By John Magee with the assistance of daughter Kristi Magee

Arthur and Belle Magee, parents of John Magee, who currently resides in Greeley, CO, first visited Red Feather Lakes in the early 1920’s after they were married in 1920.

They had enjoyed camping in the early 1920’s in the Poudre Canyon when they were newly married and decided on purchasing a lot in Red Feather. In July 1924, Arthur and Belle purchased Lot No. 16, Block No. 1 in Ramona Heights for $100. They put $25 down and paid $25 a month for the remaining balance.

On their newly purchased property, they would camp by attaching a canvas to their Model T securing the other end of the canvas with stakes in the ground

They were not able to start building their cabin on the lot until 1952. After Arthur graduated from Aggies Colorado Agricultural College in Ft. Collins with a teacher’s certificate in 1925, they ended up moving to different places in Colorado and Kansas for teaching jobs, disrupting any thought of building a cabin right away. The Great Depression also had its hand in the delay to build as money was tight.

When they were ready to start building the cabin, Arthur drew up the plans of the design himself. He had some earlier experience with construction. When he was a teenager he helped his dad add on to their home. He also helped his brother build a homestead cabin and house on the Magee ranch in Pie Town, New Mexico. Additionally, he built their family home in 1922 in Ft. Collins and a later home in Englewood in the 1930’s.

The logs were laid by the local contractor. Also the roof lumber and inside partitions were installed by the contractor. The rest of the construction was done by Arthur and his son, John. All the work was done with hand tools.

Arthur hired an electrician for electrical work in the cabin. This electrician was retired and living in Red Feather during the summer months. Electricity had just arrived in the Red Feather area.

By mid-November 1952 the cabin was completed.

In 1954, Arthur and his son Duane, who studied electronics, operated a television business in Red Feather.  Arthur got a contract from Zenith for a dealership. They sold several television sets to the local Red Feather residents. Duane would install the antennas and adjust the set.

Activities at Red Feather were many, but fishing was a primary activity. Additionally, John, who owned a Jeep, often explored the area via four wheel drive. In 1952 John and his mother worked for Bonnie Drake, a Red Feather neighbor, to make Christmas wreaths. John would cut and gather green pine branches on Deadman Hill to be used for the wreaths.  John’s mother was one of several local women who assembled the wreaths to sell.

Arthur passed away in 1960. In September 1961, Belle sold the cabin for $4,750

John and his wife and two children spent many memorable times in the 1970’s at Red Feather Lakes camping and fishing. To this day, the Red Feather Lakes area remains a part of the family’s most treasured places. John’s son, Kevin, has a cabin in Crystal Lakes.

Picture of Red Feather Lakes 1956 by John Magee

This was at Snake Lake when they were poisoning it to kill the non-native suckers (people used minnows for bait and some remained the lake overpopulating it.)

John Magee with fish he caught at Dowdy Lake