By Cory Warden

Sitting atop Putt Hill with Fred Harman III one chilly fall morning, he recalled his 87-year history with a broad, generous smile. The product of talented artists and hearty frontiersmen, his story and accomplishments are no less remarkable.

Harman’s tenure in this region goes back to his days as a young boy, when Pagosa Springs was truly the wild, wild, west. His grandfather and great uncle homesteaded here as young men in 1891. Years later, his father would spend much of his life capturing the essence of the region through his numerous paintings and famous comic strip, “Red Ryder and Little Beaver.”

Fred III’s father met his mother, Lola Andrews, in St. Joseph, Missouri. They fell in love, and soon after, their only child, Fred III was born. Though Fred was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, he was raised in Pagosa and spent most of his time there with his grandparents. His grandmother was a teacher and he was home-schooled by her throughout elementary school age. She also taught him how to play piano, which became one of his favorite lifetime hobbies. He remembers one summer day as a young boy, when she was out picking berries in front of their cabin, and his grandfather asked him to bring out the rifle, as there was a big brown bear on the back side of the bush next to his grandmother. When his grandfather fired the gun, his grandmother jumped into the air and with her, too, went all of the berries, flying out of her apron onto the ground.

In high school, Fred had five horses that served different purposes. One of them was his school horse, and he would ride from their Upper Blanco Basin ranch to school every day. It was a long ride, especially in the deep snow that frequented Pagosa in those days. Sometimes Fred would fall asleep on the ride. His horse would stop walking and patiently wait for him to wake up. Some days they would have to stay in town at Los Banos (currently the Bear Creek Saloon & Grill) because of foul weather. Of course back then, there was no such thing as a snow day.

After graduating school, he worked as a night clerk at Los Banos, which was a hotel, restaurant and hot springs all in one, and raised cattle on his family’s ranch. He remembers pulling cattle with Red Sisson and Jimmy Norton. At the end of the day, Red’s wife, Ruby, would have adult refreshments waiting for the men after a hard day’s work.

 

While Fred loved ranching and his home country, he longed to see the world and make a difference. His services were needed since it was the middle of WWII, so he enlisted in the navy and was stationed in the Atlantic as an electrician’s mate. When he got out in August, 1946, he attended Ft. Lewis College, which was a two-year school at that time. He graduated with a degree in Animal Husbandry.

Lobby, Los Banos Hotel Pagosa Springs

Again, the travel bug bit. Harman’s parents were living in Long Island, New York at this time, working on the “Red Ryder & Little Beaver” comic strip, so Fred decided to go back east and surprise them. He heard that R.J. (Bob) Nossaman and his family were planning to drive back to New Jersey, so he caught a ride with them. Fred liked New York and decided to stay and look for work. He had been fascinated with broadcasting since he was a little boy. At the age of 10, he had sent away for a crystal set in the mail. When it came, he connected the crystal to a wire and hung it from a tree. He was very excited to be able to hear voices coming into Pagosa Springs from West Virginia! Amazing!

From that day, he was inspired by the opportunities possible in communications. Due to his Navy training as an electrician’s mate, Fred applied to CBS Broadcasting Company in NYC for a job. They hired him and sent him to work in Syracuse, NY as a transmitter operator. Eventually, he was transferred back to the City where he stayed for 35 years, retiring in 1982 as Director of Broadcast Operations. He did every job they had and covered many different events including the space launches, political conventions, the Rose Bowl Parade and Miss America Pageants. He even climbed to the top of the CBS antennae on the Empire State Building to make a repair.

A caricature Fred received from CBS when he retired. He was headed back to Pagosa Springs.

While living back east, Mr. Harman met Norma, the love of his life and wife of 36 years. When Fred Harman Jr. passed away in 1982, Fred III and Norma decided to move back to Pagosa Springs. Until then, Norma, a native Long Islander, had never been west of New Jersey. They moved in to the house where they still reside at the top of Putt Hill, that Fred’s father built in the early 1950’s. Mr. Harman, along with curating and running the Fred Harman Museum, served as Deputy Sheriff for five different administrations in Archuleta County. He also started and managed their communications department for many years.

The home has become the Fred Harman Art Museum while Fred III and Norma continue to live in the back part. The Museum has a dedicated Board of Directors and wonderful volunteers who are on hand six days a week from May through October to show visitors from all over the country and internationally some of the artist’s masterpieces and to listen to the stories that Fred III shares from the wild west days, when 50 acres of land could be purchased for less than a month’s car payment.

Fred in his broadcasting studio

It was a pleasure and honor to listen to the unfolding of Fred Harman III’s life. He honored his father’s legacy by finding his own passions and doing what he loved. To this day, Mr. Harman spends time at his in-home broadcasting station and communicates with people around the world.