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The History of RMBL Ldt-.I--:....O["I1 ill lh~ SUffirrN"r. fhe \\."(';jl ther occ:uioll;:!llly ITmilld$ R I\-nn. n"!'iitk.nts -or I he ......i nte. dirf K"ulties (aud hen" boy the earl)' millers. Thi~ phQlograph W;tS 1.a~("11 on Juue- 29 ilftCi -tI foo r-day mOM",I!. J.ohn C. JOhrJiSOfl'S original family cabin, now t1:5('d ;jl~ ;) dmmi tOI")'.. is S('('n ill lite TFght f or('gmund; di reed)' bl'hllm it j" In(" new (l%B) Dillillg IbJl.. while olher .:.ahirn VJ6iblf' T .rUlgr' from the '.Sw.a now's Nf:':'it" (1830), now-uS('d <IS a 05.!Oragc buil. ding. to lwo f.amity -cabin, buill in 100J. G I)thic MO\lIUa in Sl;) n.cls 'Wreatbed in clouds bl:'hind. GOlhi c, the .si Ie- of t lie La ho ratory J bcga n as a mmll1K tO\'l/n during the Colorado silver boom of the ] 880':'ii. In spite of ll:'i rcmot e locat iOIl and d ifficu It w hu {"t"s. r ic. h dcposit.'i of silver and lead attrac~cd enollg:h people lo support lhrcp. hotels, t wo nr.-w~papcrs, a rl d even a Sf hool in t hc :5U ddcnly nourishing town. Jlowc\"cr, when the- price or silver fell... few short years later, GOlhic, like 80 many olh-r'r mining- towns, \\'as g ria tlu a Ily .a bandoned. Il might have rem ajned an obscure coUect ion of em pt y, decaying ca hi ns cxecPI for the foresigh I of Joh n C. J 01. nson. While teaehing biology at We.tem State College of Colo- rado, in near-by Gunnison, Johnson became con'l,linCCll or the nectl for an j ndcpendcn t. high ..Ititu de biological field I a bora lOry , and sa w t he Go thic loca lion as "n idea I site. "1.0 es~ablish this laboratory, in 1928 Johnson founded a cor~ por.ation wi lh a sm aU grou p of cone-annes, Olssnmi ng an fi nandal fcsponsibHi t y hi msdf. A I a rgc pa rt or the then 70.anc Gothic IOwnsite was purcha.s.cd for $200, and a 22- room hotel was acquired for just $3. For the next 45 year.'ii, Johnson and cQllca,;ul's were to devote much of their energy. and i ncomc, to the developmcn r of Rocky Mou nta i n nio. logical I ,a uoratory. The Laboratory gradu~ny grew nnder Johnson's leader. sl. i p. Some 01' the bes.t known ca r l y {"co !ugi;s (.'j, and :'i.)'st t:m.a. tl:Hs, :such as- A. O. Weese aud D. ]). 8ar-day. !aught and st udied .. t Got I. ic. Sum mer :SCS81ons were characterized by much "outdoor espdt de corps" and personal informality. S l udems. and slaff coopera !ed in tho~e cady yean; in bu i Id. ing or refurbishing living quarters, using materials. from the orig inal buil dings. A few of t h csc bui-ldi ngs were used w i1h + au I cha ngc, a Ild (I re slill prcscn tin t he lOw n:;;itc. Small CO" rses wel.e taught. and fcscarcl. was conducted perfo rce. II n der prim i t ive condit imls wi l h a min imu m of eq uipmcnt. A tone of friendliness and informal intellectual exchange was :5e t. w hie h has cont i nued and grown to t he present. AbOI,l("..-nlC- original (~hic TOWll Hdt. ill !he fmeground. is 5lill oc- -Ca5IDll.3I1y Lf:S('d. aud I !lay ~\'entuo"l tty h!" rl:"no\,;ilt('d as- a Visitor C("nler (01" RMIU.. Brhi>>d il an" f.e'f11 IIN" B.D. n"'lTlay 1.<'Ibcll.atory but!rl. i ng 1\. N. Muu;ay.