The Legend of Match
The town of Dogwood was settled southwest of Colorado Springs during the 1860s by the Blakes and McPhersons, miners wanting to exploit the mineral deposits in the area. The McPhersons brought some of their beloved dogwood trees with them, and in this area, the most temperate climate of Colorado, they found the perfect spot to plant them down by the river. The trees thrived, giving the town and the creek their names.
One fine Memorial Day a few years after the second world war, the story goes that a group of young men were building picnic tables and gazebos by Dogwood Creek so that everyone could enjoy the beautiful area in comfort. The young women of the town pitched in with food and drink to reward the young men and, subsequently, use the new park for the first time. As the young ladies waited for their beaus to finish, they wove garlands and crowns from the fallen pink blossoms.
One young woman named Susannah had brought her dog with her—a black Labrador retriever puppy with a curious heart-shaped blaze of white on his chest. She’d been training him to carry messages between her and her beau, Robert, so when the young men completed their labor, Susannah jokingly tossed her crown of flowers around her dog’s neck and bade him carry the token to her one true love.
The puppy cocked his head and stared at her for a moment as if seriously considering her request, then unerringly made a beeline for the young men. Susannah laughed, wondering how Robert would react, but the dog dropped her offering at the feet of a shy young man named Johnny who had been admiring her from afar. Emboldened by the dog’s choice, Johnny stared at Susannah with his heart in his eyes and she knew, all at once, the dog had chosen the perfect man for her.
No one remembers what the dog’s name was up to that point, but since he had brought two unsuspecting soul mates together, he became known as the matchmaking dog, or Match, and the name stuck. People brought their hopes of a similar union to Match, and he took his job seriously, pairing couples who belonged together, and refusing to confirm matches that wouldn’t work. He was never wrong, and Susannah and Johnny lived a long, love-filled life together.
After a rich life of bringing couples together, Match eventually crossed the Rainbow Bridge, and a beagle puppy with a brown heart-shaped marking was born in Dogwood. It soon became evident that the puppy possessed the same ability to see into lovers’ hearts, so she was named Match as well.
After each Match passes on, a new Match is born in Dogwood. The dogs’ breed, color, and gender have varied widely over the years, but each has a heart-shaped mark located somewhere on their body, proudly proclaiming their ability and responsibility to bring soul mates together.
