND CASINO: 1928-1941

Grace must have learned a lot about survival and the art of keeping up
appearances from her older sister. After the bordello closed, Grace and a sister
named Edith Williams were the only Casey family members still in residence at
Sunnycrest. Grace occupied what is now the "Lodge Room" on the southwest
corner of the second floor, while Edith slept in what is now the "Tea House
Room". The remaining rooms were rented out in order to pay the bills. It was the
late 1920's, a period of decline for the formerly rich Cripple Creek gold mines, but
life continued to be prosperous and lively in Colorado Springs.

One of the popular social events that enriched the Sunnycrest pocketbook was
the weekend dancing that took place at the Stratton Meadows Park dance
pavilion. The most popular bands attracted as many as five thousand people at
one time. Naturally, many of these merrymakers stayed overnight at Sunnycrest.
To keep up with the flow of guests, a pretense of servants and workmen were
kept busy, preserving the fagade that Grace and her sister were well off. in
reality, the two ladies did a lot of the necessary upkeep by themselves. They
sewed and hung the lush curtains that covered the windows. Under the cover of
darkness, they maintained the large gardens surrounding the house, or painted
and repaired the exterior. It was enough to survive.

On October 29, 1929, the stock market collapsed, ushering in the beginning of
the Great Depression, the greatest economic downturn every experienced in
America. Life at Sunnycrest changed once again. As income from room rentals
dropped, Grace embarked on a bold new venture that would have made her
older sister Lillian proud. Sunnycrest was converted into the Dixieland Casino.
Even though gambling was no longer legal inside Colorado Springs, the police
tolerated it outside the city limits. Grace also played it safe by using the same
business practice incorporated by Lillian during her bordello operation.
Sunnycrest was leased to someone else who assumed the risk of running the
casino while Grace and Edith moved into a nearby cottage where they enjoyed
the rental income and turned a blind eye to gambling.

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