When Susan Anderson got off the train in Fraser in 1909, she brought with her two things she picked up in Michigan: a medical degree, and tuberculosis. She had tried to set up a medical practice in Cripple Creek, but women doctors weren’t welcome. Denver and Greeley were equally unreceptive.
By the time she crossed the Continental Divide, Susan Anderson was very ill and hoped the clean mountain air would help. It did, and soon she built a medical reputation. First, among a few women, who brought children, and eventually, husbands. They called her Doc Susie. Traveling on foot, ski, snowshoe and by train, she saved many lives and brought more into the world. By some accounts, she delivered more than half the population of Fraser. Her home still stands there, and a street bears her name: “Doc Susie Avenue.”
About Colorado Postcards
Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado.
