Father Dyers' legacy tied to Colorado, Monument and skiing

 

By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

Father John Dyer is considered one of the state's 16 founders, honored with a stained glass portrait in the capital, and one of the state's inductees to the Skiing Hall of Fame. But few remember of time spent in Monument, Colorado.

"The Methodists had erected a fine parsonage through the efforts of John L. Dyer. Father Dyer as he was called, was very active in Monument and other places in Colorado. He presided over the Monument circuit which included Blakely Mill, Weirs Mill, and Farmers Mill.  He was known as the 'Snow-Shoe Itinerant.' In his book, he describes building a fine parsonage in Monument. It was a frame house lathed and plastered, 16 x 24 feet and cost over $300.00. This is still part of the home of Leia Hagedorn's home on Jefferson Street," wrote Lucille Lavelett in her 1975 book "Through the Years at Monument, Colorado."

"At Monument, he preached in the school-house, and in a small church which had apparently been built before the railroad station of  the Rio Grande south of Town. George Newbrough cut the square-headed nails and helped build the parsonage," writes Lavelett.

On Nov. 16, 1874 Book K, page 66, a deed was recorded from Chas. Adams to Monument Methodist Episcopal church. Trustees John Lindsey, P.C. Castle, Wm. Lierd, Henry Teachout, and A.G. Teachout: $10.00 consideration, Lot 11, block 6, filed Jan. 8, 1875.

"For a man who came to Colorado penny-less, Father John Dyer legacy is extensive. He brought spiritual guidance to thousands of miners across the state who routinely went months or years without a sermon. He gave much of  what little he had to the poor, served in a variety of local leadership roles, and helped build many of the first churches throughout the Colorado Rockies. Perhaps most memorably, he saved lives out in the mountains on  a dozen or more occasions, serving as a guide, rescuer, and nurse for those who lost their way," notes Alex Derr, in "The Next Summit."

According to ColoradoInfo.com,  Dyer was also somewhat responsible for the emergence of skiing in Colorado.

"While the European sport and recreation skiing scene was quickly carving a popular niche at the end of the 19th century, skiing in Colorado and much of the West was emerging out of necessity. By the late 1800's, Colorado's high country was bustling with miners searching for the big strike. Men, many with families in tow, came from all over the world in search of a grand fortune, and they arrived to find a beautiful and harsh environment. Towering peaks and heavy snowfalls made travel by wagon, train, or horse difficult, if not impossible at times. Scandinavian miners who joined the influx of immigrants offered a solution. They taught their fellow mountain dwellers how to craft skis and use them to travel through the snow, whether it was simply to ski to town to pick up supplies, ski to school or visit friends," says ColoradoInfo.com.

"The group most famous for ski travel in the mining days were the mailmen. These hardy individuals lashed on eleven-foot wooden boards, threw 25 pound mailbags on their backs, and traveled from one mining camp to the next, often over dangerous mountain passes in the dead of night when the crusty snow made traveling easier. Skiing soon emerged as a form of entertainment. Jumping and racing contests were established in camps to pass the long winter days. As the century came to a close and mining began to dwindle, skiing gained momentum as a sport and a form of recreation. Clubs sprang up throughout the state. As interest grew, so did the sports clubs' membership, which led to an increase in competitions but also provided companionship for a casual day on the slopes," the site says.

"In the decades to come, a growing interest in alpine skiing, innovations in ski equipment, an increasing number of national and international events, and the U.S. hosting the 1932 Olympics in Lake Placid led to a soaring interest in the sport. Small ski areas popped up around Colorado, and in January 1940, the first major ski area in Colorado was dedicated at Winter Park."