Written by Edith Light Killey, as an unpublished manuscript in 1976, the paper provides insights into the early history of Aspen and the Box L Ranch.

Prologue:

My father, Frederick Light, was born in northern New York near Lake Champlain. His father was paid $1,ooo to fight in the Civil War for a neighbor. I understand that was often done in those times. With this money his parents bought land in what · became Morrisonville N.Y. and built a home there. I visited them in the early 1900’s — my grandmother
could go out in the surrounding woods and pick blueberries. I have a patch-work quilt she made for me. It is almost 100 years old but has been worn greatly so it shows its age.

At a young age my father became an apprentice in a carriage shop in New York City. He was ambidextrous and did good work on all of the fancy trimmings.

When gold was discovered in Leadville, Colorado he and three young friends came to Leadville and then crossed over Independence Pass to reach Aspen. There was scarcely a trail, only the one used by the Jack-trains
to bring supplies to prospectors. There were many prospectors filing claims to mine for silver, lead and other minerals. In fact, my father had a Jack-train until he began mining. On one trip with the Jack-train, one of the bundles of his clothing fell off the Jack’s back and rolled down the steep precipice to the bottom of the pass. He lost the trousers to a
Prince Albert suit. The coat is still at the Box L Ranch.