Water
Water remains a precious resource vital for towns and communities to survive. The presence of water in Colorado’s mountain springs allowed residents the opportunity to collect it. Water became a valuable asset to early Park County landowners.
Water preservation didn’t come easy for the citizens of Park County. Towns such as Alma had no community water systems and relied on wells for water access which further aided to the county’s lack of fire control. Often, the bitter cold of winter would freeze resources such as rivers and creeks, severely limiting water access.
Many entrepreneurs in Park County would establish ownership of bodies of water, leading to the distribution of water across territories. Eventually, many watersheds would be sold to larger business owners, displacing ranchers who previously occupied the land.