Den's Barber Shop That pole at the peak of the house houses the camera that takes the 285 CAM picture each half hour

The first recorded mention of our little corner is a "wayside stop" in 1860. Then in the 1870s the St. Louis House and tollgate opened. We had a full fledged stage stop here. The place was known as Willowville and Bellevile. Later it was named Urmston. By 1880 there was a ranch and Post Office here.

The kids of Shaffers Crossing now go to Elk Creek Elementary School, West Jeff Middle School or Conifer High School.

On November 10, 1884 a Mr. & Mrs. Standering were shot in their cabin near the present Elk Creek Elementary School. It appeared that Mr. Standering answered the door and was blasted with buckshot. Mrs. Standering was shot as she was getting out of bed. She was shot at close range judging from the powder burns on her clothing and breast. Then to finish the job, she was shot in the head with a .44 caliber pistol. Mr. Standering was also shot in the back three times with the .44. The murders went unsolved.

The Shaffer family in 1900

At the turn of the century a ranch family, the Shaffers, from Wyoming moved in. "Grandpa" Shaffer wanted a town so he gave a lot that was 25 feet wide by 125 or 150 feet deep to anyone who would build a house on it. Then in 1907 Bert Shaffer and Grant McQueary got in a fight. Grant was quite a bit bigger than Bert, so Bert got his "equalizer". He killed Grant and took off for Wyoming.

The stage coach barn still stands at Shaffers Crossing

When he heard that no charges were filed, he returned to Shaffers Crossing. Bert later moved to San Francisco, CA where he performed as an accomplished violinist.

The barn that was built with the old stage stop is still standing. It's quite a piece of craftsmanship as it's put together with wooden pegs, no nails! The old elementary school/ Grange Hall is still standing, it can be seen about a hundred and fifty feet off Hiway 285, today it's used as a barn. It's called the octagonal building even though it has only six sides.

The old Grange Hall / Elementary School That's Highway 285 in the background I recently recieved this e-mail from a member of the Shaffer family..can anyone help with her family search? My grandfather Otis Shaffer was born at the Stage stop created by his grandfather, samual shaffer. I have a photo copy of the stage stop, from 1900 that was next to the barn. My great grandfather Tom Shaffer and his brothers built the Octogon community house at Shaffers Crosssing. My great Grandmother, Winnifred Williams Shaffer use to play the piano for dances in that community house.....any info you may have to help me in my geneology search would be helpful.... ....particularly on Winnifred.....thanks...and God bless Charlene Shaffer

"Shaffers Crossing Road Ranch" store in 1900

All that's left of the old Urmston/Elk Creek High School is the brick trash incinerator and a row of pine trees that were planted in 1950. The pines were taken from nearby hills and planted in a straight line along the road in front of the school.

Special thanks to Charlene Shaffer for the pictures of her family and the Shaffers Crossing Road Ranch store.

Because of the climate at Shaffers Crossing, realtors like to refer to this area as the "banana belt". I've lived here for 16 years and have yet to see a banana for sale outside of the grocery store at Conifer!

So now you know more about Shaffers Crossing than you ever wanted to know!