Craig Daily Press

Courtesy photo

Thomas Humphrey built this house at 360 Russell St. about 1890, and it was torn down in the 1950s.

Craig — When many people think of pioneers and homesteaders, they visualize a man working hard to grub out sagebrush and build a home for his family.

That impression may be correct in a good percentage of cases, but not all of them.

There were plenty of women who, whether by choice or circumstance, homesteaded and raised families without the help of a man. These women had to be strong of heart as well as body to make things work.

When Mary Wiley Humphrey and her husband, Thomas, came to the Yampa Valley about 1890 to find a homestead, they were excited about the possibilities that lay before them.

As some of the first settlers in the area, they found lush grasses, clean air and numerous places to make a new life. It was a far cry from the dirt and dust of the coal mines in Coalvale, where Humphrey had worked, and they hoped for a better future for their children Mabel, Frank and Robert.

The couple chose a piece of land along Fortification Creek and built a small house there to satisfy the homestead requirements, then built a home in the developing town of Craig to take advantage of the new school. Shortly after their move to Craig, their youngest child, Belle, was born. She will forever hold the title of the first white female child born in Craig.

Like many other homesteaders, Thomas found it necessary to work away from the homestead to bring in cash. He and several other men went to New Castle each winter to work in the mines again. He left Mary to tend the children as well as the livestock.

In January 1899, Frank was killed in a mining accident and Mary Humphrey found herself a widow with four children to care for alone. She was creative in her ventures and began to sell millinery and ladies’ accessories from her home in Craig.

In 1906, she sold the original family home and moved into a brick home just north of the Christian Church (now the Center of Craig.) This larger home gave her more room for the merchandise she carried. With her older children grown, she and Belle sometimes traveled to Rockvale, Colo., to spend the winters in a more moderate climate.

Within a few years of Thomas’ death, she filed on her own homestead on the south fork of Williams Fork. By then age 55, she spent her time between the homestead and Craig, where she was a prominent member of the growing community.

She was well known for her beautiful soprano voice and frequently performed solos at church services.

Craig historian Maude Baker Eldredge remembered Mary in a tribute to the church that sat in the middle of Craig; “One pioneer lady in particular was Mrs. Mary Wiley Humphrey — recalling her now — tall and impressive looking, her copper braids piled high on her head. She would stand up front by the pulpit lilting her beautiful soprano voice to the high Heavens in her favorite solos and hymns — her small daughter Belle accompanying her.”

“O those interesting Bible stories! Whether in the Humphrey home or sitting in pigtail pew of their lovely church, one could be completely captivated by Mary Wiley’s charms,” it stated in a July 15, 1958, Craig Empire-Courier.

Her story telling skills were supported by her knowledge of scripture as was evidenced by the unusual mention of her delivering a sermon to the congregation when the pastor was absent, according to a March 10, 1904, Routt County Courier.

On Feb. 1, 1913, Mary had found a second life companion in Matt Woodworth. The couple was united in his hometown of Holton, Kan., where he was a respected member of the church community. The marriage was short as Woodworth died the next year.

Mary made her way back to the Yampa Valley and proved up on her homestead on May 20, 1915. She remained in the area for many more years, living with her daughter in Pagoda before finally moving to southern California, where she lived out her bountiful life.

Mary Wiley Humphrey died in 1952 at age 92, leaving a legacy of pioneer grit and determination. The lessons she put forth 100 years ago are still relevant today.