George M. Darley

Pioneering in the San Juan George M. Darley

In 1876, George M. Darley and his brother Alexander, an ordained Presbyterian minister, ventured into the wilds of Colorado and became the first non-Catholic ministers to hold church services on the Western Slope. In the town of Lake City, one of the main gateways to the San Juan Mining Region, George and Alexander organized the Lake City Presbyterian Church. After moving to Lake City, George preached, did carpentry work, and built Southwest Colorado's first church structure and even made the pews for his new Presbyterian church out of scaffolding used in its construction. Later, he built the church manse, and his wife became the first minister's wife to live on Colorado's Western Slope. Pioneering in the San Juan, relates stories about what Darley dubbed "The Great San Juan Excitement of 1875, '76 and '77." In this book, he details life in and around early Silverton, Ouray and Lake City; presiding at the funeral of a prostitute and a faro dealer; and surviving blizzards, avalanches, and freezing cold while traveling in the San Juans during winter. With wonderful photographs, and much, more - Western Reflections Publishing has reprinted this extraordinary bit of history for a wider public to enjoy.