Main Street looking West Late summer 1929
              Right side of street moving west
                       Drug Store-- Doc Graves nearly finished drug store
                       Dr Albers Office----l of 2 Fraser Mds
                       Hotel and Cafe--- Thomas Proprietor
                       Do Drop In Cafe--- Gust and Hulda Wilson Owners
                       Barber Shop---- Walt Clark Owner
                        Mercantile--- Frank Carlson Owner

    Fraser, Colorado Main Street looking East April 1928 Snow in street only
    Left side of street moving east.
        Fraser Mercantile---Stevens-Barr owners, Later Frank Carlson
        Bills Garage (with gasoline pump in front) Bill Leahy, proprietor- owner
        Hotel and Cafe---Owner Thomas-- Made into movie theater in 30s
        Doc Albers--One of two MDs in town. (Other Doc Anderson) Doc Susie
        Doc Graves Lunchroom--Linus Oliver Graves, proprietor and owner
        Pine wood Cafe and Dance Hall at east end ot street with Cafe sign in gable
        Lunch Room--Owner unknown, neat to Pinewood Cafe
 
    Right side of the street moving east.
        The Pool Hall- Owner unknown-Burned down summer of 28
                                       (partly occupied by Clarks barber shop)
         Drug Store-Bert Hendrix proprietor - owner, Burned summer of 28
         Pool Hall-- Owner unknown
         Fraser Hotel and Cafe--Mrs. Ella Watts, Owner and Proprietor
         Grocery Store--Mr. and Mrs. Clayton, Owners and proprietors
         Post Office
         Grocery and Mercantile---OW Pete Shaefer owner and proprietor
         Garage--Owner at time unknown-Part of building was Bob Florquist
                      blacksmith shop

                        Fraser, Colorado Main Street looking west June 1928

     Left side of street moving west                      Right side of street moving west
         Post Office                                                   Doc Graves Drug Store
         Claytons Grocery                                          Doc Albers, MD
         Mrs Watts Hotel and Cafe                             Thomas Hotel and Cafe
         Pool Hall                                                      Bills Garage
         Drug Store                                                    Steven-Barr Mercantile
         Pool Hall--- (partly occupied (later Frank Carlson)
                             by Clarks barber shop)

Fraser, Colorado. Center of the Valley towns and through the first two decades of the 20th century was sometimes referred to as "Little Sweden" because of the number of Scandinavians living and working in the vicinity. The town was a result of the need for a residential and commercial center to facilitate the developing timber and lumber industry in the area. Due to the nature of their ancestry, and their affinity for cutting trees and making boards, Swedes and Norwegians dominated the area.

Fraser wasn't even Fraser when it was first called Fraser, it was the Town of Eastom. It was founded and named by George B Eastom the man who brought the timbering industry to the region. In 1905 Eastom started the Middle Park Lumber Company up on St Louis Creek and platted and named the town. There had been a post office located on a ranch 2 miles south of the present site of Fraser. It was named Fraser. Later the post office was moved to the present site and maintained the name. In 1905 The Denver Northwestern and Pacific Railroad came to Fraser and kept that name for the railway station. Although the town was called Fraser by the natives, it wasn't officially Fraser until 1953 when it was so named and incorporated by a court order.

Fraser was the division Point for the railroad from 1905 until it was moved to Tabernash in 1913. At that time the town took an awful hit and several people moved their enterprises to the new location. Ed Bartholomew, in fact, dismantled his hotel in Fraser, moved it by rail to Tabernash, reassembled it , and named it The Tabart Inn. The change was a blow to the town of Fraser and depleted its population momentarily, Fraser maintained a more stable population than did Tabernash over the years. When the population of Tabernash dwindled in the mid 20s to just over 100 Fraser was able to maintain a population of over 250 for the same period of time.

Today Fraser is considerably larger and busier than Tabernash, mostly due to its' location nearer to the winter sports activity at Winter Park. Winter Park is, of course, the catalyst to business development in the entire area. Fraser now has a wide variety of businesses, including a major super market, and many, many deluxe condominiums located adjacent to the town. All of the ordinary business facilities are located there as well. Fraser is still the dominant town but the concentration of tourist activity belongs to Winter Park.

In the 1950s Fraser was the center of a lot of newsworthy events. There were the frequent visits of President Eisenhower to visit his longtime friend Axel Neilson on his nearby ranch. There was the fight instigated murder of a local druggist, Ray Fox at the notorious Bucket of Blood tavern, real name Fraser Bar, and the constant contest Fraser had with Pinedale, Wyoming and International Falls, Minnesota for the designation of " Icebox of the Nation."

Fraser is not the largest town in Grand County nor is it the prettiest, but for history alone, it probably has as good name recognition as any town in the area.