Grand Junction Man’s Marriage Didn’t Last, But His Dream Did
A Grand Junction man's marriage didn't last, but his dream lived on forever. John Otto dreamed of having the Colorado National Monument protected forever.
As soon as John Otto laid eyes on the Colorado National Monument, he fell in love. He vowed to build trails and make it a national park. When John got married, it only made sense that he got married at his favorite place in 1911.
According to the Colorado National Monument's Facebook, he married Beatrice Farnham at the base of Independence Monument, which is now Wedding Canyon in their honor.
Although he made vows to both his wife and the Monument, only one lasted a lifetime. (And then some.) After a few weeks of being married, Beatrice couldn't deal with his lifestyle and they split. According to the Colorado National Monument's Facebook, his wife said this about their divorce:
I tried hard to live his way, but I could not do it, I could not live with a man to whom even a cabin was an encumbrance.
The Colorado National Monument was deemed a national monument just one month before he got married. Even though his marriage didn't last, John Otto's dream lived on forever.