USA > Colorado > Larimer County > History of Larimer County, Colorado > Part 67
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SENATOR JAMES C. EVANS
HISTORY OF
LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
fornia; graduate of the law department of Denver University ; came to Fort Collins in 1909; married Grace E. Metcalf September 1st, 1910; one child, Enid Lillian.
HON. JAMES C. EVANS, twice elected State Sen- ator from Larimer county and one of the best and most influential citizens of Fort Collins, during his residence therein, was born in Mount Vernon, Knox county, Ohio, August 22nd, 1845, and was a descendant of an old Pennsylvania family. His father, Thomas Evans, a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, removed to Ohio and settled about 1835, in Knox county, where he engaged in farm- ing. His wife was a widow and James C. was the only child born to her union with Mr. Evans. In the grammar and high schools of Mount Vernon our subject obtained the rudiments of an education. Later he attended the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio. While carrying on his col- lege studies in 1864, he volunteered in Company E, 145th Ohio Infantry of which he served as corporal until the expiration of his term of service. He then returned to the University and graduated there- from in 1868, with the degree of A. B. After leaving school, he engaged in the mercantile busi- ness which he followed for several years. Coming to Colorado in 1879, Mr. Evans located in Fort Collins, which was his home until he died on February 21st, 1901. From 1880 to 1891 he was engaged in the meat market business with Messrs. Thoman & Vollintine, and also had charge of the boarding house and stores at the stone quarries in Stout and Arkins for a number of years. In 1891 he purchased the College avenue grocery, which he carried on in his own name until 1894 when he took his son, Charles R., into partnership and the firm became known as J. C. Evans & Son. They continued in the grocery business under that name until the death of our subject in 1901. In addi- tion to the grocery business, Mr. Evans supervised the work on two farms, one of 240 acres and another of 160 acres, in the vicinity of Fort Col- lins. On one of his farms, he and his son set out what is probably one of the largest cherry orchards in the United States. In Ohio, August 25th, 1869, Mr. Evans was united in marriage with Augusta Noe, who was born in Morrow county, Ohio, daughter of R. L. Noe, a farmer and business man. Of this union two children survive, a son and a daughter. The former, Charles R. Evans, is a graduate of the Colorado Agricultural college. The daughter, Grace G., is a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan Uni-
versity, and the wife of E. L. Shannon, a prominent attorney of Denver. During the late '80's, Mr. Evans served two years as mayor of Fort Collins, and in November, 1894, he was elected State Sen- ator on the republican ticket by a large majority. He served faithfully and creditably in the Tenth and Eleventh General assemblies, sessions of 1895 and 1897. Through his efforts, in 1895, was se- cured a state appropriation of $15,000 for a state road from Fort Collins to Steamboat Springs, via Ute Pass and North Park. At the same session he also secured the passage and approval of bills ap- propriating $10,000 for the enlargement of the Mechanical Laboratory, and $5,000 for the Cherr. ical Laboratory at the Colorado Agricultural col- lege. He was reelected State Senator in Novem- ber, 1898, and had served through the Twelfth and a part of the Thirteenth General assemblies, sessions of 1899 and 1901, when he died. Senator Evans was taken ill with pneumonia in the senate chamber on Thursday, February 14th, and removed to his room in the Windsor hotel. The following Saturday he was taken from the hotel to the home of his daughter, Mrs. Shannon, where he died on Thursday, just one week after he was taken sick. Senator Evans was one of nature's noblemen, who succeeded because he deserved to succeed, who was respected and admired and liked by all who knew him. He was actively identified with all that tended to the welfare of his city and county. He was the special friend and champion of the Colo- rado Agricultural college. Courteous, fair, sympa- thetic and kindly he had friends on every hand. In the senate, where he sat through three and a part of the fourth sessions, he was an acknowledged leader. No member of that body had a wider influence than he possessed. He was clear and logical in his thoughts and earnest and forceful in their expres- sion, and was considered one of the best speakers in the senate. Senator Evan's body was brought to Fort Collins and buried in Grandview cemetery with Masonic honors.
BENJAMIN F. FLOWERS was born June 22nd, 1861, in Woods county, Virginia, now West Vir- ginia. He came to Wyandotte, Kansas, when a child where he attended school until the age of 12 years, when his father moved to Pleasant valley, locating in what is now the town of Bellvue. Here the boy continued his studies until he reached man's estate when he became associated with his father and others in the mercantile business and as deal- ers in lumber, in which he continued for several
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HISTORY OF
LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
years. He was joined in marriage with Miss Amanda Catlett on March 28th, 1892, and later spent a few years at Lyons, Colorado, returning to Fort Collins about four years ago to engage in buying and selling real estate.
JOHN F. DOUGLASS, one of the stable and reli- able business men of Fort Collins, was born Nov- ember 18th, 1849, in Crawford county, Pennsyl-
JOHN F. DOUGLASS
vania, where he attended school until 10 years of age, when the family moved to Illinois, where he completed his studies. Here also he worked on a farm and at other occupations until 1882, when he came to Fort Collins to join his brother, James C. Douglass, who had preceded him a few years. The brothers formed a co-partnership in the trans- fer and coal business which he still follows, carry- ing on the business alone since his brother retired about a year ago. They have been uniformly successful in their undertakings and have acquired considerable city and ranch property, besides build- ing up an excellent reputation as reliable business men and citizens. They owned and operated the first and only omnibus line in Fort Collins, and our subject still does a large transfer and coal
business with offices at the corner of College ave- nue and Oak street. Our subject married Dora Smith, October 2nd, 1889, and one child, a daugh- ter, Eulalia, was born of the union. Miss Eulalia is a talented musician and performer on the piano and a cultured lady, and her services are much sought after at social entertainments. Until about a year ago when the brothers dissolved partner- ship and James C. retired because of failing health, the firm of Douglass Brothers was one of the oldest and most reliable business firms in Fort Collins and its standing ranked high in commercial circles. The word of our subject has always been considered as good as a bond, for he has never failed to keep his promises.
E. E. WATTS .- That the location of the Agri- cultural college has drawn to Fort Collins and Larimer county many good citizens is a truism. Assuredly, not alone have the advantages to be gained by proximity to this free institution been responsible for the county's great increase in popu- lation, but our magnificent climate and productive soil must also be accredited with their seductive attractions. Climatic and educational facilities Mr. Watts declares were the most potent influences in deciding his course to adopt Larimer county as his future home. He is a former resident of Nebraska, having lived there for 20 years. He was born in Buda, Ill., June 4th, 1861; educated in the com- mon schools, and married when 22 years of age, Emma E. Cain. Three sons and one daughter have brought joy to their hearts: William E., Ira M., Florence C., and Robert H. Mr. Watts is a farmer by occupation and a most desirable citizen and obliging neighbor.
DR. FRANZ MURKE, chief consulting chemist for the Great Western Sugar company, with resi- dence in Fort Collins, Colorado, was born March 19th, 1869, in Burg, Prussia; took the Ph. D. de- gree at the University of Goettingen, 1893. From that time he was employed in different German sugar factories until 1900, when he went to Spain to engage in the same business. He came to the United States in 1902, and to Fort Collins in 1903, and has since been in the employ of the Great Western Sugar company. Dr. Murke owns and occupies an excellent farm situated three miles southwest of Fort Collins.
JOHN A. C. KISSOCK was born March 9th, 1855, in Toronto, Canada, and educated in Montreal. He arrived in Fort Collins on June 12th, 1874,
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HISTORY OF LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
and that city has since been his home. He was full of energy and enthusiasm, the possessor of some capital and, in 1875, he engaged in the cattle busi- ness in which he continued until 1878, and then
JOHN A. C. KISSOCK
followed the mercantile business a few years, branching off into real estate, abstracting and in- surance in which he is still interested, being a mem- ber of the firm of Edwards, Kissock & Abbott, but at present not actively employed in any particular line of work. Mr. Kissock is an expert accountant and his services as such are frequently in demand in auditing and checking up the books of city and county officers and also of corporations. He is, withal, a most excellent citizen, clean, honorable and reliable, whose integrity has never been called in question. He has twice represented the Fourth ward in the city council and was a valued and very efficient member of that body all through both terms. He may justly be called the father of Fort Collins' sewer system, for it was he that first brought the matter before the council and urged the necessity of prompt action on account of sani- tary reasons. He was opposed by a few in the coun- cil and also by leading citizens, but he persisted
in his position and finally had the satisfaction of having the sewer project adopted by the council and work started on the construction of the Moun- tain avenue sewer, the first built in the city. Mr. Kissock married Emma Sweeney, November 9th, 1881, in Fort Collins, and three daughters and a son have blessed the union. The children's names are Mrs. Jessie L. Clark, Fort Collins ; Mrs. Emma E. True, Nepesta, Colorado, and Rubey A. and J. Raymond at home. He is a member of the Elks, I. O. O. F., Royal Arcanum, Woodmen of the
MRS. JOHN A. C. KISSOCK
World and Women of Woodcraft. In addition to his other public activities, Mr. Kissock has built a number of business blocks and dwelling houses in Fort Collins.
EMMA A. SWEENEY was born July 31st, 1862, at Clinton, New York; educated at St. Albans, Vermont and at Malone, New York. She came to Fort Collins, March 31st, 1879, and on Novem- ber 9th, 1881, was united in marriage with John A. C. Kissock, the union proving a very happy one. Mrs. Kissock is a member of the Women of Woodcraft and of the Woman's club of Fort Collins.
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HISTORY OF
LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
LATHROP MONTGOMERY TAYLOR was born at Farmington, Fulton county, Illinois, August 11, 1868, and with his parents, in 1878, removed to Canton, Illinois. He was educated at Jubilee Col- lege, Ills., Racine college, Wis., the Maryland Military and Naval academy and at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. In 1888, he came west
LATHROP M. TAYLOR
and was employed in the general offices of the Bur- lington railway, Lincoln, Nebraska, and later entered the service of the Denver and Rio Grande railway at Denver. In 1890 he accepted a position as deputy secretary of the Colorado Agricultural college under Hon. Frank J. Annis. With the organization of the Commercial department of the college, Mr. Taylor became one of its instructors, which position he held during the existence of the department when he became assistant to the presi- dent, serving during the administration both of President Ellis and President Aylesworth. With the reorganization of the college in 1909, at the incoming of President Lory, Mr. Taylor was elected Secretary, and to the duties of this position, in 1911, were added those of purchasing agent. During 1904-06 he served as Commander of the Sons of
Veterans for the Division of Colorado and Wyo- ming, and also as First Lieutenant of Company M. Colorado National Guard during the Cripple Creek mining troubles.
Mr. Taylor treasures a wide knowledge of busi- ness affairs, of men and of measures; executive ability of a high order and great energy and integ- rity of character, which his twenty-one years of service with the college has amply and abundantly demonstrated.
CLARENCE A. CARLTON .- Was born in Lowell, Mass., June 12, 1860. While he was quite young his parents moved to Worcester where he attended school. He spent some years in Missouri on a farm before coming to Colorado in 1881. He was married in May, 1887, to Miss Mary E. Knapp of Wilmington, Illinois. Since that time he has made his home in Loveland, where he engaged in business. His family consists of three daughters, Jean, Lesley, and Leonore. He has always taken
.
CLARENCE A. CARLTON
a lively interest in the public welfare of both city and county. He has held several public offices and at present is county sheriff. He is a member of the Methodist church and of several lodges.
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HISTORY OF LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
JOSEPH J. KERR, born March 3rd, 1859, in Mar- shall county, Indiana; came to Colorado in 1878, and to Fort Collins in 1880; farmer; married Delilah J. Yocum, of Missouri, February 21st, 1887; one child, Iva Nora, at home. Mrs. Kerr was born February 22nd, 1860, in Missouri; came to Colorado in 1874 and to Fort Collins in 1886.
BURTON DAVIS SANBORN of Greeley, a pio- neer of Northern Colorado, and widely known as an irrigationist, has been active in that field for more than a decade. While always a resident of Greeley, his irrigation work has been largely in Larimer county. Among his notable achievements was the rehabilitation and reorganization of The North Fork Ditch and system of reservoirs, planned years before by F. L. Carter-Cotton and which finally resulted in the formation of The North Poudre Irrigation company with Mr. Sanborn as its responsible head and president. He was re- markably successful in financing this company, only relinquishing the burden of management when the company's future was assured. He is still a large stockholder in it. Another marked success in his career was the planning and building of Fossil Creek reservoir and the development of the ex- change system now in vogue in connection with it, which was the one thing necessary to make The North Poudre Irrigation company rank with the best in Colorado. Together with W. A. Insinger, D. H. Barber and other Greeley and Loveland ditch men, Mr. Sanborn organized The Seven Lakes Reservoir company. Almost single handed and alone, Mr. Sanborn built The Great Boyd Lake reservoir. His only assistance was a loan furnished by a large power company which ex- pected to use the lake in connection with a power enterprise. When this plan failed to materialize, Mr. Sanborn organized The Boyd Lake Reservoir & Irrigation company with a capital stock of $400,- 000. Boyd Lake has saved many crops in north- ern Colorado which would otherwise have been lost. It is the largest reservoir in Larimer county and will always have an important bearing upon the water supply during periods of scarcity. A few years ago, Mr. Sanborn and F. O. Stanley purchased the 5,000-acre Dunraven ranch at Estes Park and they acquired title to it in the name of The Estes Park Development company, owning its stock as equal partners. In acquiring one-half interest in this property, Mr. Stanley agreed to build a hotel and make other improvements which have materialized in the beautiful Stanley hotel
and Stanley Manor, and the completion of the road from Lyons to the park. This beautiful park is generally recognized as having great future pos- sibilities. Burton Davis Sanborn was born Nov- ember 1, 1859, at Hardwick, Vermont, and was educated in the Greeley public schools. He was married May 18, 1888, to Carrie Bassett. As a result of this union, three children survive; Gladys
BURTON DAVIS SANBORN
P., Carl B., and Philo H. His daughter is the wife of former Mayor George M. Houston. He came to Colorado in 1870 and has always lived in Greeley. He was a member of the original Union Colony and its present secretary. This corporation is kept alive to enforce the principles upon which the Colony was founded. He is the senior partner in the Real Estate, Loan & Insurance firm of Sanborn & Houston, Greeley.
HENRY WEBSTER .- One of the substantial farm- ers of Larimer county, now located in the Harmony district, is the subject of this sketch. Mr. Webster left Warren county, Iowa, where he was born March 20th, 1867, to make his home in Colorado. He first settled on the Boxelder in 1874. He was
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HISTORY OF
LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
married to Anna Franz in Fort Collins, on Novem- ber 9th, 1898. Their children are three in number, a son, Harry, and two daughters, Gretchen and Dorothy. Mr. Webster owns a fine farm in a sec- tion famous for the fertility of its soil and the prosperity of its people.
AUGUST C. KLUVER, President of the Water Supply & Storage company, one of the largest and most important irrigation systems in Northern
AUGUST C. KLUVER
Colorado, was born April 15th, 1857, the eldest son of German parents who crossed the Atlantic soon after their marriage and settled in Chicago, where our subject first saw the light of day. His youth was spent on his father's farm and his early manhood at railroad work. In the spring of 1882 he came to Fort Collins, his worldly possessions consisting of $31 in cash and a span of horses and wagon. The first year of residence here was spent in doing such odd jobs of teaming as he could get to do, and in the fall of 1883 he ran a threshing machine and hay baler for Andrew Ames. By this time he had become the owner of three teams and these he traded to Richard McCloy, in the spring of
1884, for a small stock of groceries situated on Linden street, and engaged in the mercantile busi- ness. His business career and financial success since that time have been truly remarkable, clearly demonstrating what a young man can achieve when he sets out to gain a fortune. He is now the owner of good farms in the Caché la Poudre valley, the Cradock ranch at Livermore, a stock ranch on Rabbit and Meadow creeks and cattle; is a stockholder and director of the First National bank ; a large shareholder and director of the Water Sup- ply & Storage company of which company he is serving a second term as President. He remained in the mercantile business more than twenty years. While in that business he branched out into the cattle business and carried on a livery stable for a short time. On October 15th, 1884, Mr. Kluver was married to Mary E. Cornwall in Fort Collins and they have one child, a son, Fred Kluver, who is married and lives on the Cradock ranch near Livermore.
THOMAS MORGAN was born November 23rd, 1859, at LaCrosse, Wisconsin. He was raised on a farm and soon after attaining his majority, came to Fort Collins, arriving in January, 1881. He married Miss Mollie Walker, December 31st, 1888, near Fort Collins, his bride being a daughter of Carson Walker, a pioneer of the Big Thompson valley. In 1902, he purchased the W. P. Bosworth ranch at Stove Prairie on which he has since lived. Being industrious and thrifty, he soon gathered a nice bunch of cattle about him and added 200 acres to his 160 acre ranch, giving him 360 acres of fine meadow, pasture and tillable land. For the past twenty years he has been a member of the school board in his district, and has also been overseer of his road district for four years.
GEORGE O. STAKEBAKE came to Colorado, Feb- ruary 22nd, 1892, making his home in Fort Col- lins. Indiana was his home previous to that time, where he was born on the 22nd of September, 1868, in Randolph county; educated in the public schools at Winchester, and on the 21st of July, 1897, he married Phebe A. Doolittle, in Fort Col- lins. They have one son living, Blauvelt Stake- bake, aged four years. On September 3rd, 1902, the shadow of death swept across their happy home and their beloved daughter Leata Arlene passed into a last sleep. Again on December 4th, 1909, little Everett Van Houton left them to mourn a second time a loved and cherished idol. Mr. Stake-
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LOW Sherwood
HISTORY OF LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
bake is a wheelright by occupation and an expert mechanic. He is now conducting a general repair shop at 217 East Mountain avenue in Fort Collins. Mrs. Stakebake is a daughter of Mrs. S. M. Doo- little, widow of the late Thomas H. Doolittle, who came to Fort Collins in the early eighties and also a niece of Mrs. Ella B. Yount who, associated with her husband, the late A. K. Yount, established a bank in Fort Collins.
FREDERICK W. SHERWOOD .- Among the very first of the pioneer leaders in the movement to set- tle Larimer county was the subject of this sketch. Mr. Sherwood was born in December, 1831, in Oswego, New York. His youth was spent in his native city, where he attended the public schools. From there he migrated, in 1858, to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and engaged in the lumber business with his brother, Jesse M. Sherwood. Two years later, in the spring of 1860, the brothers, Jesse M. and F. W., fitted themselves out with ox-teams, wagons and provisions for a trip across the Plains to Colo- rado. They arrived in Denver the following sum- mer, and, after spending a few months in the mines at Russell Gulch, came to the Caché la Poudre valley, arriving in the latter part of December, 1860. They located on a fine tract of river bot- tom meadow land situated about four and one-half miles southeast of the present city of Fort Collins. That winter they hauled logs from the mountains and erected a comfortable house, which is still standing in a fairly good state of preservation. There were but few people living in the valley be- low Laporte then and neighbors were scattering and long distances apart. The Sherwoods early began the raising, buying and selling of horses and cattle, developing their farm at the same time, and raising hay, grain and vegetables on quite an ex- tensive scale, in which they were remarkably suc- cessful. In 1864 the Sherwood ranch was an Over- land stage station for a few months and soon be- came known far and wide for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to travelers and visitors. Chief Friday's band of Arapahoe Indians were camped on the Sherwood ranch in 1865-6, and F. W. Sherwood was appointed an agent by the Government to supply them with food and look after their welfare. One of the treasures of our subject's later years was the commission issued to him, signed by President Abraham Lincoln. In 1875, after adding to their land holdings, and fortune had generally favored them, the brothers divided up the property, leaving our subject in pos-
session, of perhaps, the finest and best improved farm of about 1,000 acres there was in the valley. Mr. Sherwood continued to carry on the farm un- til 1894, when he exchanged it for an improved stock ranch on the Laramie river, receiving in ad- dition, a goodly sum of money. Here for eight years, Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood lived in a large, well-finished, handsomely furnished log house. Their latch string always hung outside and genuine hospitality and good cheer reigned within. Mr. Sherwood disposed of this ranch and his live stock in 1902 to A. de V. Baldwin, and moved back to Fort Collins, which was his home until he died February 10th, 1906. Thus passed away one of the noblest of the pioneer characters of Larimer county. In 1861, after the Territorial Legislature had set off and created Larimer county, Governor Gilpin appointed Mr. Sherwood a member of the first board of county commissioners. His colleagues appointed at the same time, were Alfred F. Howes and John J. Ryan. This board, however, failed to perfect an organization and never received of- ficial recognition. In 1871, Mr. Sherwood was elected a county commissioner, serving his term with signal ability and fidelity. He was again elected commissioner for the first district in 1897 and was chairman of the board the last year of his term. In 1874, Mr. Sherwood married Mary Moulton, who taught the first school in what is now known as the Timnath district, and she survives him. They had no children. Mrs. Sherwood came from Illi- nois to Larimer county in 1869, and followed teaching until she married. To write a full and complete biography of our subject's life and pub- lic services since he came to Colorado would be almost like compiling a history of Larimer county, so closely was he identified with the development of its material resources and so intimately associated was he with its official and social affairs. As a broad minded, clear headed enterprising and public spirited gentleman he was without a superior, and the memory of his good deeds as a neighbor, friend, citizen and public official will long remain with those who survive him.
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