This small log building with its dirt floor represents a fur trapper's cabin. We believe that this cabin was moved from the ghost town of Leavick. However, the records that we have do not state this clearly.
During the early 1800s, fur trapping was a big business in the South Park area. Beaver was especially in demand because the fur was in fashion across the US and Europe. The many streams and lakes in South Park provided the beaver with a perfect environment to thrive. However, the animals were nearly extinct by the end of the beaver fad. It wasn't understood at the time how vital the beaver was to local ecosystems. Thankfully beaver can still be found in South Park today.
The Trapper's Cabin illustrates the simple and solitary life of the trapper. The interior, devoid of all luxuries, consists of a simple bed, chair, small rock fireplace in the corner, and a simple handmade table. Over the fire hangs an iron pot. Snowshoes rest by the bed, along with animal traps. A tobacco pouch hangs from the roof rafters, and tin utensils consisting of a knife, fork, spoon, and drinking cup rest on the table. Shelves made of rough lumber hold a powder horn and a few utensils. A single elk antler is mounted on the wall, and various pelts complete the interior furnishings. It took a special kind of person to be a trapper. One had to live alone for long periods and survive Colorado winters' biting wind and cold.
