The event included barbeque pulled pork and corn on the cob sold by the Antlers Café & Bar, drinks, and a silent auction of items including an outhouse constructed of salvaged wood from Crossan’s Market, a painting of Crossan’s Market by local artist Gregory Block, and a signed guitar donated by Todd Park Mohr, aka Big Head Todd of Big Head Todd and the Monsters. Another highlight was a concert by Big Head Todd himself, who is a native of the area. The weather was perfect and the healthy turnout contributed to the success of the event.

Following completion of a historic structure assessment, the Friends, working with the Town of Yampa and Historic Routt County, successfully completed the first phase of the rehabilitation of the Market by lifting the building and constructing a new foundation. This same project team successfully raised the funds necessary to perform the second phase, which includes grants from the State Historical Fund and Department of Local Affairs. The construction on this phase began on July 28 and will include the rehabilitation of the exterior and the first floor, and reconstruction of the exterior staircase.

The third phase, which will utilize the $31,000 raised from the event, will complete the project with the rehabilitation of the second floor and installation of an elevator. When the work is complete, the building will be used as a regional visitor’s center, as a home for Yampa Town Hall, the Yampa-Egeria Historical Society, and the South Routt Economic Development Council, and as a space for public meetings.

The Town of Yampa is home to about 450 residents, making the success of this event even more exciting. The dedication of the Friends and their partners to illustrate the importance of this building, rally public and private support, and raise the money to preserve and use Crossan’s Market serves as a great example of local historic preservation in action.

Visit the Friends of Crossan's M& A Market Facebook page here.

Visit Historic Routt County here.