Lewis B. France

Born in Washington, D.C., in 1833, Lewis B. France later built a law practice in Denver, beginning there in 1861. Alongside his legal career, he wrote stories and sketches about Colorado and became known for bringing the state’s landscapes and outdoor culture to a wider audience.

He is especially remembered for writing about fly-fishing and for helping define an early style of Western outdoor writing that connected nature, recreation, and travel. Modern reference sources describe him as one of Colorado’s first recognized outdoor writers, and his books include With Rod and Line in Colorado Waters, Pine Valley, and Mountain Trails and Parks in Colorado.

France died in 1907. While he is not as widely known today as some later nature writers, his work offers a vivid look at how readers in the late nineteenth century imagined Colorado’s rivers, parks, and mountain country.