EARLY RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES IN NATURITA

The influence of religion came to Naturita with the earliest settlers. R.H. Blake, the father of John Blake, was one of the earliest, if not the first settler of Naturita. He was a very religious man.

Settlers were few and far between in those early days. A family by the name of Warner lived on the ranch above the one now owned by Clyde Porter. There was a family on the present Ernest Maupin ranch, with a few other families scattered about the area.

A Sunday school was maintained; a building on Mr. Blake’s place was used for its meeting place. He and Mr. Warner usually had charge of the Sunday School.

Mr. Blake was a communicant of the Episcopalian Church, and early on missionaries of that faith visited this locality. Foremost among them was a man named Bullis, who came from Durango to hold services here. One of the visiting ministers later became Bishop of Colorado. Men of other affiliations came, Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics and Mormons.

An elderly man, Mr.Cook, who was located in Norwood, made trips to the surrounding areas to hold services. He often walked long distances to keep his appointments.

Arnoldus Miller. An Episcopalian Missionary, was a notable character among these faithful ministers of the gospel.

Catholic priests stationed at Telluride came down for services held usually at the homes of some of its members. Father Fagan, O’Farrell, and Schmidt were some of these priests.

About 1910, James F. Walker, a Home Missionary of the Congregational Church, established his headquarters at Redvale. From there he extended his activities to adjacent communities. For several years he held services at what we now call the old schoolhouse on Sunday afternoons.

Here too was held a thriving Sunday school. Among the dependable workers were: Mrs. A.R. Payson, at the organ; Mrs. W. R. Cooper, Superintendent; Mrs. Dudley Hall; and Mrs. Robert McNutt.

Submitted by John Blake to Fanny E. Foster, of the Golden Jubilee Club of Naturita, Colorado and General Federation of Womens Club in the early 1940s.