Walk up the Hill

Silverton, CO, is one of those idyllic vacation spots where you see lots of SUVs, expensive moutain bikes and young families in designer hiking boots. I traveled to Silverton (300+ miles southwest of Denver) this past weekend to officiate at the wedding of my youngest brother.

Today, Silverton has about 500 permanent residents, most of whom run the hotels, bed and breakfasts and restaurants for the wealthy vacationers. Silverton was a booming mining town a hundred years ago. While the views are as spectacular today as they were 100 years ago, there’s another side to the story. There always is, isn’t there?. I walked up the hillside to the cemetery (pictured here) one afternoon and spent a couple of hours reading the headstones.

Let me tell you, friends. Life in Silverton has been difficult. What, you ask? Even in the pastoral San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado? Yep, even there. As I meandered my way through the cemetery, I discovered that few people buried there lived to be even 40 years old. Here’s a sampling of what I read:

Minnie Rowcroft
Died Jan. 15, 1888
age 35 yrs.
Froze to death

Bessie & Josie
“Our Babes”
1879-81
1882-83

Thomas G. Andrew
Father of Goldie
1843-March 15,1885
Suicide by gunshot
Born in Sweden
Civil war Veteran

Henry cleary
Age 35
Lynched by the Vigilantes
Aug. 31, 1879

If you’re thinking about moving to a beautiful place, where life will be serene and all the children always behave, think again men. Silverton, Colorado, was a great place until all the people started moving there! Of this I am sure: If we can’t make our peace with where we are now, we will not find it someplace else. May the peace of Christ fill us beyond measure right where we live.