The History Of Homesteading In Colorado

During the first half of the twentieth century, the Colorado mountains became home to a handful of women who had fled the trappings of their former societies in hopes of refuge and adventure. One such woman was Virginia Donaghe McClurg, who became the first white woman to visit Mesa Verde and in later years would become immensely involved in the Colorado Cliff Dwellings Association, which fought to make the site a national park. Also an active member of this committee was Lucy Peabody, who, after a number of disputes with McClurg, became known as the “Mother of Mesa Verde National Park” due to the approval of her proposed Hogg Bill. For Susan Anderson, the Colorado mountains allowed her the opportunity to be taken seriously as a female physician …show more content…
Prior to her decision to live off of 160 acres of land on a three-year residence claim in Tahosa Valley, Garetson had led what she considered a mediocre life in St. Louis. In 1909, she accompanied her family to Colorado in order to rehabilitate her nephew who had fallen ill with tuberculosis. It was during this trip that Garetson and her family became fond of Longs Peak Inn, where they would vacation for the next five summers. In 1914, she happened upon two travelers who told her about homesteading in Colorado, later commenting that “‘The words fell upon peculiarly fertile ground because I was seeking to escape from the return to St. Louis. Before he went away he tugged at some old papers in his pocket and finally produced two pamphlets for me . . . One was “Vacant Public Lands in the United States,” but the other pleased me most; it was entitled, “Suggestions to Homesteaders and Persons Desiring to Make Homestead Entries.” . . . At last I deliberately took the leap as one who shuts his eyes and jumps.’” A short time later, Garetson traveled to Denver to sign a residence claim to a piece of land just south of Longs Peak Inn and convinced her best friend, Annie Adele Shreve to stay with her for the …show more content…
The first night she and A. A. Shreve spent in their cabin (dubbed the Big Owl Lodge) had been hapless, having ruined their first meal by using a faulty skillet and spending the rest of their evening in an anxious trance. Garetson recalled the uneasiness of that night, saying that “‘Without ceremony we unpacked the bedding and crawled in — to cry, to turn, to toss about, and to wonder why we ever did it.’” The following weeks limped along, marked by insufficient heat and undercooked meals, the only highlight being the weekly trip to pick up their mail. Garetson and Shreve’s finances soon ran out, leaving them unable to afford even stamps. By the end of the summer, Garetson and Shreve agreed to part ways, leaving Garetson to maintain the Big Owl Lodge while Shreve secured a teaching job in Wyoming. The solitude that followed had become nearly insufferable, compelling Garetson to stay in St. Louis until