"A Look Back"

The Stories presented here are about people and events during the early days when this corner of Colorado was first settled.

Augusta Wallihan
By Mary Pat Dunn for the Museum of NWCO

Born in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, in 1837, Mary Augusta Higgins was destined to pioneer in many fields in her 86 years. Homesteading, wildlife photography and conservation, in addition to two world expositions, lay ahead for this adventurous woman. She made her home just a little west of Craig in remote Lay. Isolated as it was, her life still impacts us a century later.

Remarkable in looks and manner, Augusta was a short, stocky woman with sausage curls that hung to her shoulders. She was always impeccably groomed in spite of the rough frontier life. In addition to her rather formidable appearance, many acquaintances recalled that she possessed a distinctly vitriolic tongue. Others remembered her as a kindly and thoughtful neighbor. All were in agreement however, that with her determination and force of character, 'she was the making of A. G.'.

By 1900 the Wallihans' activity in wildlife photography appeared to have reached its peak. However, they remained heavily involved in their remote community, often taking part in various gatherings. A Routt County Courier, dated 1907, noted that they entertained at a Maybell get-together with their 'Columbia talking machine'.

It was through Thomas' partnership with Allen that Augusta met "A.G.". According to a family story, Augusta and A. G. became snowbound in an isolated cabin for several months due to unexplained circumstances. In order 'to protect' their honor they wed in April of 1885, traveling to Rawlins, Wyoming to have the ceremony performed.

Augusta was a remarkable woman for her day and time. She and A. G. pioneered successfully not only as homesteaders, but also in the area of wildlife photography. A formidable woman, Augusta dared to live her dreams and in the process made a lasting contribution to her world which trickles down into ours, over a century later.

Perched upon a wagonload of whiskey barrels behind 3 yoke of oxen, Augusta Higgins Farnham came with her husband to Denver in the summer of 1860. Looking for Western adventure they moved from Denver to Canon City, and then to Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City, at that time, was still so remote that Augusta remarked that she was one of only four Gentile women living there. Sometime around 1880, Augusta and her husband divorced, and she then joined her brother Thomas Higgins, who was in Northwest Colorado looking for land. Deciding to venture into the cattle business, Thomas teamed up with a young man named Allen Grant Wallihan at Lily Park, about 70 miles west and north of Craig.

Augusta was a remarkable woman for her day and time. She and A. G. pioneered successfully not only as homesteaders, but also in the area of wildlife photography. A formidable woman, Augusta dared to live her dreams and in the process made a lasting contribution to her world which trickles down into ours, over a century later.

As her hunting skills grew Augusta's fame as an expert sharpshooter spread. In 1895 she was invited to the Sportsman's Expo at Madison Square Gardens in New York, where she hosted the Hunters' Cabin. This was a remarkable accomplishment for a woman of her time in this predominately male activity.

While out hunting Augusta felt a growing desire to photograph the extraordinary wildlife she viewed everyday. When two travelers passed through the area she prevailed upon them to trade a camera they had for a pair of buckskin gloves she had made. Augusta then set about mastering the complex mechanics of early day photography.

Photographing wildlife required incredible patience and physical stamina. Enduring personal privation in the field and long treks with cumbersome equipment, Augusta tracked elusive wildlife at all hours of the day and in all weather conditions. If they were fortunate, she and A. G. might achieve one good photo in a day. Following an exhausting day outdoors, the two photographers would return to their home to spend the night hours developing their glass negatives under the light of a ruby lamp.

Though 22 years older than her husband, Augusta embraced the frontier life passionately, and it is probably this fervor for the West that bound them together. With the help of her husband and brother she quickly became adept at using a firearm and was soon able to put meat on the table. Shortly after their marriage the Wallihans settled in Lay, 20 miles west of Craig, where A. G. took up the position of postmaster.

Augusta and A.G. were gravely concerned about the future of wildlife in their area. Annually, they observed the massive slaughter of animals that occurred. Wagonloads of game were transported to metropolitan areas where the meat was then sold. Augusta frequently wrote scathing letters to various periodicals, condemning this practice. She and her husband were fearful that their photographs would be all that remained of the awesome wildlife around them

Augusta and A. G. pursued their photographic endeavors so single-mindedly and with such excellence that they were invited to the Paris World Exposition of 1900, where they received recognition for their outstanding work. They exhibited again in 1904, at the St. Louis World's Fair, where they received a bronze medal.

Though the Wallihans owned an extensive amount of land around Lay, they kept only a milk cow and the usual domestic animals. A. G. was a man given to more refined activities than the mundane chores of farm life. It was said he preferred hiring his hay cut than expending the energy himself to accomplish the task. In addition to managing the post office and a road house for travelers, the Wallihans also kept a weather station for the area.