The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-12-18
THE EARLY CHURCHES
HOW THEY STARTED

Los Angeles, Calf, Dec q. 1919.
Mr.. Editor The spring Of 1880
opened in Crested Butte with very
little provisions but plenty of whis-
key in the two saloons. While the
deep SHOWS might block the roads
for travel and prevent supplies from
coming in. yet Burns whiskey would
never give out. However there were
big stocks of goods coming in. and.
just as soon as the roads would per-
NIT these stocks arrived for Irwin.
Gothic and Crested Butte. The firm
of Holt &, Axtell had the first big
stock of general merchandise for
Crested Butte. They bought in
saw mill. which was very essential.
Mr.. Geo. H. Holt was from Chicago.
where he had been in the lumber busi-
ness. having come. to Leadville in
1879. Mr.. V. F. Axtell was from
Buffalo. New York. but had been in
the grocery business believe in
Evanston. Ill. They made the firm
of Holt & Axtell who did a large
business in Crested Butte for q num-
ber of years.
About 1882 Mr. Axtell brought his
wife and two daughters out from the
east, and they with the assistance
mainly of Mrs. Howard Smith, es-
tablished social and religious code
for that frontier settlement that was
hitherto unknown. They persisted
In holding meetings wherever it was
possible on Sundays. and finally n
church was erected, which stands to
this day as a monument to- the. un-
firing efforts of Mr.. Axtell and a
little band of Christian people who
had come into that region. I; think
the church was erected. asa Congre-
grational. but has always been; held
as undenominatienal and devoted to
union services Of all protestant creeas.
The first preacher have any
knowledge of being stationed there
was Mr.. Wright. who afterwards
preached In Pueblo for a number OF
years. After him came a Mr.. Kilpy.
He was there for year or two. then
went to North Dakota to preach In
some way he got mixed up in politics
In some reform movement and was
nominated and elected to the United
States Senate. l think he died while
serving In the senate. az Is
The next preacher to serve there
was Rev. NcKillup. He had been
missionary in Central America. and
often recounted incidents of his ex-
periences In, British Guiana. After
him came the Rev. Martin, who was
there for a number of years.
The Catholics early established a
church in Crested Butte and . priest
was assigned to serve both Gunnison
and Crested Butte In those pioneer
davs.
With the great influx Of people in
1880 there was much need for hotels
and places to eat. Mrs. John Songer
served meals and they became IA
NOUS 1t was home cooking and
travellers would go out Of their way
to reach Mrs. Songer's to get q good
dinner. Mr.. and Mrs. John Songer
were the parents of Frank Songer
who still resides there.
With a saw mill cutting lumber
and the great need Of hotel to care
for the people. Holt 4 Axtell built
the Elk Mountain House. l think it
was opened with a grand ball in the
winter of 1882 ! was there, coming
down from Irwin with large dele
CATION. 1t was a time long to be
rem .mbered Oh. Mama! If you don't
believe 1t ask G. H. Judd. He was
there. but all these years has escaped
matrimony.
Mrs. Mary Ashley was the first pro-
prietor. She was a sister to Roy
Stearns. who opened the station and
was the first agent of the D. & r.
G. R. r. Mrs. Ashley was a widow
with two children, boy. Don, and a
little girl Louise, and as long as she
kept the hotel 1t was very popular. She
has been dead a number of years, 80
has her son Don; Louise married
Mr. Heron. of Colorado Springs. and
they live at Oakdale. California.
where Mr.. Heron has bank After
Mrs. Ashley, Joe Cuenin ran the house
for a year, then came Mr.. Nc
C'usky, who was popular and set
good table. When he left there came
P. T. Patton. Canadian. who was
proprietor for several years. For
the thirty-seven years the Elk
Mountain House has been there 1t
has filled long-felt-want. and in Its