Henry and Rebecca McMichael first settled this little meadow about 1873. It was called Lonesome Cove Ranch and later McMichael Station by newsmen who stayed there while writing about mining. In 1875 Nathaniel McNair established his pack trail from Yank Ledge, carrying three tons of ore a day and connecting here with trails north and south. With rooms and meals available, the place became popular with miners, packers, and travelers. After Henry's death, Rebecca married Gebhard Karg in 1887 and continued serving guests. After divorcing, she married William Anderson in 1904 and sold the property in 1906 to George Strong, who ran cattle. Slim and Jean Gould purchased it in 1924, then sold it in 1930 to Charles "Buster" and Mary Gray, whose descendants still live here today. By 1902, nearly a thousand men worked in support of the mines of Leland, Lower Grave Creek, and Mt. Reuben, and those mines made some men rich, some broke, and others only a living.