USA > Colorado > Larimer County > History of Larimer County, Colorado > Part 63
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works were built in 1904. In 1902 he was a mem- ber of the committee that secured the building of the sugar factory and a director of the Fort Col- lins-Colorado Sugar company for two years. In 1903 he was elected president of the Fort Collins National bank, having been one of the founders and one of the first directors of that institution. He has been a hard worker and a good manager all his life, and is now reaping the rewards of the energy and prudence of his younger years. Larimer county has no better, more enterprising or more public-spirited citizen than James A. Brown.
LUCAS BRANDT .- In the early days of Colorado's history, when it was never safe to ramble many miles from the ranch without a military escort, when roving bands of Sioux delighted in lifting a fellow's hair just to secure a war trophy, or to sat- isfy a thirst for revenge, Lucas Brandt risked the
LUCAS BRANDT
dangers and hazards of an overland trip to try his luck in this state. He was born in Ohio, Fairfield county, June 27th, 1845 ; was educated in the pub- lic schools of Indiana and was married to Miss Ara- bella Shallenberger Oct. 29th, 1874. Of this union
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four children were born, Morton, Charles C., Roy and Arabella. Mrs. Brandt died Dec. 4th, 1891. Nearly three years had elapsed when Mr. Brandt was married to Miss Nettie F. Waite, Aug. 15th, 1894. Two sons were born of this last marriage, Jesse W. and Ferris W. Mr. Brandt resigned the lucrative position of pilot to a double-deck prairie schooner on arriving in Denver, April 5th, 1867. His first location was on Bear creek, a small tribu- tary of the South Platte, west of Denver, and a few months later he became a permanent fixture of the Big Thompson valley. Mr. Brandt has been actively engaged every year of his long residence in Colorado in some useful and profitable occupation, and in early days it was no uncommon occurrence to see him carrying a goad and steering bulls along the roads of the valley. He became mayor of Love- land in 1894. Always a pushing, progressive citi- zen, closely identified with the industries of the town of Loveland, he is now the manager of the Loveland Milling & Elevator company. Mr. Brandt ably represented Larimer county in the Second General Assembly of Colorado.
WILLIAM J. PRESTON was born Sept. 28, 1868, in north Carolina; came with his parents to Clear Creek, Colorado, in 1869. When William came with his parents to Larimer Co., in 1882, Lewis Cross was postmaster at Old Berthoud. In 1893 he married Althea May Stryker at Ber- thoud. They have two children living, Viola U., born Feb. 12, 1895 and Norman C., born Sept. 17, 1897. Myrtle E., born Nov. 17, 1902, died Jan. 29, 1903. Mr. Preston has been in the machine and plumbing business in Berthoud the past 10 years, and now lives at the corner of 5th street and Turner avenue. Mr. Preston's mother died June 3, 1897, but his father still lives, making his home with William in Berthoud.
JAMES SULLIVAN, one of the pioneers of Colo- rado and early settlers of the Big Thompson valley and a solid, substantial and progressive citizen of Larimer county, was born November 28th, 1832, at Union, Virginia, where he grew to man's estate. In 1849 he moved to Vinton, Benton county, Iowa, where he resided until 1859, when he came to Colorado. He returned to Iowa in the fall of that year, and in the spring of 1862 started west again with his family, locating this time on Bear creek, south of Denver, where he lived until the spring of 1869, when he moved to the Big Thomp- son valley and engaged in farming and stock rais-
ing, in which he met with excellent success. For nearly a score of years, Mr. Sullivan was one of the foremost, best known and most highly respected citizens of Larimer county. He led his political party in many a hotly contested campaign in the county, and was elected county commissioner in 1873, in which office he served one term, faithfully discharging its duties with fidelity and efficiency. He was his party's candidate for representative in the state legislature in 1876 and again in 1886, leading his ticket both times by a good many votes. He also made the race for county commissioner in 1882 but was defeated by J. B. Harbaugh. Mr. Sullivan was a man of few words, but of inflex- ible purpose, a hater of shams and a rigid adherent of right in all the relations of life. He died at the family home in Loveland, on Monday, July 23, 1888.
HERBERT N. WHEELER, Supervisor of the Colo- rado National forest, was born Sept. 27th, 1873, at Nortonville, Kansas; educated in the public schools and High school at Dodge Center, Minn., graduating in 1892; Milton college, Wis., in 1897, degree A. B .; and the University of Colorado in 1902, with degree of A. M .; came to Boulder, Colo., in July, 1897, and to Larimer county in July, 1907; taught school at Sapinero, Ophir, Clif- ton, Idaho Springs and Montrose in Colorado; Assistant Professor in Botany at University of Colo- rado in 1901-1902; entered U. S. Forest service as guard in July, 1905; made Forest Ranger in November, 1905, and Forest Supervisor in April, 1906, of Montezuma forest; transferred to Colo- rado forest, July, 1907, and moved headquarters to Fort Collins, June, 1908. Mr. Wheeler re- mained a bachelor until June 22nd, 1909, when he was joined in marriage with Felicitas J. Walther.
PROF. THOMAS M. NETHERTON, A. B. A. M., was born May 28th, 1870, in Daviess county, Mo .; received his early training in the public schools of that state; was graduated from William Jewell college, at Liberty, Missouri, in June, 1896, and the University of Chicago in 1899; married Phena E. Wiles, August 27th, 1896, of which mar- riage two children have been born; Crystal W., October 13th, 1897, and Marjorie L., November 10th, 1904. Prof. Netherton taught in colleges in Missouri ten years; removed to Colorado in June, 1907, and in July, 1909, was elected as the first Principal of the Colorado School of Agriculture of the State Agricultural college at Fort Collins.
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John Nelson Sr
HISTORY OF LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
Prof. Netherton has already established an envi- able reputation as a teacher and executive officer and is an able, strong and vigorous worker in his profession.
JOHN NELSON, SR .- This is the life story of one of Scotia's rugged sons who left his native land in 1871 to build a home for himself and family and to carve out a fortune in the "land of the free and the home of the brave". That he succeeded and is now one of the stable, forehanded citizens of Larimer county, is due to his courage, perservance and in- dustry and to a prudent management of his per- sonal affairs. Mr. Nelson was born July 6th, 1840, in Ayrshire, Scotland, and received his edu- cation in his native land. He was born and reared on a farm and upon reaching his manhood, learned the linen bleaching industry, drawing such wages as were paid in those days for that kind of work. In 1867, he married Mary McPherson, and four years later came with his family from Scotland to the United States. He spent about two years in Chi- cago, working in the stone yards and about the docks and doing such other work as fell to his hands. He moved with his family from that city in the spring of 1873, to Fort Collins, and bought 240 acres of raw land, situated three and a half miles southeast of Fort Collins, of the late Judge A. F. Howes. He began at once to improve his purchase by building a small frame house upon it, fencing the tract and by preparing the soil for a crop. In 1874 he planted part of his farm to wheat and oats and was the first white man to draw irrigation water from Larimer county Canal No. 2, which was completed that year. The grasshoppers swooped down upon his fields in August and destroyed the most of his crop, and they came again and did a great deal of harm in 1875 and in 1876, leaving him barely enough of the fruits of his toil to keep the wolf from the door. Since then, to the time he sold his farm in 1906, his operations have been uniformly successful. In 1877, Mr. Nelson bought a few head of registered Jersey cows, the first registered animals of that breed brought into the county. To these he added others until he had acquired a fine herd of Jersey cattle, includ- ing thirty milch cows, from which he made 200 pounds of prime butter per week. His thorough- bred and well-kept Jersey cattle attracted a great deal of attention and were prize winners at the county fairs. He also raised and dealt in thorough- bred Clydesdale horses, his stallion, a splendid animal-winning many premiums at the annual
fair. Mr. Nelson sold his farm in 1906, for $22,- 000 and had built for himself and family a beauti- ful home at 704 Remington street, Fort Collins, where he and his good wife are enjoying the well- earned fruits of their strenuous early day labors, with all of their surviving children, save one daugh- ter, near them. They were the proud parents of eight children, all of whom are living except one son, who died in 1908, and all of them are well situated in life. The names of their surviving children are Mrs. Janet Laidlaw, John R., Alex- ander, Murdock G., Mary and James Nelson, all of Fort Collins, and Mrs. Ellen Silcott of Idaho One of the sons, Murdock G. Nelson, is cashier of the Commercial Bank & Trust company, and also City Treasurer of Fort Collins. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson are quietly, peacefully and conten- tedly passing the closing years of their lives, sur- rounded and beloved by their children and in the enjoyment of the confidence and esteem of all who know them.
JOHN P. RYCKMAN, one of Fort Collins most active faithful and efficient public officials, was born December 28th, 1857, at Johnstown, Penn- sylvania; educated in the public schools of Marion Center, Pennsylvania, and at the Normal school of Ada, Ohio. He arrived in Fort Collins, April 8th, 1881, and followed the occupation of sales- man for several years. On December 28th, 1892, he married Ada Silcott, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Silcott, who died in 1901. His two sons are named William and Charles Ryckman. On the 8th of January, 1905, Mr. Ryckman married Stella Steele. He served Fort Collins as night- watchman from 1898 to 1900 and was then elected City Marshal and after serving three years was re- elected in April, 1907, a position he held until April, 1911, when his term expired. Mr. Ryck- man is a modest, quiet gentleman, a vocalist of high repute, and as head of the police force, a terror to evil doers.
ERNEST W. THAYER, Cashier of the Farmer's bank of Timnath, an institution he helped to or- ganize as a private bank in 1906, and which was incorporated as a State bank September 19th, 1907, was born July 25th, 1884, in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. In 1894, when ten years of age, he came to Colorado, locating at Timnath which has since been his home. On June 17th, 1908, he married Roxie P. Love of Fort Collins. Mr. Thayer was educated in the public schools of Lari- mer county and at the Colorado Agricultural col-
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lege. He is recognized as one of the rising young business men and financiers of the county, and he enjoys the confidence and respect of a wide circle of friends and acquaintances.
FREDERICK CHRISTMAN was born March 31st, 1839, in Germany. Soon after the death of his father he and his mother migrated to the United States, settling in Wheeling, Virginia, in 1853,
FREDERICK CHRISTMAN
where he received his education and learned the moulder's trade. In 1861 he enlisted in the Third Virginia Volunteer cavalry and was mustered out as a sergeant in the spring of 1865. He participated in more than 100 battles and skirmishes, including Chancellorsville, Antietam, Gettysburg, Second Bull Run, Cross Keys, Winchester, Strasburgh and many others. His company was at one time General Fre- mont's bodyguard. At Culpeper court house he was shot through the right hand and owes his life at this time to the fact that he was an Odd Fellow ; was taken prisoner and spent forty days in Libby prison and at Castle Thunder. He came to Larimer county in 1873, locating first on Rabbit creek, and then on Deadman creek in Virginia Dale. He sold his ranch on Deadman creek in 1880 and moved his
cattle to Sheridan, Wyoming, selling his herd in the spring of 1881 and returning to Virginia Dale. He bought back the Deadman ranch, improved it by erecting a large, comfortable house and barn and opened a road-house. His house was a favorite stopping place for travelers, tourists and hunters. In 1905 he sold the ranch and stock and moved his family to Fort Collins, where he has since resided. At Cheyenne, in 1884, Mr. Christman married Mary B. Young, and they have two sons, Carl and Allen, who are engaged in dairying and the cattle business near Stove Prairie. On the 17th of April, 1911, our subject had been fifty- years an Odd Fellow; is also a member of the Fort Collins En- campment and Past Chief Patriarch of that order. He and his wife are members of the Delta Rebekah lodge, and he also belongs to the Grand Army and has served as Colonel of the Union Veteran Legion. Mrs. Christman is a native of Iowa, coming to Colorado in 1882.
HERMAN S. YOUTSEY .- This county is indebted to the state of Indiana for many of its active, ener- getic and most popular citizens and among the num- ber is Herman S. Youtsey, who has often served the people in important public offices faithfully and well. Born December 29th, 1842, in Jackson county, he accompanied his parents to Iowa in 1852; ar- riving at man's estate, he left the Hawkeye state for Colorado, reaching Boulder in 1871, where he tarried six years, but the year 1878 found him on a homestead near Loveland. Retracing the record for a few years. Mr. Youtsey attended Oskaloosa college in Iowa, and was married to Miss Alice H. Stephens in 1875. Two boys are living of this union, Floyd S. and Otho E. Roy died in infancy. Mr. Youtsey was twice elected Assessor, serving two terms, and filled one term as Treasurer of the county.
RICHARD A. MAXFIELD was born in 1873 at Council Bluffs, Iowa; came to Colorado in 1881, locating at Red Cliff; in 1882 his father took up the land on which the town of Rifle now stands. Our subject followed ranching until 1891, when he entered the Colorado Agricultural college, grad- uating therefrom in 1896. In the spring of 1898 Mr. Maxfield enlisted in the United States Volun- teer engineers, the regiment being stationed at Honolulu, Hawaiian islands, during the Spanish war. On being mustered out in 1899, he returned to Fort Collins and was appointed military in- structor at the Agricultural college, resigning in 1906 to engage in the cattle business, associated
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with Fred C. Alford. The firm has a fine farm and stock ranch in Pleasant valley, where our sub- ject and his family reside. He married Abbie Alford, daughter of Hon. N. C. Alford, in 1902, and they have one son, Richard Alford Maxfield.
CHARLES W. RAMER .- Love of adventure and a desire to better his worldly condition are what made a Larimer county pioneer of Charles Worth- ington Ramer, one of the very few living of those brave men who set their stakes in the Cache la Poudre valley in 1862. He was born on April 10th, 1844, at Goshen, Indiana, and attended the public schools of his native town. In 1858 his par- ents moved to Bethany, Missouri, which was the family home for many years. He enlisted in April, 1861, under President Lincoln's call for volun- teers, in Company H of the 1st Missouri Volun- teer Cavalry and was mustered out on expiration of term of service a year later. He came to Colo- rado, arriving at Laporte in June 1862, after help- ing to drive a bunch of cows and calves across the Plains. He was then but 18 years of age but bristling with energy and ambition. He clerked a few months in G. R. Sanderson's store at La- porte and got a job driving stage on the Overland route in the winter of 1862-3, between Laporte and Virginia Dale. He would leave Laporte on the arrival of the stage from Denver in the morning and drive to Virginia Dale, where he would meet and drive the east bound coach back to Laporte in the afternoon. That was when the notorious desperado, SIade, was Superintendent of the Moun- tain division. In 1864, Mr. Ramer went to Mon- tana, returning to Laporte in the fall of 1865, going in the spring of 1866 to his former home in Missouri, where he remained about a year and then came back to Colorado. He made another trip to Missouri in 1868, returning to Laporte in the following year. He married Rachael V. Mc Clung in 1874, at Bethany, Missouri, leaving for the West shortly afterwards. This time he came to Fort Collins and bought a livery stable of Joseph Mason which he conducted until 1876, when he sold it. He went back to Missouri in 1875 after his family and after living on a ranch in Pleasant valley until 1877, he moved to Fort Collins. He engaged in the grocery business in 1880 and in 1881, President Garfield appointed him postmaster for Fort Collins, and he was reappointed by Pres- ident Harrison in 1889 for another term of four years. At the close of his second term as post- master, he leased the Tedmon house and conducted
it five years and then purchased the store at La- porte which he kept five years. After disposing of his interests at Laporte, he bought the hotel and store at Livermore in 1901 and successfully con- ducted both for eight years, exchanging the pro- perty in 1910 for the Bellairs stock ranch at West- lake, which is now his home. Mr. and Mrs. Ramer have a beautiful home in Fort Collins, but they
CHARLES W. RAMER
prefer to spend their summers at least at their fine mountain home looking after the welfare of their herd of 350 head of high grade cattle. They have three children, John E., Miss Nellie G. and Mrs. Jessie Moore. John has served the county four years as deputy county clerk and five years as prin- cipal of that office; two years as deputy Secretary of State and was the candidate of the Republican party in 1910 for the head of that office. The youngest daughter is the wife of Frank W. Moore who has been twice elected County Treasurer of his native county. Mr. Ramer has been a busy, active man ever since he came to Larimer county and is one of the best known and most popular men in Northern Colorado. He has done his part to bring the county into public notice and done it
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well. He is one of the two men left who came to the Caché la Poudre valley in 1862, John G. Coy being the other one. May his days be long in the land that he may enjoy to the utmost the fruits of his early day activities.
REV. THOMAS WATERS TAYLOR is kindly re- membered by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance as a talented evangelist and preacher,
REV. THOMAS WATERS TAYLOR
a tireless worker and a large hearted, genial gentle- man. He was born November 14th, 1854, at Thirlestane, Berwickshire; Scotland, and educated in the public schools and at Lauderdale, Scotland, taking a theological course. On the 14th of Novem- ber, 1881, Mr. Taylor was joined in marriage with Margaret McAllister Greig, who survives him. The family came to Fort Collins March 3rd, 1893, and lived for two years on South Howes street. During this time Mr. Taylor occupied the pulpit of the First Presbyterian church for a period of nine months. In 1895, he moved to Estes Park and was the founder of the First Presbyterian church there, later moving on to a farm near Fort Collins where he died March 26th, 1901, aged a
little more than 46 years, leaving no children, save an adopted son named Thomas Waters Taylor. In his native country, Mr. Taylor was widely known in Evangelistic circles as an able and zealous ex- pounder of the Bible and as a sincere and earnest preacher of the gospel. Of his life and character too much cannot be said in praise. Though afflicted with an incurable malady, consumption, coming to Colorado for his health, he was a faithful and ener- getic worker for the Master until his strength finally gave out, a man of great piety and deep faith in the Christian religion ; also of unusual executive ability, and determination of will. His life, though short as measured by the term of man's allotted years, was filled with kindly deeds towards all with whom he came in contact and his death at a period of his greatest usefulness, was deeply lamented.
OSCAR RIKER is another native New Yorker, who married Sarah Hanby, April 4th, 1871, at Yonkers, New York. Three boys were born to them, Oscar S., Joseph D., and George H. Riker, all born in Yonkers and all married and now resi- dents of Loveland. Mr. Riker came to Loveland May 13th, 1884, and for four years conducted the Big Thompson hotel, then conducted the Love- land House for 22 years, retiring therefrom April 25th, 1910. Since then he has resided at 434 R. R. avenue, enjoying the fruits of an active and well spent life.
PETER KERN, a Larimer county pioneer farmer, retired, was born August 31st, 1835, at Kriegs- feldt, Germany. He went to school in his native country and though more than sixty years an Amer- ican citizen and fluently speaking the English lan- guage, still preserves his mother tongue and can speak, read and write it as when a boy in the Father- land. He came to the United States in 1848, with his father's family which settled at Claverack on the Hudson river, a few miles below Albany, New York. Here he served an apprenticeship at the wagon and carriage making trade. He married Catherine Knau, February 15th, 1858, and they have one son, Frank P. Kern, living. Mr. Kern joined the Greeley Colony in June, 1871, and a few weeks later filed on an 80-acre homestead in the Cache la Poudre valley situated east of the present town of Timnath; bought another 80-acre tract from Frank Scott and a 160-acre tract of railroad land, making him altogether 320 acres of fine land. This he set to work to improve and con- vert into a farm, by building a large story and a half log house, fencing the land and breaking out
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a portion of it for crops. In 1890 he sold the farm to John H. Gault and moved his family to Fort Collins where he still resides, enjoying the fruits of his early labors.
MARK AUSTIN ELLISON .- The great timber belt of Northern Central Pennsylvania has pro- duced many men, who at a later period, have won their way to success in the rapidly growing regions of the West. Among them is Mark Austin Elli- son, who was born February 9, 1876, in Tioga, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, where his father, George F., was at that time engaged in farming and the lumber business. The latter, now eighty-six years old, and the mother, Mary Elizabeth, aged eighty, are both still living at Elkland in the Key- stone state, and are hale and hearty. When the lad was fourteen, the family moved to the Harrison valley, where the father became freight agent for the New York Central railway. At the old home, Mark had faithfully attended the public schools; now he was duly advanced to the high school, and occupied his nights and Saturdays learning rail- road station business, including telegraphy. Upon reaching the age of seventeen, he was put in the service as an extra for the railroad company, and acted as agent.or operator at different stations on the line, conducting the business of the American Express Company at the same time. After this ex- perience in transportation affairs, he concluded to take up trade, and entered the employ of the M. S. Haskell Mercantile Company at Mills, Penn- sylvania, also in the timber region, where he con- tinued two years. Then having saved quite a snug sum of money, he and his brother formed a co- partnership for handling general merchandise under the firm name of Ellison Brothers, at the same place. At the end of the two years, owing to the destruction by fire of the two big mills of the town, and the consequent depressing effect on enterprise, the business was sold out and he moved to Wells- ville, New York, to become manager for B. Mc Owen & Company, an important concern that operated nine separate establishments altogether, in as many different localities. His connection with that house lasted until 1902, when, owing to the illness of his father and mother, he returned home and took charge as buyer for the P. S. Schweitzer Mercantile company, and remained with them three years. It was then he met the lady who became his wife, nee Miss Lena Mae Keltz, and the two were married March 30th, 1905. They now have one child, a son Donald, six years old,
who, so to speak, is a "chip off the old block". Mr. Ellison had previously made a short tour of obser- vation to Montreal, Canada, and in the year of his marriage, accepted a position with Peck, Haskell & Company, of that city; but, because of the severe cold of the winters of that locality, soon left, and in July of the same year, migrated west to Colo- rado. He had already been offered a position with the State Mercantile Company, and on his arrival
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