PERRY PARK RANCH

Property owners in cronological order:
John Dietz Perry | Bela M. Hughes | William E. Hughes
J. George Leyner | Robert P. Lamont, Jr. | Walter Paepcke;
Boyd E. Cousins | Lee Stubblefield

Native Americans were the first to marvel at the giant red rock formations running throughout Perry Park. The area is also covered with large pine trees as well as open land.

Beginning in the early 1870’s, Perry Park existed as home and working ranch of some of Colorado’s wealthiest families. John Dietz Perry, President of the Kansas Pacific Railroad, acquired 4,000 acres for use as a working ranch, raising shorthorn cattle. In 1879, Mr. Perry listed the ranch for sale. Business travel was taking him out of state and his son who had managed the property, was killed in an accident on the ranch.

Mr. Perry had a vision of Perry Park Ranch as a first class resort, possibly due to interest from Denver and Colorado Springs visitors who would spend the day picnicking. He found a buyer in 1888 with a similar dream. General Bela M. Hughes, President of the Denver Pacific Railroad.

Under the name of Red Stone Town, Land & Mining Company, aggressive plans were developed. Bear Creek was dammed to create Lake Wauconda. There would be a lakeside casino, chapel, library-museum, and three residential areas. A hotel, the Nanichant House, opened in 1889. Financial problems beset the Red Stone Town, Land & Mining Company and Perry Park was sold to Colonel William Hughes (no relation to Bela Hughes).

Colonel Hughes continued to support a working ranch and operated the Nanichant as a hotel. After eight years of ownership, he sold the ranch to J. George Leyner in 1912. Mr. Leyner used the hotel only as a private guesthouse for friends and family. He was a retired inventor and businessman who raised crops, hogs and dairy cattle.

The next three owners; Robert Lamont, Jr., (1918-1937) Walter Paepcke (1937-1951) and Boyd Cousins (1951-1967) used Perry Park as a working ranch.

Lee Stubblefield, a retired Air Force pilot, purchased Perry Park in 1967 to develop it as a residential country club style community. He had grandiose plans which included membership in a Marble, Colorado ski area and Manzanillo, Mexico villa homes through an internationale system which included the now abandoned and ruined Echo Hills Club in Perry Park. With financial problems facing Lee Stubblefield in the late 1970’s, he disappeared leaving the community faced with unfinished roads and other issues of a growing residential area.

Perry Park ranch currently is home to approximately 725 houses. This is at half build-out. Future building is in question because of a second road access issue. At present, Perry Park Ranch has one ingress and egress. This type of situation is not acceptable to Douglas County statutes of 2007.