![]() Notice that the building carries the Mishawaka name over the door and the Thompson’s Resort name on the big Conoco sign. There are signs for Bell Telephone, two for Coca-Cola, the Denver Post, Conoco Gas, and a “Pep So” sign that might be Pepsi Cola. Below is a close-up of the lodge so that you can see the various advertising signs circa 1935. The message written on the back of this postcard says, “Ten inches of snow here. Resort in the Snow, postmarked November 27, 1931. Of course, in the winter the resort could look very different. (The signs in this circa 1940 image show 20 and 21 cents per gallon for gas.) Canyon residents loved to drop by on a summer evening, often finding a square dance underway. The whole family was involved: Walt worked outdoors the couple’s two daughters managed the store and dining room, and Alma gave music lessons. ![]() An apple orchard graced the hillside, and a handmade water wheel provided electricity. ![]() The Thompsons offered cabins for overnight guests, at milepost 108. It didn’t take long for Thompson’s Resort to catch on. Although Thompson named the resort Mishawaka for an Indiana town of which he had fond memories, for years most people knew it as Thompson’s Resort. They filed a homestead claim and built a cabin beside the Poudre River. The couple decided to move to the canyon and open a resort. His wife, Alma, played the piano and the cello, and Walt played the piano, trombone and drums. A musician, he loved the river’s sweet song. On a motorcycle trip through the Poudre Canyon in 1916, he fell in love with the river. In 1907, he bought Woods Music on South College Avenue and moved to Fort Collins with his family. Thompson was a traveling piano tuner from Denver who began visiting Fort Collins as early as 1901 for his work. Early Mishawaka/Thompson’s Resort Business Card
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