Morse Coffin Reminisces

At that time - 1859 - there were plenty of rumors of rich finds of gold in the sands of the streams over the range, especially in Middle and South parks. Most, if not all of these reports seemed to come from Indian, or from Mexican, Spanish, or French trappers and traders. Of course these stories were never allowed to diminish in the least as they passed from tongue to tongue, but on the contrary looked larger and larger as each was repeated. As a result many little prospecting companies were formed for the purpose of re-discovering these rich sands. I well remember one such company of some twenty or thirty men starting out from Boulder the summer of '59 with horses and pack animals. This company had a Mexican or Spanish guide who was to pilot them to the rich find he had once seen. I think they went up the Gold Hill road for a mile or two and then took the old ute train and so on over the range. Of course all such parties went armed with picks, shovels, and pans for prospecting, but my opinion is that very little thorough prospecting was done by these parties. As a matter of course they usually started out with hopes and expectations, while the return - generally in small squads, pairs, or singly - was quite the reverse, discouragements being almost universal. But just here I wish to voice my opinion of prospectors and miners in general. If there is any class of citizens in this whole western country who deserve to succeed as a result of courage, fortitude, and perseverence under all sorts of adverse circumstances, it is these prospectors and miners of the west. They may have their faults - most everybody has - but as a class they are generous and wholesouled and ever considering the necessities of the other fellow. They are entitled to our thanks for all they have done and are doing for the development of this whole country, as well as our cordial good wishes for their own welfare in the future. Long live the Prospector and Miner.

Of necessity much of my reminisces are too personal to even suit me, so now a short chapter of a more general nature may be an agreeable change.

I desire to make mention of a party "as was a party" taking place in Boulder on January 1, 1861. It was attended by the "400" of that day and by no one else, for there were no other people around at that time, as all others had left the country, some going east to the United States and others over the Range from whence they had not yet returned.

This party was given by the late A. J. Macky and Hiram P. Buck in the first frame structure built in the town, and I am very sure was built from lumber sawed at Ed Donnelly's saw mill at the mouth of the canyon just above town. It was a two story building and a very good one for those times and this country. It was built by Macky and Buck who were partners at that time. It stood, as I remember, on or near the corner across the street east of the Court house square, fronting Pearl St., being on north side of same.

Great preparations were made for this party and as I remember now, few if any were too religious to take an interest in preparations for it, as it was of general interest and of local pride. If I am not greatly at fault even the family of C. J. Goss - very strict church people - took an interest in and favored it by their presence. The dancing took place on the second floor - two sets - and banquet on first floor. People came from all around the country, but I well recall that ladies were not near as plentiful as men and the former were pretty well danced out by morning. Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Smead came over from Left Hand with oxen and lumber wagon. Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Franklin came from their home up on the upper St. Vrain on hose back, the almost universal manner of going either short or olng distances, at that time. I am not absolutely sure that Geo. F. Chase was present at this party, but if not he should have been for I think he was not a Deacon in the church then, tho I well remember him as a religious man. As recalled now, I think few attended merely to show their good clothes, but everyone surely wore the best they had. A. A. Brookfield donned his "store" suit early in the afternoon and no sooner had he made his appearance on the street, all togged out in his best, than the boys began to josh and fire jokes at him until he actually seemed ashamed to be dressed up. As for myself, I am sure I had very few good clothes, but one thing is recalled most vividly.

When I left the old home in Illinois in the early days of May, '59, my sisters in the goodness of their nature packed among my other things a couple of white starched shirts, which I was told, were to be used in an emergency and that I should tell Jim about them so in case they were needed on the long journey we should not be buried in our everyday clothes. Well, no other use for these nice white shirts having turned up, I donned one of t hem to wear to this party but as soon as I had accomplished this in the upper story of the Boulder House (The Pioneer Hotel kept by Squires and Tourtellot) and came down to the office, I was grabbed by William A. Corson and told to "set 'em up" on account of said white shirt. But when he was reminded of my strict abstemious principles I was let off with the admonition "not to allow it to occur again."

Of those attending that party few are now living. I recall as still on this side of the great divide, Mrs. Brookfield and Geo. Chase of Boulder, Mrs. Kate Goss Clark and Mr. and Mrs. James L. Boutwell of Denver, John Rothrock of Longmont, Mrs. Jane Franklin Baker and Mr. C. L. Smead of Lyons (now almost 92 years old) and Mrs. Kate Dubois Bean of Loveland. Possibly the Cronk brothers, Abe of Leavenworth, Kas., and George of Berthoud, Colo., should be included in this list as both of them were at or near Boulder at that time. And Mr. H. B. Ludlow, still living a few miles east of Boulder, very likely there.

An important event contributing to the building of Boulder near this time or later, was the erection of a good water power saw mill just at the edge of town by Messrs. Squires and Tourtellot. In the meantime I am quite sure, the Donnelly mill at the mouth of the canyon was destroyed either by fire or water. This mill of which I speak did a large business for a few years, the logs to supply which were hauled from the hills for miles in every direction. I seem to have no data of the year this mill was built noe the length of its life. It is more than possible it may have met its fate during the flood season of 1864. George F. Chase of Boulder may be able to supply these dates.

Another early day improvement was the pioneer flour mill built by an old miller named Doughty, on South Boulder creek between where Marshall and Eldorado Springs are now situated. A portion of the old ditch as well as some other remnants of the structure are yet visible to one passing to the Springs on the railroad. This mill was purely a primitive affair but filled a much needed want and turned out - as we thought and still believe - a splendid flour. If I am not greatly mistaken, the burrs for this mill were obtained somewhere in the mountains from native stone. Nor am I able to tell just when said mill was built (I trust someone yet living can furnish this information) but this I do know, that my brother George and myself raised our first little crop of wheat, oats and corn in 1863, and second in '64 and we took some of one of these crops of wheat to that mill to be ground. I well remember we camped at the mill one or two nights waiting our turn to be served. Mr. Dought was the only man to attend to and run the mill and everyone sacked his own flour. The mill was small and grain waiting to be ground had to be set outside on the ground or in customers wagons. I think the manner of toll was to give so many pounds of flour, middlings and bran for a bushel of wheat and as I remember, this custom was continued for many years in more modern mills. The seed for our first crop was brought from Illinois on my second trip with oxen the summer of 1862. Quite likely there was wheat in the country before this time as I am not claiming we were the first raisers of grain in Colorado or even in the St. Vrain valley.

When I first started on my St. Vrain valley claim the first days of May, 1860, my first work was to root out some willows in a bend of the creek where there was no turf, with a mattock, and plant some garden seeds brought from home the year previous. I still have memoranda of what was planted and the dates. This little garden included onion seed, radish, beets, beans, sugar cane, a few hills of corn, mustard and rhubarb seed, etc. I well remember we had radishes to eat just 30 days from planting the seed, which is sooner than we get them now days, but in the former case I carried hundreds of pails of water from the creek a few rods away, with which to sprinkle the various beds of growing stuff.

During the year 1859 and for a few years immediately following this time, considerable flour was packed in here from New Mexico by Mexicans. This flour was of a cheaper sort than the American product and was worth less - being quite gritty from the wheat having been threshed on the ground similar to the manner in which it was done in the far east thousands of years ago. This flour was generally packed in dressed elkskin sacks, 200 lbs. each on those patient little burros. Those delicious brown Mexican beans - splendid soup beans - also onions from the same country, were brought in to some extent. These Mexican onions were of fine quality and immense in size. At the same time quite a big business was carried on by these Mexicans in supplying this whole section of the country with onion seed - their samples of large fine onions being good advertisers. At first, I think this seed sold at $16.00 an ounce, about the same as ordinary gold dust. Later the price came down to $8.00 and then to $4.00 an ounce, which latter price was considered cheap. If I remember correctly, in 1864 or '65 it was sold as low as $2.00 an ounce. At least some Americans brought it in and sold it.

Among the early gardeners at and near Boulder in the early days, the best known were the Wellman brothers and their ranch just to the south and east of town. The firm was composed of three brothers - Henry, Luther, and Sylvanus - and Ben Safford. They were good samples of sturdy hard-working Pennsylvanians and being a strong firm quickly branched out into gardening and a little later into more general farming.

Among the early merchants and business men were Ed Donnelly and Horace Tarbox, one firm and Squires and Tourtellot. Then comes Daniel Pound - familiarly and lovingly called "Father" Pound - who conducted a small store on south side of Pearl street for several years. A little later, Mr. Pound became associated with C. M. Tyler and J. P. Maxwell in the construction of a toll road up Boulder creek to Four Mile creek (and so on up to Magnolia Hill to Black Hawk). Likely Mr. N. K. Smith was also interested in the same enterprise. A little later Amos Widner, Anthony Arnett, and possibly another man or two, built the road up the creek from Four Mile to Nederland or Caribou. Both these roads were costly to build and I guess some of the money is still there as they were not financial successes. William Pound lived to be a very old man, over 90, I think. A daughter of Daniel Pound, Mrs. mary A. Ellis, still lives in Boulder beloved by all who know her.

I think Mr. Arnett is entitled to the credit of having brought into this portion of the state from the east, across the plains, the first large herd of cattle, mostly cows I believe.

In next weeks Miner he will tell of his experiences with the Indians. - Ed.