About Coldharbour Ranch
Records show the first property owner homesteaded on the land in 1876 – quite early for the Gunnison County. It passed through several hands until Clyde Welch purchased the property in 1902. Clyde went right to work and quarried nearby red and tan sandstone to build a large barn and a house. It is unknown what tools or help Mr. Welch had available to him in order to erect such substantial buildings, but it is safe to say most of the work appears to be done with hand chisels and man-power.
Coldharbour Ranch sits 7 miles East of Gunnison on a 334-acre property. 243 acres of the ranch are under the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) conservation easement. The ranch is surrounded by beautiful wetlands, the alluring and graceful Tomichi River (which runs 2.5 miles through the ranch), and hillsides freckled with sagebrush, willows, and cottonwoods. The historic structures on the property were originally built by a man named Clyde Welch, who hand quarried the stone from a nearby hillside.
As one stands close to the structures, the hand-craftsmanship can easily be seen on the stones. Legend has it, with support from archaeological experts, Ute Indians utilized this land for flaking and vision quests. During the prohibition, the property, which was the closest property at the time to the railroad, was utilized as a speakeasy. The Gunnison community, as the legend goes, would take the train out to the property and dance together on the beautiful barn dance floor.
Coldharbour Ranch sits 7 miles East of Gunnison on a 334-acre property. 243 acres of the ranch are under the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) conservation easement. The ranch is surrounded by beautiful wetlands, the alluring and graceful Tomichi River (which runs 2.5 miles through the ranch), and hillsides freckled with sagebrush, willows, and cottonwoods. The historic structures on the property were originally built by a man named Clyde Welch, who hand quarried the stone from a nearby hillside.
As one stands close to the structures, the hand-craftsmanship can easily be seen on the stones. Legend has it, with support from archaeological experts, Ute Indians utilized this land for flaking and vision quests. During the prohibition, the property, which was the closest property at the time to the railroad, was utilized as a speakeasy. The Gunnison community, as the legend goes, would take the train out to the property and dance together on the beautiful barn dance floor.
Transforming the past into the future we want
The Coldharbour Ranch is worked by three local agricultural producers.
Each independent business consciously practice regenerative land techniques to ensure the betterment of the land for healthier sustenance and ecosystem resiliency. |
The Coldharbour Institute and
Coldharbour Ranch situate as incubators for alternative energy programs. Equitable Solar Solutions (ESS) is our program to re-purpose used solar panels for local agricultural producers and low-income neighbors. |
The Coldharbour Ranch explores
green-building technologies that are appropriate for the extreme Gunnison climate. Our 12.5 acre homestead site on Coldharbour Ranch bridges the history of the original homestead with building science for the future. |