
LOCAL History


1884 Map of Pitkin County, Colorado
Published by The Aspen Times. Compiled from official records and actual surveys in the office of Geo. W. Lloyd, U.S. Dep. Min. Sur., Drawn by C.C. Vickery, U.S. Dep. Min. Sur.
Credit: Aspen Historical Society, Aspen Times Collection

Henry A. Staats
1848 – 1924
Henry A. Staats, born in Egypt, Illinois, July 9, 1848 was the first to make a claim in the Capitol Creek Valley. In 1881 he staked his claim on Lime Creek, on what is now property of St. Benedict’s Monastery.

Edith Light Killey
1887 – 1980
A personal history written by the daughter of Frederick Light.

Leo "Bubby" Light
"A Cowboy's Last Tale" by Tony Vagneur
Photo: Bubby Light's saddle, courtesy of Kate McBride.

St. Benedict's Monastery
1956 – Present
St. Benedict’s Monastery is home to a community of Cistercian (Trappist) monks, whose life is devoted to prayer and the manual labor needed to sustain their community’s needs.