History of Colorado; Volume II, Part 101

Author: Stone, Wilbur Fiske, 1833-1920, ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 944

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In 1863 Mr. McClure was united in marriage to Miss Martha J. Warford, and the following year they left Centerville, Iowa. en route for Colorado. They came up on the south side of the Platte river and went to Golden, where they remained only a short time, from there crossing on an old ferryboat to Denver. the company charging five dollars to take their team across. They were accompanied on this trip by Mr. McClure's brother, W. H. McClure, and were advised by George Chilcott to locate at Cañon City. The journey was made wholly by wagon, and the party reached their destination on the 13th of August, 1864. They found only four families living in Canon City and the town had not been surveyed. On his arrival Mr. McClure had several teams but not much money, but he was fortunate in selling one of the teams for three hundred and fifty dollars. Another team and wagon he sold to Mr. Hunt, who afterward became governor of Colorado. This team brought five hundred dollars and the wagon two hundred dollars. The outfit was used by Mr. Hunt to haul salt to Denver. Mr. McClure embarked in business as a merchant at Cañon City, and during those early days he retailed salt for as high as thirty-five cents a pound, and often paid twenty-five dollars for one hundred pounds of flour. Much of his trade at that time was with the Indians, and he was well known and liked by the red men. He and Ouray. the chief, often slept in the same room. In con- nection with his mercantile interests Mr. McClure also engaged in the cattle business and shipped the first train of cattle on the Santa Fe Railroad, consisting of about two hundred head. Before the coming of the railroad. in 1874, he drove four hundred and forty-five head of cattle from Canon City to Hutchinson, Kansas, where he shipped them to Seymour, Iowa, there feeding them during the winter. In the next spring he shipped them to Chicago, where he sold them. In 1885 he went to Montrose, Colorado, where he established the Bank of Montrose, and afterward became interested as a stockholder in five other banks at various places.

During his residence at Montrose Mr. McClure ably served as mayor of the city for several terms, and also represented Montrose and Delta counties in the eleventh state legislature in 1897 and there introduced and bad passed the bill giving Delta county the first sitting of the district court. He took quite an active part in public affairs and served as commander of the Grand Army post at that place. His religious faith is that of the Baptist church and he was the first person to be baptized in Canon City. In his family were five children: Mrs. Edward E. Smith. of Brooklyn, New York; Mrs. J. B. Bartlett, of

MR. AND MRS. JAMES E. MCCLURE

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Seattle, Washington; Henry O., who died in Holden, Missouri, on January 24, 1875; Charles M., who died in Seattle, Washington, September 27, 1898, leaving a wife and one daughter, who has married Thomas V. Cannavan, a merchant of Ouray, Colorado. and Mary Ellen. who died in infancy.

Mr. McClure can relate many interesting incidents of pioneer days as he partici- pated in the early development of this region. In March, 1865, a band of horse thieves stole six mules and three horses from our subject and started toward New Mexico. A posse of fifteen men was soon formed and went in pursuit of the thieves. As it was still winter time and very cold. all of the men returned to their homes with the exception of Mr. McClure and Lee McMartree, who continued on their way until they overtook the thieves in New Mexico. During the pursuit of the thieves Mr. McMartree had his horse shot from under him. They killed the members of this band and returned to Colorado with all the animals, Mr. McClure giving his companion the finest horse in the bunch for his services, besides another one for the one that was killed.

Canon City owes much to our subject in promoting its development and prosperity. He erected the Strathmore Hotel, which he conducted as the McClure House for twenty- five years, and in 1914 built the modern brick hostelry now known as the McClure House. For many years he continued actively identified with the business interests of the city, but is now living retired, enjoying the fruits of his former toil. For forty years he has been an honored member of the Masonic fraternity, having attained the Royal Arch and Knight Templar degrees, and he also is a Shriner. Prosperity has crowned his efforts and he is today the owner of valuable property in Canon City and other parts of the state. He is one of the representative citizens of Colorado and wherever known is held in high esteem.

JOHN GIBBON WOLF, M. D.

Dr. John Gibbon Wolf, a most eminent and successful physician of Pueblo, who as chief of the department of health and as city physician has done much to decrease the death rate in contagious diseases and prevent the further spread of disease, certainly deserves the commendation and gratitude of the general public for what he has ac- complished. Colorado is proud to number him among her native sons. He was born in Boulder on the 21st of July, 1882, and is a son of William W. and Anna (Gibbon) Wolf. The family came to Colorado in 1880, at which time the father became established in business in Boulder, where he still resides. In the family were four sons and two daughters.

Dr. Wolf, who is the third in order of birth, spent his youthful days under the parental roof and pursued his early education in the public and high schools of Boulder, passing through consecutive grades to his graduation. He afterward entered the University of Colorado at Boulder and there pursued his course in medicine, being graduated with the class of 1906, at which time his professional degree was conferred upon him. . He put his theoretical knowledge to the practical test by serving as interne in the Minnequa Hospital in 1906-7. He afterward had charge of the dispensary for the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company and on the 1st of January, 1912, was called to his present position as chief of the department of health and city physician of Pueblo. During his incumbency in this office he has reorganized the city work and the results of his labors are most gratifying, for he has largely decreased the death rate in contagious diseases, which has been very high because of the large foreign element in the city-an element knowing little of health laws and doing practically nothing to prevent the spread of disease, which had been promoted through prevailing unsanitary conditions. Dr. Wolf has entered upon a system of public education in this respect, demanding the enforce- ment of the laws, and his labors have been most resultant and valuable. In addition to his work in this connection he is also physician for the Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific Railroad Companies and he is prominent in clinical and pathological societies.

On the 15th of June, 1910, Dr. Wolf was united in marriage to Miss Ethel Stewart and to them have been born two children, John G. and Francis Leonard. The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church. Dr. Wolf was for a short time a member of the National Guard at Cripple Creek and served as a member of the exemption board for his district. He received a captain's commission in the spring of 1918 and after a brief stay in the base hospital at Camp Travis, San Antonio, Texas, he was ordered abroad and is now rendering service in a base hospital, "somewhere in France." Verily it is true that the duties of a physician and surgeon in this war of unprecedented magnitude are most arduous and exhausting and Dr. Wolf gives his best to "our boys

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over there," devoting his knowledge and skill to the great cause of world democracy constituting the policy of this government and representing the ideal of this nation. He is a man of high professional attainments, prominent as a physician and surgeon' enjoying in large measure the goodwill, confidence and high regard of professional col- leagues and contemporaries.

JOHN HAMILTON WEIR.

John Hamilton Weir, of Colorado Springs, who is filling the office of county sheriff, was born in Monmouth, Warren county, Illinois, in 1879. His father, John Brown Weir, was born in Sugar Tree Grove in that county, in 1848 and was a son of William Simpson Weir, a native of Ohio. The latter was of Scotch descent, the Weir family having been founded in America by two brothers, natives of Scotland, who came to the new world in the eighteenth century, one of them settling in Philadelphia, while the other became a resident of New York. After living for a considerable period in Illinois and taking active part in the pioneer development of the state, William S. Weir re- moved to Iowa, where his last days were passed. One of his sons, William S. Weir, Jr., was the organizer of the Weir Plow Company of Monmouth, Illinois, and was an inventor of marked ability and prominence. John Brown Weir, father of John Hamilton Weir, was reared in his native county and was married in Monmouth, Illinois, to Mary A. Gambell, who was also a native of that state. In 1886 they removed westward to Julesburg, Colorado, and settled on a ranch, upon which they resided for seven years. In 1893 they retraced their steps as far eastward as Fremont, Iowa, but after four years spent in the Hawkeye state again came to Colorado, locating in Evans in 1897. There the father died the following year, while the mother spent her last days in Colo- rado Springs, departing this life in 1914.

John H. Weir was a pupil in the public schools of Logan and of Phillips counties, Colorado, and also attended the high school in Fremont, Iowa. For years he divided his time between Iowa and Colorado but in 1910 came to Colorado Springs as manager for the Grand Union Tea Company and in 1912 began taking a very active part in political affairs. From 1913 until 1916 he was chairman of the progressive party and in the latter year .he was elected to the office of sheriff of El Paso county, in which position he is now capably and efficiently serving, discharging his duties with marked prompt- ness and fidelity.

On the 7th of November, 1903, in Greeley, Colorado, Mr. Weir was united in marriage to Miss Effie May Kimball, a daughter of Cassius B. Kimball, who was a Union soldier, enlisting for active duty at the front with the Iowa troops. Mr. and Mrs. Weir have two children, Elizabeth May and Frances Marguerite, twins.

Fraternally Mr. Weir is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the First Baptist church. He has always given his political allegiance to the republican party and he has ever maintained a progressive attitude in matters of citizenship, upholding all interests that promote law, order, prog- ress and advancement. . He is widely known in El Paso county and is very popular among its citizens.

JUDGE CLAYTON C. RICKEL.

Clayton C. Rickel, judge of the county court of Morgan county, whose ability upon the bench has won him rank with the ablest members who have occupied the position in former years, was born in Hardin county, Iowa, January 19, 1877, a son of William W. and Gertie L. (Courtney) Rickel. who are natives of Ohio and Missouri respectively. The father removed to Colorado when a youth of eighteen years, and following the out- break of the Civil war enlisted on the 12th of September, 1861, as a member of Company H of the First Regiment of Colorado Cavalry. He was engaged in fighting the Indians upon the western frontier and at the close of his three years' term of service was honorably discharged in 1864. In the meantime he had been wounded in the battle of Sand Creek, where so many Indians were killed, and he still carries the bullet in his arm. After being honorably discharged he reenlisted and remained in Colorado until the close of the war. Following the cessation of hostilities he went to Hardin county, Iowa, in 1870 and there purchased land which he cultivated and improved for eighteen

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years, or until 1888, when he sold that property and became a resident of Morgan county, Colorado, taking up his abode upon a homestead four miles west of Fort Morgan. He then improved and developed his place and continued its cultivation prac- tically throughout the entire period until he sold that property and bought an adjoining tract of land. He has always engaged in feeding cattle and formerly ran several hundred head of cattle but is now devoting his attention largely to dairying and for this purpose keeps high grade milch cows. Both Mr. and Mrs. Rickel are well known in Morgan county and enjoy the high esteem of those with whom they have been brought in contact.

Judge Rickel was reared in Hardin county, Iowa, and Morgan county, Colorado, and in both districts pursued his education in the public schools, ultimately being graduated from the Fort Morgan high school with the class of 1898. Three years later he entered Denver University as a law student and was graduated with the class of 1904. He afterward engaged in the practice of law in Fort Morgan aud continued an active representative of the profession until January, 1917, when he was called to assume the duties of judge of the county court and has since sat upon the bench. His decisions are fair and impartial and his judicial career is in harmony with his record as a man and citizen-characterized by marked loyalty to duty and distinguished by a masterful grasp of every problem presented for solution.

On the 4th of August, 1906, Judge Rickel was married to Miss Ardelle Kellogg, a daughter of J. M. and Jennie E. (Chamberlain) Kellogg, who were natives of Penn- sylvania, in which state Mrs. Rickel was also born. They removed to Missouri in 1884 and the father there engaged in farming until 1900, when he brought his family to Morgan county, Colorado, and purchased land which he continued to cultivate for a number of years but is now living retired from active business, making his home in Fort Morgan. His wife passed away June 29, 1918. To Judge and Mrs. Rickel have been born three children: Wesley K., who was born October 9, 1907; Kathryn, born July 7, 1911; and Elenor, born November 24, 1916.

Judge Rickel has always given his political allegiance to the republican party and has been called upon to fill a number of local offices. He served as city clerk of Fort Morgan from 1904 until 1917, as deputy district attorney from 1905 until 1909, and in the latter year was chosen county attorney, filling that position for four years. 'He was then called to the bench and is acknowledged one of the prominent judges of the county courts in Colorado. Ever since this country entered the war in order to protect the cause of democracy and foster liberal ideals he has been an active factor in war service work and is now serving on the Liberty Loan committee for the Tenth Federal Reserve District (Kansas City, Missouri), being chairman for Morgan county in the Colorado division. He is a past master of the Masonic lodge, high priest of the Royal Arch Chapter and a prelate of the Knight Templar Commandery. He is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and holds the chair of lecturing knight. while of the Woodmen of the World he has served as manager for twelve years. His religious faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church. His career is the exemplification of many sterling traits of character. Much of his life has been spent in Morgan county and high regard is entertained for him by all who know him owing to his many ad- mirable qualities, his devotion to public duty, his loyalty in citizenship, and his fidelity to the ties of home and friendship.

EDWARD J. YETTER.

Edward J. Yetter is the president and owner of The Western Elaterite Roofing Company, who manufacture various products made under their trade name "Elaterite." The general offices of this company are in the Equitable building, Denver, and their factory is located in West Denver.

Mr. Yetter is the founder of this business, which he established and built up on products made from formulas and inventions of his own designs, many of which he bas patented. The name "Elaterite," as applied to the various materials made by this com- pany, is their trade name. registered by them in the United States patent office, to exclu- sively apply to their products. The factory owned by the company is located on West Thirteenth avenue and Pecos street. and covers an entire block of five hundred feet in length, with abundant railroad trackage facilities. This business was first incorporated in 1897. Its products have proven most satisfactory, and the business has continually grown from the start, necessitating at different times the increase of its plant and output capacity. The principal materials made are Elaterite prepared roofing in rolls ready for

EDWARD J. YETTER

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use, with many grades and styles to suit all uses; Elaterite paint specials, Elaterite liquid cements, solid cements, asphaltums, roof coatings, water proofings and damp proofing and bonding cements, fibre cements, insulating compounds, rubber compounds and substitutes, etc. Many of the raw products used come from the mines in the Colorado- Utah hydrocarbon fields. This is the only plant anywhere making these "Elaterite" materials.

Edward Yetter. in business circles. is recognized as a leading and representative citi- zen of Denver. In 1911 he was elected treasurer, and during 1912 to 1914 he served as president of the Denver Chamber of Commerce, having been elected two terms. In politics Mr. Yetter has always been a stalwart republican. He has been a resident of Denver for more than twenty years. When first coming to Colorado he served with the Colorado National Guard, holding the rank of first lieutenant. Fraternally, he is a Mason, having been made a member of the order in Colorado; he also belongs to the Denver Civic and Commercial Association, the Colorado Manufacturers Association, the Denver Motor Club, the Denver Country Club and other organizations.

Edward Yetter was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, where he was educated in the public schools. At the age of twelve years, although not dependent upon his own resources, he started to develop an independent earning capacity, and was first employed in the mailing department of a morning newspaper office in St. Joseph, working there in the early mornings, while attending school through the day.

After having completed his school work, he associated himself with his father and brother in their business of wholesale and retail wall paper, paints, oils and glass at Hastings, Nebraska, and from there he came to Colorado.

Augustus S. Yetter, the father of Edward Yetter, was reared and educated in Mil- waukee, Wisconsin, and in the early '70s he removed westward to Missouri, establishing his home in St. Joseph, where he was engaged in the wall paper and paint husiness, and later moved to Hastings, Nebraska. In the early '90s he moved to Colorado, and for a few years carried on a branch of the Hastings business at Grand Junction; later this was sold out, and he engaged in fruit farming on a place adjacent to the town. His fruit farm became one of the show places of Grand Valley. In 1904 Augustus S. Yetter took up his ahode in Denver, where he spent his remaining days in well-earned retirement. He passed away in 1917, at the age of seventy-seven years. He was married to Joanna Feiber, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a representative of one of the old families of Wisconsin. She passed away many years ago at St. Joseph, Missouri. In their family there were five children, two sons and three daughters.

Edward Yetter was married in 1907 in Des Moines, Iowa, to Miss Helen Armour Dean, the youngest daughter of the late Henry Dean, formerly of St. Louis, Missouri, who was one of the most successful and best known leather merchants of St. Louis and Pittsburgh.

T. LEE WITCHER.

T. Lee Witcher, of Cañon City, filling the office of district attorney, was born in Fremont county, Colorado, on the 20th of August, 1883, and is a son of Taliaferro and Isabelle (Harden) Witcher. The father is well known as a stock and cattle man of this state. He removed to Colorado from Georgia in the year 1867 and located with his brother, John R. Witcher, at Eight Mile and at Beaver creek. He concentrated his efforts and attention upon the cattle business and in 1872 he removed to Fremont county. As the years have passed he has become well known in connection with live stock inter- ests of this state. He served as a soldier of the Confederate army during the period of his residence in the south, being a member of Company C of the First Georgia Cavalry. He is still living at the age of seventy-five years and his wife also survives.

T. Lee Witcher is the younger of two sons. He was educated in the public and high schools and in a preparatory school, after which he entered the Illinois Wesleyan University at Bloomington, Illinois, there winning the Bachelor of Arts degree. He pursued his professional course in the University of Colorado at Boulder and was graduated with the class of 1909, receiving his LL. B. degree. He then came to Cañon City and entered upon the practice of his profession, in which he has been successful from the beginning-no dreary novitiate awaiting him. Almost immediately he won prominence in his chosen calling, for he displayed ability in handling intricate and involved legal problems, together with thoroughness in preparation of his cases, clear- ness in his reasoning and strength in his arguments. He has tried and won many important cases, the court records bearing testimony of his ability in the number of

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favorable verdicts which he has won for his clients. He is also engaged in ranching near Hillside.

On the 27th of September, 1909, Mr. Witcher was united in marriage to Miss Hazel Coates, of Bloomington, Illinois, and their children are Marguerite Louise and Hazel Jane.

Mr. Witcher votes with the democratic party and in 1916 he was elected on that ticket to the office of district attorney of the eleventh judicial district, comprising the counties of Fremont, Custer, Chaffee and Park, for a four years' term, so that he is now filling the position. When leisure permits he enjoys hunting and fishing and, in fact, is fond of all phases of outdoor life. He spent his early years in driving cattle as a cowboy and has never lost his love for the plains and the open. Fraternally he is a Mason and is a past master of the lodge. He has also taken the degrees of the Royal Arch Chapter. Likewise he belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and his interest in community affairs is shown in his membership in the Chamber of Commerce. He belongs to the Methodist church and loyally upholds its teachings and its purposes. Much of his time is now given to patriotic causes and his fellow townsmen speak of him in terms of the highest regard as a citizen of great worth to the community and a man of many sterling qualities in his personal and private relations.

JOHN REED GEMMILL.

John Reed Gemmili, for sixteen years active in the insurance field, his career domi- nated by a spirit of steady progress and development, is now the general agent at Denver for the Affiliated Aetna Companies of Hartford, Connecticut, and thoroughly versed in every branch of insurance, he is most capable of directing the important interests under his control. He was born January 8, 1877, in Stewartstown, York county, Pennsylvania. The Gemmill family is of Scotch origin and was established in Pennsylvania at an early period in the colonization of the new world. The grandfather, Robert Gemmill, was a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, and crossed the Atlantic to the United States about 1800, settling in Pennsylvania, where he followed agricultural pur- suits. John V. Gemmill, his son, was born, reared and educated in York county, Penn- sylvania, where he afterward followed mercantile pursuits until within three years of his demise, which occurred in 1904, when he had reached the age of sixty-two years. He was interested in all that had to do with the public progress and improvement of his locality and his state, was a stanch republican in politics and a warm personal friend of Senator Quay. At the time of the Civil war he responded to the country's call for aid and served with a Pennsylvania regiment at the front in defense of the Union. He married Miss Alice Murphy, a native of Pennsylvania and a representative of one of the old families of that state of Irish lineage. She died in 1884, at the age of thirty- two years. To them were born five children.

John Reed Gemmill, who was the second in order of birth, acquired his education in the public schools of York county and in the York Collegiate lustitute, from which he was graduated. He next entered the Johns Hopkins University of Baltimore, Maryland, where he pursued his more specifically literary course, winning the Bachelor of Arts degree upon graduation with the class of 1899. He then hecame connected with the American Bonding & Trust Company of Baltimore, by which he was employed along clerical lines from July, 1899, until January, 1902. In that year he turned his attention to the insurance business and became manager for the Aetna Indemnity Company of Hartford, Connecticut, with western Pennsylvania as his territory, maintaining his offices at Pittsburgh. He there continued as manager for about a year, after which he came to Denver for the company, arriving in this city in November, 1902. His transfer was for the purpose of establishing the present office. He continued as manager for the company until April, 1908, and then became general agent for the Empire State Surety Company of New York. He continued to represent the latter company until June, 1912, when he became general agent for the Maryland Casualty Company of Balti- more, Maryland, with which he remained until July, 1915. He was then made general agent for the Aetna Casualty & Surety Company of Hartford, Connecticut, and on the 1st of June, 1917, was made general agent of the accident and liability department of the Aetna Life Insurance Company of Hartford and general agent of the Automobile Insurance Company, covering forty-six lines. These three interests are known as the Affiliated Aetna Companies of Hartford. The business of the company is today among the largest in the country and in the year 1917 showed an annual increase over past records of nine million, six hundred and fifty-five thousand dollars, while the total

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History of Colorado; Volume II, Part 101

Author: Stone, Wilbur Fiske, 1833-1920, ed Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Number of Pages: 944

Author: Stone, Wilbur Fiske, 1833-1920, ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 944