Elizabeth Byers: Denver Pioneer

Elizabeth “Libby” Byers moved west to Colorado with her husband during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush of 1859. William Byers, was founder and publisher of the Rocky Mountain News, Colorado’s first newspaper. Elizabeth was notable as a civic leader in her own right and described herself as part of the “advance guard of civilization” in the boom town of Denver City. The Byers saw Denver grow from a boom-and-bust town into the thriving state capital of Colorado. She faced many challenges as she was burned out of one home and flooded out of another, but she also found humor in the hardship. “There is much that is pathetic in a pioneer’s life, and much that is awfully funny,” she wrote in her memoir. “We often laughed through tears.” Elizabeth Byers: Denver Pioneer is Number 19 in the Now You Know Bio series from Filter Press. J.v.L. Bell is also the author of two mysteries: The Lucky Hat Mine and Denver City Justice.