Show oaf gateway eway stage still operating la in 1907 edward martin decided the time was right for establishment of 0 a freight line into gateway colo not primarily because he felt sorry because there was no comfere commercial al communication system into the tiny western colorado community but because be he thought it was a good financial risk martin did establish the service and ha his heirs continue to operate it today the first service of the gateway stage line was with horses and light ight spring wagon making the trip to gateway and back to whitewater then the terminal point in twice a week En route t the te te team am was changed three times e each ch way in order to make he the ent entire ire 50 mile trip in one day during int good weather until antil 1922 there was no county or state aid in road up keep and during winter months there was aas always alays the problem of getting gettin over the deep knows snows A t higher r elevation point points along the route which ta in one place rises to feet during the more severe winter montha months M martin a rtin used horses and sleds to io make the trip in about 1918 martin purchased truck for or the freight line and added mail service to bis his contracts increasing the number ad trips each week to three and bring ing the eastern terminal point to grand junction the Ga gateway teay uravan cravan stage still holds the mau contract today it was in 1952 that rel residents dents ot 0 uravan cravan requested mail service over the gateway grand junction route rather than the demice they had been receiving from moni rose today the gateway cravan stage Is operated by austin tindell son in tn law of the founder and E E martin the founders son and they still receive requests from residents of Ga gateway to pick up a spool of thread or the latent magazine just as did edward martin years ago |