Both were born in Colorado. After graduation from Aurora High School they were married and after several years and four children Jack graduated from Colo. State U. with a B.S. in Wildlife Management. Both subsequently went to the Univ. of Northern Colorado where Pat obtained her B.A. in History and M.A. in Geography. Jack obtained an M.S. in Biology and a Doctorate in Science Education & Botany. Pat taught high school on Guam, and at Community Colleges: Douglas in British Columbia, Arizona State in Yuma, and supervised student teachers at E. Washington U. Jack taught at the U. of Guam, U. of No. Colo., U. of British Columbia, and E. Washington U. They have authored articles on the Spanish American War, including the U.S. “capture” of Guam.  They both enjoy outdoor activities. Both are ardent bird watchers and bird banders (over six thousand) and have been officers in the local Audubon Society.

Their knowledge of Colorado, especially along Cherry Creek, the Cherokee Trail, and Denver's Historic Four Mile House (where Jack worked as a young boy) led them to write Colorado's Cowtown; The Official History of Glendale, Colorado; and The Historic Windsor Farm. Their books Cherokee Trail Diaries Vol. 1 & II; and Cherokee Trail Diaries Vol. III are now available from them, as well as the earlier The Historic Windsor Farm. Descriptions & order form can be found at The Books. Use this link to learn more about The Cherokee Trail

2006 Projects

Wagonmaster Ben Kern plans to run his wagon train July 1 from Laramie to Green River, Wyoming, over the Cherokee/Overland Stage and Mail Route. Built by Army Engineers in 1858, as an alternate to the South Pass route, during the “mormon war”, the route was naturally placed into immediate service. From 1858 on, emigrants traveling to California and Oregon, and freighters between the 1859 “new” town of Denver and Salt Lake, called the route the Cherokee Trail. So it appeared on maps, in diaries, in travel notes of the Rocky Mountain News. In 1862, Ben Holladay’s South Pass mail and stage route was in jeopardy. Only if he could find another route would his mail contract continue. Overnight, and without missing a mail, Holladay moved animals, tents, wagons, the whole lot, south from the Sweetwater to the Cherokee Trail over Bridger Pass. Holladay’s Overland Stage and Mail Company would operate for another four years before selling to Wells-Fargo, who operated on that route from 1866 to 1869. The UPRR changed Wells-Fargo’s operations, but the road over Bridger Pass continued to be used by emigrants as late as 1883, evolving into a regional transportation route. During the time from 1858 to 1883, it was sporadically called the “Chery Kee” trail road in diaries and documents. Ben’s plan is to operate on an emigrant schedule, traveling 15 to 20 miles a day. 

The Fletchers plan to be field mapping, GPS-ing, and photographing along Ben’s route. Fletchers’ tentative plans for the last of August call for the same trail activity in Kansas, from the junction of the Santa Fe Trail southeast toward Oklahoma and Arkansas.