HOME OF THE AUTHOR—She has lived in this house since coming to Marble in 1923. —Photo courtesy Glen L. Gebhardt, Denver, Colo.
Printed in the United States of America
POERTNER LITHOGRAPHING CO.
DENVER, COLO.
PRELUDE
I came to Marble, Colo. in 1923 while it was still a very active thriving little city. My first husband, Theodore (Ted) A. Herman, worked in the marble mill almost twenty years: then after a few years sickness he died, and I remained a widow over eleven years, never leaving Marble except for brief visits with relatives. Many times during these winters I was the only person in town, yet I was never bored or afraid. The telephone company kept my phone in good working order and I received my mail three times a week. I had a good radio, loved to read, write letters, and do my pyro-plastic work to sell at the stand (Ken’s Pop Stand) during the summers. This stand was started by my grandson, Kenneth E. Herman, in 1948, as a nestegg for his college education. When I quit teaching school in 1952, we ran it together until 1956 when he graduated from South High School in Denver and felt he must find a more lucrative job. I have run it alone since.
In late 1956 I married again and now spend my summers in Marble and winters in Tucson, Ariz., where my husband is a Linotype operator on a Tucson daily paper. It is our earnest desire to spend the rest of our lives in Marble after he retires.
In attempting to compile a history of the Crystal River Valley I have accumulated such a vast amount of interesting material that it would be impossible to condense it into a booklet of 10,000 words. So I have decided to write a brief history of the various locales and answer the questions most often asked at the pop stand. Then after another year or two of research I’ll try to write a book containing a more detailed history and memoirs of the many interesting people who have lived in the valley, if I feel the public would like such a volume.
If this little booklet has given you some pleasure and knowledge of this marvelous valley, then it has accomplished its purpose and I am happy. I am sure that once you have visited this portion of the western slope and know its history you will love it as I do.
Theresa V. Francis
