Family Ties

No, I'm not talking Alex P. Keaton Family Ties. I'm talking my family ties to Ouray, Colorado. While I had heard stories about a relative who was a famous lawman in the Wild West of Colorado, I never pictured modern Colorado when I heard these stories, and thus I never made the connection that I was moving home to some of my roots. 

But not only was this relative from Colorado, he lived here in tiny Ouray City, Ouray County, Colorado. He owned property a stones through from my house, and he sent is son to the school across the street.

His name was William Jasper Benton, and he went by Jesse. As far as I can read from historical and family documents, he moved to Ouray county in the 1870s to become a Marshall and then the first sheriff of this area. He was famous for shorting first and asking second. He owned a saloon in town that was used on Sundays as the first church. Parishioners sat on benches made from stacking beer kegs and boards. (I think this moment is when Jesse Benton's line was destined to create some spiritual black sheep.) There are several sheriff related stories about Jesse Benton in the historical records. Some are even true. But what touches me most is his relationship with his adopted son -- my mother's grandfather, Benny. When he was in his 50's Jesse married Elton, who was in her 20's. Elton was divorced from a drunk, and she had a son named Henry Earl Woodruff. Jesse adopted the 6 year old boy and changed his name to Henry Earl Benton. The part I love is that later in his life my mother's grandfather changed his name from Henry to Jesse to owner his step father and then later named his own son Jess Earl Benton III in tribute to this unusual but loving geneology. More stories about all these people to come. 

Here are some quotes about Jesse Benton from local records: 

"Rev. C.L. Libby preached the first sermon in Ouray in Jesse Benton's uncompleted saloon building, boards placed on beer kegs and liquor packages around the walls served as seats for the congregation," Henry Ripley and Martha Pedley Ripley, 1914, Hand-clasp of the East and West: A Story of Pioneer Life on the Western Slope of Colorado. 

"A contract was entered into with Jesse Benton to furnish a building for the use of the county. Benton has been marshal of several towns in the San Juan region and until recently held that position in Ouray. He is rated as one of the bravest and truest officers on the frontier," Frank Hall, Rocky Mountain Historical Company, History of the State of Colorado, embracing accounts of the pre-historic races and their remains.

Picture of Jesse Benton with Wife, Elton Ramsey -- from the book "Ouray" by Gail Zanett Saunders

I'm grateful to be back in Colorado. I remember hearing that we had family from Colorado when I was about 15 and thinking that was so mysterious and green. Not sure why i thought "green," but I did. And now that mystery and all this green is part of my reality. 

On the first night here, we went out to dinner. We talked with the waiter and the owner. After an hour of chatting and learning about the town, the owner turned and pointed to the man across the room. "This is my husband, Junior. He's the sheriff of Ouray County." Junior knew all about Jesse, and welcomed us to town. 

(We had him pose in a picture with the girls. But the girls looked a little scared, so the pics got tossed when my phone memory was full.)