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Alf Armstrong's two story residence built in 1893 on the north side of Third Avenue, is today the foundation of the Best Western Plus Twin Peaks Lodge & Hot Springs. What was then just a lot, was one of four lots purchased by Alf Armstrong is 1901 for one thousand five hundred dollars. Alf Armstrong was one of Ouray's lucky few to find fortune in the mines. Frank Sanders and George R. Hurlburt, were two others involved in discovering what is now known as the Bachelor Mine. Named this because all three men were bachelors. Orpha Hayden, who was born in Hutchinson, Kansas in 1872, left Denver to Ouray to marry Alf Armstrong in 1897. They later had three children, George, Mary and Alfred Jr., who died at age eleven. Alfred died, leaving his wife in 1923. His wife would later pass on in 1925, leaving the residence to her son George Armstrong. Georges wife Vivian took possession of the property after George died in 1954. A purchase of a large amount of land was made on the south side of Third Avenue in 1913, by Bessie and Richard Cogar, who built and ran the Cogar Sanitarium. The sanitarium attracted people from all over, due to the fact it used the natural hot springs which was known for its curative powers. Richard Cogar passed away in 1920 at the age of eighty years old, and buried in Cedar Hills Cemetery. He left behind his wife, who at the age of sixty expanded on the property, now from Second Street to the Rice Lumber Factory. Bessie Cogar had remarried in December 1920 to Chauncey Mills, who was the foreman of the Ashenfelter barn. It was year later that Bessier placed a manager at the sanitarium, after which her and her husband moved Uncompahgre Valley. In 1927 Bessie and her husband returned to Cogar Sanitarium with plans to sell, which they did in 1929 to Charles W. Kent, who now owned thirty-five acres, which did include underground streams. Charles changed the name from Cogar Sanitarium to Sweetskin Sanitarium. The trend of cabins soon ran through Ouray in 1939, ten years after Charles Kent purchase of the sanitarium. Six cabins we built on the south side of third avenue. Due to the depression of the war years of the forties, Kent’s plans of building more cabins and a swimming pool enclosed in glass we curtailed. The economic state of the town was not what it once was. Kent was forced to sell in 1946 to the Idarado Mining Company. Crystal Court Bathhouses was the new name for the cabins on the property, and were rented to miners by the Idarado Mining Company. In March 15, 1960, Eugene and Velma Tankersley bought the four lots from the Idarado Mining Company and Armstrong’s two story house from Vivian Armstrong. A small house sat on the west side facing second street, which would be where the Tankersly lived, until the purchase of the Armstrong complete. The movie True Grit was in Ouray County, in the late 1960, whose star actor was John Wayne. During filming, John Wayne was a guest of the Best Western Twin Peaks, and stayed throughout the filming of the movie. The Tankersley’s, removed the garage which was on the west side of the house to build an "A" frame building, used as the office for the motel. The addition of twelve new cabins on the west side of the property was done mostly by Eugene Tankersley, who was a carpenter and engineer. After eighteen years of owning, which was now known as the Twin Peaks Motel, the Tankersley’s sold the property October13, 1978 to Robert and Robert and Sylvia Madura. They moved from Estes Park, Colorado to Ouray with Dan, Larry and Janet, their three children. An "A" frame building with an indoor hot spring was built, in 1981 attached to the south side of the two story house. A swimming pool which was heated by the hot springs was also added, with a glass enclosure, as just as Charles Kent wanted it. The Tankersly also etched in glass, a representation of the Twin Peaks, it was the Twin Peaks and an elk on each side. The Madura's also put in eight more units on the property, at this point there were a total of fifty five units. The start of Jeep rentals, in 1982 and jeep tours, in 1984 were started by Robert and Sylvia Madura. Jeeps were rented to drive through the jeep trails, which is still done today. The Twin Peaks Motel became a Best Western in 1968, and since then has won several awards, from the American Automobile Association (AAA). The Madura’s, sold the motel on March 18, 1991, to Michael and Wendy Bazin and Bette Maurer from Illinois. The Bazin’s moved to Ouray with their two children, Todd and Abigail. In 2005, the hotel was sold to Alpenglow Properties. Today the hotel is managed by Ryan Hein, as General Manager, who has worked in upgrading the property since the purchase. Many amenities have been updated and added for our guests, amenities such as; comfortable pillow top mattress, tiki bar, guest computers, breakfast room, the list continues. In 2010, this property was evaluated due to Best Westerns new hotel category system. During this process we were instantly upgraded to our new and current name, Best Western Plus Twin Peaks Lodge & Hot Springs. |
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