Our Story

William Merrifield moved to the United States in 1875, from Chasewater Hill, England. He sent for Emma in 1876, and they were married shortly after her arrival. William was a miner in many of the states. They settled in Silver Plume, Colorado before moving to Buena Vista. They had four children, the youngest of which was Roy Merrifield (Born in 1892-Died in 1980).

Roy eventually started a restaurant in Buena Vista, where Charlotte Vickerson (Born in 1906-Died in 1998) came to work for him.

In 1924, Roy & Charlotte married. Over the course of their life, they started and sold 7 different restaurants in Buena Vista.

Roy and Charlotte had one child, Gary Merrifield.

Charlotte & Roy took care of the gentleman who owned the land where our public hot springs and cabins are located. Mr. Holloway left the property to them in his will.

Gary married Betty Nell Deering in 1959. They had two sons, Glen & Steven.

Glen and his wife Bonnie now own and operate Merrifield's Greenhouse & Garden Hut, Charlotte Hot Springs & Botanical Gardens, and Merrifield Homestead Cabins.

A black and white photo of a family photo outdoors. A woman and man sit with a young boy on their laps. The woman wears a floral dress, and the man wears a buttoned shirt. The woman sits on a wooden bench next to a woman, and there is a bottle on the table behind them. Trees, a brick structure, and a person with a balloon are in the background. The year 1942 is handwritten in the bottom right corner.