OCR Text |
Show THE ZEPHYR JUNE 1990 PAGE 18 The Professor of Professor Valle by Lloyd Pierson was known as an eternal optimist, a wanderer, dreamer and sometime War Impractical pioneer. His name was Sylvester Richardson. The west of the post-CIera was filled with ambitious men out to conquer the west, get out of the congested east and make a fortune or at least settle down on some fertile acres and lead a better life. Richardson was one of these and despite his sometimes Ineptness and over-blodreams, ha left his mark on several parts of the west - the last being the country to the northwest of the La Sal Mountains In Utah. Professor Valley, Richardson Amphitheater, Professor Creek and the Richardson Post Office were all named after him. His nickname "Professor, was given him early In life because his peers recognized his apparent encyclopedic knowledge based on a life time Involvement In many endeavors. One story of him said he always had a book under his arm. Richardsons life story began In West Camp New York on the Hudson River where In 1830. His family had long lived there as his grandfather had fought with was bom he George Washington during the revolutionary birth of our country. His father, an abolitionist, worked with the under ground railway helping southern slaves escape to freedom In the northern U.S. and Canada. In his 20s Richardsons family moved to Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin and he accompanied them. This move seems to have Initiated his restless spirit and yearn for wandering as his horizons were widened. After a few years of teaching school and singing lessons and working as a carpenter he picked up and with his wife, Elizabeth, who he had married In 1858, and moved to Denver, Colorado arriving there In July, I860. The great gold strikes of the Colorado Rockies undoubtedly lured him westward with Its possibilities of fame and fortune. His time In and about Denver brought him neither. He worked as a teamster and for a while he tried ranching some 22 miles from town. The story Is told that rather than go to the forest for firewood he chopped up the ranch fence rails one winter for firewood. This was Indicative of his ability to run a good ranch operation and he his wife and son Denver, bom In 1861, soon packed up and went back to Wisconsin for a while. But Richardson had been Inoculated with the western fever and he was soon back In Denver. Talking to many of the prospectors and mountain men who used Denver as the base for their search of the Rocky Mountains for mineral and other riches Richardsons desires were further honed to make his fame and fortune. They talked of a fabulous country further west, over the continental divide, especially the newly entered but vacant Gunnison He vll wn drawn for until 31 had been passed out Richardson built the first cabin, a dirt roofed crude structure, and 20 more were started by the rest of the colony. Dlssentlon broke out during the summer over the platting of the town and the location of a bridge over the Gunnison River. One third of the men took to the hills to Denver prospect that same summer. The colony struggled along aided by newcomers from and garden crops. and Trinidad and the fertile soil which produced good potatoes Some of the colony returned to Denver for the winter and the 20 remaining were scattered over a 30 mile radius. Only Richardson remained of the original founding colony but the future of Gunnison was assured as the spring of 1875 arrived. The Utes In the was available to region were removed to a new reservation further west and more land Valley. Opportunity came to Sylvester Richardson In July of 1873 when he Joined an exploring expedition of 30 men, 8 teams and pack animals under Dr. John Parsons to exploit and develop the mineral resources of the Elk Mountains In the vicinity of the Gunnison Valley. Richardson signed on as a geologist, evidently having developed some skills In that area somewhere or perhaps talking a "good fight" and selling himself to Parsons. The happy group soon broke up shortly after reaching the Elk Mountains and Richardson set out to explore the region on his own. By October, 1873 he had walked some 600 miles and covered much of the Gunnison Basin. He discovered Important marble, coal and carbonate deposits and most of all land that he considered arable and ripe for settlement He returned to Denver In the fall of 1873 and by February of 1874 he had set up a Joint stock company capitalized at $6,000.00 to establish the townslte of Gunnison. His tales of mineral wealth and agricultural potential In the Gunnison Valley gathered to him a band of some 20 visionaries, all men, ready to conquer the wilderness. They set out In April, 1874 and were almost Immediately hit with an unseasonable two foot snow fall Just south of Denver. After the thaw some days later the braver souls pushed on to the Gunnison via Colorado Springs, Ute Pass, South Park and over Poncha and Cochetopa Passes to the site of Gunnison. On May 21, 1874 lots of 160 acres were 2 A post office was established In 1876, mostly for the settlers surrounding Gunnison as only Richardson and a few others remained In the town. By 1877 the county had been set up and elections of officials accomplished. Another mining flurry occurred In 1879 which led to the replattlng of the town of Gunnison with the Involvement of Richardson. Dlssentlon broke out again that winter with the town spilt In two; but 1880 Gunnison grew to a thousand. Many toll roads were built to satisfy the mineral exploitation and agricultural development The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad built to Gunnison In 1881 assuring Its permanence. ARE GONNA RUIN IT! education - not regulation visitors UNDERSTAND: How to treat the land and community with consideration and respect. How you should care for your pee, poop, and trash. How to travel safely in town. How to camp quietly in heavy use areas. That your conduct can have a direct effect on your enjoyment on this area. v LOCAL BEHAVIOR TOWARD VISITOR UNDERSTAND: Patience and Courtesy. Cursing at cyclists from cars is only a display of ones ignorance. That throwing objects at cyclists from cars is an attempted violent crime. That visitors can be educated to minimize their impact. That a willful display of bad attitude can adversely impact the entire community. brought to you by Rim Cyclery T J |