USA > Colorado > Larimer County > History of Larimer County, Colorado > Part 79
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O. C. PECK was born April 24, 1824, in Vir- ginia; died January 28, 1886, at his farm home three and one-half miles south of Fort Collins, aged 62 years. Mr. Peck came to Fort Collins in 1871 and remained here until 1877, when he returned to Missouri. During his first residence here he engaged largely in building enterprises and was the builder of the stone hotel on Jefferson street, known as the City hotel. He also built and owned a large brick business block on Jeffer- son street, recently occupied by the Fort Collins Buggy company, besides several other buildings of less importance. After spending some six years in Missouri he returned to Fort Collins and set- tled on the farm on which he died. He was the father of Mrs. D. L. Powers of this city and Mrs. P. G. Terry of Wellington.
PETER SCHELT was born September 10th, 1835, in Germany; came to the United States in 1848; after reaching manhood's estate he worked in the Pennsylvania coal mines, later moving to Illinois ; enlisted at the outbreak of the Civil war in the 21st Illinois Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Col. U. S. Grant. Our subject was mustered out in 1865, and in 1867, he came to the Big Thomp- son valley and engaged in freighting from Den- ver to Fort Laramie; married Viola Severance in January, 1871, who bore him five children, Mrs. Frank Cunningham, Mrs. Emma Webster, Will-
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iam, Frank and Augustus Schelt; settled in the Caché la Poudre valley in 1878, later moving to Fort Collins which was his home until he died, September 5th, 1904, while attending a soldier's reunion at Loveland. Mrs. Schelt is now a resi- dent of Fort Collins.
VIRGIL W. STODDARD was born June 29th, 1852, in Sullivan county, New York, where he received his education. He came to Colorado in April, 1874, and settled in Greeley; came to Loveland in 1881 and engaged in the livery business with George W. Foote, the partnership continuing for twenty- two years, and it is a significant fact that not the slightest friction or misunderstanding occurred in the firm in all that time. Our subject married Josephine Kelley, January 26th, 1881, and six children were born to them; Mabel G., Max C., George, Frank, Dr. Fred W. and Jennie L. Stod- dard. Mr. Stoddard retired from active business pursuits several years ago, devoting his attention to his extensive property interests. He was a stock- holder in the First National bank of Loveland when he died on February 22nd, 1911. He was a prom- inent and highly esteemed citizen of Loveland for thirty years and his death was sincerely mourned.
GEORGE M. CLAMMER .- Mr. Clammer has but recently engaged in business in Colorado, reaching Fort Collins in July, 1907, which was his first loca- tion in the state. When he arrived in Colorado he looked the state over and finding this city a most desirable and advantageous point invested his capi- tal in the grocery and bakery business. He became a partner in the firm of H. H. Wallis & Co., which is doing buisness at the old McIntosh stand on College avenue. Mr. Clammer was born in West Virginia, at Grantsville, in Calhoun county, Octo- ber 29th, 1869. He was married to Miss Ida McNeill at Smithville, Ritchie county, in the same state, April 29th, 1900, and received his education at the same place.
JOSEPH HAMMERLY, one of the successful and prosperous farmers of the Caché la Poudre valley, was born October 16th, 1865, at Mount Sterling, Crawford county, Wisconsin, and was educated in the public schools of his native town. On July 11th, 1888, he married Elizabeth Dowling at Boscobel, Wisconsin, and on January 3rd, 1891, he and his family arrived at Bellvue, Larimer county. Mr. and Mrs. Hammerly have nine children; Delia E., Fred E., Edson J., Gertie M., Mag- gie F., Joseph L., Louis R., Elizabeth M. and
Clara Belle. Mr. Hammerly owns 240 arces of land near Laporte and 640 acres at Gale- ton, Weld county. Part of his home farm at La- porte is the land that Antoine Janis squatted on in 1844, Mr. Janis being the first white settler to make a permanent location in all that part of Colorado lying north of the Arkansas river. Our subject began moving westward in
MR. AND MRS JOSEPH HAMMERLY
1885, first to Iowa, then to Minnesota, Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska, living at Freeport in the last named state five years, engaged in farming. Our subject was a son of Leonard and Elspeth (Chandler) Hammerly, who were natives of Switzerland. They were married in 1852 and crossed the Atlantic shortly afterwards to the United States and settling in Crawford county, Wisconsin. They were the parents of eight child- ren, four boys and four girls, all born in Wis- consin and are all living, except one son and one daughter who died in their youth. The parents are also both dead. Our subject bought his farm at Laporte of Tobias Miller, one of the best known of the pioneers of the Cache la Poudre valley who purchased it of Antoine Janis.
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HISTORY OF LARIMER
COUNTY, COLORADO
PROF. JAMES W. LAWRENCE, dean of the Colo- rado Agricultural college and head of the depart- ment of Mechanical Engineering at that institu- tion, was born December 14th, 1858, in Toronto, Canada. His childhood, youth and early manhood
PROF. JAMES W. LAWRENCE
were passed in New England. He passed through all the school grades of Boston and from the High school, he went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1879 from the depart- ment of Mechanic Arts. After leaving school he was immediately employed by the Pacific Mills at Lawrence, Massachusetts, where he remained four years. It was while employed here that he received an offer to take charge of the department of Mechanical Engineering of the Colorado State Agricultural college, which he accepted. He ar- rived in Fort Collins March 19th, 1883, and im- mediately began the work of building up the de- partment to its present splendid proportions and of which he has since been the head-a period of twenty-eight successive years. Prof. Lawrence is a member of Fort Collins lodge No. 19, A. F. & A. M .; a member of the American Society of Me- chanical Engineers; of the Society for the Pro- motion of Engineering Education; of The American
Society for the Advancement of Science and of the Colorado Schoolmaster's club. On June 19th, 1890, he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Coy, and they have one son, George Coy Lawrence. Mrs. Elizabeth (Coy) Lawrence, eldest daughter of John G. Coy and Emily (Adams) Coy was born September 23rd, 1865 on her father's farm, near Fort Collins, and was the first white girl born in the Cache la Poudre valley. Although a native of Colorado, she has the distinction of hav- ing crossed the Plains in a prairie schooner. When she was about one year old her parents took her east, having a wagon in a freight train in which mules furnished the motive power. On their re- turn west, they had their own wagon and teams. Miss Coy attended the public schools in Fort Col- lins and in 1880, she entered the first class of the Agricultural college, graduating therefrom in June, 1884, being the first lady graduate. After
MRS. JAMES W. LAWRENCE
graduation she served two years as an instructor in the college. She was married, as stated, June 19th, 1890. She has been a member of the Woman's club since its organization in 1889, and also its president one term.
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JOHN M. TINSMAN was born March 22nd, 1851 in Clark county, Missouri; educated in the public schools of his birthplace and at St. Francis academy; married Mattie E. Goodrich, December 12th, 1876, at LaGrange, Missouri, and their children are named Jesse L., J. Russell, Emmett P., Frank G., and Mary L. Tinsman. Mr. Tins- can came with his family to Windsor, Weld county, February 8th, 1892, and engaged in general farming which he followed until 1903, when he moved on to a farm near Timnath, which he carried on until 1908 and then moved his family to Fort Collins where they now reside. He is a good farmer and has had excellent success in crop growing and stock feeding in Colorado. The family resides at 412 South Howes street.
EBENEZER C. RICHARDS died in Fort Collins on November 23rd, 1906, aged more than four score years. Mr. Richards was born in West Charles- ton, Vermont, February 22, 1826. He came west in 1873 and to Fort Collins in 1880, and engaged in farming. He was a good farmer and an excellent citizen, doing his part valiantly in the movement to develop the agricultural industries of the county. His wife passed on to the other world several years before he did and since that he had made his home with his son, John C. Richards. A son and a daugh- ter are his only surviving children.
ROCK BUSH .- This is the story of Rock Bush, the only man remaining of that hardy band of pio- neers who came to the Caché la Poudre in 1858-9 to subdue the wilderness and to build homes for themselves and their families. Mr. Bush, now 79 years of age, is a typical frontiersman. He has lived continuously on the farm he took up fifty-one years ago, a respected and revered citizen. Mr. Bush was born in 1832, in Canada, of French ex- traction .. He received his education in the common schools of the period and soon after attaining his majority, becoming enamored with the love of ad- venture from listening to the stories told of the wild west, he crossed the Plains with an ox team in 1857, following the North Platte route, and arrived at Green river after a three month's trip. Here he spent two years operating a ferry on Green river for the accommodation of emigrants. It was while thus engaged that he heard from emigrants the story of the beautiful Cache la Poudre valley and the opportunities it afforded to the home seeker, and that was what induced him to come here in 1859. He located a squatter's claim on the river
bottom three miles east of Laporte, built himself a cabin and settled down to a farmer's life. Early in the seventies he married Johanna Forbes, the daughter of a pioneer, by whom he had five child- ren, Rock, Guy, George, Amelia and Gussie. The Indians never troubled him and for fifty-two years he has lived a quiet, peaceful life in the enjoyment
ROCK BUSH
of good health and the confidence and respect of his neighbors. In the winter of 1863, Mr. Bush hunted and trapped beaver on the headwaters of the Lar- amie river, where he secured 400 skins in one month's time. In going and returning to the trap- ping grounds, he followed the Cherokee trail to the Laramie Plains and thence over Sand Creek pass to the Laramie river. The beaver skins captured on that trip brought him a good sum of money.
JAMES W. SHIPP, one of the pioneers of the Caché la Poudre valley, was born March 27th, 1831, in Indiana; died June 16th, 1900, at La- porte. At the age of 20, he moved to Linn county, Iowa and on March 27th, 1853, he married Re- becca Barkley. Nine children were born to them, seven of whom are still living. Mr. Shipp came with his family to Laporte in 1868, and after spend-
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ing one year in that place, he moved to a farm in Pleasant Valley on which he died. He was a good and loyal citizen, hospitable and kind, never turning the stranger from his door.
HENRY AKIN, one of the pioneer farmers of the Caché la Poudre valley, was born August 20th, 1819, in the old historic Hill house at Johnstown, New York. He was cotemporary with Elizabeth
HENRY AKIN
Cady Stanton, both belonging to the same classes in the common schools of the period. He was brought up on a farm and early learned the habits of industry and prudence so carefully inculcated by successful farmers in the eastern states. On De- cember 28th, 1841, he was united in marriage with Eunice Harris. Six sons were born of the union, all of whom are living; Henry, superintendent of a railroad at Houston, Texas ; Myron H., Harris, A. I. and William B. of Fort Collins, and John S. Akin of Houston, Texas. The subject of this sketch came with his younger children from Illinois to Fort Collins in 1879 and settled on a tract of raw prairie land situated three miles south-west of Fort Collins. Here, with the help of his sons, he sub-
dued the soil and brought his farm under a high state of cultivation. His wife died in February, 1896, and he followed her to the grave in 1904. Mr. Akin was a good farmer, an excellent citizen, and a kind and obliging neighbor. He lived to see his sons all well settled in life and enjoying the friendship, confidence and esteem of those who know them. Eunice (Harris) Akin, daughter of Israel and Phebe (Barker) Harris was born in 1824, in Pine Plains, Dutchess county, New York. Her father was a prominent man and was a mem- ber of the New York legislature in 1820-21. In 1818 he was appointed Colonel of the 20th regi- ment of the New York state militia. Our sub- ject married Henry Akin, December 28th, 1841, emigrated to Lockport, Illinois, in 1843 and in 1875 moved to Vermillion county, Illinois, and from thence in 1880, to Fort Collins, Colorado, where she died February 16th, 1896, aged 72 years.
MRS. HENRY AKIN
HENRY H. THAYER, a descendant of a well known New England family which traces its an- cestry back to Colonial times, was born on June 17th, 1845, in Deerfield, Massachusetts; educated in the public schools of Deerfield and Bernards-
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agnes Mason Giddings)
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town of that state; married Sarah A. Dickinson, October 7th, 1870; children, Mrs. Mabel A. Hor- ner, Homer D., Lewis H., and Ernest W. Thayer. Mr. Thayer and family arrived in Colorado in September, 1904, locating on a farm about one mile south of Timnath. He is an enterprising and thorough farmer as his success and the appearance of his farm indicates, and is well pleased with the country. He now resides on Main street, Tim- nath, and is vice-president of the Farmer's bank of that town.
E. CHESTER GIDDINGS .- When a young man starts out bare-handed on a rented farm to make a fortune, and through industry, proper management and the exercise of good judgment and wise fore- sight, succeeds in accomplishing his purpose within a score of years, besides increasing the fertility of the land and placing it in better condition than when he began operations, it proves that he is com- posed of the right kind of material; that brain and muscle joined forces and worked hand in hand for success in his case. Yet, that is the experience of the subject of this sketch. His success also speaks in strong terms of the productiveness of Colorado soil when well treated. Mr. Giddings first saw the light of day on March 7th, 1867, in Warren county, Illinois. He is a son of Loren Giddings, and the second of a family of eight children-four boys and four girls. He was raised on a farm, ob- taining his education in the public schools. He spent two years in Iowa and in February, 1883, came with his father's family to Fort Collins, which has since been his home. After assisting his father on the farm for a few years, he hired out to drive team for his uncle, Leander Giddings, who was en- gaged in the ice and transfer business, and worked for him for four years. On Christmas day, 1888. he married Miss Agnes E. Mason, and the follow- ing year rented a farm and began laying the founda- tion for a competence for himself and family. Two children, Melissa E. and Ralph L., both at home, have blessed the union. For twelve years, Mr. Giddings has carried on the farm he now occupies and not in a single one of these years has he failed to have a good snug balance of profit to his credit after paying rental and all running expenses. The secret of this is that he is a thoroughly practical farmer and that when there is work to do he does it, or sees that it is done, instead of spending his time in town talking politics or playing seven-up with the boys. Two years ago he bought and furnished a handsome home on West Mountain avenue in
Fort Collins where he and his family spend the winter months, although not a day passes that he does not visit and oversee the work on his farm, which is situated in the Boxelder valley, six miles northeast of Fort Collins. Mr. Giddings is a member of Collins lodge No. 19, A. F. & A. M .; of Caché la Poudre Chapter No. 11 R. A. M .; of DeMolay commandery No. 13 K. T .; of El Jebel Tempel of the Mystic Shrine, and Eastern Star ; the Elks and Woodmen of the World, and is seldom absent from the meetings of any of these orders. Mrs. E. C. Giddings ( Agnes E. Mason, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Augustine Mason, pioneers of the Cache la Poudre valley), was born October 31st, 1867, and to her belongs the honor of being the first white child born in Fort Collins. She grew to womanhood's estate on her father's farm, receiving her education in the public schools of district No. 11, and on December 25th, 1888, she was united in marriage with E. Chester Giddings. She has always been a true and faithful helpmeet, sharing her husband's burdens and rejoicing in his successes, never neg- lecting a duty as wife and mother or shirking a re- sponsibility. She is a member of the Eastern Star and also of several literary and social clubs, and is a leader in all good works. She is a lady of culture and refinement and enjoys the acquaintance and friendship of a very wide circle, finding her great- est pleasure, however, in the duties of her home sur- rounded by her husband and children.
PETER G. TERRY is a native of Illinois, born March 19th, 1840. Came to Colorado in 1869, locating at Denver. In 1870, he helped to build the Denver Pacific railroad and in 1871 came to Fort Collins and filed a homestead claim on land now covered by Terry lake. He lived on this farm until it was purchased in 1890 by the Lari- mer & Weld reservoir company, but was engaged during the winter of 1879-80 freighting to Lead- ville from Denver. In 1885 he preempted 160 acres in the Boxelder valley three miles northwest of Wellington, on which he now resides. He help- ed to build the Jackson ditch and superintended the installation of the Terry lake headgates. Mr. Terry served three years during the Civil war in company B of the 11th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, receiving an honorable discharge at the close of the war. In 1888 he was joined in marriage with Miss Sarah E. Peck and two children have blessed the union, Mrs. Laura M. Davis of Fort Collins, and Miss Mary R. Terry, who resides with her
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parents. Mr. Terry is a successful farmer and an intelligent citizen.
GUSTAVE WICH .- Born and reared on a Bavar- ian farm, educated in the schools of his native country, followed farming and rafting lumber down the river Main until he came to the United States, were some of the boyhood and early manhood ex-
GUSTAVE WICH
periences of our subject. Mr. Wich made his ad- vent into the world on June 24th, 1859, and twenty-three years later he led Margaret Eber to the marriage altar. His good wife has borne him eleven children, all of whom are living save one, who died at an early age. The names of his living children are, John W., George A., Fred G., An- drew J., Charles C., Clara M., Gustave, Vernie, Henry and William Wich. Two of the sons, John and Fred are married and have homes of their own, all the others still claim shelter under the parental roof. In 1885 Mr. Wich came direct from Bavaria to Fort Collins and he has since been a worthy and upright citizen of Larimer county. He worked as a farm hand for different farmers for about a year and a half and then sent
for his family to join him here in the land of liberty. In 1887 he preempted 40 acres of land in the Boxelder valley, but later when his little farm was needed for a reservoir site, he sold it and bought 80 acres situated a mile south of the present town of Wellington. He kept adding to his farm until now he owns 320 acres of as fine land as the state affords, all improved and under a high state of cultivation. He has a beautiful home and is one of the prosperous and stable citizens of the county. He has been school director for about ten years and has twice been elected a justice of the peace in his precinct.
ALEXANDER STRACHAN .- In the more recent years of the settlement of the West, Colorado has drawn heavily upon Scotland for very many of its most practical farmers. Among the number is Alexander Strachan who located in Larimer county in 1896. He arrived in Denver in 1888, coming from Aberdeenshire, where he received his edu- cation. He married Miss Jessie Craigmyle, in 1881. A daughter and a son, Alice and James A. are their only children. Mr. Strachan owns a fine farm south of Fort Collins and is one of the big lamb feeders of the valley.
ADNA R. CHAFFEE .- Another of the sturdy pioneers of the Caché la Poudre "passed on to that bourne whence no traveler returns," when Adna R. Chaffee died, April 5th, 1907. Mr. Chaffee had played an important part as a pioneer citizen of Larimer county in the movement to demon- strate its agricultural and industrial possibilities, and to promote the welfare of the community. Had he lived one day longer he would have been 83 years of age, as he was born April 6, 1824. Her- kimer county, New York, was the place of his na- tivity. When about 12 years old he went with his father's family to Michigan, where he came to manhood's estate. After attaining his majority, Mr. Chaffee followed lumbering as an avocation until 1860, when he started for Colorado. He crossed the Plains with an ox team, and was 40 days on the road between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Denver, arriving at the last named place in July of that year. He first located in Russell Gulch, where he put in three months at placer mining, going then to Golden and thence to Green Mountain Falls, where he conducted a hotel until January, 1862. He then came to Larimer county and settled in the Big Thompson valley about one and a half miles west of the present city of Loveland. In 1863
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HISTORY OF LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
he took charge of the Laporte station for the Over- land Stage company, and in October of that year he moved to a farm situated one mile down the river from the present city of Fort Collins. Here he and his family lived until 1888 when he moved to Fort Collins, which was his home until he died. Mr. Chaffee married Sarah Piper in Michigan, and she with one son, Frank Chaffee, a member of the present board of County Commissioners, sur- vive him.
MRS. JOSEPHINE HUPP .- Proprietor and man- ager of the Hupp hotel in Estes park, was born in 1857, in Michigan, and received her education at Rockford, in her native state. She was married in 1876 and has one son, Harrie Elmer Blinn, who was the first child born in Loveland. In 1906, Mrs. Hupp and Miss Ella Hupp built the Hupp hotel in Estes park, and in 1908 they purchased a large new building on the opposite side of the street, which is now known as the Hupp annex, and Mrs. Hupp is manager of both. Mrs. Hupp is a thor- ough business woman and a deservedly popular hostess.
ARCHIE C. WARD, local manager for the Colo- rado Telephone company at Estes Park, was born January 17th, 1881, in Stockton, California; edu- cated at Bancroft, Nebraska; married Ruth Whit- ford, October 9th, 1900, and they have one child, Gerald. Mr. Ward came to Colorado June 10th, 1905 and located first at Waverly, later moving to Estes Park, where he now resides.
HENRY T. MILLER .- Few men have done more to promote and advance the material interests of Larimer county than Henry T. Miller, and few men stand higher in the estimation of his friends and acquaintances than he does. Ever since he came to the county, forty years ago, he has devoted his mental and physical energies to the development of the resources and advantages of his chosen home, and is recognized as one of the most enterprising of citizens. Mr. Miller was born June 13th, 1840, in Fulton county, Illinois, and was educated in Iowa, in which state he grew to manhood. On January 1st, 1868, he married Lettie Buchanan, and the names of their living children are Mrs. Jessie Stradley, Mrs. Lettie Martin, Catherine Miller, Mrs. Nina Stuart, Mrs. Florence Scott, Harry H., and Dr. N. J. Miller. At the out- break of the Civil war, Mr. Miller enlisted in the 8th Iowa Infantry, and served four years in the
field in that and in the 33rd Iowa Infantry. He has been a soldier, a farmer, a stockman, a county officer, and again a farmer and has made good. He came to Colorado in 1870, bringing with him a car load of mules which he sold in Golden. He then went east after his family and while cross- ing the. Plains on his return west in 1872 was
HENRY T. MILLER
badly frightened by a band of Sioux, which tried to stampede a bunch of horses he was driving to Colorado, but he got out of the scrape without the loss of an animal. He located that year at Namaqua on the Big Thompson, and followed freighting from the Missouri river. In 1880, Mr. Miller purchased the Alford ranch and horse stock on Rabbit Creek and lived there three years, when he moved on to the place now occupied by Camp- ton's summer resort, at Cherokee Park. He was elected county commissioner in the fall of 1881 and served the county in that office for three years, being chairman of the board from 1883 to January, 1884. Through his efforts a post office was estab- lished at St. Cloud in 1885. He sold his property at St. Cloud in the late 80's and moved to Fort Collins which has since been his home. Besides
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