by THERESA V. FRANCIS Price $1.25...

Come up a mile where the air is pure, Where the skies are clear and blue; Come up above the smoke and dust, Where good health waits for you. —Author Unknown Western Slope of the Central COLORADO ROCKIES Showing in Particular the FISHING STREAMS and RECREATIONAL AREAS of Famous GUNNISON COUNTY Compiled by WILL L. FRANCIS High-resolution Map...

Probably no town in the world has experienced more dramatic changes in a lifetime, than has the quarry town of Marble, Colo. and one of the few living persons who knows the story of each phase of Marble’s history is Theresa Herman Francis. She and her husband, Bill, now spend only the summers (winters in Tucson, Ariz.) in the white and green house in Marble that was her year ’round home for 33 years. One of the town’s active citizens during the 20’s and 30’s when the population of Marble numbere

I came to Marble, Colo. in 1923 while it was still a very active thriving little city. My first husband, Theodore (Ted) A. Herman, worked in the marble mill almost twenty years: then after a few years sickness he died, and I remained a widow over eleven years, never leaving Marble except for brief visits with relatives. Many times during these winters I was the only person in town, yet I was never bored or afraid. The telephone company kept my phone in good working order and I received my mail t

One of the most beautiful rivers in Colorado has its source at Schofield Pass high above Elko Basin and Schofield Park. It is fed by melting snow and many crystal clear springs, hence the name Crystal River. And it does not belie its name, as, excepting a few weeks in the spring when melting snow along its lower tributaries gives it a roily turbulent appearance, it is truly crystal clear....

( Elevation Approximately 10,000 feet ) Schofield has been called “The flower garden of the Rockies” and rightly so. It is carpetted with multifarious species of flowers, ranging from the delicate snow flowers and Alpine mosses through several shades of Indian paint brushes, blue and purple lupines, and wild roses to the lusty sunflowers. It is especially beautiful in July and August when there are literally hundreds of acres of blue, purple, lavender, gold, and brown columbines. In the early 18

( Elevation Approximately 9,000 Feet ) One half mile beyond the junction of the North Fork with the Crystal River it reaches the little hamlet of Crystal City, magnificently located in a small dale surrounded by several lofty peaks: Sheep Mountain, Mineral Point, Crystal Peak, Bear Mountain (the one covered with tall pines), White House, and Treasure Peaks. Crystal City was another typical mining town of 70 houses, several general stores, a school house (still standing), Crystal Club (still stan

In a Lovely Glen, named for a Lovely White Calcium Carbonate— Marble ( Elevation 7,950 Feet ) The Crystal River next reaches the valley where the town of Marble is located. The Spanish explorers, Escalante and Dominquez, may have come into this territory in 1541, but they left no permanent records. The “Forty-Niners” were supposed to have come this far off their beaten trail on their way to California; gold pans and other mining equipment were found near Prospect Ranch by Bill Gant who trapped b

of an Ideal Village for Miners ( Elevation Approximately 6,500 feet ) John C. Osgood came to Colorado in the early 1880s to make a thorough investigation of all the coal deposits in the state. Those up Coal Creek, a branch of the Crystal River, seemed especially favorable for his plan, and he was able to buy them from their original owners for a few hundred dollars. The dream he had of building a model village for miners in this valley did not materialize for almost twenty years. He organized th

Theodore (Sgt.) Jackson of Paonia, Colo., owns a cabin in Schofield and keeps sixteen horses there during the summer for conducting tourist trips to many remote points in the mountains. The Cristenson Brothers graze 1,500 sheep every summer in the mountain meadows high above Crystal City. They say this is the most ideal spot for sheep grazing they have ever seen. Ward C. Canaday , at one time president of Willys-Overland Motors, owns several mining claims above Crystal and some buildings and lot

Sept. 8, 1893 In the Little Jessie mine on Yule Creek, there is from four to six feet of lead ore exposd in the workings, which runs well in lead and silver. The ore body is opened up in two places and shows up well. Dec. 1, 1893 While over the range they are struggling with from two to three feet of snow, here we are having pleasant weather and a scant two inches of snow, which is thawing. Jan. 5, 1894 The bid on the mail route between Crested Butte and Gothic went for $276 per annum—just $23 p

While reading the papers published in Crystal City and in Marble in the 1880s and 1890s I came across many intriguing names and thought a list of them might give you a little enjoyment. The more familiar names were: These were very important to someone at sometime, yet did very little production:...

My special gratitude to the following persons who so graciously dug through old papers, pictures, and memories to find special facts:...