History and culture - Mountains
The German colony that came before the mines
Before the silver rush, a colony of German immigrants from Chicago tried to farm the Wet Mountain Valley in 1870, and the congregation they founded lives on at Hope Lutheran Church in Westcliffe.
Published June 10, 2026 - Last verified June 12, 2026
The silver camps get most of the attention, but people tried to settle the Wet Mountain Valley a few years before the mines drew crowds. In 1870, a colony of German immigrants from Chicago, led by Carl Wulsten, came to farm the valley. They named their settlement Colfax, after Schuyler Colfax, the U.S. vice president at the time.
Farming here proved hard. The valley sits well above 7,000 feet, so the growing season is short and frost comes early. Many colonists had little farming experience, money ran low, and the group quarreled. Within about a year the Colfax colony broke apart, and families scattered to start their own farms and ranches.
The people did not all leave, though. Some of those German families stayed for generations, and the congregation they formed lives on as Hope Lutheran Church in Westcliffe. The church building that stands today came later than the colony itself, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. So a story that looks like a failure on paper still left a lasting mark on the valley’s families, names, and faith life.
For the documented history of the colony, look to History Colorado; for the church’s listing, see the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.