Historical Videos

As you roam around the red rock formations on Ken-Caryl Ranch, have you wondered about life in this area thousands of years ago? The Ken-Caryl Ranch Historical Society has produced a short video describing some archaeological sites and prehistoric life in our community. Jack Warner, a member of the Colorado Archaeological Society and also a resident of Ken-Caryl Ranch, provided the information and many of the pictures used in the production.

“The Utes and Colorow” describes the life and culture of the Ute tribe in Colorado and, specifically, the presence and influence of the Ute chief, Colorow, who inhabited the Ken-Caryl Ranch region. The 9-minute video includes many vintage photographs of the Utes from the Denver Public Library’s Western History Collection.

The Ken-Caryl Ranch Historical Society created this video documenting Major Robert B. Bradford’s life and the history of the Bradford Perley House.

“Stories of the Perley Family” is told by Karen Alonzi van Gundy, great-great granddaughter of James Adams Perley, the pioneer who immigrated to Colorado during the gold rush days and eventually settled in 1895 on the North Ranch site of the current Bradford-Perley House. Her stories share the adventures of James Adams Perley’s travels from his home in northern Vermont, across the United States to Black Hawk, and finally to the foothills of what was to become Ken-Caryl Ranch. Karen shares memories of her grandfather, Charles Beauchamp Beall, describing life at the Ranch a century ago.

John C. Shaffer was a self-made millionaire who purchased the land that is now Ken-Caryl Ranch and built the Manor House. This video chronicles his life.

What we know today as Ken-Caryl Ranch began on Oct. 17, 1914, when John Charles Shaffer purchased 2,660 acres of land southwest of Denver, naming the ranch for his sons, Kent and Carroll.

William L. Allen, a metallurgist who founded the Sheffield Steel Company of Kansas City, bought Ken-Caryl Ranch from the banks in 1938. He tried to rebuild the property to its former grandeur, evicting some of the tenant farmers, including a family living with their pigs in the old Bradford house. Allen made no money raising cattle, and then World War II forced him to focus most of his attention on the steel business.

In 1944 real estate tycoon Joseph Minissale purchased Ken-Caryl Ranch to give his children the experience of living on an American ranch. Minissale was a self-made man, who was born in Sicily and was a quarry laborer before immigrating to Philadelphia. During Minissale’s ownership, turkeys joined the cattle as livestock. Minissale lived in a mansion in Denver and never lived on the Ranch itself.

Ever wonder why a wealthy Texas oilman who was the owner of the Hartsel Ranch, the largest in Colorado, was interested in Ken-Caryl Ranch? Who was this guy? The Ken-Caryl Historical Society has released a new video on the adventurous life of Arthur “Cap” McDannald, owner from 1949 until his death in 1963. His family continued ownership until 1971. The video includes the memories of his grandchildren who in the 1950s would travel from Houston to spend their entire summers at the ranch.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the transition from being a privately-owned cattle ranch to becoming corporation-owned by Johns-Manville, the Ken-Caryl Ranch Historical Society has produced a video featuring our community development from 1971 to the present time. It includes many new colorful pictures and old newspaper clippings showing these changes from cattle pastures to homes and businesses.

In September 1978, the Murphy Gulch fire devoured thousands of acres in the foothills of the Ken-Caryl valley. This 15-minute video explains how the fire started and the efforts to extinguish the flames, and is enhanced with actual 1978 footage of the fire from KUSA9 News and clippings from five area newspapers.

How did early Ken-Caryl Ranch owners in the 1980s and 90s get their local news?  This video tells the story of the origin of KCTV Channel 33.  In 1984, Ken-Caryl Ranch was the only homeowners’ association in the United States with its own TV station!  It includes original programing from 1985 as well as a description of the production process and equipment.

Walking along the many Ken-Caryl Ranch trails, residents will encounter numerous sites of historical interest. The Ken-Caryl Ranch Historical Society put together this video describing some of these sites that are located along the drainage ravine known as North Massey Draw. This is the first of three planned videos about historical sites on the trails.

Ever wonder why a corral was built at the top of the Manor House Trail? You can find out by viewing the Ken-Caryl Ranch Historical Society’s latest video telling about more historical sites along the many Ken-Caryl trails. This new video, the third in the trails series, highlights those located along the Manor House Trail and the North Hogback Trail. They include the buildings near the Manor House as well as places and objects at the trail’s summit. Along the North Hogback Trail, you will find information about an old kiln and cattle feeder.

Do you ever wonder what the story is behind the structures and rocks found near the Bradford-Perley House in the North Ranch? This 10-minute video will help answer your questions and locates various places you didn’t know were there.

Resident Susan Schell, with cooperation from the Historical Society, created this video about the historic Pump House located in the Valley.

There is a new Bradford-Perley Memorial Bench in the Apple Orchard behind the Bradford-Perley House off Killdeer Lane.