Posted:
6/27/2018 12:20:39 PM
by Kathy Heicher
William "Billy" Booco was the grandson of a Frenchman who came to this country to help liberate the colonies during the Revolutionary War, and then chose to stay. Billy, his wife Margaret and their seven children came west from Indiana in 1879, lured by the promise of silver in the mountains near Leadville. Like many pioneers, when the fortunes of the mines ebbed, Billy turned to ranching. He and his oldest son, George, homesteaded property on what is now Minturn. That's where the bear incident occurred.
Posted:
6/21/2018 2:43:05 PM
by Spencer McKee
It all started in 1873, when Pennsylvania-born Alferd Packer joined a party of 21 men traveling from Provo, Utah to Breckenridge, Colorado, a town in an area then known for its overfilled gold mines. In late January, the troop was forced to put their expedition on pause after an encounter with Chief Ouray near Montrose convinced most of the party that dangerous winter storms on the way weren’t worth the risk. Chief Ouray offered the group of travelers a spot amongst their tribe until winter passed, and they accepted.
