My mother enjoyed selecting a last name and finding out who it belonged to. I've chosen Hayes partly because my seventh-grade teacher was Eva Rutherford Hayes.

Eva retired as a well-known teacher in Mancos. She had two daughters, Dorothy Chaffin and Laura Kennedy, both of Yellow Jacket. She was born in 1890 and died in December 1978. She married Arthur Hayes in June 1927. He was born in Mancos in 1884.

Arthur had a brother, Charles Franklin. He was less than a year old when his parents came to Mancos. He made several forays into Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. He was a prospecting geologist and knew much about the La Plata Mountains. He died in January 1935, seven years after a mining accident.

Another brother of Arthur's was Archie Lykins. He built and operated sawmills. He lived for 60 years in Mancos. He married Edna Starriet in July 1902 and passed away in August 1939 at the age of 67.

One more brother of Arthur's was Harry. He came to Mancos in 1879 and married Belle Roberts in June 1914. He died at age 53 and left behind his four brothers, Archie, Charles, Will and two sisters.

Will married Ruby Kramer in November 1906 ,and they had two children, Milton and Elsie. He died in December 1936 at age 55. Will's wife Ruby passed away in June 1963.

William Henry Hayes served with the Missouri Cavalry Volunteers during the Civil War. He married Charlotte McKee in 1871 and they came to Mancos in 1879. He was the first Justice of the Peace in Mancos and held that office for many years. He was survived by six of his eight children, Arthur, Charley, Will, Archie and two daughters, all of Mancos. William passed away in April 1927 almost a year before his wife at age 87.

William had a daughter by the name of Selena. She left behind five brothers and two sisters, Mrs. Tom Fowler and Mrs. Harry Dyer when she passed away in August 1908. Alta Hayes married Harry Dyer in September 1906. They had eight children and she died in September 1944.

Darrel Ellis is a longtime historian and resident of Mancos.