Morse Coffin - Early Pioneer History

The chimney to this cabin was about five feet across and the same in height, laid up of loose stones, dry, and so let in some cold; no chinking or plaster, and no door only as we fixed up boards. We turned one cold side to the fire pretty often. At this time we were building a cabin of our own a half mile or so further up, on a spur of mountain by an immense rock as big as our cabin, and near a supply of water in the gulch. We tried to chop during these cold days but our fingers would tingle in a minute in contact with ox handles and we had to quit as we were not provided with the luxury of either mittens or gloves. We understood it was 35 or 40 degrees below zero.

Up to this time my last letter from home was received at Fort Laramie July 6th, and the next was late in November or in December. Papers included copies of the New York Tribune. That was the first we heard of the John Brown raid on Harper's Ferry and we had plenty to talk about for a while, Jim being a Democrat and I a Republican. For a time letter received cost us fifty cents each; regular postage brought them to the Missouri river, and 25 cents each from there to Denver by overland coach, and another 25 cents from Denver. This latter was soon cut down to 15 cents and later to 10 cents.

During the cold snap in the open cabin we slept in all our clothes except boots and had also, a wagon cover to help out in bedding.

During fall and winter we sawed lumber for fifteen or more parties, some of whom have since been prominent citizens of Boulder such as D. W. Walling, Wm. Pell, H. C. Norton, Wellman Bros., A. A. Brookfield, H. B. Butler, Geo. F. Chase, Marine Smith, Ed Donnely, Gates and Dayton and several others. It was well for Jim and myself that people were becoming so particular and clean as to want board instead of dirt floors for their cabins. We were glad to supply them at $6 per hundred feet, just decent wages for very laborious work.

During the latter part of winter and after our shack was finished and occupied, Geo. F. Chase (now Deacon Chase of Boulder) and his partner H. P. Butler, with Abe Cronk, occupied it jointly with us while cutting fence poles near there. During the long evenings we passed quite a portion of the time at spelling as, among my few books I had included an elementary spelling book. Our shack was a primitive one and very small but room enough for company. We five laid crosswise in the bunk and fixed up a board on which to rest our feet. But we enjoyed it all just the same.

One morning soon after Abe had gone to his work away up in the woods alone, and Jim and I had gone across the canyon to our sawmill, we heard Abe hallooing very loud, but with such an echo to his voice that we could not make out his words. Later we learned that he had encountered a small pack of large grey wolves. At first he kept out of sight and watched their maneuvers, but finally showed himself, expecting them to run off, but instead they showed no disposition to do so, but hung around and snapped their jaws and snarled as though they might try to make a breakfast of him. Then he deemed it time to become scared and yelled for us to come with the rifle we always took with us when we left the cabin for either work or play. This was a great place for both coyotes and grey wolves and we had concerts nearly every night, especially in cold weather.

The latter part of the winter - that is early in 1860 - we contracted to saw 2000 feet of lumber for H. C. Norton for a house on his ranch about a mile south by southeast of where the University now is. Before this job was finished we run short of grub and for the last week or more we had not a thing but bread to eat. We could work on it all right but there was very little enjoyment in eating. We were in a hurry to close the contract, as lumber was needed and we had no time to spare to hunt game. In all we sawed for Norton 2,850 feet and for pay took a yoke of oxen, two or three town lots, a few pounds of salt pork and flour, the latter 20 cents a pound. I think this is as much as we ever paid for flour.

This house of Norton's was safely The first frame building in the county. In all, during fall, winter, and until March 15th we had sawed 8,150 feet of lumber and for same had received $392.85 in gold dust or its equivalent. I had become attached to the little cabin and left it with some regret, but we had eaten the last of our grub - even the last bean and last pinch of salt. Our last meal was beans and meat (no bread) and we must scatter.

March 18th Jim went to work for Wellman Bros. for $15 per month, while I took my blanket and walked to Left Hand Creek, at north foot of Gold Hill, and found work with T. J. Graham, who was building a water power stamp mill there. I was to have $1 a day after mill was running and grub, but the grub was what I was after. Plenty of hard work but a happy time among a good lot of fellows. The wheel for this mill was 40 feet in diameter, though it was but a three stamp mill. On visiting the place in June when it had been running for a month or so, Graham promptly weighed out the dust for my work.

About April 25 Freeman Belcher came there from Boulder to see me and propose we go down the valley and take up ranches. This we proceeded to do. April 26th Belcher, a man named King and myself took out blankets and rifles on our backs and started down the valley from Boulder. At the junction of Boulder and St. Vrain creeks we shot a prairie chicken and cooked it to eat with our bread and slept there. Next day we traveled on to St. Vrain's old fort and found Mart. Broughton, Jim Boutwell, and Alf. Cushman, all of whom we knew, building a toll bridge over the Platte just above the mouth of the St. Vrain. At this time a man named Graham and family were living close by the remains of the old fort. This man Graham had been appointed or elected by some of the people the year before as a sort of delegate to Washington, representing this "Territory of Jefferson" as it was then called; and he told of the cordial greeting Stephen A. Douglas gave him.

M. H. Coffin