The New Empire of the Rockies: A History of Northeast Colorado BLM Cultural Resources Series (Colorado: No. 16)

An author accumulates many debts when undertaking a project of this size and I am no different. Without the help of the following people, it would have been impossible to complete this study. In some small way I hope these words will show those folks my gratitude. Many thanks to the staffs of the Denver Public Library's Western History Department, the Steven D. Hart Library of the Colorado Historical Society, and the Western History Collection, Norlin Library, University of Colorado. Special thanks go to the staffs of BLM's Colorado State Office, particularly the Planning and Environmental Coordination Staff, Division of Resources; the Canon City District Office and the Northeast Resource Area Office as well as the U.S. Forest Service's Region II office in Lakewood, Colorado.

John Beardsley, BLM District Archaeologist, Canon City District, deserves a special thank you, but the largest obligation of all is owed to Dr. Frederic J. Athearn, BLM's Colorado State Historian. His professional insights and editing of this work did more than anything else to strengthen the document. Of course, the secretaries and typists who put endless hours at their machines deserve more praise than I can give. Virginia Garcia, Branch of Cartographic Services, did the typesetting for this work and she deserves special accolades for her dedicated efforts.

Finally, two others get extra-big "thank yous", my wife Carol for her help and encouragement and my new son Robert whose squeals of delight and laughter (and some editorial drools) about what "da-da" had written convinced me that I was reaching at least one audience.

Steven F. Mehls
Denver, Colorado
1983