USA > Colorado > History of Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming, 1540-1888 > Part 69
USA > Nevada > History of Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming, 1540-1888 > Part 69
USA > Wyoming > History of Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming, 1540-1888 > Part 69
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Eli M. Ashley, born in Ohio in 1833, and educated there, engaged in a retail drug business, soon after attaining his majority, at Toledo. In 1861 he came to Colorado as chief clerk to the surveyor general of the territory, which position he retained through the administrations of 5 surv. - genls, a period of 17 years. He began buying real estate in Denver at an early date, owning what is known as Ashley's addition to the city of Denver, which was laid out in 1868. His business since leaving the surv .- gen'ls office has been that of buying and selling real estate. In 1885 he organized the Western Chemical Works co., of which he is pres't. He is permanently located in Denver.
C. C. Gird, born in Ohio in 1836, receiving a common school education, came to Colorado in 1860. For 1 year he worked at his trade of coopering, and then commenced freighting between Denver and Omaha, which business he followed until the Indians forced him to abandon it in 1863, when he settled on a land claim 15 miles from Denver, where he resided, farming and stock-raising, until 1880, when he removed to Denver. He was elected to the terr. council in 1869 for 1 term, and to the state legislature in 1879. He was elected comm'r of Arapahoe co. in 1884, and twice chosen chairman of the board. His property is in live stock and lands.
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Hartsville F. Jones, born in Tenn. in 1826, was brought up and educated in Ky. In 1846 he enlisted for the Mexican war. In 1848 he returned home, and engaged in mercantile pursuits at Lexington until 1874, when he removed to Denver, and bought and sold city property. He was elected a member of the city council in 1885, but has not entered into politics. He will remain permanently in Denver.
Thomas S. Clayton, born in Phila in 1838, and educated there, was clerk in his brother's store in that city until he came to Colorado in 1863, to take the same position with his brother, who had opened a general merchandise store in Denver in 1859. In 1866 he went into merchandising for himself, but ultimately ran the business into hats and caps exclusively, and was the pioneer hatter of Denver. In 1877 he was appointed chief of the fire dept, and held the office until 1882. He was supt of the Sunday-school of the episcopal church, and of each of the other churches of Denver. He was married in Phila in 1878, and has erected a residence on Capitol hill in the city of his adoption.
Emile Reithmann, born in Switzerland in 1844, came to the U. S. with his father in 1848, and resided at times in N. Y., Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa before coming to Colorado in 1859. He settled on a rancho within 5 miles of Denver the same year, and started the first dairy in the terr., at which business and stock-raising he has continued ever since. He was married in Denver in 1879, and considers his present home his home for life.
David C. Taylor, born in Madison co., Ohio, in 1832, removed to Mo. in 1858, and to Colorado in 1860, going to the Gold Hill mining district. After a brief experience at mining, he took up some land in St Vrain valley, where he settled permanently. He became possessed of a large amount of land, stock cattle, and was half owner in the Clover Basin Irrigating ditch.
Jacob Sherrer, born in France in 1838, came to the U. S. with his parents in 1846, and to Colorado in 1859. He was engaged in freighting across the plains until the completion of the U. P. R. R. to Cheyenne, when he turned his oxen out to fatten, and also purchased a small herd for breeding purposes. He now owns a large rancho on the s. branch of Republican river, and 6,000 head of stock. He resides in Denver.
Harmon Merchant, born in Courtland co., N. Y., in 1832, came to Colo- rado in 1859, and engaged in freighting and trading. Becoming alarmed at the attitude of the Indians towards the white settlers, he removed with his family to Or. in 1863, where he remained 2 years, when he removed to Peta- luma, Cal., and commenced dealing in cattle. In 1869 he sold out, and for several years thereafter was in the cattle business between Tex. and Neb., finally locating permanently at Denver in 1876.
David J. Lykins, born in Ind. in 1839, and brought up there, began early to roam, visiting Ohio, and from there crossing the continent in 1850, work- ing in the mines of Cal. until 1856, when he returned home by steamer. He spent most of the next two years in travelling over the middle and western states, and drifted in 1859 with the great migration to Colorado. He soon learned the profit there was in cattle, and with those he had driven from the Missouri commenced a business at which he made a handsome fortune, own- ing 1,000 acres in Arapahoe co., a large farm in Mo., and valuable herds of cattle, and an elegant residence in Denver.
W. B. Rogers was born in Buffalo, N. Y., in 1844, where he received an academic education, and studied medicine and dentistry. In 1867 he came to Colorado to recover lost health, practising his dental art, and investing in mining and city property. He became sound, and made a comfortable fortune.
Edmund Anthony, born in N. Y. in 1828, and educated for the calling of an architect, came to Colorado in 1870, being the first to open an office for architectural drawing in the state, and designing some of the most promi- nent buildings in Denver and Cheyenne. He came to the mountains for health, which he obtained.
John D. Atkin also came to Colorado in 1873 for relief from asthma, of
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which he was completely cured. Returning to Ill. the disease returned, when he sold out, and invested his means in Denver real estate, with the intention of ending his days here. He brought $35,000 to this city, which has increased to $300,000 without the aid of other investments. He proph- ecies that Denver will be the largest city west of the Mississippi river.
Henry Sness, born in Germany in 1837, migrated to the U. S. in 1854, residing in Mo. until 1879, when he came to Denver as an agent for the Anheuser-Busch Brewing co. of St Louis, and established a branch business here, which was placed under his management. He organized the German Loan and Building association, of which he is president. He was elected to the legislature in 1884.
John W. Collins, M. D., born in Green co., Ala, in 1835, was educated there, studying medicine in New Orleans, and graduating in 1860. In the following year he entered the confederate army as a surgeon, serving through the 4 years of war, and afterwards practised his profession in Miss. and Tenn. until 1879 when he came to Colorado to perform a surgical operation on a friend, and decided to remain. Colorado, he predicts, will be the most famous health resort of the world when it is better known. He is located at Denver in the practice of gynecology.
William Smedley, D. D. S., born in Pain 1836 of Quaker parentage, studied dental surgery at West Chester, Pa, until 1870, when, being threat- ened with consumption, he came to Colorado for relief, and his health being restored he has practised his profession ever since. He owns real estate in North Denver, and is much interested in educational matters, being on the school board.
Edward Rollandet, born in Leyden, Holland, in 1852, received a collegiate education, but enlisted in the army at the age of 15 years. After serving 4 years he left the army with the rank of sergeant, and travelled for 2 years, learning smelting, after which, in 1873, came to the U. S., locating in Va, where he was employed in iron works for about a year, going from there to Canada. In 1874 he came to Colorado and engaged with the Maxwell Land co. for 2 years, after which he located in Denver as engineer with a map company, and dealt in real estate. In 1878 he purchased an interest in the Vulture mine of Leadville, and became also chief draughtsman in the sur- veyor-general's office at Denver. In 1884 he was elected surveyor in a neighboring county. The following year he returned to Denver and opened an engineer's office, but finally united with Worrall & Chisolm in the Den- ver Lithographing co., in which business he remains.
Ledru R. Rhodes, born in Ohio in 1849, was educated in the public schools and taught when he was 16 years old. In 1865 he went to Iowa where he studied law and was admitted to the bar. He commenced practise in the district court of Fremont co., Neb. In 1872 he came to Colorado, settling in Larimer co. on a farm, but in 1874 opened a law office in Fort Collins' where he remained 4 years, and was elected to the state senate from Lari- mer co. on the republican ticket, and interested himself in the passage of the irrigation law. In 1885 he was elected district attorney of the 2d judi- cial district, consisting of Arapahoe, Larimer, and Weld counties. He was employed by the Cattle Growers' association on a salary of $2,500, and by the English Irrigation co. He was one of the original members of the Den- ver Chamber of Commerce.
Frederick Cramer, born in New York in 1833 of Dutch ancestry, was taught the trade of a millwright. At the age of 23 he went to Red river, where he remained until 1864, when he came to Colorado and began business as a builder. He has been identified with mining in Boulder co. for many years. He was elected sheriff of Arapahoe co. in 1865, a member of the board of education in 1868, and a councilman in 1869. He has acquired & comfortable fortune, owning $70,000 worth of real estate in Denver. He married in Brooklyn in 1863, and has 5 children.
J. J. Dunagan, born in Mo. in 1833 and brought up there, went to Iowa at the age of 19, learning the carpenter trade at Glenwood. In 1860 he
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came to Boulder co. Colorado, engaging in mining and lumbering until 1867, when he went to Cheyenne to take building contracts, remaining there 3 years, and going from there to Greeley, where he kept a hotel, and frer there to Longmont, returning to Denver in 1879, going into the grocery trade, and selling out to go into a drug store. Meanwhile he traded in real estate, and enjoyed the profits of a considerable increase. He was first married in Iowa, and afterwards in Evans, Colorado, and has two daughters.
Amasa C. Bucknum, M. D., born in Oswego co., N. Y., in 1824, and educated at Albany, removed to Mich., where he began the study of medi- cine in 1845, graduating at Castleton, Vt, in 1849. Returning to Jackson he commenced practice there, remaining until 1880, though a part of the time professor of physiology at Ann Arbor university, and president of the Jackson co. medical society. His health failing he came to Colorado in 1880, where in two months he was able to resume practice. He became a member of the state medical societies, and of the American Medical asso- ciation. He was twice married, and has 5 children.
William S. Grimes, born in Wheeling, Va, in 1835, was educated in Cincinnati at Woodworth college, and studied medicine in that institution. He entered into a successful practice in 1857, but on the commencement of the civil war enlisted in the 23d Iowa infantry as asst surgeon. After the battle of Pea Ridge, he was appointed surgeon of the 29th Iowa infantry. In 1864 he resigned on account of an accident to his eyes, and removed to Des Moins, where he resumed general practise until 1879, when he came to Colorado on account of asthma and the trouble with his eyes. His health being entirely restored, he adds his to the universal praise of the climate of Denver.
C. C. Worrall, born near Boston in 1855, was educated in England. He came to Colorado with his parents in 1862, and in 1865 went to New York, St Louis, New Orleans and to Europe. Returning to Colorado in a few years he engaged in selling drugs, in which business he remained until 1880, when he abandoned it for lithographing. In 1886 he organized the Denver Lithographing company, in conjunction with E. Rollandet and F. F. Chisolm, the enterprise proving more successful than was anticipated. He married in 1883 Miss Haisington and is permanently settled in Denver.
A. W. Hogle, born in Canada in 1844, removed with his parents to Ill. in 1849, and received a common school education. On the breaking out of the civil war he enlisted in Co. A, 76 Ill. regt, and was mustered out in 1865 as lieutenant of Co. C. Returning home, he attended at the Commercial col- lege of Chicago. In 1869 he was elected treasurer of Iroquois co. though but 25 years of age, giving a bond of $500,000. In 1871 he came to Colorado for the health of his wife, who was entirely restored. He kept books for a large commission house and invested in cattle. In 1880 he sold his cattle and went into commission business, also buying some mining property. In 1885 he was appointed chief of police of Denver, by Mayor J. E. Bates, and was instrumental in quelling the railroad riots of that year. He established the patrol system, the best for conducting fire and police alarms. He mar- ried Miss Paul of Ill. in 1865.
Ambrose S. Everett, physician, was born in New York in 1841, studied medicine in Ill. and graduated from the St Louis homeopathic medical college, in which he afterwards held a professorship, with a general city practise. His health failing, he sought restoration in Colorado, and would now 'not try to live anywhere else,' his health and his practise being entirely satisfactory.
Samuel S. Smythe, born at Galena, Ill. in 1838, graduated from the Homopathic Medical college of Chicago in 1867. He came to Denver in 1880 for the health of his wife who was dying of consumption. The cli- mate completely restored her and he decided to remain. He engaged in the practise of his profession, and also in stock raising.
C. M. Parker, was born in Miss. in 1838, and was educated by a private tutor, with a term in college at N. Y, afterwards. At the commence-
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ment of the civil war he enlisted in the 18th Miss. regt as a private, and at the end of the year was appointed surgeon, being sent to Richmond and Savannah to have charge of hospitals. He married Miss S. J. Allen of Va and settled at Darlington, S. C., but removed to Colarado for the benefit of the climate in 1872. He became a member of the State Board of Health, State Med. Soc., prest Denver Med Soc., and prest of State Board of Med. Examiners.
Norman G. Burnham, born in Ohio in 1829, was educated at Norwalk acad -- emy, and at the Ohio Wesleyan university, studying medicine in Cincinnati,. where he graduated in 1852. He was subsequently associated with Prof. B. S. Hill, one of the founders of the Cleveland Homeopathic college, at which he: received an honorary degree in 1865. From 1856 to 1859 ho was associated. with Prof. H. P. Gotchell, former dean of the above named college, in the; practise of medicine at Cin. In 1860 he removed to Indianapolis, where he. resided 11 years. He manied Mary K. Treat, of Medina, O., in 1861. In. 1868-9 he attended a special course of lectures at Boston, visiting the hos- pitals of New York and Phila. In 1871 he went to St. Louis, practising there eight years, when his health giving way he came to Colorado, where his vigor was restored, and where he renewed the practise of his profession.
Edwin J. Rothwell, a native of Ottawa, Canada, born in 1840, and educated there and at North Perth, migrated to Cal. in 5864, then to Boisé, Id., following mining until 1871, when he began the study of medicine with his brother, W. J. Rothwell. In 1873 he went to Ann Arbor, and took a course in the medical dept of the university, graduating is 1875. He also took a special course on the eye and ear under Prof. Frothingham. He com- menced practise in the state of N. Y., where he remained until 1880, being prest of the Tompkins co. Med. soc. In 1881 he came to Denver with his brother, P. D. Rothwell, with whom he engaged in the practise of his profes- sion, and became treas. of the Denver Med. soc. He married in Ann Arbor in 1875, and has two sons and two daughters.
Arnold Sedman was born in Me in 1839, receiving a collegiate education at Colby university. He enlisted in the union army in 1862, with the rank of orderly sergt in the Me infantry, serving one year. In 1863 he commenced the study of medicine, at Newport, Me, graduating from the medical college of Pittsfield, Mass, in 1865. He practised at Dexter until 1870, when he married Miss Brown of Portland, and removed to Denver, where he assisted to form the first med. association of Denver, the same year, and the ter. association in 1871. He was the third president of the Denver asso. and prest of the state asso. in 1878-9; also founder of the med. dept of the Denver university, and prest of the school board for a number of years.
J. Solomon, born in Ky, in 1851, was educated and studied medi- cine at Shelbyville, and entered the med. dept of Louisville university in 1877, graduating in 1880, when he came to Colo to settle.
Mary Barker Bates, M. D., born in Cayuga co., N. Y., in 1845, was the daughter of a prominent physician, Ezra T. Barker, with whom she removed to Wis. at the age of 14 years. She was sent to Evanstown, Ill., to school, and afterwards to Edmunds college, N. Y., graduating from that institution in 1871, to enter the Woman's Medical college of Pa, from which she grad- uated in 1873. Her first practise was in Salt Lake City, where she was phy- sician to Brigham Young's family for five years, her practice in Salt Lake being worth not less than $1,000 nor more than $1,700 per month. In 1876 she married George C. Bates; and removed with him to Leadville, Colorado, where she assisted in establishing the Ladies' Relief hospital. Rheumatism compelling a change of climate, she came to Denver in 1881, where she resumed practice. Mr Bates, to whom she was married, died in 1886. He was also a native of Cayuga co., N. Y., born in 1815, a graduate of Herbert college, Geneva, and read law with Stephen A. Douglass, in the office of John C. Spencer. He removed to Detroit in 1834, and was appointed U. S. dist attorney for Mich., holding the office for twelve years. He was a prominent
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whig, and made one of the first, if not the first republican speech in Cal., where he was sent as special govt agent in 1852, and where he remained until 1856. He was instrumental in placing Zach. Chandler in the U. S. senate. He was appointed U. S. dist attorney for Utah by Prest Grant. At the time of his death he was engaged in writing a history of the Bench and Bar of the Northwest. He was the youngest member of the Phila conven- tion, which endeavored to nominate Henry Clay for the presidency, and a personal friend of Daniel Webster.
Thomas H. Hawkins, M. D., born in Ky in 1849, removed with his parents to Ind. when a child. He received a collegiate education at Asbury university, Ind., and after graduating from there, studied medicine in the med. dept of Louisville university, and the Bellevue hospital, N. Y., grad- uating from the latter in 1873. He practised in New York until 1879 when he came to Colorado to restore failing health, and find in the climate what he sought, remained. He was identified with the founding of the Denver Medical college, and the Colorado State Woman's hospital, founded the Den- ver Medical Times, was prest of the County Med. asso., surgeon of St Luke's hospital, and assisted in establishing the Ladies' Relief hospital, of which he had charge during the first year of its existence.
Leonard Atkin, born in Ill. in 1830, resided at Shipping Grove until 1875, when he came to Colorado, purchasing an interest in a rancho and living on it two years, when he settled in Denver, engaging in real estate transactions and having spice mills. In 1880 he sold out, and in 1883 erected one of the handsomest residences in the city at that time, but died soon after, leaving his family a fortune of $200,000.
George J. Hartung, was born in New York in 1854, and educated at the German public schools, and N. Y. college. He graduated from the N. Y. college of dentistry in 1876, practising for three years with his father , the oldest German dentist in New York. In 1883 he came to Colo for his health, travelling among the mining camps until he recovered, when he settled in Denver, being the only German dentist in the state
HISTORY OF WYOMING.
CHAPTER I.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
BOUNDARIES AND SURFACE-THE HILLS AND PLAINS OF LARAMIE-GEOLOGIC HISTORY-THE RIVER PLATTE-BLACK HILLS-DESERTS WHICH ARE NOT DESERTS-MOUNTAINOUS FORMATIONS AND UPHEAVALS-MINERALS AND METALS-FONTANA, THE LAND OF RIVERS-ROLLING PLAIN OF THE NORTHWEST-FORESTS AND LAKES-FALLS OF THE YELLOWSTONE- SCENES OF BEAUTY AND GRANDEUR-ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC CREEKS, AND TWO-OCEAN AND OTHER PASSES-SPECIMENS OF WORLD FORGINGS AND WELDINGS-GEYSER BASINS-MUD AND WATER VOLCANOES-PAINT POTS-SULPHUR MOUNTAIN-SUBTERRANEAN RUMBLINGS-CLIMATE- ANIMATED NATURE.
IMAGINE an undulating plain extending from the mouth of the Platte river westward over five hundred miles, gaining gradually in altitude until the elevation has reached six thousand feet. Then extend a line, still west, on the forty-first parallel to the thirty-fourth meridian, thence north on that longitude to the forty- fifth parallel, and east to the twenty-seventh meridian, and from there south to the place of beginning. The area enclosed is nearly 100,000 square miles, being 350 miles in length from east to west, and 230 miles in breadth from north to south.
In a general sense this territory, which I have thus enclosed in arbitrary boundaries, is a plateau with a mean elevation of 6,400 feet ; its lowest level is 3,534, and its highest altitude 13,858 feet, the first boing the channel of a river, and the last the summit of a mountain. Through its western portion runs the
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continental divide, but broken into several separate ranges, and having a wide opening toward the Pacific of little more than 1,400 feet above the mean elevation of the territory.
On this roughened plane stand many ridges and groups of various heights. Beginning at the south -. east corner, we encounter not far from the boundary a semicircular range, about two thousand feet above the general level, known as the Laramie hills, and west of these the Laramie plains, containing an area of seven thousand square miles, and having an alti- tude of seven thousand feet. They are bounded on the west and north by the north branch of the Platte, which, coming from the south, sweeps in a long curve around the northern base of the Laramie hills before flowing eastward, and on the south by the Medicine Bow mountains, another low range projecting over the boundary of Colorado, and joining by a line of broken elevations the Sweetwater range, the whole having a northwest trend, and spreading out about twenty-five miles. Crossing this line of hills, we pro- ceed westward over a broken country, much of it with a red and nearly naked soil, to the valley of Green river, a favorite feeding-ground of the buffalo, and which is bounded on the west by the Wasatch range, one of the most beautiful in America, with its sharp outlines, its glistening pinnacles, and diaphanous at- mosphere, colored with the tints of the violet and rose.
As I have said, the belt of country passed over is broken, not into rolling hills, as on the great plains to the east, but more abruptly, and dotted here and there with rocky buttes, like barren islands rising out of a sea of mud which had been stiffened by drought, or with here and there sand dunes in long ridges which move with the wind. As to the geologic history of this desert, it may be variously conjectured. Let us say that it is the bottom of a sea, once drained to the east by the Platte river. These sands still flow in
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the direction of its ancient waters. South of our route fifty miles we may trace it, moving, moving, ever moving, never two days in the same place, for two hundred miles, or until it reaches the North Platte, whose rapid current bears it down to where it obstructs navigation, and makes this great stream only an irrigating ditch. The width of this river of sand is a mile and a half, its depth two feet over a hard bottom. On the northern shore of the stream stands a mass of black lava five hundred feet high, of a spheroidal form. In its centre is a basin of living water, and at its foot a large spring, fed from the same source, about which is a mound, serving as a curb, rising ten feet above the plain. The depth of the spring is very great, and the water, though cold and pure, has a taste of sulphur. These are some of the indications of the volcanic era in this region.
The absence of any very rugged mountains on the route I have indicated suggests this as a highway laid out by the Great Intelligence in the latitude most favorable at all seasons for that migration to the shore of the Pacific which modern times have witnessed. The absence of water and grass over a great portion of it, and the presence of sand, pushed this migration northward along the bases of the mountains that fence in the Sweetwater pass of the great divide, and it was left to that only less cunning artificer, the man of science and steam, to carry out the design of the creative mind.
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