Honoring And Preserving The Traditions Of The Great American West Since 1919

The C Lazy U Boasts A Storied Past As Twisting As The River That Suggested Its Name…

The story begins with Jack Smillie. Jack was head man on a "cow outfit" and had ridden for some time on the rodeo circuit. He stayed at the Dexter Ranch just across the road from the C Lazy U. From 1900-1910, the Dexter House, currently used to house staff, was a post office and stagecoach stop. Dexter Ranch was owned by Green McQueary. In 1919, Smillie's son Aubrey Fenton married Gertrude, one of the McQueary daughters and purchased the F Slash Ranch from a Mr. Dow. The property was originally in the Curtis Family. If you look north from the lodge, the ridge you see running east from Trail Peak is called Curtis Ridge.

Smillie and his family of four children built the barn without side wings in 1925 along with several other structures which are still standing: the Meadow House, River House, the old Bunk House, Spring House, Aspen House and Bird's Nest. The Ranch House served as home to the Smillies with a kitchen and dining room for their guests. Today, that house has four additional guest wings and a lower level office. The small log structure between the Ranch House and the Lodge was the bathhouse which contained his and her showers, a rare luxury at the quarter century. Another small log facility common during this era was the root cellar which housed a Delco dynamo that supplied electricity to the ranch. The root cellar still stands next to Mare's Nest behind the Lodge. With this expansion, the ranch could accommodate approximately two-dozen guests and offered horseback riding, trout fishing and bear hunting, plus all the steaks and fresh baked pies you could eat, prepared by Gertrude Smillie. During the 1930s, guest rates were approximately $40 a week or $125 a month.

After running the F Slash for 20 years, the Smillies sold the ranch to Paul Carmichael and Colonel Jess Hart, a pilot for Continental Airlines. Eight months later, Carmichael and Hart sold the ranch to two Chicago businessmen, Mr. Peterson and Mr. LeFleur who were disillusioned with big city life, and purchased the ranch as a wonderful escape.

A year later in 1946, Dick and Katie Schoenberger of New York City, and their partner Ivor Peterson purchased the ranch. The Schoenbergers met while both were executives working with the renowned New York design firm Norman Bel Geddes and Peterson was an electric motor manufacturer. The Schoenbergers later bought out Mr. Peterson. Dick and Katie renamed the F Slash Ranch the C Lazy U Ranch after the shape of Willow Creek which runs through the ranch. Before the creek was dammed in the late 40s, its meandering course seemed to spell out a C with a U on its side underneath it when viewed from above. Hence, the name C Lazy U.

The Schoenbergers brought with them just the right dose of New York sophistication to complement the rustic charm of the ranch. Throw in a dash of Katie's southern manners and a sprinkle of Dick's humor, and the newly-christened C Lazy U began a new era of success.

Construction of the Lodge began in 1947. The lodge pole pine logs were all felled from the Baldy hillside directly adjacent to the ranch and dragged to the site by chains attached to Jeeps. All of the stripping, notching and joining were done on site by carpenters skilled in building log structures. The quality of their work never ceases to amaze guests and owners alike. The lodge became the immediate focus of the ranch for dining and entertaining. Guest rates in 1947 were $130 per week.

One year later, in 1948, the east and west wings were built, adding and connecting six guest rooms to the lodge. With this final expansion came a change in the image of the ranch…the Schoenbergers could now entertain guests during the winter with a fire to warm everyone. They could share food and drink while watching the falling snow through the picture window. But the ranch still needed one extra ingredient: a program for children.

Marion "Mare" Palmer came to the C Lazy U as a guest in 1949, from Oak Park, IL. Already an accomplished horsewoman, she immediately fell in love with the beauty of the Rockies and became friends with the Schoenbergers. What the ranch needed, she thought, was a way for families to be together on vacation but also have time for themselves, so she started the children's program. The program provided riding instruction along with entertainment and learning.

The ranch became a place where children could ride, eat and play together, yet still be with their parents a considerable amount of the time. Mare continued her own riding, showing horses and winning numerous prizes and awards in prestigious events such as the Denver Stock Show, the American Royal in Kansas City and in Madison Square Garden in New York.The young lady who came to the ranch as a guest never looked back.

Another long time familiar face belongs to Dawn Cone, forever head horse wrangler at the C Lazy U. Dawn started working at the ranch in 1955, sharing his expert horsemanship, dry humor and tenor voice. His is a voice you hear both on the trail and by the campfire. Dawn and Marion retired in the mid-90s and continue to live in the Granby area. You might see Marion driving around with her poodle, while Dawn occasionally stops in to hang around the barn and sing around the campfire.

The Patio House and swimming pool were built in 1957, just before construction of the skeet range. The ranch was changing quite rapidly during this time, flourishing as a full-scale resort with the addition of new facilities and new programs for its guests. Sadly, Dick became suddenly ill and died in 1963. Katie continued to operate the guest ranch successfully for 11 years until she sold it in 1973.

The new owners were George and Virginia Mullin of Denver, who discovered the ranch on their honeymoon. They too, fell in love with the C Lazy U and operated the ranch as successfully as they did their other companies in Denver. The Mullins continued the high standards set by the Schoenbergers, adding their charm and hospitality along with the construction of new guest units, the racquetball court, whirlpool, sauna and game room. The Mullins extended the summer season into October and further developed the winter program by adding groomed cross-country ski trails. There was now more of the year in which to enjoy the C Lazy U. The Mullins ran the ranch for 15 years, before selling it to the Murray family of Kansas City.

Clark and Peg Murray were vacationing with friends in Colorado when they first heard of the C Lazy U back in 1958. They telephoned Katie, but the ranch was booked that week in July, so they stayed at another ranch nearby. Another phone call to Katie landed them an invitation to dinner since she couldn't accommodate them for lodging. But that one dinner was good enough for Clark and Peg. The next summer they came back with their twin sons, six-years-old at the time and the minimum age for horseback riding. Four years later, they all returned and also brought along their youngest son, by then five years of age, and continued to return nearly every summer for the next 30 years. But it wasn't until the summer of 1988, that the fates of the C Lazy U and the Murray family were to intertwine.

The Murrays operate a group of family-owned businesses in the Kansas City area, owning several newspaper properties, as well as being the nation's largest dealer in used newspaper production equipment. Over the next 30 years, the ranch became a second home for the Murray family, a haven in which to relax and be with friends who shared their love of the ranch. The dream of owning the C Lazy U was never seriously considered until a chance visit by Clark and his youngest son, Brian, brought them to Grand County on newspaper business in August of 1988. That visit spurred a series of negotiations which resulted in transfer of ownership of the C Lazy U from the Mullins to the Murrays later that year. The Murray family has continued in the footsteps of their predecessors - the tradition of providing guests with "the vacation of a lifetime."

An extended family partnership was announced by Brian Murray on May 1, 2008. “Howdy Partner” is a phrase commonly heard around the C Lazy U Ranch and now there are four families using that phrase in a brand new context. Just as it has been over its long and storied history, the ranch remains family-owned. Four families have united through their mutual love and appreciation of C Lazy U to preserve its legacy. The new family partnership brings together the expertise and resources necessary to improve the ranch vacation experience and infrastructure, while maintaining the core values of a family guest ranch. We think you will find the spirit of the C Lazy U Ranch unchanged, yet with a new energy that will spark a wonderful revival. The atmosphere around the ranch is truly exciting, especially as people hear about our commitment to preserving and revitalizing one of the last great American western experiences.

The Murray family is delighted to welcome the families of Don Bailey and Leslie Stanford, Linda and Bill Jacobs, and Adrienne and Dean Singleton (each familiar to many of the ranch’s guests) as partners in ownership of the C Lazy U Ranch. The Murrays, Baileys, Jacobs and Singletons look forward to renewing old acquaintances and making new friends.

Don and Leslie of Denver along with their three children, Brooke, Tristan and Dorian, fell in love with the C Lazy U during a Buck Brannaman horsemanship clinic in 1999. The Baileys have since built a home at the C Lazy U Homesteads and spend several weeks a year at the ranch. While daughters Tristan and Dorian actively enjoy the children’s program, daughter Brooke has demonstrated her love of the ranch by working on staff as a children’s counselor.

Linda and Bill Jacobs of Chicago and Tucson along with their four children, Trip, Kevin, Max and Clay, first discovered the ranch while vacationing in the mid-1990s. The Jacobs have also recently completed a home on the ranch in nearby Dexter Meadows. The Jacobs’ children continue to share adventures they will cherish for a lifetime.

Adrienne and Dean Singleton, also of Denver, along with their children William, Adam and Paige, have spent many winter holidays at the ranch. The Singletons were so enchanted with C Lazy U’s legacy that they contributed to its preservation by acquiring significant portions of land that are critical to maintaining the picturesque views. Dean’s participation ensured the ranch could preserve a combined total of 11,000 plus acres for the enjoyment of all. The Singletons plan to build a home at their ranch site on Dexter Ridge in the near future and their kids are looking forward to the excitement of ranch living.

Notable Events in 1919

• The 18th Amendment to the Constitution is passed, marking the beginning of prohibition.

• The Nobel peace prize is awarded to 28th US president Woodrow Wilson for creating the League of Nations and for shaping the Treaty of Versailles that officially end World War One.

• The price of a first-class stamp actually drops from 3 cents to 2 cents, the only rate decrease ever.

• Dial phones are introduced by American Telephone and Telegraph Company.

• President Wilson helps pass legislation that forms the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Reserve System and started the draft and income tax.

• America’s first passenger flight takes off from New York to Atlantic City.

• Babe Ruth is at the height of his career.

• Benito Mussolini founds Fascist movement in Milan, Italy.

Notable Births in 1919

• Baseball great, Jackie Robinson

• Gambler and sportscaster Jimmy “the Greek”

• Publisher, Malcolm Forbes

• Singer, Nat King Cole

• Actress, Rita Hayworth

• Actor, Slim Pickens

• Pianist, Liberace

Historic Milestones

• 1900-1910: The Dexter House, currently used to house staff, served as a post office and stagecoach stop.

• 1919: Jack Smillie's son (Aubrey Fenton Smillie) marries Gertrude Mildred McQueary and purchases the F Slash Ranch, now C Lazy U.

• 1925: The Smillies build the initial barn and several other structures to accommodate two dozen guests.

• 1939: The Smillies sell the ranch to two businessmen from Chicago.

• 1946: Dick and Katie Schoenberger purchase the ranch and rename it C Lazy U.

• 1947: Construction of the Lodge begins.

• 1948: Two wings are added to the Lodge to welcome the arrival of guests in the winter.

• 1949: Marion Palmer arrives at the ranch and establishes the children’s program.

• 1955: Head wrangler, Dawn Cone starts working at the ranch until his retirement in the mid 1990s.

• 1957: The Patio House and swimming pool are built.

• 1958: Clark and Peg Murray visit the ranch for the first time.

• 1963: Dick Schoenberger dies suddenly.

• 1973: Katie Schoenberger sells the ranch to George and Virginia Mullin who met at the ranch while on their honeymoon.

• 1988: Clark and Peg Murray purchase the ranch.

• 2001: The ranch earns four stars from the Mobil Travel Guide, based on over 500 service standards such as graciousness, efficiency and luxury.

• 2008: Clark and Peg Murrays’ son, Brian, announces a new, extended partnership of families who have a collective commitment to preserving and revitalizing the C Lazy U as one of the last great American western experiences.