Fierce Competition

Geoheritage Highlight!

Geoheritage involves the diversity of people and their relation to geologic resources such as landscapes, fossils, and rocks.  Sometimes these interactions present opportunities for economic development. When the Florissant fossil beds were privately owned, two of the landowners used their properties to develop commercial “petrified forests” as profitable tourist attractions. One of these landowners wanted to see their property eventually become a part of the National Park Service to protect the area’s Geoheritage for the future. 

 

Before it was a national monument, it was two competing attractions!

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The two privately-owned petrified forests shared a boundary between them. They were first developed as tourist attractions in the early 1920s and changed owners and names over time. The one to the south was first called the Henderson Petrified Forest and later the Pike Petrified Forest. The one to the north began as the Coplen Petrified Forest and was later renamed the Colorado Petrified Forest. Both of them had stumps of large petrified redwood trees.

 

A Colorado Petrified Forest brochure advertising the Singer's attraction on the left, and the Coplen lodge that once served as a place to stay while visiting the forest.

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The Singer family's Colorado Petrified Forest featured the Big Stump as a main attraction. The family purchased the land and business from John Coplen, who had called it the Coplen Petrified Forest. The Singers operated the private attraction and dude ranch from 1927 until the National Park Service acquired the property in 1973.

 

The Pike Petrified forest changed names multiple times before the National Park Service acquired the property. The location was first developed by the Henderson family and was in operation by 1922. John Baker bought the property and operated the Forest until it closed in 1961. Several large petrified stumps including the Trio were the main attractions.

 

The Pike Petrified forest went through a number of name changes. This is one of the old brochures advertising it as well as the building that used to welcome visitors.

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There are many stories about the fierce competition between them during the later years, even involving a shooting! The Singer family advocated for years to have their property become a national monument, and that finally happened when Congress established Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in 1969.