Review by Ed Quillen
Churches – November 1995 – Colorado Central Magazine
Faith in High Places: Historic Country Churches of Colorado
by Jean Goodwin Messigner and Mary Jane Massey Rust
Published in 1995 by Roberts-Rinehart
ISBN 1-57098-013-6
Faith may move mountains, but in the Rockies, it’s probably more accurate to say that faith moved into the mountains along with the miners who did most of the mountain-moving.
Along the mining frontier, the local saloon was often pressed into service as a sanctuary when a circuit-riding preacher came into town.
Those pioneer preachers road some amazing circuits, as an introductory chapter makes clear. Father John Dyer’s exploits, such as skiing across Mosquito Pass in the winter, are fairly well known. But there were also preachers like George Darley of the San Juans and much-traveled Sheldon Jackson.
Faith in High Places begins with brief chapters about architecture (eight pages of good color photos), early congregations, and the missionary parsons. Then it is organized geographically, with sections for mountains, plains, and San Luis Valley .
It concludes with a section on recycled churches, among them the old St. Rose of Lima chapel which now houses the Chamber of Commerce in the “quiet town” of Buena Vista. The building came within a hair’s breadth of getting used for fire-department practice before residents rallied to save it.
Generally, a short chapter is devoted to a church in each town. Salida’s First Christian Church is featured, for instance, although other pictures will appear — such as Salida’s First Baptist Church, of which there’s not a word in the text.
That was disconcerting, but I got used to it, and found some great lore, ranging from architectural influences to ethnic rivalries. Early on, the Irish miners of Leadville worshipped at Annunciation. As Slovenian miners arrived in the 1890s, the bishop organized a separate parish, St. Joseph’s, for them.
Another featured area church is Evangelical Lutheran in Westcliffe, where Pastor John Reininga also served as the builder.
Faith offers plenty of Colorado small-town social history that is often ignored. It’s a good addition to your bookshelf , and I notice that now, when I walk to the post office past four churches, I’m examining their architecture. Try it yourself.
— E.Q.