Zink Timeline
Part 1
Beginning of time-present – Geology forms the valley.
About 500 B.C.-1300 A.D. – Native Americans live around Waterfall Ranch.
1620 – John Cooke, Francis Cooke, and Richard Warren sail on Mayflower to Plymouth, Mass.
1861 – Wellington Kinne Eggleston joins family in Colorado.
1872 – Wellington and wife Esther make new home at Oak Dell, east of Salida.
1874 – Lamberts, among first settlers in Animas Valley, make home at Waterfall Ranch.
1876 – Shootout at Waterfall Ranch!
1883 – Lamberts sell Waterfall Ranch to Wigglesworths.
1910 – John J. and Ida Zink bring three kids from Nebraska to Animas City.
1916 – John W. Zink (Hermosa) and Ethel Ruby Nelson (Sunnyside) born.
May 31, 1917 – John J. Zink purchases Waterfall Ranch.
Part 2
1921 – Stone house constructed at Waterfall Ranch.
1926 – Ida Dickerson Zink dies at age 45, leaving four kids under 12.
1938 – John W. and Ruby marry.
1943 – John W., Ruby and two daughters return from the Northwest, take over Waterfall Ranch.
1960 – Christmas fire destroys the stone house.
1967 – Potato farming ends at Waterfall Ranch.
1986 – John W. and Ruby move across road to new house, son Ed and family move into rebuilt stone house.
2006 – Animas River Wetlands created.
May 31, 2017 – Hundredth anniversary of Zink purchase of Waterfall Ranch.