Lies, Legends & Lore of the San Juans (and a few true tales)
by Roger Henn
Roger Henn, Ouray, Colorado native, relates tales of early miners, lost gold mines, life in the tiny San Juan mountain towns, boyhood adventures, and other delightful and informative lore about past times in the San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado. He also spins tall tales that have been handed down in the San Juans for generations. Now these wonderful stories have been captured in print. The forty-three tales include: Our Friend the Murderer: The tragic story of Billy Nagle. Silverton's First Cat: Early settlers had trouble keeping cats alive at high altitudes. A Lake called Lenore: One of Ouray's exclusive areas is named after a prostitute. The Mystery of the Copper Mining Tools: Just how old are they, a hundred, possibly a thousand years old? The Lost Swede Mine: A lost treasure still waiting to be found. Snow Snakes and Snow Mosquitoes, Do they really exist? And much, much more.
- Published
- 1999
- ISBN
- 1-890437-29-8
- Pages
- 192
- Place
- Silverton
- Publisher
- Western Reflections, Inc.
- Listed at
- $15.95
Publication details from Open Library. The price shown is the last one on record and is historic, not a current offer.
- Direct from us info@westernreflectionspublishing.com or (336) 565-6915. We pack and post from Lake City.
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About this book
Lies, Legends & Lore of the San Juans (and a few true tales) is a collection of forty-three stories by Roger Henn, who is described as an Ouray, Colorado native. According to the description, he relates tales of early miners, lost gold mines, life in the tiny San Juan mountain towns and boyhood adventures. He also spins tall tales that have been handed down in the San Juans for generations.
The description names a few of the stories. Our Friend the Murderer is the tragic story of Billy Nagle. Silverton's First Cat is about early settlers who had trouble keeping cats alive at high altitudes. A Lake called Lenore recalls that one of Ouray's exclusive areas is named after a prostitute. The Mystery of the Copper Mining Tools asks how old the tools are, a hundred years or possibly a thousand. The Lost Swede Mine concerns a treasure still waiting to be found, and Snow Snakes and Snow Mosquitoes asks whether they really exist.
Our catalogue lists the book at 192 pages and files it with anecdotes, biography, childhood and youth, and frontier and pioneer life.
What is inside
Our Friend the Murderer
The tragic story of Billy Nagle.
Silverton's First Cat
Early settlers had trouble keeping cats alive at high altitudes.
A Lake called Lenore
One of Ouray's exclusive areas is named after a prostitute.
The Lost Swede Mine
A lost treasure still waiting to be found.
Snow Snakes and Snow Mosquitoes
A tall tale that asks whether they really exist.
Who it is for
This book is for people who love the San Juan Mountains and the stories told about them, especially around Ouray and Silverton. The tales mix boyhood memories, mining lore and tall tales, so it reads as a collection to dip into, not a single history. Libraries and local shelves in southwestern Colorado are natural homes for it.
About the author
The record tells us that Roger Henn is an Ouray, Colorado native, and the book is our main source for him. We could not find an outside biography or other books by him, so we offer nothing more. His author page lists this book.
Ways to use this book
Sorting a tale from a record
When a story names a mine or a person, ask the Ouray County research center whether its papers or photographs mention them. A tall tale and a documented event can look alike until you check.
Reading before a San Juan drive
Skim the encyclopedia entries on the range and the county, then plan stops at a museum in each town. Season dates differ, and the Silverton site says how its calendar works.
Go deeper
The stories in this collection come from the mining towns of the San Juan Mountains, around Ouray and Silverton. These local museums and references cover the same country and can help you tell the history from the tall tales.
Ouray County Historical Society
The society runs a museum and a research center. Its website says the archives hold over 25,000 documents and over 8,000 photographs, visits by appointment.
San Juan County Historical Society
The Silverton society operates a mining heritage center, a jail museum and an archive. Its site lists season dates, so check them before a trip.
Colorado Encyclopedia: San Juan Mountains
An overview of the range's geology and its mining past, including the Brunot Agreement of 1873.
Colorado Encyclopedia: Ouray County
A county entry covering its mines, towns and landscape, useful for locating a place named in a story.
Good to know
Is it a history or a story collection?
Which towns does it cover?
Where can I buy it?
Have a book of your own?
This is the kind of book the house publishes: regional history, biography, memoir and the stories that belong to a place. Send us yours and a person will read it.