1938 The New Lodge
In June of 1938, after removing the original lodge build by Edward Drake in 1890 and crushed in the winter snows of 1937-38, the Siffords began the construction of a replacement building. Roy Sifford, who was determined to lose as little of the visitor season as possible, contacted Fletcher Walker of the Red River Lumber Company and asked for help.
The Walkers responded with "lumber, plumbing supplies, trucks and men who could and did 60 things fast". Construction began on the 20th of June and continued at a furious pace, at times there were as many as 30 people working on the building. On the afternoon of June 30th the construction workers finished the building, the Siffords moved in beds and other furnishings, and the first guests were in their rooms by ten o'clock the same evening (Roy Sifford interviewed by Les Bodine 9/9/86). From start to arrival of the first guests, construction of the new lodge had taken ten days. Only item reused from Drake's original building was the old fireplace flue which was extended eight feet to fit the taller building.
1938--The new lodge constructed in just ten days
(EASTMAN'S ORIGINALS COLLECTION, D-51, Department of Special
Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis)
1939--Interior of new lodge
(EASTMAN'S ORIGINALS COLLECTION, D-51, Department of Special
Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis)
A stone mason named Spenser and his son from Westwood helped Roy Sifford build the fireplace from rock collected from the hillside and carried in from Cinder Cone, many of the stones selected for their colorful red and yellow hues (Roy Sifford interviewed by Les Bodine 10/17/87).
1939--Guests on front porch
(EASTMAN'S ORIGINALS COLLECTION, D-51, Department of Special
Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis)
The lodge in 1941
(EASTMAN'S ORIGINALS COLLECTION, D-51, Department of Special
Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis)
1945--Drakesbad "old-timers" gather for a photo
1940s--Roy Sifford and Nancy Curruthers (Rorty) on rear
porch
The lodge in 1952
1952 East end of the lodge
1952--West and south sides of the lodge
1952--Guests on front porch
(Photograph courtesy of Susan Watson)
The lodge in 1973