Review by Martha Quillen
Images of the Past by the Saguache County Museum – June 1999
Images of the Past, Volume II
Published in 1998
by the Saguache County Museum
ISBN 0-9651079-1-4
IMAGES OF THE PAST is published by volunteers of the Saguache County Museum, and all proceeds from the book go to support the museum. Volume II offers a real potpourri of historical articles, including information about San Luis Valley towns, buildings, educators, businesses, ranches, and churches — along with pictures and even a few poems.
But mostly this book features pioneer profiles — some of them memoirs written by the pioneers themselves, others written by descendants, and some derived from other publications and obituaries. Taken all together, these pioneer stories present a pretty extensive chronicle of hardship and misery.
Saguache County’s early settlers lost a lot of small children and young spouses, and although the survivors endured with fortitude, there’s an undeniable sense of tragedy in these recollections.
There’s also an unfortunate tendency by many writers to try to get in the names of everyone related to the pioneer — plus, as often as not, their birth and death dates — and that occasionally leads to a confusing jumble of details. Take for example:
“The brothers of Horace Bailey, in addition to George W., were Warren, Frank who came to Saguache in 1887 and lived in Saguache and Chaffee counties until his death in 1920, Milo F. Means, who came to Saguache in 1890 and lived in Saguache and Frémont counties until his death in Canon City in 1929, Rolla J., who… His sisters were…
“On September 14, 1882, Horace Bailey married Clara Isabell Profitt, daughter of John W. Profitt and Margaret Ashley, daughter of Deacon Samuel Ashley. To this marriage two sons were born….”
For those who live in Saguache County, I suspect most of this information will prove very interesting — since Saguache County residents probably know relatives of the people cited, or will at least be familiar with the ranches, buildings, schools, and businesses discussed.
And for those who don’t live in Saguache County there are gems here and there — a few amusing tales, a couple of well-developed characters, and some interesting facts and comments.
On the whole, though, most of these articles are pioneer profiles written for publication by friends or relatives who tend to be agreeably flattering and very careful not to offend. Thus, many of these portrayals tend to be as unrevealing and impersonal as résumés. Though Images tells a lot about what clubs and organizations people belonged to, and about their careers, often it’s hard to tell how these men and women felt about their lives. Or what they cared about.
Instead, Images supplies a lot of curious details that make one wonder just that. But perhaps the conclusion of the story of August and Mathilda Johnson sums up the overall feel of Images best. August and Mathilda had both been widowed when they met, and together they outlived several children, grandchildren and sons-in-law. But their story concludes:
“Although in this new land of theirs, August and Mathilda had to face a great many hardships, at no time did these sturdy pioneers express regret for their decision to immigrate here. Memories of them remain happy ones in the minds of their descendants.”
Images offers an interesting mix for history buffs and Saguache County residents. And at the same time, it supplies a painless, no-meetings-necessary, work-free way to support the Saguache County Museum.
— Martha Quillen