In 1875, John Outcalt and his brother homesteaded land three miles north of Gunnison along the southeast bank of the Gunnison river. John built an irrigation system and was soon raising fine crops of mountain meadow hay and various grains. Outcalt continued to expand his land holdings. In 1880, he filed the legal forms necessary to officially obtain title to the properties. In 1881, he convinced the Denver & Rio Grande railroad, which ran through his land, to build a loading spur on the northeast corner of his ranch. John paid for the rails and built the spur. He called it Hay Spur. Over 800 carloads of hay were shipped from Hay Spur each year, along with carloads of potatoes and other vegetables from ranches in the area, primarily to feed the mules and the miners in the Crested Butte area.
photo shows it was later used as a pig pen
John’s daughter, Vevarelle, was fond of saying that her father was one of the carpenters who built the famous spiral staircase in the upscale Brown Palace Hotel in Denver.