Eli Fletcher was born in Iowa in 1860 but was living in Lake County, Colorado at the time of the 1870 census. He moved to Breckenridge as a young man and was working as a butcher in 1880. He married Emma Tracy Nauman in Breckenridge on May 18, 1881. The couple had six children survive to adulthood and sons Fred and Marion and daughter Minnie Fletcher Marz are honored on our memorial scroll.

Eli was a well known resident of Breckenridge. At various times he worked as a contractor, carpenter and paper hanger but he is best remembered as the premier ski maker in town. He is most famous for his ski trip to Boreas Pass during the winter of 1898. Heavy snows had prevented the trains from reaching town and Eli and a companion met a stranded train at the pass and returned with badly needed supplies of canned food.

Eli and his family lived on French St. in what is now the Fireside Inn but later built a home at 100 S. Harris. This house is directly across the library parking lot from St. John’s and has been recently restored and renovated.

Eli Fletcher died in 1936 and wife Emma in 1937. Both are buried at Valley Brook Cemetery.