History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 103

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080

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Of course a new town on the frontier must have its baptism of blood, and the infant metropolis of Fontaine was no exception to this rule. When the corn had reached a con- siderable height and the prospects for a good crop gladdened the hearts of the little settle- ment, a number of "yahoos" from the State of Missouri, who had been to the mines and having been so unfortunate as not to have been able to pick up ten-pound nuggets on top of the ground, were returning to their former homes, damning Colorado as a hun- bug, camped near the settlement. Their oxen were poor and they turned them into the growing crops. The ranchmen remonstrated, but without effect. The gallant Missourians were the biggest crowd and they would do as they pleased. The settlers found that they must take desperate measures or lose their crops. The cattle were corraled and the Missouri party informed that they could have their cattle when they paid for the damage done. The Missourians attempted to take the cattle by force, when the settlers, who had intrenched themselves in a log house opened fire. A lively battle ensued, during which several Missourians were killed, and three or four on each side wounded. The strangers paid the damage, took their cattle and went home leaving Fontaine City material where- with to open its first graveyard.

In the fall of 1859, the residents of the settlements at Denver, Golden, Central City, etc., concluded that a new Territory ought to be organized. Colorado at that time was part of Kansas, and the Pike's Peakers were of the opinion that 500 miles or more was almost too far to travel to the seat of govern- ment. Hence it was proposed to organize the new Territory of Jefferson, and to hold an elec- tion for officers to form a provisional govern- ment for the same. The residents of Font- aine City were notified of this election, and like all good citizens determined to exercise their suffrages "early and often." There could be no trouble about placing any num- ber of ballots in the box, but then the registry law had reached Kansas and it became neces- sary to make a registry. The Fontaine City

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men were equal to the emergency. They first registered all the voters in their town, amounting to twenty-five. Then they called in Juan Chiquite, a leading spirit among the Mexicans, who gave them the names of all the descendants of the Montezumas that he had ever known in New and Old Mexico, but still the registry wasn't large enough. A lucky thought struck one of the party. Among his effects he discovered an ancient directory of the city of Cincinnati, and from that the required number of names were copied. As to how many votes were cast, history is silent; but when the returns reached Denver they showed that only 1,500 ballots had been de- posited at Fontaine City, all for one set of candidates!

The first store in Fontaine City was opened by Messrs. Cooper & Wing. About this time Messrs. S. S. Smith, W. H. Young, Matthew Steel, O. H. P. Baxter, George M. Chilcott, John W. Shaw, Gov. Hinsdale, Col. Francisco, Mark G. Bradford, Judge Howard and others arrived and assisted in swelllng the population of the Southern Metropolis.

Judge Howard was a character. Possessed of considerable ability as a lawyer and an inexhaustible fund of dry humor, he soon became well known throughout the country. He had a curious affection of the facial nerves which caused one side of his face to jerk and one of his eyes to wink in a manner that gave a peculiarly laughable effect to his trite say- ings. Hon. Wilbur F. Stone tells the fol- lowing anecdote regarding him: “Judge Stone had been absent from Pueblo for some time, and during his absence an election had been held for Probate Judge. Howard was a candidate and his opponent was a ranchman in the neighborhood who knew nothing of law and had a very limited education. His name has been lost to history, but we will call him Brown. On Judge Stone's return he met Howard, when the following conversation ensued :

Judge Stone-" Well Judge, how are polit- ical matters ?"

Judge Howard-" We've held an election for Probate Judge since you left."

S-" Who were the candidates?" H-" Brown and myself."

S-" Who was elected?"

H-" Brown."

S-" Has he qualified?"

H-" Well, he has filed his bond and taken the oath, but all h-I wouldn't qualify him!"

In the winter of 1859-60, the present city of Pueblo was laid out under the auspices of Dr. Belt, Dr. Catterson, Wesley Catterson, Cy Warren, Ed Cozzens, Jack Wright, Albert Bercaw, W. H. Green and others. Green and Bercaw built the first bridge across the Arkansas at the foot of Santa Fe avenue. Messrs. Buell & Boyd, two survey- ors, were brought down from Denver to lay out the future city. It may be that Buell & Boyd were paid by the day for their services, or that they spread themselves because land was plenty and cheap, but be that as it may, the original survey of Pueblo was made on a scale of magnificence that was appalling to the ordi- nary tenderfoot. Corner lots were made as numerous as possible, and the streets wide and straight. In the language of Judge Stone, the survey extended "from the river back two or three miles toward the divide and from the Fontaine on the east to Buzzard's Ranch on the west. Near the mouth' of Dry Creek was an extensive city park, filled with serpentine drives and walks, rare shrubbery and exotic flowers, amid which the alkali dust was gently subdued by the spray of a dozen refreshing fountains."

Jack Wright built the first house in Pueblo. It was located in the rear of the northeast corner of Front street and Santa Fe avenue. Dr. Catterson also built a cabin on the north side of Second street near Santa Fe avenue.

About this time an important event in the history of every new Western town, took place in Pueblo. The renowned Jack Allen arrived and established the first gin-mill. The distill- ery from which Jack purchased his whisky, the only liquor which the pioneers of Southern Colorado considered fit for men to drink, is lost. Tradition has it that his fine old pri- vate stock was manufactured from alcohol, chilli, Colorado tobacco, Arkansas water, old boots, aqua fortes, rusty bayonets, soap weed and cactus thorns. In the language of the pioneers, it was good liquor, because it cut

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like a three-cornered file as it went down. The delay which often happened to the ox teams from the East never affected Jack's stock of whisky. Sometimes the supply would give out, but the whisky famine was only temporary and in an hour or two his bottles would be replenished, though no sup- plies had arrived in the settlement for a month. The whisky always had the same flavor and the same startling effect upon the drinker.

In addition to his gin-mill, Jack kept a small stock of bacon, beans, etc. One day a stranger came along with a team and going into Jack's place purchased a large side of bacon, paying for it at the rate of 75 cents a pound. The purchaser fastened the bacon to the back of his wagon and went around the house to get some water. After he had dis- appeared, Jack remarked to some bystanders, that "it was a d-d shame that one man should have so much bacon when so many other good men needed it." So he deliber- ately cut off about half of the side and car- ried it back into his house. The purchaser did not discover the theft and drove off down the river toward " America."

Of course gambling was a favorite amuse- ment at Jack Allen's resort. An amusing story is told regarding a game of poker which took place there. A party was made up and had commenced to play, when an old-timer, still a resident of Pueblo, came in and wanted to take a hand in the game. Knowing him to be an expert, the players ruled him out much to his disgust. He sat down and watched the game determined to play them a trick if possible. The table was covered with an ancient gray blanket in which there were several holes. The money staked on the game was pushed through one of these holes, near the edge of the table, between the blan- ket and the table top. The players used beans for chips. The rejected gamester noticed a ramrod belonging to a musket, standing in the corner. On the end of the ramrod was a worm, such as is used for cleans- ing the barrel of the piece. He slily intro- duced this worm under the blanket and while the players were intent upon the game abstracted the greenbacks. After some hours'

playing, one fortunate player succeeded in accumulating all the beans, amounting to about a quart. He searched for the money in vain and in his disgust cried out:

"Now I've won all the chips and what in the d-1 have I got for my trouble?"

Jack cocked his weather eye at the speaker and responded:

" Ye durned fool, haven't yer got the beans?" Among the arrivals of 1860, was Judge Wilbur F. Stone, now of the Supreme Bench of the State. The first family in Pueblo was that of Aaron Sims and Josiah F. Smith, present Police Justice of the city, was the next to set up his household gods. Col. Boone opened a store on the lower end of Santa Fé avenue, of which Dr. Catterson took charge. Emory Young, son of William H. Young, was the first male child born in Pueblo, and Miss Hattie Smith, daughter of Josiah F. Smith, the first female child.

Even at this early age in her history, the convivial propensities of the people of Pueblo began to crop out in an unmistakable manner. One day, a returning tenderfoot, who had been to the mining regious with a load of groceries, stopped in the settlement on his way home to Missouri. He had a portion of a barrel of whisky left and offered to sell it to a party of the Puebloites. They purchased the liquor, and soon manufactured a washtub full of egg nog. The scene of the revel was in Pat May- wood's blacksmith-shop, down by the river bank. The male inhabitants of the town all gathered there and, after several fights, many of the revelers were overcome by the bilious compound. An eye witness gives the closing scene as follows: One man hung doubled up over the bellows; another sat sound asleep in the tub of water where the smith cooled his hot iron; a third reposed with his face in the ashes of the forge; a dozen more slept in various positions in the dust on the earthen floor of the shop. But two showed signs of life. In one corner lay the proprietor of the shop and astride his breast sat an individual, afterward a well-known citizen of Pueblo, armed with a funnel and a tin cup and en- gaged in pouring egg nog down the prostrate man's throat, the victim mildly protesting that he couldn't drink another drop.

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CHAPTER II.

THE STAGE COACH PERIOD-ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY-COUNTY OFFICERS-COURT HOUSE -JAIL -- GEN. BOWEN-HOTEL-FREE AND EASY WAITER-FINANCIAL CRISIS-STAGE LINE ESTABLISHED-POSTAL FACILITIES-THE FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE- RELIGIOUS SERVICES-INDIAN SCARE-PUEBLO IN THE LATE WAR -- VIGILANTES-THE CHIEFTAIN- CHURCH BUILD- INGS-BRICK-SALE OF TOWN LOTS-DANCING -MASQUERADE-SITUATION IN 1868- PUEBLO INCORPORATED.

TN 1862, the county of Pueblo was organ- ized. Messrs. O. H. P. Baxter, R. L. Wooten and William Chapman were appointed Commissioners; Steve Smith, County Clerk, and Hank Way, Sheriff. At the next county election, Steve Smith was elected Clerk; Will- iam Chapman, Probate Judge, and John B. Rice, Sheriff. The following gentlemen have since held the offices of County Clerk: Eugene Weston, John D. Miller, Sam McBride, O. P. Randall, George H. Hobson, and John T. Crawford, the present incumbent. The office of Sheriff has been held by the following per- sons: H. R. Price, Z. G. Allen, Abe R. Ellis and H. R. Price (second time). The latter is the present incumbent. The first term of court was held by Hon. A. A. Bradford, in a house belonging to Col. Boone, on the lower end of Santa Fe avenue. An adobe building, now occupied as a cigar store, on Santa Fé avenue, near Third street, was afterward erected by the county for a court house, where court was held up to 1872, when the present handsome structure, the finest court house in the State, was erected.

Previous to 1868, the county had no jail, and prisoners were kept under guard in all sorts of places. In that year, R. N. Daniels erected a stone building, on the east side of Santa Fe avenue, for that purpose, and rented it to the county. But the new jail leaked so badly that the Commissioners soon after erected the brick building, on the court house square, which was demolished a few months since, after the erection of the jail now in use. The cells were made of planks, spiked together,

and fitted with iron doors, and the place was unfit for any human being to live in, the ven- tilation being defective, the bed-bugs numer- ous and a perfume, not that of Araby the blest, being always present to invade the nos- trils of the visitor.

Some of the finest legal talent in the State attended the Pueblo County Courts. Among the queer fish was Gen. Bowen, of Denver. Bowen was a good lawyer, but had a strong propensity for getting drunk, generally just at the time that he was most needed. When he had an important case on hand, he would be full to the bung, with Jack Allen's "Taos lightning," and many and varied were the plans adopted for sobering him. On one oc- casion, he had an important case on hand in the afternoon, and in the morning he was so industrious as to succeed in filling himself before breakfast. An empty stage coach stood near the river bank, and Bowen climbed into it and went to sleep. His client found him there, and persuaded the employes of the stage company to pull the coach out into the middle of the river and leave it there, hoping that Bowen, thus imprisoned, would become sober in time to try the case. The coach was left in the middle of the stream, and its occu- pant, waking up from his tipsy sleep, and thinking he was traveling, would, from time to time, roundly abuse an imaginary driver for the slowess of his team. At length, Bowen awoke in earnest, and, after vainly calling to those on the bank to come to his aid, at length succeeded in coaxing the driver of an ox-team, that was crossing at the ford, to de-

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liver him from his unpleasant imprisonment. The scheme didn't succeed, and, in a short time, Bowen was as drunk as before.

The first hotel in Pueblo was kept by Aaron Simms, and the next by John B. Rice. Mr. Rice's house is now part of what was formerly the Drover's Hotel, on Santa Fe avenue, near Second street. The building is now occupied as a restaurant and saloon. The famous old City Hotel, on the east side of Santa Fe ave- nue, between Second and Third, was kept by Moody & Alexander, P. K. Dotson and Messrs. Keeling & Thomas. Uncle Tommy Suttles also kept a hotel on Santa Fé avenue, east side, in a one-story log building, just north of the Riverside barn. This building was destroyed, a short time since, to make room for a large brick business house. The manners of those days were decidedly free and easy. All inen were on the same level, and the waiters were not required to show any particular respect to guests. At one of these hotels, a tenderfoot from the Far East, ordered beefsteak and coffee for his breakfast, and was astonished a short time afterward, while sit- ting at the table, by the appearance of a long- haired desperado of the plains, with revolver on one side of his belt and butcher-knife on the other, appearing at the dining-room door with the desired eatables, and bawling out, "Where's the d-d son-of-a-gun that wants beefsteak and coffee?" The tenderfoot, with pale face and hair on end, meekly acknowl- edged that he was the man and seemed su- premely happy when he escaped from the dining-room without losing his scalp.

In Uncle Tommy Suttles' hotel occurred the first financial crisis, followed by enforced payment, that took place in Pueblo. The facts of this case are familiar to many of our old citizens. Previous to 1862, there was no regular means of communication between Pueblo and the outside world. The mail was carried from Denver semi-occasionally, on horseback, and the post office was kept by Aaron Simms. The letters, when the mail- bag arrived, were emptied on the floor and each man sorted over the pile, and took what belonged to him. I). J. Hayden, who kept a store on the corner of Second street and Santa Fé avenue, in an adobe building, now used as

a grocery, succeeded Simms as Postmaster. The office afterward fell into the hands of S. S. Smith, who sent in his resignation, and, having received no reply from the post office department, placed the effects of the office in a barrel, and set it out in the street. Some- body took it in, and carried on the business of the office as before.

About 1862, the mail contract between Den- ver & Pueblo was let to a man named Weib- ling. The service was once a week. A man named Jones was the next contractor. Mr. A. Jacobs, of Denver, afterward obtained the contract, and put on a fine stage line between Denver and Trinidad, three times per week. Messrs. Barlow & Sanderson succeeded Mr. Jacobs, and the service was made daily until the advent of the Denver & Rio Grande Rail- way, in 1872.

' In 1862, John A. Thatcher, Esq., arrived in Pueblo, from Denver, with a small stock of general merchandise, and commenced busi- ness in a small log cabin, on the south side of Second street, between Santa Fé avenue and Main. His enterprise proved successful, and a few years later, he was joined by Mah- lon D. Thatcher, Esq., his brother. Through hard work, sterling honesty and close atten- tion to business, these gentlemen have become the wealthiest citizens of Pueblo, and are well-known and highly respected throughout Southern Colorado and New Mexico.

As early as 1863, the people of Pueblo be- came impressed with the importance of pro- viding for the education of the rising genera- tion. A comfortable frame schoolhouse was erected, by private subscription, on the rear of the lot now occupied by the Stockgrowers' National Bank, on the west side of Santa Fé avenue, between Fourth and Fifth streets and a school taught therein by Miss Weston. This building was used for school purposes until about 1871, when the adobe structure, which still stands near the new schoolhouse, was erected. In 1876, the new school building was erected, which is pronounced by experts to be among the best in Colorado. The schoolhouse of South Pueblo School District No. 20 is a large square brick; it has two sto- ries; four large apartments; and, though it lacks the height of some Colorado' school-

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houses, it covers a greater superficial area than many, and, standing as it does, on the brow of the mesa, overlooks South Pueblo, and is as conspicuous in its own city as any school- house in the State.

In the summer of 1864, the first regular religious services ever held in Pueblo, took place in the old schoolhouse first mentioned. Rev. Mr. Hitchings, then Rector of St. John's Church, Denver, officiated.

During 1864, a war broke out between the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians, and the entire country was placed upon the defensive. The old El Progressio saloon building, on the southwest corner of Third street and Santa Fé avenue, was used as a temporary fortifica- tion, and the women and children placed therein. A block-house was built near Third and Main streets, and a round tower, con- structed of adobes, crowned the point of the bluffs overlooking Santa Fe avenue. The foundation of this structure can still be seen. Armed men patrolled the neighborhood day and night, but no collision with the Indians took place.

During the war of the rebellion, Pueblo was frequently occupied by the Colorado troops and Company G, of the Third Regiment, was recruited chiefly in Pueblo County. This regiment participated in the celebrated Sand Creek fight, the hardest blow ever given to the Indians in Colorado. The Indians were surprised in their camp, just at daylight in the morning, and upward of 500 slain -- more good Indians than were ever known within the boundaries of the Territory at any one time. The officers of the company were: O. H. P. Baxter, Captain; Swaim J. Graham, First Lieutenant, and Andrew J. Templeton, Second Lieutenant. Among the rank and file, were Charles D. Peck, Joseph Holmes, John W. Rogers, James O'Neal, Abe Cronk, W. W. McAllister, John Brunce, John C. Norton, John McCarty, William H. Daven- port, Jesse W. Coleman, H. W. Cresswell, Henry B. Craig, Joseph W. Dobbins, Tom C. Dawkins, A. A. Johnson, L. F. McAllister, H. H. Melrose, Noah Puntenny, F. Page, Eugene Weston and others. This regiment was armed with Belgian rifles and mounted on bronchos. They weren't pretty soldiers, but they would

fight. At the completion of 100 days' service, they were mustered out at Denver.

From 1864 to 1868, but little of interest occurred in Pueblo. The town was gradually increasing in size and prosperity. "Tex" and "Coe," two desperadoes, had finished their evil lives by hanging to a tree, on the banks of the Fontaine, and one or two other bad characters shared the same fate. Pueblo had a bad name throughout the Territory, but property was safe there, and but few people locked their doors day or night. The Vigil- antes were a terror to evil-doers, and the town was carefully avoided by that class of gentry.

The year 1868 was marked by the advent of the Colorado Chieftain, then published weekly. A paper called the Times had been published at Canon City during the boom there, but it had departed this life, and its proprietors, Messrs. Millett & Riddlebarger, sold the material to other parties to publish a paper in the mountains. Hence, for some time previous to the publication of the Chief- tain, no newspaper was printed between Den- ver and Santa Fe. Dr. M. Beshoar, now of Trinidad, was the father of the Chieftain. The Doctor had had some experience in jour- nalism in the South, and conceived the idea of establishing a paper at Pueblo, He obtained some assistance from the business men of the town, and gave Sam McBride, a practical printer, then working for George West at Golden, an interest in the business, provided he would remove to Pueblo and manage the mechanical portion of the work. The first issue of the paper made its appearance June 1, 1868. Hon. George A. Hinsdale and Hon. Wilbur F. Stone, the latter now on the Su- preme bench of the State, were the editors. Gov. Hinsdale was one of the finest writers in the Western country. His solid arguments and sonorous sentences will long be remem- bered by the old readers of the Chieftain, while the sparkling wit and biting sarcasm of Judge Stone, gave a spice to the sheet that rendered it popular wherever read. Mechan- ically, the paper presented a beautiful appear- ance, and was everywhere considered a model of typographic art.

The building in which the paper was then printed stood on the north side of Fourth

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street, between Santa Fé avenue and Summit, on the site of the present handsome office. It was frame, one story in height, and originally occupied as an office for a lumber-yard. A small addition was made to the building, and in these limited quarters the Chieftain' com- menced its successful career. Bunks after the style of those on the lower deck of a river steamer were erected in one end of the build- ing, and in these the proprietors and printers slept. One Washington hand-press did the newspaper and job work. In the winter of 1868, Samuel McBride sold out his interest to Dr. Beshoar, who in turn sold his entire in- terest to McBride. McBride afterward sold the paper to Capt John J. Lambert, its pres- ent proprietor. George S. Adams was for a short time editor. E. G. Stroud, followed, and, in 1872, a daily edition was issued, with C. J. Reed as editor. A. P. George succeeded Reed, and, in 1874, R. M. Stevenson occupied the editorial chair, retaining it until 1880, when he resigned, and became Private Secre- tary to Gov. Pitkin. Con Conover was the next editor. He died after a few months, and was succeeded by Gart Shober. The latter remained but a short time, and G. G. Withers, the present editor, was his successor. Under the able and careful management of Capt. Lambert, the Chieftain has become one of the most valuable newspaper properties in the State.

In 1868, the first church was erected in Pueblo. It was St. Peter's Episcopal. Mr. Winslow was the Rector. The church edifice was at that time considered out of town, and there were but one or two buildings beyond it. Rev. Samuel Edwards succeeded Mr. Winslow. Revs. Green, Brouse, Bray and others afterward officiated. Mr. Gaynor is the present Rector. A church was afterward erected by the Methodists, Rev. O. P. Mc- Manis being the first Pastor, Revs. Merrill, Wallace, Edmondson and others succeeding him. The Presbyterians also erected a church, and Rev. George took charge. He was succeeded by Rev. I. H. Montfort, and that gentleman by the Rev. H. B. Gage, the present Pastor. The Catholic Church came next, with Father Pinto as parish priest. Rev. F. X. Gubitosi now fills that position.

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History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 103

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 1080

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080