Located on Wellington and Harris, a visit to the Father Dyer church offers fascinating insights into Breckenridge history. Picture this: The year is 1861. Meet John Lewis Dyer. He’s 41 years old, and he lives in Minnesota.  Mr. Dyer is suffering from a serious eye ailment. However, he’s always wanted to see Pikes Peak. Fearing that he may go blind before realizing his dream, he loads his horse and heads west.

When his horse dies in Iowa, Dyer walks to Omaha, Nebraska, and joins a wagon train headed west. When he arrives in Breckenridge, he preaches at all of the local mining camps. As a devout Methodist, Father Dyer fights dancing, drinking and gambling with sermons which were filled with fire and brimstone.

Dyer adds to his income by carrying mail, along with the word of God, from town to town. His skis are his mode of transportation. At the time, what we now call skis are called snowshoes, and what we call snowshoes are called Indian feet. As such, Father Dyer is referred to as the snowshoe itinerant.

Yesterday, when I was giving a walking tour of the town, someone from the Father Dyer Church asked if I’d like to take my group inside the cabin where he lived. This was incredible! As you would expect, it’s a tiny place with a bunk bed and a table.

The Dyer Church is also a popular concert venue. It’s just one more reason to book a Breckenridge vacation.