We do not have much information on the Sprunck family. Mrs. Sprunck, the wife of Bernard Sprunck, died in the summer of 1883 and was buried on the Henry Crawford place. This site listing is for her grave. We have not located the exact site to date. The following information is from a story printed in the Steamboat Pilot, July 1941 by David S. Gray.
"In 1882 Bernard Sprunck moved his horse camp and his horses from Middle Park to Sprunck Creek in the lower Egeria. The site of the camp was on the Pinnacle Road. Crosho Lake was discovered by Bernard Sprunck in the year 1882. L. L. Wilson, in company with Mr. Sprunck was in that section looking for horses. They decided to try for an elk too. Mr. Wilson took a route further south than that taken by Mr. Sprunck and found a band of elk that he judged to be about 200. Mr. Sprunck found no elk but reported finding a lake. Trappers or explorers may have sighted it before that time but there is no history of such discovery. This was reported to me by L. L. Wilson. Bernard Sprunck also returned to the park in 1883 and he established a residence here. In the summer of 1883 Mrs. Sprunck died and was buried on the Crawford place."
In trying to locate this site we tried to identify the Crawford place. In researching the land records we did not find where Henry Crawford had filed a homestead exemption. In the same article by David Gray it states that Henry Crawford had been killed in 1882 and Mrs. Crawford did not spend all of her time at the ranch. It also states the George Stafford married Mrs. Henry Crawford. In checking the marriage records we find that Nannie D. Crawford married Archer J. Stafford on Nov. 22, 1883. In 1885 Nannie D. Crawford filed a homestead exemption on 160 acres in section 28, T3N, R85W. On August 20, 1887 she received a patent for this land. In 1892 Nannie Crawford Stafford sold the land to James A. Adams. We believe that this was the original homestead of the Crawfords and that Henry had never filed for a patent or exemption, but that his wife filed after his death.
In another article that was printed in the Yampa Leader, August 26, 1905 it states "W. H. Bashor, the undertaker, was up from Steamboat, Thursday, taking up the body of Henry Crawford, who was buried on the Adams place in the early day. He was a brother of James H. Crawford of Steamboat." This may confirm that the Crawford place became the Adams place and that is where Henry Crawford and Mrs. Sprunck were buried.
Further review of the land records show that the land passed from Adams to A. H. Chivington in 1917, then to M. F. Oliphant in 1919. It continued to change hands from Oliphant to Pense, then to Henry S. Knott, then back to Chivington. It was then sold to Richard Jones in 1936. The land was transferred to his son Richard Jr. in 1936 and then back to Richard Sr. in 1945. Richard Jones Sr. sold the land to Evans Pastorius in 1960. In 1965 the land was sold to Louis Rossi.
ROUTT COUNTY CEMETERY: #RT043
COLORADO HISTORICAL SITE: 5RT1161
LOCATION: west of HWY. #131
BURIALS: 1 burial with 0 inscribed stone
CONDITION:
USGS QUAD MAP: YAMPA, CO 7.5 1972 UTM 13; 336??? mE 4451??? mN
LEGAL DESCRIPTION: T3N R85W 6th PM SEC 28
NOTE: We believe the original homestead included the following:
SE 4, NE 4; N 5, SE 4: SE 4, SE 4 160 acres
© 2004-2008 Roger & Joyce Cusick
National Association for Cemetery Preservation, Inc.nacpinc@hotmail.com
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