You may be wondering when the building you are sitting in was built; so are we. The Tavern opened in September of 1980. Prior to that, the building housed the Woody Creek Store and the Woody Creek Post Office. When this building was constructed is something of a local mystery.
    It is known that at one time the Woody Creek Store was a short distance down the river from its present location (where Upper River Road crosses at the old railroad tracks). It is possible that the store existed as early as the late 1800s when silver mining was king in Aspen and ranching and farming were booming in Woody Creek. Around 1948 Virginia and Lee Jones purchased the store and relocated to where it sits now. They also opened the Woody Creek Trailer Park at about the same time.
    Unless they moved the original store to this location, it would seem that the building you are sitting in was built in the late 1940s. Unfortunately, both Virginia and Lee Jones are deceased and can shed no light on our little mystery.
    Another popular theory was that aliens built the store many, many years ago, intent upon establishing an intergalactic space station in Woody Creek. Evidence has been found that, more or less, substantiates that theory. It was, and still is, believed the aliens abandoned their plans once they discovered how expensive it was/is to live in this valley!    
   
by Gaylord Guenin


    I don’t know much of Woody Creek history before the depression (1930). I suspect Woody Creek was established as a railroad switch area. The Post Office included a grocery store. I remember Mr. and Mrs. B.M. Stranfridge and the next owners, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse R. Bouge.  Mrs. Bouge was the Post Mistress. Then there were Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Jones. Virginia (Mrs. Jones) was also the Post Mistress. The Jones’ moved the Post Office and grocery store to the present location, just southeast of the old location. The old location delivered freight to the rural areas of Brush Creek via Rio Grand Railroad. Livestock pens were loaded with cattle, sheep and hogs and transported to the market in Denver. Many car loads of potatoes, grain and hay were weighed at the railroad station and shipped out of Woody Creek. Lenado, located up the hill from Woody Creek, was known for their supply of ore. Steam engine trains refilled at the available water tank then continued on to Aspen. Four to five railroad workers lived at the station house and maintained the livestock and the building in which they lived. Today, the railroad no longer goes to Aspen. Iron ore was mined in Castle Creek and brought to Woody Creek on trucks. The iron ore was processed, loaded and shipped out by train.
    Woody Creek also had its own public rural school; grades 1-8 averaging 25 students each grade. In 1950 the school district was consolidated and now the students are bussed to Aspen. The old school house is now someone’s private home. Over the years there have been tremendous changes and there are many more to come.
   
by Stanley Nadel