Grand Lake, Colorado

Fred N. Selak, ″The Hermit of Grand Lake″

Frederick Nicholas Selak (1865–1926) was an early pioneer of the Grand Lake area. He operated a stage line with his brother as well as saloons and other businesses in the early days of Grand Lake. When he died he owned 300 acres of land in and around Grand Lake as well as interest in two mining operations.^[9][10]

In 1926 Selak lived alone in a small log cabin about 3 miles outside of Grand Lake. He was referred to as "The Hermit of Grand Lake", but was known to have loaned money to locals, and rumored to have stashed up to $500,000 on his property. After friends became concerned they had not seen Selak for over a week, they checked on him, found his house had been ransacked, floorboards torn up, and Selak nowhere to be found. An investigation by the local Sheriff was unable to identify any leads.^[10] The intrigue surrounding the hermit and his wealth made the crime mystery a national story. An article in True Detective Mysteries magazine described the crime in the June 1930 issue. The article had the title Echo Mountain′s Hanging Spectre and was written by A. G. Gertz of The Denver Post.^[11]

Selak's sister in California, Lillian Coffee, and her husband, Lawrence W. Coffee, were notified when Selak went missing. The two traveled to Colorado to assist in locating her brother. Lawrence Coffee was credited for helping identify the two suspects that would later confess to Selak's murder.^[12]

The two men had hanged Selak July 21 as retaliation related to a fencing dispute. When found on August 17, Selak's remains were still hanging from the pine tree where he was killed almost a month earlier. Selak's murderers said they only found $75 and some old coins when they searched Selak's property. It was the coins that alerted Coffee as to who the perpetrators might be.^[13] Rumors of the hidden cash persisted. In March 1927, convinced there must be more valuables or cash stashed somewhere on the property, the townspeople planned a search of his property as soon as the snow cleared.^[14][15]

The two perpetrators, Arthur Osborn, 22 at the time of the murder, and his cousin, Ray Noakes, 21, were found guilty and given the death penalty. Like the man they killed, they themselves were hanged. They were executed in Cañon City, Colorado, on March 30, 1928.^[16]

East Troublesome Fire

On October 14, 2020, the East Troublesome Fire ignited north of Parshall. The wildfire rapidly spread eastward toward Grand Lake and into Rocky Mountain National Park. As many as 794 firefighters fought the wildfire as it consumed 193,812 acres (784 km²) of forest and rangeland to become the second most extensive Colorado wildfire in recorded history. Thousands were evacuated, more than 300 homes were destroyed, and two residents were killed. The wildfire became the most expensive in Colorado history with insured losses alone of $543 million.

Climate

Due to its elevation, Grand Lake has a subalpine climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc) with a short growing season, averaging just 49 days per year.^[17] Temperatures are chilly at night even through the summer months, and only three months have an average temperature of above 10 °C (50 °F).

Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre

Grand Lake is home to the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre. This summer stock theatre company produces various theatrical productions throughout the year, usually three Broadway musicals from June through August and one musical in September. In the spring of 2010, a new 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m²) theatre complex was built for the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre in Grand Lake.

Grand Lake Boardwalk

Grand Lake citizens call a block of boutiques and shops the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk is all small owned and operated and has no chain restaurants or shops. At the boardwalk you can find anything from coffee shops and restaurants to tourist shops, boutiques, and homemade jewelry.^[19]