"Frenchy" was a pioneer of the Tularosa Basin, of New Mexico. He became an innocent victim of the range wars of the area, when his body was found in his cabin, in Dog Canyon, not far from Oliver Lee's Ranch. While there are suspicions as to who his killers were, nothing has ever been proven∼Carpenter. Francois-Jean Rochas built many items in his lifetime, but the one construction, for which he gained lasting fame, is 'The Miracle Staircase' It was constructed in the 1878-vintage Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. When the Chapel was designed and finally finished, the builders discovered they had provided no access to the choir loft. There was simply no room for a stairs. It was twenty-two feet to the top level- so, a ladder instead of a staircase would not do. The steep incline of a stairwell would interfere with the intimate interior space of the Chapel. The nuns prayed to St. Joseph, the Patron Saint of Carpenters, seeking an answer to their new church's problem. Shortly thereafter, a man appeared at the Chapel looking for work. It was Francois-Jean Rochas. He was given the task of figuring out how to design and install access to the loft area. Several months later, an elegant circular staircase was completed. When his job was over, legend says the carpenter disappeared not accepting payment. Some believed it was St. Joseph himself. Sadly, the body of Rochas was discovered in his lonely cabin, located deep in the Dog Creek region. He had been killed by a bullet wound to the chest. It was not a case of suicide but rather an accident or a murder. An unmailed letter was found nearby indicating he was happy and making plans. Rochas had been warned there were some unlawful Native-American Indians and robbers nearby. The case was never solved. (bio: Audrey Burtrum-Stanley)

(For the French translation, click here: http://orandia.com/forum/index.php?id=157355)

And for more biographical information about Frenchy, see here: https://www.rdrnews.com/2018/06/24/quiet-and-reclusive-frenchy-was-one-of-the-bravest-men-in-the-southwest