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| '''John Otto''' was the first park superintent at ]. A self-professed trailbuilder, Otto arrived in ] in ] or ]. He spent most of his time exploring the nearby plateau and canyon ]. He built trails in what most area residents had believed was an impenetrable wilderness. | |||
| |name = John Otto | |||
| |image = Grand Valley Legends Project John Otto 03.jpg | |||
| |caption = Statue of John Otto on horseback | |||
| | birth_date = {{birth date |1870|12|30}} | |||
| | birth_place = ] | |||
| | death_date = {{death date and age |1952|6|19|1870|12|30}} | |||
| | death_place = ] | |||
| | spouse = {{marriage|]|1911|1912|reason=div.}} | |||
| }} | |||
| '''John Otto''' (December 30, 1870 - June 19, 1952) was the first park custodian at ], and had been a key advocate for its creation and its later inclusion in the ]. | |||
| A self-professed trailbuilder described as a "benign but enthusiastic eccentric",<ref name="Jacobs">{{cite book | last = Jacobs | first = Randy |author2=Ormes, Robert M. | year = 2000 | title = Guide to the Colorado Mountains | publisher = The Mountaineers Books | isbn = 0-9671466-0-7 | page = 331}}</ref> Otto arrived in ] in 1906, helped construct a municipal waterline between Piñon Mesa and Fruita, Colorado, and acquainted himself with the neighboring topography. In 1907, Otto wrote, "I came here last year and found these canyons, and they felt like the heart of the world to me. I'm going to stay and promote this place, because it should be a national park."<ref>{{cite book | |||
| ⚫ | {{explorer-stub}} | ||
| |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BOTa5gUx4x0C | |||
| |title=John Fielder's Best of Colorado | |||
| |author=John Fielder | |||
| |year=2002 | |||
| |publisher=Big Earth Publishing | |||
| |isbn=1-56579-429-X}}</ref> | |||
| Because of his efforts to promote and protect the area, others took notice, and by 1909 the local newspaper was lobbying to make the area a national park. On May 24, 1911, the area was designated ]. Otto was hired as the Monument's first custodian, in which capacity he earned one dollar per month until leaving the post in 1929. | |||
| According to ], "Otto was a marvelous guide and knew every inch of his monument, which he tended like a personal kingdom."<ref>{{cite book | |||
| |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CN_BsBgO1KUC | |||
| |title=Creating the National Park Service: The Missing Years | |||
| |author1=Horace Marden Albright |author2=Robert M Utley |author3=Marian Albright Schneck |year=1999 | |||
| |publisher=] Press | |||
| |isbn=0-8061-3155-1}}</ref> Among his accomplishments was carving a steep stairway up the near-vertical ascent of ], the largest such feature in the park, which after the park's designation he used to summit the ] and raise an ].<ref name="Baggs">{{cite book | |||
| |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OU0UAAAAYAAJ | |||
| |title=Colorado: The Queen Jewel of the Rockies | |||
| |author=Mae Lacy Baggs | |||
| |year=1918 | |||
| |publisher=The Page Company}}</ref><ref name="Achey">{{cite book | last = Achey | first = Jeff |author2=Chelton, Dudley |author3=Godfrey, Bob | year = 2002 | title = Climb!: The History of Rock Climbing in Colorado | publisher = The Mountaineers Books | isbn = 0-89886-876-9 | page = 124 }}</ref> He was often dubbed "The Trail Builder" or "The Hermit of Monument Park" in newspaper and magazine stories, and was rarely seen without his two ]s (named Foxie and Cookie) laden with camping equipment and provisions.<ref name="Baggs"/> | |||
| Born in ], he married ] on June 20, 1911, at a rustic altar near the base of Independence Monument in what is known today as Wedding Canyon. They divorced in 1912.<ref name="Kania">{{cite book | last = Kania | first = Alan J. | year = 2008 | title = John Otto: Trials and Trails | publisher = Xlibris | isbn = 978-1-4363-0643-0}}</ref> Otto lived his final twenty years on a mining claim near ], where he was buried in a pauper's grave. In 2002, the Colorado National Monument Association erected a gravestone carved using a ] rock resembling Independence Monument.<ref>, Colorado National Monument, National Park Service, 2013, accessed July 7, 2013</ref> | |||
| == References == | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| {{Authority control}} | |||
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| ⚫ | {{explorer-stub}} | ||
Latest revision as of 00:02, 16 August 2023
| John Otto | |
|---|---|
 Statue of John Otto on horseback | |
| Born | (1870-12-30)December 30, 1870 Marthasville, Missouri |
| Died | June 19, 1952(1952-06-19) (aged 81) Yreka, California |
| Spouse |
Beatrice Farnham
(m. 1911; div. 1912) |
John Otto (December 30, 1870 - June 19, 1952) was the first park custodian at Colorado National Monument, and had been a key advocate for its creation and its later inclusion in the National Park System.
A self-professed trailbuilder described as a "benign but enthusiastic eccentric", Otto arrived in Grand Junction, Colorado in 1906, helped construct a municipal waterline between Piñon Mesa and Fruita, Colorado, and acquainted himself with the neighboring topography. In 1907, Otto wrote, "I came here last year and found these canyons, and they felt like the heart of the world to me. I'm going to stay and promote this place, because it should be a national park."
Because of his efforts to promote and protect the area, others took notice, and by 1909 the local newspaper was lobbying to make the area a national park. On May 24, 1911, the area was designated Colorado National Monument. Otto was hired as the Monument's first custodian, in which capacity he earned one dollar per month until leaving the post in 1929.
According to Horace Albright, "Otto was a marvelous guide and knew every inch of his monument, which he tended like a personal kingdom." Among his accomplishments was carving a steep stairway up the near-vertical ascent of Independence Monument, the largest such feature in the park, which after the park's designation he used to summit the monolith and raise an American flag. He was often dubbed "The Trail Builder" or "The Hermit of Monument Park" in newspaper and magazine stories, and was rarely seen without his two burros (named Foxie and Cookie) laden with camping equipment and provisions.
Born in Marthasville, Missouri, he married Beatrice Farnham on June 20, 1911, at a rustic altar near the base of Independence Monument in what is known today as Wedding Canyon. They divorced in 1912. Otto lived his final twenty years on a mining claim near Yreka, California, where he was buried in a pauper's grave. In 2002, the Colorado National Monument Association erected a gravestone carved using a sandstone rock resembling Independence Monument.
References
- Jacobs, Randy; Ormes, Robert M. (2000). Guide to the Colorado Mountains. The Mountaineers Books. p. 331. ISBN 0-9671466-0-7.
- John Fielder (2002). John Fielder's Best of Colorado. Big Earth Publishing. ISBN 1-56579-429-X.
- Horace Marden Albright; Robert M Utley; Marian Albright Schneck (1999). Creating the National Park Service: The Missing Years. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-3155-1.
- ^ Mae Lacy Baggs (1918). Colorado: The Queen Jewel of the Rockies. The Page Company.
- Achey, Jeff; Chelton, Dudley; Godfrey, Bob (2002). Climb!: The History of Rock Climbing in Colorado. The Mountaineers Books. p. 124. ISBN 0-89886-876-9.
- Kania, Alan J. (2008). John Otto: Trials and Trails. Xlibris. ISBN 978-1-4363-0643-0.
- John Otto, Colorado National Monument, National Park Service, 2013, accessed July 7, 2013
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