A polygamist sect ousted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has bought 120 acres near Mancos, a southwestern Colorado town that prides itself on tolerance, up to a point.
"We've got a lot of folks around here who aren't in legally sanctioned relationships, but child brides would be an issue of concern," said Tom Vaughan, editor of the weekly Mancos Times.
The Fundamentalist Church of the Latter-day Saints (FDLS) was founded in the 1950s by excommunicated Mormons living with multiple wives on the Utah-Arizona border.
The FDLS, with about 10,000 members, began selling their land near Colorado City, Ariz., last year, and buying parcels in Texas, Colorado and Canada.
Prosecutors in Arizona and Utah are investigating the FDLS for child sexual abuse, welfare fraud, tax evasion and other felony violations.
"If we found out, as it's alleged in Colorado City, that they packed the welfare system, that would get our attention," said Vaughan.
David Allred of Utah, who represents the FDLS, bought 60 acres near Mancos last year and another 60 acres last month.
Allred was not available for comment Thursday. He also bought a 1,691-acre ranch near Eldorado, Texas. The FDLS has built a dozen buildings there.
Mancos is a ranching town that's become a bedroom community for Durango and a rest stop for Mesa Verde National Park visitors.
Vaughan said the land bought last year had a two-story barn and a three-bedroom home. The barn is now a three-bedroom home.
A three-story log home was built along with several smaller cabins, he said. The construction was done at night, as it was in Texas, using logs from Canada.
"Their community in Canada has a logging company," said Vaughan, who invited Allred over for an interview, but hasn't heard back.
The two Colorado parcels, separated by a 60-acre tract with a privately owned home, are near an old town settled by Mormon polygamists in the 1870s.
Duane Smith, a history professor at Fort Lewis College in Durango, said the town, known as Weber, may have failed because of the short growing season.
"The Mormons were strong in rural areas," said Smith. "Weber was an outlet for the isolated communities near Bluff, Utah."
There are many Mormon families in Mancos, but no polygamists, said Rob Kirks, co-owner of the P&D Grocery in Mancos.
"I don't think polygamy is legal and it's kind of sick," he said.
But, mostly, Kirks said, "Here it's live and let live." He and others pointed to a guest ranch in the area "owned by a group of lesbians."
In fact, Mancos' two-term mayor, Greg Rath, is openly gay and owns two businesses in town.
"At this point it's legal for anyone to buy property, Mormons or gays," said Rath. "It's not OK if they promote polygamy."
Allred paid $699,000 for the first property, valued at about $400,000, Montezuma County records show. The second parcel, valued at $200,000, sold for $725,000.
"We scratch our heads and wonder like neighbors often do, but they haven't done anything yet," said Vaughan.
"We'd rather be in the news because of something our native son, Luther Elliss of the Broncos, did than for this," said Vaughan.