USA > Colorado > Larimer County > History of Larimer County, Colorado > Part 75
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AUGUSTINE MASON, one of the interesting pio- neer characters of the Caché la Poudre valley, was born April 28th, 1830, near Quebec, Canada, of French parents, and was a brother of the late Joseph Mason, the first white settler in Fort Collins. He was educated at a private school in Rudgeland, Canada, but was twenty-four years of age before he could speak the English language. In Septem- ber, 1857, he married Charlotte M. Bebee at Oneida Station, New York, where he remained for several years. His wife being an invalid from pulmonary trouble he was persuaded by his brother, Joseph, to bring her to Colorado, and arrived here March 17th, 1866. Soon after coming here he took charge of a mule train for his brother and trans- ported forty-four government troops that had been stationed in Camp Collins, and were returning east to be mustered out, receiving $30 apiece for carry- ing them to Fort Leavenworth. Mrs. Mason's health improved rapidly in Colorado and was com- pletely restored. She raised a large family of chil- dren, seven of whom were born in Fort Collins and had the honor of being mother to the first white child born in that place. This auspicious event oc- curred October 31st, 1867, Mr. Mason riding a fine mare to death hunting up Dr. T. M. Smith. The name of Agnes was given the child, and she is now the wife of E. C. Giddings, one of the best and most prosperous farmers in the county. Mr. Giddings and family have a beautiful home in Fort Collins, and he oversees the work on his big farm, six miles distant. The house in which Mrs. Gid- dings was born, stood immediately back of where the Tedmon house now stands and was built for officers
quarters when the soldiers were stationed at Camp Collins. When he first came to the Cache la Poudre valley, Mr. Mason lived on what was later known as the W. F. Watrous place until 1870, when he bought the farm now owned by John Frazer. For 40 acres of this farm he paid $20 an acre and for an additional 80 acres adjoining, he paid $8.00 an acre. This farm could not be bought now for less than $300.00 per acre, so great has been the increase in the value of farm lands in the vicinity of Fort Collins, in the past few years. Mr. Mason and his family continued to live on this farm until 1884 when he sold it and moved to Wyoming, where he and his good wife died several years ago. Mr. Mason had more than his full share of the ills that flesh is heir to in the early years, suffering mis- fortunes that would have broken the spirit of the average man, but he never gave up and finally had the satisfaction of overcoming them all and of acquiring a handsome competence before he died. In 1867, he put in sixty acres to grain and the grasshoppers destroyed it all. These pests came from over the range and the air was so full of them at times that they hid the sun like a cloud. In 1870 the hail destroyed his entire crop as it did, also that of his neighbors', C. C. Hawley and Rock Bush. In 1871, he lost half his crop by hail. In 1872 he had a siege of erysipelas which kept him confined to the house for several months. That year he could not put in a crop. He had barely recovered when his wife was taken down with intermittent fever and one of his daughters had typhoid fever. In the summer of 1868, Mr. Mason had charge of twelve men employed in putting up hay for Capt. Allen at Meadow Springs, for the Cheyenne market. They had to keep watch every night to guard against the Indians, who were very troublesome that year. Black Crow of Chief Fri- day's band of friendly Arapahoes, was the hunter for the party and his squaw did the cooking. When Whitcomb's herder on the Boxelder, was shot by the Sioux, Black Crow became so nervous that he would not stay with the party, although offered double wages. This incident shows the nervous strain the pioneers were under all of the time from fear of a sudden raid by the wily redskins. They never left home unarmed and men carried their guns into the fields with them for use in case of attack. Mr. Mason was a square built man of medium height and rugged nature. He had dark brown hair and wore a full beard: which nearly covered his face, and was afraid of nothing. He was kind hearted, a good neighbor and devoted to
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his friends and family. The names of his children are: Mrs. Charlotte R. Landers, Nathan N. Mason, Mrs. Nina Riddle, Joseph E. Mason, Mrs. Agnes E. Giddings, Mrs. Ettie L. Conrey, Mrs. Ida N. Leach, Augustus Mason, Mrs. Lettie A. Garrett, and Clarence Mason.
CORNELIUS H. BOND, sheriff of Larimer county from January, 1896 to January, 1901, and a pub- lic spirited, progressive citizen, was born October
CORNELIUS H. BOND
9th, 1855, in Guernsey county, Ohio. He com- pleted his school studies at Muskingum college in his native state, and in 1879, came to Colo- rado, arriving at Loveland on March 7th. In 1888, Mr. Bond married Frona Sullivan, a daugh- ter of the late James Sullivan who was a pioneer of the Big Thompson valley, and one child, a daughter, Doris, was born of the union. Mrs. Bond died February 20th, 1895, at Loveland. On May 7th, 1896, our subject married Alma San- born. Of this union four children were born, Frank Cornelius, Florence Camelia, George Fred- erick and May Sanborn Bond, all at home. In the fall of 1895, Mr. Bond was nominated on the re-
publican county ticket for the office of sheriff and was elected in November by a plurality of 1234 votes, the largest cast for any of the candidates at that election, which indicated his personal popu- larity with the people. He was reelected in No- vember, 1898, and served the county as sheriff in an able, faithful and very efficient manner for a period of five years. In 1902 he was appointed a member of a committee to view the old Bald mountain road to Estes Park, and in his report he recommended the building of the present scenic road up Big Thompson canon. It was largely through his earnest efforts and influence that the road was built. In 1905, Mr. Bond organized the Estes Park Townsite company, of which he is the present manager. He has been largely instru- mental in promoting the growth and material wel- fare of the beautiful village of Estes Park.
PEYTON H. WORKMAN .- Mr. Workman came to Colorado a baby in arms only three months old, from Beloit, Kansas, where he was born in 1882; educated in Denver, his parents first locating near Kit Carson. He was married in Loveland, Janu- ary 11th, 1910, to Miss Natalie W. Bauer. They have one bright little boy. Mr. Workman's occu- pations have been many and varied. He freighted in the mountain district for awhile. His father was a successful stockman and it was natural that he should hanker for the broncho, saddle and chaps. For five years he followed the cow punchers' life. Tiring of this, he invested in a cigar and con- fectionery store in Loveland. He was appointed marshal of the city, serving one year. In 1910 the Texas fever caught him, but finding the Lone Star State much over estimated, he returned to Loveland and is now a carpenter, contractor and builder. Always an active and energetic man, he deserves success.
JAMES SWEENEY .- Serving Larimer county faithfully and efficiently as sheriff constitutes the major part of the public record of James Sweeney, and it is a record that reflects great credit on him. To be elected four times in succession as a Dem- ocrat, overcoming a strong Republican majority, indicates his popularity with the people and the measure of confidence they reposed in him. Lar- imer county has had a good many sheriffs since he retired from office, but all old-timers will tell you now that the county never had a better one than "Jim" Sweeney. He was born October 24th, 1847, in Clinton county, New York; raised on a farm and attended the public schools. At 16 years
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of age he went to Vermont and worked on a rail- road and in 1864 he joined a construction camp engaged in rebuilding railroad bridges destroyed by contending armies during the Civil war. He came to Colorado in 1868 and ate his first meal in the then territory at Mariana's station on the Big Thompson. He spent the first two years at Central City working in a saw mill, and in 1871 located a stock ranch on the Redstone, Larimer county, and engaged in the cattle business until 1876, when he moved to Fort Collins which has since been his home. He married Elizabeth Duncan in 1876 and has three children, Mrs. Mary Nelson, wife of M. G. Nelson, cashier of the Commercial Bank and Trust company; Frank, an engineer on the Moffat road, and Miss Arloe.
HON. JOHN A. CROSS .- Among the recent comers to the Big Thompson valley was John A. Cross. He was born on a farm in Seneca county, New York, on March 24, 1855. After he had reached his majority, he realized that 'York state was not the place for a farmer, and early in 1879, he started west, reaching Loveland that summer. He located his present homestead of 160 acres and with a team of mules, broke up several acres for crops. He married Mary E. Beardsley, early in the winter of 1882, in Livingston county, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Cross returned to Colorado in the spring of 1883 and occupied the homestead, and there they have since resided. Farming in the sum- mer and working on ditches in the winter was the routine work for years till a political friend opened up a new field of action. The fall of 1899, Mr. Cross was elected sheriff of Larimer county and was re-elected in 1901, and during his five years in office, he increased his hundreds of friends to thousands. He retired from office early in Janu- ary, 1905, and returned to Loveland and aided in organizing the First National bank of that city. On May 27, its doors were opened with Mr. Cross as Vice-President. On January 1, 1909, he be- came the bank's business, or assistant cashier, resign- ing therefrom in December, 1910. Mr. and Mrs. Cross are blessed with six children and all are alive and enjoying good health. Mrs. Katherine L. Cole- man of Los Angeles, California; Albert C. Cross, in charge of the home ranch; Mrs. Mary A. Koe- nig, on a ranch nine miles east of Loveland; Jean A. Cross, teacher of the Welcome Hill school ; Helen M. Cross, a pupil in the Loveland High school and John A. Cross, Jr., the "baby" of the flock. John A. Cross is a likable and lovable man.
He is ever the same, courteous and pleasant to all -and it is questionable if the Big Thompson val- ley has a more esteemed or popular citizen. And such men are the backbone of Colorado's industrial and social order. He bears adversity like a philos- opher of old, and it does one good to hear him tell how his crops were lost to him at five different times by hail, or, as he puts it-"since living in the
HON JOHN A. CROSS
valley I've been hailed out five times and starved to death as many more, but I'm still alive and en- joying good health, thank you." At the general election held in November, 1910, Mr. Cross was the choice of his party for the post of State senator from Larimer county, and was elected over Peter Anderson, one of the most popular of the pioneer citizens of the Cache la Poudre valley, and began serving his first term in that body of lawmakers in January, 1911.
HERBERT M. LEWIS was born April 17th, 1845, in Barry county, Michigan; died September 30th, 1908, at Timnath. Our subject married Mary E. Kitchel October 15th, 1868, and six children were born to them, five of whom are living, to-wit: Seth C .; Stephen G .; William G .; John H .; Lewis
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and Mrs. Alta L. Bush. Mr. Lewis came to Fort Collins December 25th, 1881, and soon afterward moved on to a farm six miles east of that city where he died.
WM. J. LOGAN was a native of Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Ireland. He came to the United States in 1861, then a young man, well educated
WILLIAM J. LOGAN
and brimming with energy and enterprise. He stopped in New York, engaged in the mercantile business until 1866, when he came to Omaha, Nebraska, where he remained until 1876, when he moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming. In 1878, he located on a ranch on upper Boxelder creek and en- gaged in the cattle business and dairying. He sold his stock ranch in 1907 and moved over to the old Overland stage road in Virginia Dale, where he built a store, stocked it with goods, and is now doing a fine business. His store is the only one in that section of the country and is a great convenience to the ranchmen in that vicinity, also to the tour- ists and the traveling public which pass his door, as he sells camp supplies as cheaply as they can be obtained in Fort Collins or elsewhere. Mr. Logan is a well preserved and very intelligent and enter-
taining gentleman, with whom it is a pleasure' to spend a season in conversation. His only son, George Logan, has a fine, well-stocked ranch near him and is one of the prosperous citizens of Vir- ginia Dale.
AARON KITCHEL .- A veteran of the Civil war, a pioneer farmer of Larimer county and former county commissioner, died on November 6th, 1910, from pneumonia after a very brief illness, aged 68 years. He was born April 23rd, 1842, in Lake county, Indiana. In August, 1862, he enlisted as a volunteer in the 23rd Iowa Infantry and served all through the war, receiving an honorable dis- charge July 26th, 1865, at Galveston, Texas. Mr. Kitchel married Mary Hart at Indianola, Iowa, in 1868. He came with his family to Colorado in 1879 and located on a homestead situated six miles east of Fort Collins. His wife died in 1895 and he sold his farm and moved to Fort Collins. He re- married in 1900, his second wife, formerly Mrs. Mary Hamilton, dying in 1908. His surviving children are Alfred B. Kitchel of Sheridan, Wyom- ing, William F. Kitchel of Upland, California, Oliver Kitchel of Sheridan, Wyoming and Jennie L. Kitchel, a teacher in the Fort Collins schools.
ANDREW J. AMES came to Colorado in 1860, first engaging in mining in Russell Gulch. On account of being afflicted with mountain fever he came down out of the mountains and settled in the Poudre valley. Mr. Ames was born in 1835 at Dumfries, Upper Canada, of New England par- entage. The family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, thence to Northeastern Iowa. Mr. Ames came west during the Pikes Peak excitement. In 1862 he gave Todd Randall $400 to relinquish his claim to what is now known as the Slockett farm. In company with Judge Howes he built the Pioneer ditch and the first upland crops were raised under it on Mr. Ames farm. Mr. Ames brought the first mowing machine used in the valley and it proved so valuable an aid in making hay that he rented it to neighbors for $30 per day. Mr. Ames was the pioneer log driver on the Poudre, bringing down 200,000 feet to the Obenchain mill in 1865. The logs were cut along the river bank from the mouth of the canon to the Little Narrows and brought $21 per thousand feet. The mill stood on the farm now owned by William Falloon. Mr. Ames was largely instrumental in improving and opening up the Rist Canon road. Two thirds of all the house logs, lumber, posts, poles, firewood, etc., came out of the hill over this road. Mr. Ames farmed until
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John Riedle
frances Biddle
HISTORY OF
LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
1880 when in company with R. Q. Tenney he en- gaged in the implement, flour and feed business, finally selling out and removing to Denver where he died a few years ago.
JOHN G. RIDDLE .-- When John G. Riddle sank into that "sleep that knows no waking" on July 23rd, 1887, Larimer county lost, and felt the loss deeply, too, one of its very best and most pro- gressive citizens-a man who was beloved and es- teemed by all that ever came within the sphere of his acquaintance. He was the embodiment of all that pertains to the attributes of nobility of char- acter, a just and upright man, a good citizen and a devoted husband and father. Mr. Riddle was born December 24th, 1819, in Washington county, Indiana. He moved to Iowa in 1843 then a wild and unsettled country, and shortly afterwards mar- ried Frances May, who bore him eleven children, six girls and five boys, their names being Mrs. L. Hake of Boulder, Colorado; Stephen A. Riddle, of Lucas county, Iowa; Mrs. M. L. Landes, F. P., John and I. C. Riddle, of Fort Collins; E. A. Riddle and Mrs. Edson Warren, of Claren- don, Texas; Mrs. T. A. Gage, of Denver, Colo- rado; Mrs. Rachael Watrous (deceased ) and Mrs. May Owens, of Grand Junction. Mr. Riddle first crossed the Plains in 1864 with a drove of cattle which he took to Boulder county and sold. Six years later, in 1870, he moved his family to Fort Collins and purchased the farm later owned by E. R. Barkley, two miles northwest of the county seat which he improved and on which he lived until death removed him from the activities of life. He early took an active interest in public affairs and was an enterprising and public spirited citizen, one of the most prominent leaders in all undertakings that promised to promote and ad- vance the material, social and moral upbuilding of his chosen home. He assisted materially in the organization of the Larimer County Fair associa- tion and was its first president, freely contribut- ing of his personal efforts and means to make it a success. He was a sterling democrat of the old school. He never sought nor would he accept public office, though often urged by political friends to allow his name to be used as a candidate for official honors. Though he realized that good pub- lic officers were necessary in the proper conduct of government affairs, he believed that his duty laid in the direction of doing all he could by precept and example, to promote and aid in the develop- ment of the material resources of the county and
he fully exemplified this belief. He was a great lover of good live stock and did a great deal to im- prove the character and quality of the horses and cattle of the county, always breeding the very best on his own farm. His ten children are still living. Mr. Riddle's body was borne to its last resting place in Grandview cemetery by Abner Loomis, James B. Arthur, A. N. Hoag, W. B. Miner, W. C. Stover and N. C. Alford, six of Larimer County's most highly esteemed pioneer citizens. Mrs. Fran- ces (May) Riddle was born November 19th, 1826, in Fountain county, Indiana; moved with her par- ents to Marion county, Iowa, in 1843, and was married to John G. Riddle July 25th, 1844. She died on May 21st, 1911, at the home of her daugh- tre, Mrs. M. L. Landes, Fort Collins, with whom she had made her home for most of the time since the death of her husband in 1887.
ED. H. WILLS .- When Mr. Wills' parents Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Wills reached Fort Collins in 1869, he was then but a little fellow barely four years old. He was born in Williamsburg, Ohio, September 17th, 1868. His father had served his country faithfully during the Civil war and not long after the close of hostilities, joined the vast army of emigrants who sought homes in the Great West. Mr. Wills was educated in Fort Collins and was married here to Georgia Bosworth, June 19th, 1895. Their home is blessed with two chil- dren, one boy, Paul; one daughter, Mary. Mr. Wills followed the plumbing trade for 25 years in which he was most successful. He is now enjoying a much needed rest at his home near Fort Collins, where he cultivates a fine fruit farm.
WILLIAM P. MORGAN .- Born in 1838, in Wales, came to the United States in his youth and settled in Cambria, Wisconsin; came to Colorado in 1865 and located in Fort Collins which had since been his home. He was a blacksmith by occupation and at once went to work at his trade in a log shop which stood on Chestnut street a little north of Jefferson street, which he purchased of Robert Royston. Mr. Morgan worked at his trade a good many years, a part of the time being associated with Daniel L. Powers and later with Michael Gard- ner. For three or four years before his death, on Sunday, October 21st, 1907, he did but little shop work on account of being crippled with rheuma- tism. He served one term as deputy sheriff under Sheriff James Sweeney and had been town marshal once or twice in the early history of Fort Collins. He left one son, Harry Morgan of Stove Prairie
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and two married daughters whose residence is Den- ver, Colorado; also three brothers, Pierce and Owen of Wisconsin, and Thomas Morgan of Stove Prairie, Larimer county.
WILLIAM EDWIN JAMES, one of the pioneers of Estes Park and founder and builder of Elkhorn Lodge, a noted and deservedly popular resort hotel
WILLIAM EDWIN JAMES
in the park, was born in Camden, N. Y., where he received his education. On December 25th, 1865, he was joined in marriage with Ella McCabe and their living children are: Homer Edwin, Howard Perry and Ella Estes James, now Mrs. Peter Hon- dius. Our subject came to Colorado in 1874, ar- riving at Denver, October 20th. Here he remained about a year and then moved, on May 4th, to Estes Park, where he died January 15th, 1895. On settling in Estes Park, Mr. James engaged in the live stock and hotel business, in which he was very successful. He was a genial, hale fellow well met, always ready to give time to his guests, and he enjoyed a good story with the best of them. His heart was with the Estes Park people and no one had ought to say of him but that which was good.
He had been a Master Mason for 32 years when he died. Mrs. James was born in Utica, N. Y., and came with her husband to Colorado in 1874. There were but very few people in the park when Mr. and Mrs. James settled there and society was in an inchoate state. There were no near neighbors and for a number of years they lived a secluded life except during the tourist season, when they an- nually entertained many visitors. Since her hus- band's death, Mrs. James has continued to carry on Elkhorn Lodge with excellent success. This popular resort hotel has recently been greatly en- larged and has done a large business for a great many years. Mrs. James' eldest son, Homer E. James, is a prominent and prosperous business man of Estes Park, being a dealer in lumber and build- ing material, etc.
HENRY F. PRATT .- Our subject, one of the for- mer thoroughgoing and successful farmers of Lari- mer county, but now a resident of California, was
MRS. WILLIAM EDWIN JAMES
born December 14th, 1856, in Hancock county, Indiana, where he attended a public school and received his education. When 20 years of age he
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went to California and on September 24th, 1878, he was joined in marriage with Rose Garrett. In the fall of 1879 he removed with his family to Larimer county and took up a homestead claim seven miles east of Fort Collins, on which he lived 28 years, successfully carrying on general farming. The farm is still known as the "Old Pratt place." Here his wife died November 25th, 1885, leaving two chil- dren, Cora, now Mrs. Charles Nixon of Severance, and Arthur, who lives near the Boxelder school house. Mr. Pratt was one of the pioneer farmers of the Cache la Poudre valley, locating on his home- stead claim when the county was new and unde- veloped and when neighbors were few and far be- tween, but notwithstanding the hardships and ad- versities of pioneer life he persevered and conquered them all and is now enjoying the fruits of his early day labors and experiences. He married for his second wife, Mrs. Fannie Smith who is still living. In 1907 he sold his farm, implements and stock and removed to California where he now resides.
HON. HERBERT E. TEDMON, owner of one of the largest stock ranches and herds of cattle in Larimer county, was born June 12th, 1852, in Martins- burg, New York. His ancestors on the paternal side were pioneers of Massachusetts, having come to this country from Scotland. His maternal grand- father was a soldier in the war of 1812. Our sub- ject received his education in the public schools and at Martins' institute; clerked three and one-half years in a hardware store in Lowville, New York, and then he and his brother, B. S. Tedmon, en- gaged in the grocery business in his native town. They sold out their business in the spring of 1878, when both came to Fort Collins and bought the Joseph Mason stock of general merchandise on Jefferson street and reengaged in the mercantile business. They continued in trade together until January, 1883, when our subject purchased his brother's interest and closed out all lines except hardware. For two years he was associated with E. R. Barkley in the hardware trade, selling his interest in the stock in 1885 to embark in the cattle business in which he is still engaged. In 1887 he moved to Logan county and served three years from 1889, as Clerk of the District Court of that county. He was appointed Register of the United States land office at Sterling by President Harrison, which position he filled until 1894, when he returned to his stock ranch at St. Cloud, Larimer county. He was elected County Clerk of Larimer county in 1897, and reelected in 1899, giving the people four
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