Nesmith's Trip to the Mountains 1921

Handwritten Diary of “F.O.N’s trip to Mts. 1921" - Transcribed by Cathy

           [Frank Orlando Nesmith often wrote his name as FO Nesmith]

Frank & Nellie Nesmith

Ruth Adell Nesmith

[Frank Orlando Nesmith (age 47), and his daughters, Ruth Adell Nesmith (age 19, oldest daughter), Fern Marie Nesmith (age 13, youngest daughter) went on a trip to the Mountains July 28, 1921.]

Fern Marie Nesmith

     F O Nesmith, daughters Ruth and Fern from Wauneta and Miss Pauline Greenfield from New York, left Wauneta at 6:45 Thursday morning July 28th for the West. Drove to Enders where C A Nesmith and family met there. We was in no hurry so took our time and drove to Haxtun Colo for dinner. We met several friends there that was on their way to see the sights of the west. We passed Brother Terry and his family several times and they passed us until we arrived in Sterling where we left them for good and never saw them again. We bought one tent in Sterling and C. A. done some shopping. We then drove to Brush and camped for the night on the camping grounds by the school house. We took in the band concert as it was only a block from our camp.  

Wauneta, NE to Brush, CO, about 140 miles

  
     Wednesday [actually Friday] morning we started for Boulder but we had some flat tires on the way which caused us considerable trouble between the hot sun, sand and mosquitoes, we managed to patch up and go on. We landed at C E Nesmith at 7 PM where we pitched our tent, Resting up Saturday as I was tired being sick for two weeks before starting and was still feeling bad. Sunday morning we attended the Christian Church and S.S. which was very good. We then went home with Jim Nesmith for a big dinner and we did eat. Jim has a nice place and such a strawberry patch you never saw and we did eat all we wanted too. It rained Sunday evening so we stayed at Charlie’s that night and enjoyed ourselves by singing old songs [speaking ?]

Monday morning we drove to Longmont park for dinner and as we were breaking camp it commenced to rain again and rained all the way on up to Loveland. After crossing the Thompson river we came to a long hill that was a hard one to climb in a wet time like this. There was about a dozen Fords stuck on this hill. But we rambled along passed all of them. When we got to the top of this hill there was a big Chandler car across the road so we had to stop until he took his time and wired his chain on and got out of our way.

 

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My the Fords we saw stuck and standing by the wayside. Art says of course he had a good one. We then went on through the rain and mud until we came to another bridge that was too narrow to pass a car and we had to slow down to let a car cross then we started to cross and another fellow came along from the other way so we backed off to let him cross and he killed the engine and if you ever saw a fellow mad he was one. He would crank, look at us, crank, then look at us and the rain coming down hard, by this time there a lot of cars behind him so they got out gave him a shove and on he went but if you could have seen that look he gave us. We sat in the car and the girls laughed at him, poor fellow.

Then we drove on in to Loveland where we found Ashby Morrison. Our bedding being wet and Ashby having a crowd we hunted up Jim Craig finding Maggy & Lar___ Pelby there.  Bertha took us in and we dried our things the best we could. The next day, Tuesday, we spent visiting and looking around Loveland. In the evening Jim Craig and the two women and myself drove to Ft. Collins and back.

      Wednesday morning, Art being sick we took one car and drove to Estes Park. Camped west of the park for lunch and while the cooks were washing dishes Fern and I climbed the mountain. While up there Fern said to me “Papa, if I reached out and caught a cloud what would become of it.” She didn’t catch any. 

 

Estes Park in Colorado, Rocky Mtn. National Park

Another view of Estes Park, Colorado

We drove through the National Park and visited the fish hatchery there then came back to the city of Estes Park. Ruth and Velma took a little wade in the creek but owing to the cool water they soon came out. We took many snapshots as there was a great many fine scenerys along the way. We came back down and arrived at Loveland at about 5:30 PM. 

 

Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado

  

     Thursday AM we drove back to Boulder camped at city park for dinner. Then drove to Jim’s spend the p.m. and night. Friday we drove to Denver. We drove by many coal mines on our way.
     We arrived at Fred Mat__ at noon, after dinner we drove up town took in the US Mint done some shopping. In the evening we went out to the White City on Lake Side Park where we emptied a portion of our pocketbooks. It is sure some place. The girls are well protected by the government at that place. Ask Police about it. Saturday we drove up Bear Creek Canyon through Evergreen where we met the smiling face of Frank McCullin. He took us up to his cabin where we met his wife and sister and daughter. We didn’t stop long as we was on our way up the mountain about a forty mile drive on to Look Out Mt. where Bill Cody is buried. We then came down the hill to Golden and in to Denver. Say some hill this came down three mints. that it took us 40 minutes to go up. The roads are fine all through the mountain everywhere.

Sunday we attended the Trinity Church and SS in the PM we drove along with Mr. & Mrs. Ma___ to the Park and other places.  Down here some fine parks. Monday we drove to Colorado Springs where we camped for at a park on the south side of the City. 

Colorado Springs, CO

Manitou Springs, CO

Garden of the Gods, CO

Tuesday we visited the Gardens of the Gods, Cave of the Winds Manitou Springs.










  Wednesday AM we drove to the Seven Falls, Helen Hunts grave and back to camp for dinner then to Pueblo in the PM where we saw many sights of the flood that they had there some months ago. 

Seven Falls, near Colorado Springs

Helen Hunt Falls, near her grave

  

Thursday AM after looking around and taking some snap shots we drove to Rocky Ford. North to Eads that night. Friday we drove through South East Colo where it never rains. The country is _____  but not much farming done there. We landed in Goodland, Kansas that night and drove home Saturday landing in Wauneta at 12:15 PM and was glad to get home once more being gone 16 ½ days. I think the trip home in all good. The girls took in all the sunshine they could while gone and if you would see them you would know where they have been.  F.O.N.

[Family Names: 

Frank Orlando Nesmith (age 47), 

Ruth Adell Nesmith (age 19, oldest daughter), 

Fern Marie Nesmith (age 13, youngest daughter), 

Bertha "Berty" E. Nesmith (age 51, older sister of Frank), 

"C A" Cyrus Arthur Nesmith (age 49, older brother to Frank), 

James "Jim" Nesmith (age 42, younger brother to Frank), 

"C E" Charles Ernest Nesmith (age 41, younger brother to Frank), 

"Brother Terry" Lewis Sherman Terry and family, including Jesse Wall Terry (age 20).]