The Cortez Historic Preservation Board will hold a meeting Wednesday, Aug. 23, at City Hall to present the results of a survey of historic tourism properties.
Woods Canyon Archaeological consultants and architectural historian Jen Wahlers will present the results at 6 p.m. at 123 Roger Smith Ave. in Cortez.
According to a news release Thursday, vacationing families after the end of World War II drove the development of tourism areas. New motels, gas stations and auto shops were built to accommodate the travelers, and Cortez was no exception.
The city hired archaeological consultants and Wahlers to plan a survey to inventory historic properties within city limits in 2021. Seventeen motels, restaurants and gas stations were the highest priority. In 2022, Cortez received a grant from History Colorado to conduct the inventory.
The news release reported that 14 of the 17 properties are eligible for the city of Cortez’s Register of Historical Sites, and nine properties could be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These sites include Burger Boy, Speedway gas station at 921 E. Main St., and the Aneth and Tomahawk lodges.
Three properties in Cortez are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Ertel Funeral Home, Montezuma Valley National Bank, which is now the home of KSJD, and the Calkins Building, now Calkins Commons, according to the news release.
“Over the last 12 years, the Cortez Historic Preservation Board has received 10 grants from History Colorado to inventory historic properties within the city of Cortez,” the news release stated. The inventories have revealed 133 historic properties, 47 of which are on the City of Cortez Register of Historic Sites. Information about the city register can be found on the city of Cortez’s website.
