Luther, Martin V.

Martin Luther

(1837 - 1919)

Martin Luther (left) was born in Indiana in 1837. Held a degree in law. Moved to Indian Hills in 1861. Farmer, rancher. Well acquainted and friendly with the Ute Indian people in the Turkey Creek area, including the formidable Chief Colorow. Justice of the peace. Founded the Bear Creek Grange in 1874. Elected to the last Territorial, and first State, Legislature in 1876, serving one term.

In the early 1880’s the Luthers moved to Kittredge and then to Evergreen in 1886. They bought the area that is now the east end of Main Street Evergreen, operating a general store in the part of the building that is now the Sushi Restaurant.

Evergreen folklore says that he assisted many people with loans but also shrewdly took over quite a few mortgages and then was able to gain control of a lot of Evergreen real estate and several houses. Supposedly the joke after Luther died in 1919 was that the devil had Martin Luther locked in a kettle so he couldn’t put a mortgage on Hell.

Writeup and Photo courtesy of the Jefferson County Historical Society