The Rails and the Flying Norseman (1908–1922)

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:57:49 GMT · 05:12

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## About this episode
Two arrivals about five years apart — a railroad and a Norwegian ski jumper — reshape what Steamboat Springs is for. The hosts work through what the record actually says, where it disagrees with itself, and why the tidy origin story deserves some pushback.

## In this episode
- The disputed arrival of the Moffat Road: 1908 or 1909
- David Moffat, the Denver, Northwestern & Pacific, and Rollins Pass
- Moffat's death in 1911 and the line stopping at Craig in 1913
- Ranching as the valley's economy before the rails
- Carl Howelsen, the Flying Norseman, and Barnum and Bailey
- The first Winter Carnival on Woodchuck Hill in February 1914
- Howelsen Hill built in 1915, and Howelsen's return to Norway in 1922

## Hosts
- Marv Sundstrom
- Dana Reyes
- Theo Ames