Progression of Ownership of the Lone Pine Inn, Researched by Kathy West and Margaret Storm
“This is what was found in the records of the Custer County Court House, October 5, 2021.
As near as we could tell, the Lone Pine was built on what was part of the land owned by Ralph A. and Beulah Betts. The Lone Pine was built in the early 1940’2 by Ralph for his wife Beulah to have as a business. After Ralph died, Beulah was not too interested in running the business anymore. She sold the property and business on June 30th, 1947 to John F. and Charlie June Dearing. The deed states that the sale includes the filling-station, eating house, garage, and all other buildings. Also, all equipment and articles of personal property in connection with the buildings and running of the business.
The Dearing’s owned the business until August 6, 1947 when it was purchased by A. Webb and Leta Zae Wiesman. The Wiseman’s owned the Lone Pine until Fred F. and Josephine Romp purchased it in October 13, 1940.
Sometime between 1949 and 1960, perhaps caused by default on a loan the Romps had with Walter and Louise Sullivan, the property went to the Sullivans. (The Sullivans were Leona Draper’s parents. They owned the Sullivan Dairy, the cement house at the end of 67 on Hamilton property).
On April 7, 1960, the Sullivans sold the Lone Pine to John and Matilda Borrelli. Tillie was one of the Yellico children and by all accounts (myself included as I remember her) was an excellent cook.
On October 20, 1960, Jean Estry became owner of the Lone Pine after purchasing it from the Borrellis. Jean Estry sold the Lone Pine on April 30, 1962 to Eloy (Freckles) and Henrietta Bustos.
From Freckles and Henrietta Bustos, the Lone Pine went to Frank and Elsie Richardson on August 27, 1963.
Vincent “Chick” and Edwina “Eddy” Yellico Lovinella purchased the business on September 22, 1966.
(During this time, the Pueblo Mafia hung out during the weeknights, arriving in black limos).
On April 27, 1970, Thomas C. and Della Lee Bell bought the building from Edwina Lovinella.
The Bells then sold the business to Paul J. and Catherine M. Barbour on November 6, 1970.
The next owners were Robert Gary and Barbara Madrill. They bought the business from the Barbours on June 23, 1977. During this time more black limos arrived at the Lone Pine.
Leo Anderson purchased the Lone Pine on February 15, 1983.
The United Bank of Pueblo has title to the property as of May 5, 1989 until William A. and Lois E. Jones bought it February 2, 1990.
The next owners were Rena and Jerry Shepherd, buying it in February 2, 1995.
The last person to run the Lone Pine Inn was Stanford Duane O’Neal who bought it January 26, 2004.
There are tales of O’Neal having a bad reputation in Wetmore and deer poaching by his relatives.
The final owner is the Custer County Government. Due to the run-down conditions of the building, the County was unable to do anything with it and the building was torn down on April 23, 2011.
The County, in cooperation with the State of Colorado and in collabortation with WHG&HS, has researched, manufactured, and installed an authentic and historic three-panel kiosk on the site of the Lone Pine Inn. One of the windows from next to the front door was salved by the Society. It has been restored and is now in our collection at the Pioneer Museum in Florence.
The lone Pine brings back many fond memories for a lot of the members of the Wetmore Community: eating there, seeing your friends and neighbors, dances, a pool table in the west area as well as other activities.”
More recollections of the Lone Pine Cafe from Kathy West:
“Ralph Betts, one of our relatives, had a saw mill directly above the school house. Incidentally, our grandfather, George Hall, participated in pouring cement for the school house. Ralph Betts built the Lone Pine Cafe from lumber he had sawed. My grandfather Hurley helped build the original building. Ralph built the cafe for his wife, Beulah. She gave up the cafe when Ralph shot himself and took their three children, Carl, and twins Vernon and Verle-to Pueblo.
The cafe was purchased by John and June Dearing. They operated it for a few years. He got sick and died shortly thereafter. Then Buddy and Tillie Borrelli took over the cafe and Tillie had a good business. Tillie’s family was the Yellico family. Buddy worked in the Canon Black Diamond coal mine which the Yellico family owned. The Yellicos owned a lot of land in the Wetmore and coal mine areas.
Buddy and Tillie remodeled the cafe and added a dance hall. Large spaghetti dinners and dances were held at the cafe. Before Tillie began serving the spaghetti dinners, the mainstay of Wetmore dining had been meat, potatoes and gravy! Buddy and Tillie had three children. John, Rosemary, and Jeannine(sp?) were their children. Rosemary married Bill Barnes and they built a new house across the creek from the main Yellico house. When Bill died, Rosemary lived in the house a few years and then moved to Pueblo to care for her mother, Tillie.
Tillie had a good cafe business and later had become the head cook at Parkview Hospital. At one point, Charlie Salardino had installed slot machines in the cafe much to the delight of old timers in Wetmore! Especially delighted was Charlie Bragg! Charlie would wear a leather glove when playing the slots to keep his hand from getting sore. However, early one morning, two well dressed gentlemen from the FBI came and took the slot machines! No charges were filed against Tillie, but that provided big excitement in Wetmore.
The Lone Pine Cafe was a source of information for all of Wetmore. The Ladies Aid Society was a rival source of information. An interesting conversation for the Ladies Aid Society was “who was stopping at the Lone Pine Cafe for something other than eating” after Tillie obtained a liquor license! I have nothing but fond memories of the Lone Pine Cafe and Tillie.”
From our Facebook Page, November 21:
WHG&HS has been contacted by a gentleman who collects photos of Conoco gas pumps located around the country. He wondered if the gas pumps in front of the Lone Pine back in the day were Conoco. Does anyone know? Were there other gas stations located in Wetmore at any time?
Answer from Jim Walters:
“I’m pretty sure that the first petro/gasoline was sold at the Walters residence-General Store-Post Office building. Fred Walters was transporting it in five gallon cans from Florence in the 1920’s probably 50-60gal at a trip.
After a while the Continental Oil Company set up a 250-300 overhead tank like your typical farm tank, and they had the Wetmore Store on a scheduled route to top it off.
Eventually CONOCO installed an underground tank and a rather plain looking above ground pump that stood just outside the fence where the HollyHock bushes were just North of the edge of the front steps.
Sometime during the 1990-2000’s the pump disappeared one night. I also have somewhere a photo of a tall “Visable Glass Tower Pump” but I can’t say for sure if it dispensed fuel there at the Store or not. I just know for sure that the ugly rusty short pump was there for a long time. I’m sure others will chime in and remember it.
Here is a pic of an exact similar type pump.
I’m pretty sure once fuel was more readily available at the Hurley Garage, it became less of an issue having it at the Post office/Store.
I still have the stainless steel, calibrated “One Gallon” fuel vessel that was available for anyone that wanted to question the accuracy of the indication on the pumps…or five gallon cans.”
