Cayton Ranger Station
Mesa County
The 1910 Cayton Guard Station is associated with federal management and conservation of natural resources during the early 20th century development of the National Forest system. The building represents the expansion of the federal government’s control and administration of public lands in the West.
Cayton Ranger Station (1993 photograph.)
The station is a rare surviving example of a Phase I (Pre-design Phase) Forest Service Administrative Building. This era of Forest Service construction was based on a forest ranger’s skills and abilities in the use of available local materials without utilizing standardized plans. The unusual curve in the Cayton chimney testifies to local design idiosyncrasies. Originally called the Johnson Springs Ranger Station, the Forest Service renamed the facility in honor of James G. Cayton in 1940.