Jasper History

Jasper, Colorado started out as a mining camp in the late 1800s. The town of Jasper is at the base of Cornwall Mountain, some say named after the great mining district of Cornwall in Europe. The town of Jasper today is really a union of two mining towns, Jasper and Cornwall (the town of). The land was purchased in the early 1980s by a developer named Luke Anthony and developed in to buildable lots/blocks for sale. There are 204 individual properties with over 80 cabins. It's nestled nicely in the middle of the Rio Grande National Forest, giving Jasper residents a life time assurance of tranquility. There is a main road that runs along the Alamosa River from the base of the San Luis Valley called 250. This road continues to the top of the continental divide, past the towns of Platoro and Summitville and over to the west side of the divide near Wolf Creek Pass and South Fork. This road is easily passable with almost any car but good tires are always helpful. It's also important to check that your spare tire is in good working order because rocks can be sharp after plowing.

 

There is an association of land owners that over sees the daily maintenance of Jasper including a full-time care taker for 7 months of the year. Each property owner pays $100 (annual) per deeded property giving them one vote in the annual election of board members. The Jasper Association is directed by nine board members, three of which rotate off-board every year with a three year term. There are general covenants on the property usage that declares a building must meet a basic level of standard. Likewise, there are general guidelines of property cleanliness and upkeep. The association holds two annual meetings, one on the 4th of July and another in September to discuss general topics like contracts, maintenance and member relations.

 

The town is accessible year-round by hyw. 250 from the Valley, but each of the drives from the main road to the individual properties are not maintained. The main road is plowed by the county of Conejos in agreement with the county of Rio Grande. Usually, arrangements may be made with the caretaker to maintain individual snow removal at each property owner’s discretion. Telephone service is readily available from Qwest at a reasonable price, while public power and water are not. Septic systems are required in the covenant and typically cost around several thousdan dollars to install. Additionally, individual wells can be drilled but tend to be a bit expensive due to the rocky nature of the location. Many residents take advantage of a natural deeded to Jasper that is tested every spring by the Association. A typical residence will have a cistern (water tank) that is filled by pump with water hauled on a trailer from the spring. Also, most residence have solar, battery and/or generators to provide standard 110 power. With a little planning, homes in Jasper can be as comfortable as any in the city. Telephone, electricity, water,  satellite television and internet are all available, in one way on another. However, there are no cell towers that reach Jasper.

 

While hunting is not allowed in the town of Jasper, it's important to note that usually a short walk from any property takes you in to the Rio Grande National Forest where elk, deer, bear, big horn sheep, coyotes, game birds and countless other game are readily available. Likewise, the Platoro reservoirs is a short drive up the road that hosts freshly stocked trout and Kokanee salmon. Not to mention all of the secret streams, lakes and ponds known by the Jasper residents.