USA > Colorado > Larimer County > History of Larimer County, Colorado > Part 66
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JAMES G. MC CORMICK
Fort Collins a morning paper. The Express is republican in politics and an earnest and consistent advocate of the development of the resources of Larimer county and the upbuilding of Fort Collins.
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H. a. Drake.
1
HISTORY OF
LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
The McCormick Brothers at once became identi- fied with the business interests and growth of their adopted home and in 1907 erected the Express building, especially adapted to the requirements of the newspaper business, and two years later, in 1909, they erected the building adjoining the Ex- press office, which is leased to the government for postoffice purposes. The Weekly Express was founded by the late Joseph S. McClelland, who issued the first number on April 26th, 1873. After passing through several changes of ownership, the paper and its equipment finally came into the hands and under the control and management of the McCormick Brothers, where it still remains.
HON. WILLIAM A. DRAKE .- The man who achieves success in any legitimate undertaking through sheer force of will, sets a worthy example for others to emulate. He is a credit to the community in which he lives and is entitled to honor and respect. Such a man is State Senator William A. Drake of Fort Collins. He was born on a farm, reared on a farm and is one of the leading, progressive and most prosper- ous farmers in Colorado. Besides his home place on which he settled in 1882, he owns several of the best improved and most productive farms in the county, and has also a large body of land in Al- berta, Canada. Mr. Drake was born March 4th, 1853, near the shores of Cayuga lake, Cayuga county, New York. His father, William A. Sr., was born in Goshen, Orange county, New York. When the subject of this sketch was four years of age he was taken by his parents to Polk county, Iowa, where he grew to manhood's estate. He at- tended the public schools of Polk county and the Baptist University in Des Moines, paying his own way through that institution through teaching school during the vacation season. After leaving school, he engaged in farming during the summer and taught school in the winter. He spent the summer of 1876 in Oregon, teaching, returning to Iowa in the fall. He taught fourteen terms in Iowa, thus gaining a wide experience in educa- tional matters and also making him an ardent ad- vocate and zealous supporter of the public school system. Senator Drake came from Iowa to Fort Collins in the spring of 1882. He then purchased an 80-acre tract of partly improved land, situated two miles south of the city, making a partial pay- ment down. Four years later he had paid off the debt on his land and had bought an adjoining 80-acre tract, adding another 80-acre tract to his
160-acre farm three years afterwards, making 240 acres of very productive land, all in one body. He improved his farm by fencing it, constructing irrigating laterals, bridging ditches and by build- ing a handsome and commodious brick farm house, a big barn 44x60 feet in dimensions, with a wing on each side 24x30. In 1892 he began to feed sheep and lambs for the eastern markets in which he has been very successful. In his home feeding pens he fattens about 4,000 head every year and he has often marketed as high as 40,000 head in a season, the most of them fattened on his other farms and in the Arkansas valley. He is the most extensive sheep feeder in Colorado and has made good money in the business. Nothwithstanding his farm duties and stock feeding interests, and they have been and are strenuous, he has found time to devote to public affairs and his counsel and co-operation has often been sought in political campaigns and in behalf of the moral and material advancement of his chosen home. He has been President of the school board of District Number 16; President of the Larimer County Sheep Feed- ers association; President of the Fort Collins Beet Growers association and an active and influential worker in all of them. He is now a heavy stock holder and vice-president of the First National Bank, of Fort Collins. He was an important factor in the movement to get a sugar factory in Fort Col- lins. In 1902 Mr. Drake was the republican candi- date for State Senator from the Tenth senatorial dis- trict, composed of the counties of Boulder and Lari- mer, and was elected by a majority of nearly 1,700. He at once took a commanding position in that body and the good work he accomplished for the benefit of his constituents during the Fourteenth and Fif- teenth General assemblies made his re-election in 1906 a foregone conclusion. He was one of the most active and hardest working members of the State senate during both terms and his ability and forcefulness was recognized and appreciated by all of his colleagues. In fact, he was a tower of strength in that body and could get anything he asked for passed by the senate. He was a capable, honest and popular representative of the leading industries of northern Colorado, and his record as State senator is pointed to with pride by friend and foe. Had he not positively declined, he would un- doubtedly have been sent back for a third term in 1910. In the Fourteenth General assembly Sena- tor Drake was a member of the following com- mittees: Agriculture and Irrigation; Live Stock ; County Affairs; Military and Horticulture. Among
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the important bills introduced by him which passed the Senate are the following: Bill amending school law; bill appropriating $75,000 for an irrigation engineering building for the Agricultural college. The bill passed with the amount cut to $40,000. Bill to protect trade and commerce against unlaw- ful restraint. This measure passed the senate but was killed in the house. During the session of 1905 he was chairman of the Committee of Agriculture and Irrigation, and also of the Live Stock com- mittee; member of the committees on Banking and Insurance, privileges and elections, reapportionment and of the committee appointed to investigate the titles to seats in the senate of Senators Bohn and Healy. He introduced bills at this session con- cerning sweet-clover. (This bill passed the sen- ate and was killed in the house) ; amending an act creating state board of agriculture; bill appropriat- ing $30,000 for the Agricultural college, (Mr. Drake asked for $70,000, but only got $30,000) ; a stock bill which put a stop to grafting from the sheep feeders by the State Stock board. During the session of 1907, Senator Drake was chairman of the committee which named the standing com- mittee of the senate and apportioned patronage; chairman of committee on finance. It is worthy of note here that this was the only session of the legislature that did not appropriate more money than the estimated revenues of the state for the biennial period. He was also a member of the committees on Reapportionment, and Agriculture and Irrigation. He was the caucus nominee for president pro tem of the senate, but was defeated by four senators who ignored the caucus. Senator Drake introduced and secured the passage and ap- proval of the local option law, by all odds the most important measure enacted and an appro- priation of $4,000 for the Loveland road. At the session of 1909, Senator Drake was a member of the committee on Finance and of the committee on Agriculture and Irrigation. He secured the passage at this session of the district drainage law, the local improvement law; an act accepting the Carnegie Foundation fund; an appropriation of $119,372.18 for the Agricultural College and an appropriation of $3,480 for the Loveland and Fort Collins road; an act accepting, ratifying and as- senting to the terms, grants and conditions of an act passed by the 59th Congress relating to in- creased appropriations for the Agricultural college ; an act transferring the proceeds of the land fund to the college; an act relating to dairy products. The records show that Senator Drake made 76
motions and cast nearly 2,000 votes during the four regular sessions. He also secured the passage of an act creating Larimer county a separate and in- dependent senatorial district. He was a delegate to the National republican convention in 1908 and member of committee on resolutions from Colorado. On March 20th, 1878, Mr. Drake married Emma Arnettie Darnell daughter of Thomas Darnell, at Des Moines, Iowa. They have three children; Nellie D., Edwin A., and Walter Ray. The daughter and both sons are mar- ried and live near Fort Collins. In 1908, Senator Drake turned his home farm over to his son and built himself a beautiful residence on Remington street, Fort Collins, where he now lives.
HARRY V. BENNETT was born in Chickasaw County, Iowa, on the 3rd day of June, 1856. Mr. Bennett came to Colorado with his parents in 1864, crossing the plains by wagon with a team of four yoke of cows. After a residence of three years the family went by wagon to California; remaining in the west five years. In 1872 they returned to the Little Thompson Valley and in 1874 located near Berthoud where Mr. Bennett has since been en- gaged in farming and stock raising. On Novem- ber 26, 1886, he was married to Laura F. Keirnes. They have one daughter, Emma V. Bennett, born July 18, 1888. Mr. Bennett has been successful in his business and is a valued citizen of the county.
JOHN W. HENDERSON was born March 25th, 1830, in Accomac county, Virginia; died April 5th, 1904, in Fort Collins, Colorado; married Hen- rieta Durkee, March 25th, 1856, who with two children, Mrs. C. B. Andrews of Fort Collins, and Joseph Henderson of Livermore, survive. Our subject came from Missouri to Colorado in 1878 and engaged in freighting from Colorado Springs to Leadville during the boom period, be- fore the railroad was built into that great Silver camp, doing a profitable business; sold his freight- ing outfit in 1879 and moved to Fort Collins which continued to be his home until he died. Mr. Henderson was a splendid type of the noblest work of God, an honest man, fair and just in all his dealings and ever ready to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's.
ELIZA A. REID .- Born in 1842 at Newburg, Ohio; married N. R. Herrington, January 8th, 1861. Came to Colorado in 1879, first locating in Fort Collins, then moving to the Redstone val- ley. Her husband died in 1881 leaving her with
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the care of seven children, whose names are Mrs. Eva V. Nye; Mrs. Mary A. Kimmons; Harry G., Fred O., Birney L., Mrs. Flora C. Cross and Mrs. Grace Lindenmeier. In 1881 Mrs. Herrington moved to Fort Collins which has since been her home.
GEORGE F. HAVER, born April 28th, 1861, at Moline, Illinois; married Mary Olden, July 3rd, 1884, at Atlantic, Iowa; moved to Fort Collins, January 3rd, 1906; has five sons and two daughters living, two dying in their infancy. Mr. Haver is a brick contractor by occupation and has done well since he came to Colorado. He is recognized as an industrious, energetic man and good citizen.
REV. G. JOSEPH LAJEUNESSE, pastor of St. Joseph's Catholic church, Fort Collins, will long be remembered by those who know him as a tal- ented clergyman, a tireless worker and a genial friend. He was born on July 5th, 1862 in St. Paul, Minnesota. His father, Joseph La- Jeunesse, was born in Montreal, Canada, of French parents and his mother, Mary E. (Brown) LaJeunesse, was born in St. Charles, Mis- souri. They were married in St. Paul, Minne- sota, in 1858. Of this union our subject was the second child in order of birth. In 1863 his parents moved to Chambly, near Montreal, Canada, where he was reared. He was educated in Montreal college at the Seminary of Philosophy, and at the Grand Seminary of that city. In 1888, he went to Paris, France, to further pursue his studies, but his health breaking down, he came back to Mon- treal at the end of a year. After his ordination in the Cathederal of Montreal by Archbishop Fabre on July 25th, 1889, he served successively as chap- lain to the Sisters of Providence, Brothers of Christ- ian Instruction of Montreal, Sisters of Charity of St. Boniface, Manitoba, and Brothers of Charity, Boston, Massachusetts, being thus engaged for six years. Father LaJeunesse came to Denver Colo- rado, in November, 1895, and after spending eight months as assistant pastor at the Immaculate Con- ception Cathedral in that city, he was assigned as first resident pastor to the parish of Lake City, Colorado, where he had charge of the work for two years and four months, going thence to Gunnison, Colorado, where he spent five months in this ex- tensive jurisdiction. On the 21st of April, 1899, he came to Fort Collins to take charge of St. Joseph's parish and is still ministering to its con- gregation. Of the results of Father La Jeunesse's work in Fort Collins too much cannot well be said
in praise. He is a man not only of great piety and deep faith in God, but also of remarkable energy, unusual executive ability and determination of will. He set himself at once to the work of improving conditions in the parish and in 1901, had the pleas- ure and the satisfaction of assisting in the dedica- tion of the beautiful and commodious church on W. Mountain avenue in which the congregation
REV. G. JOSEPH LA JEUNESSE
has since worshipped. He has also been instru- mental in having churches erected at Greeley and at Loveland which at present form two distinct and thriving parishes. His interest and activity in the growth of Fort Collins did not cease with the completion of St. Joseph's church, but con- tinued until he had remodeled and erected twelve other buildings, including the Antlers hotel and the rectory, the finest at this date in the Diocese of Denver.
ALBERT A. HAWLEY, born in 1845, near Mon- treal, Canada, came to Colorado in 1863, and served as Deputy Provo-Marshal under Capt. John Wanless ; went to New York in 1865, and married Alma B. Burnop in 1878; returned in 1879 to
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HISTORY OF
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COUNTY, COLORADO
Fort Collins, which has since been his home; lived on a farm for 18 years and then moved to Fort Collins. Mr. and Mrs. Hawley have two chil- dren, Albert B. and Olive J .; and an adopted daughter, Mrs. Ben. Lamb; lives at 813 W. Moun- tain Avenue.
PERRY HARRINGTON was born July 1st, 1846, in Ashtabula county, Ohio, where he went to school and learned the builder's trade. On August
PERRY HARRINGTON
18th, 1867, he was joined in marriage with Julia Packard at Deerfield, Wis., and six children were born of the union; Fred M., Nettie D., Minnie F., George W., Alta M., and Julia E. Harrington. Mr. Harrington came to Colorado in December, 1878, and located at Fort Collins, which city con- tinued to be his home until he died on February 27th 1911. Mrs. Harrington and their children fol- lowed him to Fort Collins from the east in May, 1880. Mr. Harrington was an active, energetic man and a good mechanic and he readily found employ- ment at contracting and building and in construct- ing bridges for Larimer county. He was for many years the main bridge builder in the county and did a great deal of work of that kind in all parts of the county, including North Park. A number of good buildings including large business blocks remain to- day in Fort Collins as monuments to his energy and skill as a mechanic. He set the first plate glass placed in a business block in that city. Mr. Har-
rington came of good stock, his mother being a sis- ter of Commodore Perry who won the famous naval victory over the British fleet on Lake Erie in 1813, and he was named in honor of his noted uncle. His widow and several of his children still reside in Fort Collins.
JAMES MILLER .- Born in 1849, at St. Johns, New Brunswick; educated in the common schools of Canada; married Jessie Brockway in 1873, at Greeley, Colorado; Edwin A., of Fort Collins, and Albert of Walden are their only children; came to Greeley in 1872 and to near Timnath, Larimer county in 1883; lumberman by occupation and helped to build and operate a saw mill at Greeley in the early 70's; ancestors came from Liverpool early in the 19th century and engaged in the lum- ber business in Maine and New Brunswick, being located at Calais, Maine, for some time. Our sub- ject drove saw logs down the Caché la Poudre river for W. F. Thompson until the lumber business was abandoned at Greeley, then drifted into farm- ing near Timnath; active in the growth and de- velopment of Timnath, being a member of com- mittee that built the church there, of which he was an elder for more than 20 years; charter member of Timnath lodge of Odd Fellows; was long en- gaged in the mercantile and forwarding business. Mrs. Miller came from an old Massachusetts family that antedates the Revolution, her grand- father having been a revolutionary soldier.
FRANK M. NELSON was born September 23rd, 1867, in Muscatine, Iowa, and attended the public schools in Warren county, Illinois; came to Fort Collins, July 15th 1886, which place has since been his home; drove delivery wagon for grocery store a few years; salesman in Turk's grocery ten years and then became associated with J. M. White- man in the grocery business in 1903 in which he continues with excellent success. Mr. Nelson mar- ried Henrietta Ralph, June 1st, 1892, and they have four children. Monroe, Maud, Ralph and Arlene Nelson, all at home. Whiteman & Nelson are proprietors of the Gem Grocery, one of the most reliable and most prosperous mercantile es- tablishments in Northern Colorado. Mr. Nelson is an influential member of the Woodmen of the World, and of the order of Elks.
ALBERT BAKER TOMLIN .- In the year 1873, Mr. Tomlin arrived in Fort Collins from Missouri. He at once formed a partnership with W. C. Stover, engaging in general merchandise. He fol-
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lowed this line for many years, and in 1878, his friends called upon him to accept the nomination for County Treasurer. He filled the office with great credit, and until his business interests de- manded his personal attention. He was born in Maryland, April 30th, 1840, and was educated in Baltimore. He married Elizabeth E. Whitesides on December 31st, 1874. Five sons and one daugh- ter were born to them-Mrs. Eleanor Esgar, Oliver B., Thomas A., Galen J., Wesley R., and Henry M. Mr. Tomlin died on June 26th, 1908. He was a man greatly respected, loved and honored in the community.
JOHN HAHN .- Chief among the farmers and ranchmen of the Big Thompson valley is John Hahn, who, at the ripe age of three score and tert, still overlooks his possessions and, if necessary, can do a man's work in field or garden. Mr. Hahn was born in Germany, October 6, 1840. His parents, with many others from their community in Deutchland, emigrated to America. The family ascended the Mississippi river to Rock Island, Illi- nois. John's father died shortly afterwards. Mr. Hahn lived in the Sucker state until he was about 19 years old, working on a farm from the time he could handle and master implements; but in 1860, with a party from his neighborhood, he came to Colorado. They crossed the Plains with the usual bull and horse teams used in those days, and on April 26, that year, they arrived at Denver, then a cluster of huts, cabins and a few houses. He came to the Big Thompson valley in August, 1860. He squatted on 160 acres of government land three miles east of the present town of Loveland, and he still owns the old homestead. He cut and pressed hay in the valley and many a load did he haul to Central City and the adjacent mines, get- ting all kinds of prices. He at one time sold a ton to the livery stable of McCool & Cleming for a small bunch of cows, drove them home to graze on the plains and later sold them for $500. He considers that one of his best dickers, but the price of hay would average $100 a ton and he made money while those prices lasted. In the early days there were several Indian "scares," but nothing serious resulted, though it necessitated the sending of the settlers' wives and children to Laporte and Fort Collins for protection. Mr. Hahn was one of the promoters of the Douty grist mill, the first one built in the valley. He, with others, donated enough money to put up the building and buy the plant, and they were paid back by having their
wheat ground there. Mr. Hahn was County Com- missioner for three years in the later '90's and served to the satisfaction of the taxpayers. He was President of the Loveland Building Association for several years; also President of the Ryan Gulch Reservoir Company, and he was one of the organ- izers of the Loveland National Bank, and has been its vice president for years. The winter of 1875-
JOHN HAHN
76, nearly 16 years after he left home, he went to Hillsdale, Ill., and in February of that winter was married, and for over a third of a century Mr. and Mrs. Hahn have walked down life's road lovers, counselors and helpmeets. Three children blessed the union, but two, Edson and Mabel Josephine, have crossed the Great Divide, leaving one, Mrs. Jessie McWhinney, to comfort them in their de- clining years-years that to them have proved years of peace, happiness and great plentitude in this world's goods.
JEROME EMMETT WALKER was born December 3rd, 1856, at Sandwich, Illinois ; educated in Iowa; married Mary E. Lee April 30th, 1882, and came to Fort Collins June 28th, 1888. The names of his living children are Maud D., Mabel J., Lee J.,
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and Robert E. Walker. Mr. Walker is a carpenter by trade; has been janitor at the court house five and one-half years, deputy sheriff three years and is now Superintendent of the county poor farm and hospital.
AUGUST L. ROHLING is a native of Germany, born February 28th, 1858, at Dielingen, West-
AUGUST L. ROHLING
phalia, where he passed the first fifteen years of his life, meantime attending the gymnasium. He came to the United States with his brother, Phillip, in 1873 and settled in Indianapolis, where he se- cured employment in a wholesale dry goods house. Three years later he came to Black Hawk, Colo- rado, and here secured employment as a salesman with Rittmaster & Company. His brother joined him here in 1882 and, as partners, they started a store and succeeded in building up a large and profitable trade. Ten years later, in 1892, the firm of Rohling Brothers opened a dry goods store in Fort Collins, and our subject came here to have charge of it. In 1894 he purchased the building on Linden street he now occupies. It is known as the Rohling block. On February 1st,
1896, the brothers dissolved partnership, our sub- ject retaining the Fort Collins store and has built up an extensive and valuable patronage. While living in Black Hawk, Mr. Rohling married Joh- anna Rudolph, who was born in Newark, New Jersey, and died in Black Hawk, leaving one child, Elizabeth Augusta, now Mrs. James M. Moore, of Greeley. His second wife, whom he married in Longmont, was June Stephenson, who was born in Carthage, Missouri, a daughter of W. T. Step- henson, of Joplin, Missouri. This union has been blessed with three children, A. Lynn, Lois and Cordelia. Mr. Rohling served one term as a mem- ber of the board of trustees of Black Hawk, and was a member of the school board for three years, serving as president one year. Since coming to Fort Collins he has been twice a member of the city council as a representative from the Fourth ward. He was made a Master Mason in Black Hawk lodge No. 4, and is now affiliated with Col- lins lodge No. 19, A. F. & A. M. He is also a leading member of Fort Collins lodge No, 19, 1. O. of O. F., which he has represented in the Grand Lodge, and is also connected with the Encamp- ment, the Canton and the Rebekah lodge. He is a charter member of Larimer lodge No. 101, K. of P. and was its first Chancellor Commander. Mrs. Rohling is a member of the Eastern Star, chapter No. 26. Mr. Rohling is an enterprising and public spirited citizen, a leader in all good work and a thoroughgoing business man and gen- tleman.
MARTIN VANDEWARK .- Born July 20th, 1840, at Jamestown, New York; died October 10th, 1909, at Santa Barbara, California. Mr. Vande- wark came to Fort Collins in 1874 and engaged in wool growing and ranching, which he followed until 1879. In 1886, in company with Charles Evans, he successfully engaged in the mercantile business as a dealer in hay, grain, farm implements, wagons, carriages, etc., and continued in this line until 1895, when he retired to a farm in the Har- mony district. In 1904 he sold all of his property in Larimer county and moved to Santa Barbara, California, where he died. He left a widow, and one son, Fred Vandewark, the latter a resident of Fort Collins.
R. E. FOOTE of the law firm of Thomason & Foote. Fort Collins, Colorado, was born June 19th, 1881 at Canton, Mississippi, educated in the pub- lic schools of San Francisco, Boone's preparatory school, Berkeley, California, and University of Cali-
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