History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 113

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

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politically, socially and industrially; war against dishonest administration of local affairs, and the exposure of land-grabbing rings. He is precise to a fault in his writing, even upon the most trivial matters. His pa- per is characteristically neat in appearance,

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and its matter of a thoroughly moral tone. In 1875, Mr. Bowman was appointed Probate Judge for Bent County, to fill an unexpired term of R. F. Long. In 1876, he was elected School Director in the town of West Las Animas, and served as Secretary of the School Board until the spring of 1881. In the fall of 1879, he was elected County Super- intendent of Schools for two years. Since his election, he has endeavored to arouse an in- terest in the cause of education among the residents of the county, and has succeeded in instituting a number of needed reforms in the schools. In the Press Association of the State, Mr. Bowman is held in high esteem by his brother editors, having served as Presi- dent of the association from July, 1879, to July, 1880. He was chosen orator for their annual meeting in 1881, but circumstances prevented his appearing on that occasion. Aside from his school duties and constant edi- torial labors, he finds time to devote many hours to literary study. For more than two years, he has been a member of the Chautau- qua Literary and Scientific Circle, a society which has more than twenty-seven thousand members throughout the United States and Canada. In addition to all his other labors, Mr. Bowman has found much pleasure and real enjoyment in his active Sunday school work, in which he has taken a deep interest during the past ten years. He is a conscien- tious student and a hard worker. The names of Mr. Bowman's three children are Miriam V., born July 29, 1866; Anna Gertrude, born January 30, 1868; Edna L., born November 13, 1869. Anna Gertrude was adopted, after her mother's death, by Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Black, of Sabetha, Kan., and died January 18, 1880.

HOSEA B. CARTTER.

Mr. Cartter was born in Blandford, Ham- den Co., Mass., in July, 1833. The farm on which he spent his boyhood has been in the possession of his family for a long term of years. At the age of sixteen, Mr. Cartter moved to Ohio and began the business which occupied his time until he removed to West Las Animas, Bent Co., in 1875. For twenty- five years, he was engaged in bridge-building for railroad companies in Tennessee, Alabama,

Iowa and Illinois. During the last eight years he was thus engaged, he made his head- quarters at St. Louis, Mo., in company with his brother. When he removed from St. Louis, he went directly to West Las Animas and took up a pre-emption claim and bought a herd of 3,000 head of sheep. At the end of three years, he sold out his flock and bought 800 head of native graded stock of cattle. In 1881, he had 1,000 head. Like many other stock men, Mr. Cartter is improv- ing his herd by keeping a good grade of bulls. His object is to raise beef, and is not aiming to raise thoroughbred cattle. Mr. Robert L. Lambert is engaged with him, and is inter- ested in his herd. Mr. Cartter was married, in 1871, to Miss Mary Frances Brinsmade, of Iowa, and have two children. Mr. Cartter is pleased with the Arkansas Valley, and will make it his home for the present.

ALLEN E. CARPENTER.

Mr. Carpenter came to Colorado in August, 1872, and for a few months engaged in min- ing. Returning from the mountains, he locat- ed in the old town of Las Animas, Bent Co. During the winter of 1872-73, he fitted out a hunting expedition, in company with G. J. Da Lee, and hunted buffalo for two and a half months, principally for their hides. They killed 500 during this time. The hides were shipped East from Sargent, Kan., which was the terminus of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad at that time. From the spring of 1873 until the winter of 1874, Mr. Carpen- ter was engaged in the carpenter-shop of the Quartermaster's Department at Fort Lyon, when he removed to West Las Animas, where he now resides. 'Since moving to his present residence, he has been engaged in the hotel business, ' For a number of years, he kept "Carpenter's Hotel," the only one in the place, having purchased it in April, 1877. In the fall of 1876, Mr. Carpenter was appointed Coroner for Bent County, to fill an unexpired term of R. D. Reedy. In the fall of 1877, he was elected to fill the office for two years, and again in 1879. Mr. Carpenter was born in Somerset County, Penn., in 1845. His par- ents removed to Fulton County, same State, when he was quite young. For two years, he

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attended the Normal School in Millersville, Lancaster Co., Penn., from which he graduat- ed. He taught for four years in his native State, and one term in the State of Missouri. In 1870 and 1871, Mr. Carpenter was engaged at Independence, Kan., in contracting and building, and buying and selling real estate. In 1876, he attended the Centennial Exhibi- tion, and, while absent, married Miss L. J. Akers, of Akersville, Fulton Co., Penn.

DAVID CLARK.

The gold excitement of 1859 induced Mr. Clark to leave his home in Illinois, where he had resided twenty-five years. He was born in Sangamon County, and lived there ten years. He then removed to the adjoining county of Logan, where he remained until the fame of Pike's Peak reached his native State. He was raised a farmer. He attended the common schools a portion of several years until he was eighteen years of age. When he came West, he went directly to Denver, arriv- ing there June 14, 1859. After remaining there a short time, he engaged in mining.on South Clear Creek. In company with a num- ber of men, he built a dam across the stream, and, by cutting a channel, changed the course of the creek, with the view of working the bed. He was employed in mining for four years in various portions of the State. In 1860, he was in the famous California Gulch, near Lead- ville, and then in Breckenridge and vicinity. He enjoyed a fair success in his mining oper- ations. After concluding his search for gold in the mountains, he went up the Platte eight- een miles north of Denver, and worked a ranch of eighty acres of his own, together with some land he had leased. The hay crop was an important one with him. He remained there until the spring of 1867, when he went to New Mexico and located on the Cimarron, where he farmed one year on the Maxwell Land Grant. At the expiration of this time, he went to work in the Moreno Mines, noted for their rich yield of gold. These mines were rented for $1 a year. Here he remained until the spring of 1872, and then removed to Pueblo, Colo., where he freighted for a year. In 1873, he located at the mouth of Big Sandy Creek, in Bent County, and took up a home-

stead, where he now resides Mr. Clark has a bunch of 150 head of graded cattle and a small herd of horses. He was elected County Commissioner in October, 1879, for a term of three years.

WILLIAM E. CULVER.

The name of William E. Culver for more than six years has been familiar with the in- habitants of Bent County, as druggist at West Las Animas. Though born a farmer, he early in life evinced a desire to study medicine, and would have finished a course of study, which he had commenced with Dr. C. G. Barnes, of Burlington, Mich., had not the war of 1861 broken out. His patriotism was too great to remain at home, and, to an early call for soldiers, he responded, and en- listed for three years in the Second Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Company C. He was in active field service only six months, on account of a severe sickness. After recovering, he was detailed to do dispensary work, where he remained but a few months, when he was or- dered to headquarters of his division in the Army of the Potomac, and detailed as Orderly under Gen. Frero and Gen. Wilcox. He was afterward sent with the Ninth Army Corps through Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi, and saw service under Gen. Grant at Vicks- burg. He was engaged in twelve regular bat- tles and many skirmishes, but came out from them all unhurt. While his corps was on the North Anna River, Virginia, his term of en- listment expired, and he was discharged. But he immediately joined the Second Battalion of a Construction Corps as First Lieutenant, and had entire charge of the construction of Battery Petterson, on Charlotte Pike, at Nashville, Tenn., while Gen. Hood was there. In the spring of 1865, he resigned, and re- turned to the farm at Newton, Mich., where he remained until 1869, when he came to Fort Lyon, Bent Co., Colo. In 1867, he was mar- ried to Miss Mary E. Smith, of Elyria, Ohio; has had two children, but a little girl, who was born in Newton, Mich., in March, 1869, is the only child living. When Mr. Culver first came to Colorado, he commenced raising stock, and continued in the business until 1875, when he sold out, and entered his pres-

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ent occupation. He was elected Assessor for two terms-1872 and 1873. In 1881, he was elected Secretary of School Board; for three years, has served as Secretary of Bent County Republican Committee, holding these offices in addition to that of Librarian and Treasurer of Bent County Bible Association. Mr. Cul- ver certainly has the confidence, of the people of Bent County.

ISAIAH DENNESS.

Mr. Denness came to Colorado during the winter of 1875-76. He took up a soldier's homestead claim, having served three years in the army. He enlisted in the Twenty-eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was with the Army of the Tennessee, taking part in the battles of Kenesaw Mountain, Belmont and siege of Vicksburg, and many other important engagements. He rendered valu- able service in Gen. McPherson's command as engineer. At the siege of Vicksburg, in the absence of engineers, Mr. Denness mounted several heavy guns, though it was entirely out of his line of duty. At the close of the war,

he returned to his farm in McDonough County, Ill., which he still (1881) retains, where he remained until he came to Colorado and settled at Rocky Ford, Bent County. At this time the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé Railroad had been constructed only ten miles west of the place. Soon after arriving, he bought the store and stock of goods of William Beghtol. At this business he still continues, carrying a general stock of mer- chandise. Mr. D. was married in 1842 to Miss Esther Bruner. They have two chil- dren, both married and living in Illinois.

JAMES C. DENNY.

Every town has its representative, and emphatically Mr. Denny is La Junta's prom- inent citizen. He came to Bent County in 1878, and located where the city of La Junta is now situated. At that time there were only two or three buildings in the place, and the first night after his arrival he slept on a counter in the railroad station. There was at this time no town nor city organization, no voting precinct, no school district, and not much to indicate there ever would be. But

through Mr. Denny's indefatigable persever- ance, and with the assistance of the railroad company, La Junta has now a city organiza- tion, with Mr. D. as its first Mayor. He was elected to this office May 1, 1881, receiving a majority of fifty votes over all competitors. He is President of the School Board; was instrumental in building a fine schoolhouse, and furnishing it more completely than. any other school building in the county. Janu- ary 15, 1880, Mr. Denny was admitted to practice in all the courts of Colorado. Was appointed Postmaster in 1879, but in July, 1881, resigned in favor of R. B. Hollings- worth. He has charge of the station at La Junta of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé Railroad; has fifteen men as clerks under him. In 1868, he was married, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Miss Emma Brundage. They have one daughter living, having buried two boys in Iowa. Mr. Denny was born in Geneva, Harrison Co., Penn., November 4, 1846. There he lived four years before moving with his parents to Ohio. In 1852, they moved to Mount Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa. He worked on a farm during his' boyhood and attended school only one sum- mer and two winters. In 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company K, Ninth Iowa Cav- alry, J. J. Lambert, of the Colorado Chieftain, as First Lieutenant. He served in the Sev- enth Corps of the Army of the Southwest under Gen. Steele, and afterward Gen. J. J. Reynolds. He was noticed by Gen. R. in Special Order 144 for bravery, having carried important dispatches from Searcy, Arkansas, to Little Rock, same State, notifying of Gen. Price's last raid. He was wounded at the battle of Hickory Station. He was promoted to the Telegraph Corps and detailed in the Military Telegraph Office at Duvall's Bluff. He was discharged from the army April, 1866, having served nearly four years. Mr. D. remained in Madison, Arkansas, for one year after the close of the war. He then returned home and was employed by the Chicago & North-Western Railroad for a time at Mount Vernon, and afterward at Mechanicsville, Iowa, where he resided five years, three years with the railroad and two years he was engaged in mercantile life. La Junta, Bent

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County, owes much to Mr. Denny's enterprise for its present prosperity.

THOMAS J. DOWNEN.

Among the successful stock-raisers and ranchmen on the Arkansas River, the name of Thomas J. Downen stands prominently. He was born a farmer. When only nine years of age, his father died and he was left in charge of 360 acres of land. Mr. D. was born August 8, 1844, in McDonough County, Ill., where he lived until he was eighteen years of age. He attended the common school. In July, 1862, although too young according to mili- tary regulations, he enlisted in the United States Army, and served until he was disabled by a gun-shot wound, and discharged. The wound caused a permanent disability, for which he receives a pension. His regiment was the Seventy-eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry; he served with Company I. He was wounded at the battle of Chickamauga. He was with the army about two years. After his discharge, he returned home where he remained but a short time before entering Union Christian College, located at Merom, Indiana. On account of failing health, he was obliged to discontinue his studies. He was preparing for a professional life. For two years he was an invalid. After his recov- ery, he entered mercantile life at Industry, McDonough Co., Ill., in company with an older brother, with whom he remained three years. In the fall of 1868, he was married to Miss Jennie McCollum, of West Virginia. She died in 1870. Soon after this, he sold out his interest in the store to his brother, on account of poor health. His family was pre- disposed to pulmonary diseases, and fearing a fatal result in his own case, he removed to Colorado in 1872, to engage in ranching and stock-raising. He has made a success both in his enterprises as well as in regaining his health. Mr. D. settled at Rocky Ford, Bent County, on the Arkansas River. By home- steading, pre-empting and purchases, he acquired land until he owned 800 acres, which he inclosed with a wire fence. In 1873, he bought 250 head of Texas cows and calves of Reynolds Bros. These he retained eighteen months and sold them. For two

years afterward Mr. D. was engaged in rais- ing horses. Before disposing of these he again purchased a small bunch of American graded cattle and a thoroughbred bull, which was the foundation of his present herd. In the fall of 1875, Mr. D. was married to Miss Susan McCollum, a sister of his former wife. In 1879, his brother John Downen joined him and they formed a partnership under the firm name of Downen Bros. Since then they have added to the original farm 4,500 acres. The ranch now consists of 5,300 acres, all inclosed with wire fence. Mr. D. is an advo- cate of alfalya, of which he has forty acres, and he will continue to increase his acreage year by year. In his opinion it is the grass for Colorado. At the time his brother joined him he brought with him eleven head of pure breed short-horn heifers and two bulls. They also bought of Albert Crane, of Durham Park, Kansas, two imported short-horn bulls, and from other parties 250 head of American cows and heifers, from which they are raising a high grade of bulls. He is disposing of his original cows as the herd increases, thereby improving his stock. He is furnishing a superior grade of animals for crossing pur- poses, to roam on the range. He has been unable to supply the demand made upon him for this class of stock. They have also a small bunch of pure-bred short-horn cows, from which they are raising pure-bred calves. In addition to cattle, they have a small herd of pure-bred Berkshire hogs, direct from the imported stock, for which there is quite a demand. They are building up a reputation for furnishing a high grade of animals, and in a short time their bulls will be nothing under three-fourths pure blood. Mr. Thomas Downen is confident there is no better place for consumptives than the valley of the Arkan- sas in Colorado.

JOHN P. EDWARDS.

Mr. Edwards was born January 30, 1830, in Sag Harbor, Long Island. There he lived until he was twenty-two years of age, working on a farm and attending school. He gradu- ated from an academy located at East Hamp- ton, Long Island. In 1852, he took a six months' voyage in a sailing vessel to several

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foreign ports. Leaving New York City he went to Havana, Cuba, then to Portland, England, and to Smyrna and India. For five years he followed the sea, sailing most of the time from New York City to West Indies. The last two years of his nautical life he was second mate and mate. In 1857, he went to Henry County, Iowa, where he remained more than a year. He traveled through Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa before settling in Kan- sas City, Missouri, in 1858. There he remained until the spring of 1861, engaged in the dairy and gardening business. He paid $25 in gold for his best cows, though common ones could be obtained for half the amount. He would have none but the choic- est animals. During the following three years he was a resident of Fremont County, Colorado, engaged in ranching. In 1865, he freighted to different points, making one trip to Fort Union, New Mexico. Returning to Kansas City, Missouri, he was obliged to remain one winter on account of sickness. After his recovery he came to Colorado, stop- ping at the mouth of the Purgatoire Creek, where he built a house for Kit Carson and resided in it for a few months. Mr. Edwards took part in the Indian war of 1867-68. He removed his family to Fort Lyon and scouted for the Government until the Indians went into winter quarters. For some months after- ward, he furnished wood for Fort Lyon, and the people of the old town of Las Animas, when he removed to Fremont County and remained one year, at the expiration of this time he returned to the western portion of Bent County, engaged in stock-raising. Mr. Edwards has been improving his herd by crossing with thorough-bred short-horn cattle, in which he thoroughly believes. Mr. E. has been elected to the office of Justice of the Peace. He was married in 1866, to Miss Sarah Hayes, who resided near Bowling Green, Kentucky. They have one boy and one girl. In 1881, Miss Minnie, their daugh- ter, had spent two years at school in Sag Harbor, L. I. Mr. Edwards has a quarter section of land fronting on the Arkansas River. Mr. E. has the reputation of being a great hunter. He killed the last band of wild turkeys ever seen in Bent County.

JOHN FISHER.

Mr. Fisher is managing the mercantile bus- iness of Jones & Weil at La Junta. This firm was the pioneer one in the town. Mr. F. was born in 1845, in Mobile, Ala., and lived only six years before moving with his parents to Fulton County, Ill. He completed his educa- tion at the Webster School in St. Louis, one of the largest schools in the city. Soon after this he removed to Newton, Kan., and opened a furniture store, where he remained until the grasshopper incursion, which destroyed all crops and business. He then went into the employ of the Western Union Telegraph Com- pany, with whom he remained three years. Afterward he was employed by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé Railroad. He had charge of the telegraph lines from Granada to Santa Fé. Mr. Fisher built the line from La Junta to the Tunnel, near the Mexican line, a dis- tance of 100 miles. His mother was a native of Connecticut. His grandfather was Dr. Viets, who was a graduate of Yale College, and had charge of a hospital in Albany, N. Y. His father was born in Louisville, Ky., and was engaged in fitting out steamboats with carpets and curtains, before the days of state rooms. At the first municipal election in the city of La Junta, Mr. Fisher was elected Councilman for one year. The elec- tion occurred in May, 1881.

JAMES GARDNER.

Mr. Gardner was born near Manchester, England, in 1840. He left his native country when he was seventeen years of age and came to America. Previous to this time he attended school, but not after he was twelve years old. Before leaving home he learned the carpenter's trade, which he has followed many years since he came to the New World. It was his intention when he decided to leave England to sail for Australia from Liverpool, but the vessel at that port was detained and he took passage in another for New York City, arriving there August, 1857. From New York he went to Providence, R. I., where he was employed in a bleachery, remaining there until the war broke out. He then enlisted in the First Rhode Island Light Artillery, and served in the Army of the

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Potomac for three years and at the front all the time. He was in the first battle of Bull Run, and after the fight he was fortunate enough to encounter a Congressman's aban- doned mess wagon, in which he found liberal stores of both a solid and liquid nature. He was engaged in all the large battles and came out of them unhurt. June 18, 1864, he was discharged, having served his adopted country faithfully for thirty-six months. At this time he made a short trip to Europe, remaining there only three weeks before returning to America. He then sought a fortune in the oil regions of Pennsylvania. His efforts were of a short duration; he remained there only a few weeks, having made an investment of all his funds, from which dividends were extremely meager. He was rich enough to ride to the oil fields, but he walked away. He then went to work for the Government, building bridges and supply depots in Ten- nessee and Georgia until the spring of 1865. Afterward he found employment at various places in Kansas and Nebraska at his trade, which he followed until 1871. At Omaha, Neb., he married Miss Lottie Hesse. In the spring of the same year (1871), he went to St. Joseph, Mo., where he left his family and went to the Indian Territory and Texas, where he worked on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad, remaining there during the winter of 1871-72. He came to the Arkan- sas Valley in the spring of 1872. The fol- lowing winter he hunted buffalo, making a success of his trip, killing 1,300 in one month. In the spring of 1873, he went to Granada and built the first house in the place. There he has made it his home until the present time, working at his trade. Since 1878, he has found constant employment with H. S. Holly & Co., at their home ranch six miles east of Granada, on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé Railroad.

HENRY THOMAS GALBREATH.

Mr. Galbreath was born in Audrain County, Mo., December 31, 1842, where he resided until he was seventeen years of age. He attended such schools as the county afforded during his boyhood. In 1860, he came to Colorado. The following year he was en-

gaged in teaming between Missouri River and points west, and hauling lumber from the forest to Denver. In January of 1862, Mr. G. went to Omaha, where he remained but a short time before he proceeded to Missouri. In July following he returned to the mount- ains, but his stay was short, as he went to Fort Wise (now Fort Lyon), in the Arkansas Valley, in August of the same year, where he was engaged in hauling hay for the Govern- ment for a season. Immediately afterward, he was employed on a ranch belonging to a Mr. Haynes, until the spring of 1863. At this time he made his first purchase of cattle, which consisted of ten head of yearling steers. The following few months he was engaged in freighting, having taken a load of Govern- ment goods from Denver to Fort Garland. He then proceeded to Fort Lyon and again furnished hay for the Government. After concluding his contract, he went to Cherry Creek, near Denver, and remained until Feb- ruary, when he returned to the Arkansas Val- ley and commenced herding cattle for Will- iam Innis. He moved the stock to Mace's Hole, remaining with them until November. During the summer he built the first cabin ever constructed in that place. He did not winter there, but drove his herd down the Arkansas Valley to a point east of Pueblo, where he remained until the spring of 1865, when he returned to Mace's Hole, in the em- ploy of N. W. Cresswell. In the following July, he drove the herd to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, and sold them to the Government to feed the Navajoe Indians. From this point Mr. G. walked to Denver, where he took pas- sage aboard a mule train for his old home in Missouri, from which he had been absent six years. In the spring of 1866, he bought seventy head of one and two year old cattle and brought them to the Arkansas Valley, west of Pueblo. He was also employed by C. D. Peck in herding cattle on a little creek that empties into the Arkansas River, which is known as Tom's Creek, having been named for one of Mr. Galbreath's given names. In February of 1868, he sold his cattle to L. Haden and returned to Missouri, remaining until May. Again he found his way to Colo- rado. On the road he purchased 124 head of

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History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 113

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