Rick Deane and his children Besha and Jesse Deane are the current stewards of the T-Lazy-7 Ranch.
J.W. Deane’s law office advertisement in the Aspen newspaper, Rocky Mountain Sun, on July 30, 1881.
Life on the T-Lazy-7 Ranch with Had, Lou, Buck and Rick in 1947.
Rick Deane competing in the 1971 Roosevelt Downs Race in Long Island, NY. Among his racing accomplishments, Rick held the national number thirty-five and three world records at the Pike’s Peak Hill Climb 1973′ 75′ 76.
The Deane family history goes back to the arrival of the pilgrims in America, while the Deane history in Aspen begins with Josiah Deane, one of Aspen’s founding fathers and original settlers.
Josiah Deane traveled on foot from Leadville over Independence Pass (then Hunters Pass) with eight other men in the B. Clark Wheeler party to arrive in Aspen (then Ute City) on May 11, 1880. Josiah “Judge” Deane’s contribution to the development of Aspen was considerable. He was instrumental in the changing of the name of the town from Ute City to Aspen, played a vital role in the famous Apex Suit which made legal history for mining, and was a key figure and advocate for the development of the highway (Hwy 82) over Independence Pass. A man of firsts, he opened Aspen’s first law office, was appointed the first county judge, helped build Aspen’s first log house, and organized Aspen’s first subdivision called “Deane’s Addition,” which spanned eight square blocks at one time along the base of Aspen Mountain.
Judge Deane married Lottie Belle Cruikshank, who was a professional opera singer renown for her beautiful contralto voice in Chicago. They raised their son, Harry, in Aspen and he later left to follow his mining endeavors in Nevada. Harry and his wife, Selma, had a son, Harold (Had), who spent his childhood summers visiting his grandparents in Aspen. After playing with the Chicago Bears, Had married and moved to Aspen in 1936. He and his spirited wife, Louise (Lou), who was a Broadway and Silent Silver Screen actress, purchased land in the Maroon Creek Valley that would quickly become known as the T-Lazy-7 Ranch.
Had and Lou were a colorful pair who raised cattle, horses and a family on their rustic ranch.
Had invited friends and business associates to experience the recreational activities of ranch life – riding, fishing and hunting, and Lou turned entertaining guests into a business, making T-Lazy-7 a bonafide guest ranch. Guests were plentiful and included family, friends, neighbors, city folks and celebrities from Lou’s Hollywood days. The T-Lazy-7 Guest Ranch grew and expanded to include sleigh ride dinner dances, summer cook-outs, horseback riding, fly fishing, pack trips, and children’s summer camps. When Had and Lou’s children were grown, they each contributed in their own way to the ranch. The eldest brother, Tony, was an accomplished ski racer who unfortunately passed away during an avalanche rescue mission in Utah, where he was training for the Olympics. The middle son, Buck, is a talented musician, and used to play with his country-western band “Buck Deane and the Bucking Strings” at the ranch dinner dance parties as well as coaching skiing at West Point Military Academy. Buck has three grown children, Ry, Larkspur and Had and he lives on his family ranch in Carbondale, Colorado. The youngest son, Rick, was an accomplished motorcycle racer and started a snowmobile tour business, which is still going strong after over 50 years.
T-Lazy-7 Ranch is currently run by the youngest son, Rick Deane, with his children Besha and Jesse Deane and the amazing Ranch team. It truly takes a team to keep the Ranch running strong and couldn’t have been possible without everyones’ help along the way including; family, friends, tenants, guests and employees, all who have often become an extension of the Ranch family. The continued support from Aspen and the Roaring Fork community has also made it possible for the T-Lazy-7 Ranch to survive through generations.
The T-Lazy-7 Ranch is bustling with fun activities to this day. Guests continue to enjoy this mountain paradise for weddings and events, while recreational enthusiasts take part in snowmobile tours, horseback riding and fly fishing. T-Lazy-7 Ranch’s past is as rich as its future is bright.
Lou performed on Broadway and in silent films with icons such as Fatty Arbuckle and Ginger Rodgers.
Homestead cabin then
Homestead cabin now
Photo of Herald Alexander Deane, better known as Had Deane.
Below: This photo was taken during the filming of a Marlboro commercial on the Ranch in 1975. Rick Deane is on the far right. Other ads photographed and filmed on the Ranch include American Eagle Outfitters, McDonald’s, Pepsi, Budweiser, Nature Valley Granola Bars, Elle Magazine and numerous car commercials.