2023 GCHA President’s Report
B. Travis Wright, MPS‘s 2023 GCHA President’s Report for the Grand County Historical Association was presented on November 17, 2023.
Ladies and Gentleman,
It is always my highest honor to present to you the President’s letter each November.
After another year of demanding work, the Grand County Historical Association (GCHA) is better poised than ever for growth and historic preservation work in 2024 and beyond. This coming year will be a big one for the GCHA: it is not only our 50th anniversary but also the 150th anniversary of the Cozens Ranch Museum in Fraser.
This past autumn saw a new roof placed atop Cozens Ranch, made possible thanks to the State Historical Fund and our generous donors. While the honey-colored shingles will eventually lose their warm luster, their ability to protect the collections contained within will last for many decades. No longer will leaking water from melting ice, snow, and rain infiltrate this iconic, historic structure.
This year was also about partnerships: the GCHA and Legacy Park Ranch Historical Association are finalizing a Memorandum of Agreement to operate as one entity, to better expand our advocacy of historic places and structures deep into Granby. The Selak Townsite was listed on the State Register of Historic Properties in early summer of this year. Additionally, the Grand County Historical Association worked alongside the Headwaters Trails Alliance to help construct 860-feet of buck-and-rail fencing along and atop Rollins Pass this summer, to protect not only the sensitive alpine tundra but the fragile historic and prehistoric resources of the pass.
Shanna and many other partners within the community look to relaunch the historic preservation board, seeking to not only keep dollars in the community for historic structures and places, but also to generate tourism dollars that come with creating local historic landmarks. This has been an ongoing project across the county that has resulted in meetings with the Board of County Commissioners. Momentum continues to build around this necessary component of historic preservation within our neighborhoods.
We could not do what we do as an organization without the impressive efforts of Shanna, Samantha, Laura, and Vanessa as they continue to advance our community’s story and collections each day. To each of them: a heartfelt thank-you for your dedication, advocacy, and expertise.
As the calendar turns to 2024, and we look to celebrate not only the sesquicentennial of Cozens Ranch alongside the golden jubilee of the Grand County Historical Association, I ask that if you believe deeply, as I do, that preserving and advocating for the history in our backyards is of utmost importance, that you continue to give greatly to our organization—with anniversary-sized donations—to underscore just how much the GCHA is a force for good in our community.
Thank you for everything you do to support us and I wish you all a warm winter season!
My best regards,
B. Travis Wright, MPS
November 17, 2023
