History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 69

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

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GRIFFITH EVANS.

Mr. Evans spent his life, until nineteen years of age, in Wales; he was born there October 10, 1834. In 1853, he, with his par- ents, emigrated to America and settled in Galena, Ill. He was farming and working in lead mines till 1872, when he removed to Dodge County, Kan. In 1874, he came to Colorado and settled in Chaffee County (then Lake) on the Arkansas River. At that time, that portion of the State was entirely new;

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the mineral resources had not been discovered. He took up a ranch and went to farming. In prospecting over the country, he put down a stake where St. Elmo is now, and said this would some time make a point for business. He started a grocery at his ranch; when the mines were discovered near where St. Elmo now is, he was one of the first to help start the town, and now, in connection with his brother, has one of the largest grocery stores in that thriving town. He was married, in 1859, in La Fayette County, Wis., to Miss J. M. Havens. Mr. Evans is one of the best- known and highly respected citizens of Chaf- fee County.

CAPT. JOHN G. EVANS.

Capt. Evans, the Clerk of the District Court of Chaffee County, was born in Scottsville, Ky., May 15, 1844. At an early age, he re- moved, with his father, who was a lawyer, to Glasgow, Ky. He received the advantages of the common schools, and, at the age of fifteen years, he entered the Urania College, Glas- gow, which institution he attended three years. At the breaking-out of the war, he enlisted in the Twenty-first Kentucky Volunteers, and was made Captain, in which capacity he fought for the stars and stripes three years. In 1868, he went to Cameron, Mo., and en- gaged in the hardware business for two years, after which he removed to Hannibal, and was engaged in the forwarding and commission business. In 1871, he came to Colorado, and was engaged in the same business, in Denver, for four years. Later on, he was engaged in different pursuits at different places in the State. In 1879, he represented Boulder County in the Legislature; after the adjourn- ment of the Legislature, he came to Chaffee County, and was mining in the Monarch Dis- trict. In January, 1881, he was appointed District Clerk and now resides in Buena Vista. The day he was twenty-three years of aga, he was married to Miss Cornelia C. Rit- ter, of Woodland, Barren Co., Ky.

CORNELIUS EUBANK.

This courteous and intelligent gentleman is the present Mayor of the town of Poncha Springs. He was born near Richmond, Va.,

in 1832. His education was received in the schools of Richmond. In 1850, he came to St. Louis, where he was in business a year or two with his uncle. He then went to Council Bluffs, where he engaged in general merchan- dising for thirteen years. In 1860, he visited Denver, going across the plains with a wagon- train. In 1869, he settled in El Paso County, and engaged in the cattle business. Here he was appointed Sheriff, by Judge Halleck, which position was filled "wisely and well." He witnessed the building of the Denver & Rio Grande Railway through Colorado Springs, and wondered at that time what could give support and success to a railroad running through those barren plains. But he has lived to see that once feeble corporation become wealthy and powerful, ever reaching forth its giant arms for new territory and in- creased power. Mr. Eubank believes in the possibilities of Poncha Springs and is patiently awaiting the day of her substantial growth and prosperity.

HUGH H. FULTON.

In the summer of 1881, this gentleman was Postmaster in the growing town of Poncha Springs. He was born in Strattonville, Clar- ion Co., Penn., in 1849, where he attended the public schools. Here, for a number of years, he was engaged in the furniture busi- ness. In 1879, he came to Colorado, remain- ing awhile at Canon City. In October, 1879, he became Assistant Postmaster at Poncha, and January 1, 1880, he received the ap- pointment as Postmaster. Mr. Fulton mar- ried the daughter of Levi Meyers, dry goods merchant at Poncha. Though quiet and un- pretentious in his manners, Mr. Fulton enjoys the confidence and respect of all who know him. He shows his business enterprise by keeping in the post office a general assort- ment of stationery and confectionery.

ERNST FRIEDENTHAL.

Among the enterprising German citizens of Chaffee County is Mr. Friedenthal, of Buena Vista. He was born in Germany April 16, 1850; he was educated by a private teacher till the age of thirteen years, and then com- pleted his education at Zuellichau College.

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CHAFFEE COUNTY.

At eighteen years of age, he started on a trav- eling tour, and for five years was traveling all over the Continent. In 1873, he came to America, and located at Pentwater, Mich., and worked in a saw-mill and pinery. Here he remained two years, after which he worked in a lumber-yard in Chicago, and traveled through the West for three years. He then went back to Germany, and after one year returned to America, and in 1879 came to Buena Vista, Colo., and started the Chicago Lumber Yard, which he still owns. Īn December, 1880, he bought into the hardware business with William J. Dean, Dean & Friedenthal have now an extensive store in Buena Vista, and also one at Gothic City.

WILLIAM W. FAY.

Mr. Fay was born in Skaneateles, N. Y., September 1, 1846. At the age of eleven years, he commenced to learn the printer's trade in his native town. He was afterward Superintendent of the Syracuse Daily Courier Printing Company, of Syracuse, N. Y., for nine years. Later on, he was Superintendent of the Rockford Register Printing Company of Rockford, Ill., for three years. In October, 1879, he came to Denver, Colo., and was fore- man in the job department of the Times office till January 1, 1880, when he went to Buena Vista, as Cashier of the Lake House. In April following, he went into the Grand Park Hotel, as clerk, for Capt. Grey, and the follow- ing August took this hotel on his own account, which he has since conducted to the satisfac- tion of the traveling public. In April, 1881, he was elected one of the Trustees of Buena Vista. Mr. Fay was married, in 1867, to Annie Sanders, of Belvidere, Ill.

AMASA FEATHERS.

This gentleman was born in Rensselaer County, N. Y., June 12, 1846. He received a good education, and remained upon his fa- ther's farm summers and taught school win- ters till he was twenty-four years of age. He then started out selling sewing machines for a large concern in Albany, and later was en- gaged in the same business traveling through Ohio. In 1875, he started the same business for himself at Mitchell, Ind. After two

years, he sold out and came to Colorado, and was in the same business at Pueblo for one year. In the spring of 1878, he moved to the South Fork of the Arkansas River, and bought the Miller Ranch for the purpose of raising stock. There were no improvements except a poor log house. The following July, min- eral was discovered near there, and in August, 1876, they commenced building the city of Maysville on his ranch, and what he intended for a pasture is now covered with one of the best towns in Chaffee County. Mr. Feathers was married, in 1869, to Harriet Tabor, of Sand Lake, N. Y.

MARTIN M. FRENCH.

Prominent among the business men of the new and growing town of Salida is Martin M. French, who was born in Otse- go County, N. Y., January 29, 1837. He was reared upon a farm and received a good common school education. In 1863, he went to California and was mining in the principal camps there and in Nevada for six years. In 1872, he went to Ray County, Mo., and was engaged in the drug business for four years. In 1876, he went to Deadwood, and was clerk- ing in a grocery and clothing store. In Oc- tober, 1878, he came to Colorado, and was one of the first to start business in Salida. He is now doing a very nice drug business and is highly respected as one of the solid men of the town. He was married, May 16, 1879, to Miss Belle Chamberlain, of Canada.

VOLNEY C. GUNNELL.

Prominent in the legal profession of Chaf- fee County is Volney C. Gunnell. He was born in Saline County, Mo., August 12, 1851. At the age of eighteen years, he went to Christian University for one term; his health failing, he went into merchandising at Bates, Mo. He remained in this business one year and a half, after which he spent one year upon his father's farm. He then read law for four years, in Pleasant Hill, Mo., and was admit- ted to the bar in June, 1878; here he prac- ticed for one year, and in the fall of 1879 came to Leadville. In February, 1880, he organized the Central Colorado Prospecting and Mine Developing Company, and returned

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East to sell stock. In April, he came back and opened an office in Buena Vista, Chaffee Co., where he has since practiced his profes- sion. In April, 1881, he was appointed Pub- lic Administrator for Chaffee County. Mr. Gunnell was married, to Miss Lizzie M. Small, of Salina, Mo., October 2, 1872.

JOHN GRAVESTOCK.

Mr. Gravestock was born in Hereford- shire, England, June 2, 1833. He followed the pursuit of gardener until he came to America, in 1865. He came direct to Colo- rado, and remained in Denver until 1868, when he came to Canon City, where he has since resided, engaged in his old pursuits of gardening, for which the soil and climate of that section is peculiarly adapted. He was married, in England, in 1854. When he came to America in search of a new home, he left his family there, but, after two years, finding the New World all he had anticipated, he sent for his family, and Mrs. Gravestock, with five small children, came all that long journey alone. They have now a nice home and are a very happy family, enjoying the fruits of their energy and enterprise.

GEORGE K. HARTENSTEIN.

This gentleman is among the wide-awake young lawyers of Chaffee County. He was born in Montgomery County, Penn., January 31, 1852. He worked upon a farm summers and attended the public school winters until fifteen years of age. He then went to Mount Pleasant Seminary summers and teaching school winters until twenty-one years old, when he entered Franklin and Marshall Col- lege, Lancaster, Penn., and graduated from there in 1875. He then read law and taught school to pay his way until 1876, when he went to Livingston County, Mo., and taught for five months. Three months after this he came to Denver, Colo., and was in the law office of Patterson & Campbell for nine months. He was admitted to the bar during this time. In February; 1878, he went to Leadville and commenced the practice of law there. After six months, he quit the practice and engaged in mining. He discovered and located, in connection with A. P. Hereford,

the Annie lode, on Fryer Hill; they sold that the following spring for $75,000. He made money rapidly until he got interested in the Wheel of Fortune in Summit County, when- he lost most of what he had made. In the spring of 1880, he came to Buena Vista, and has been here since in the practice of his pro- fession. In the fall of 1880, he was appointed County Attorney. He owns, in connection with Mrs. Adams, whose daughter he married in 1879, the Cottonwood Hot Springs Hotel. Mr. Hartenstein has the entire confidence of the people, and, by his industry and close at- tention to his profession, is building up a large and lucrative practice.

WILLIAM R. HARP.

Mr. Harp was born in Canada March 15, 1847, on a farm, near the town of Aylmer. His father was owner of the Otter Mills at that place. He left home when but nine years of age, and has battled life for himself since. At the age of sixteen years, he commenced the business of buying produce and shipping to New York City. In 1868, he built the steamer Shoecroft, on Niagara River, and ran it as a pleasure steamer between Buffalo and Grand Island. In the fall of 1870, he sold out, and removed to Kansas City; he remained here but a short time, and then followed the building of the L. L. & G. R. R. to the Indian Terri- tory. Mr. Harp was one of the founders of Coffeeville, Kan. Later on, he was in the wholesale feed business in Kansas City, till 1878, when he came to Leadville and opened a grain store there, with a branch in Cañon City. In the winter of 1880, he came to Buena Vista and went into the grain and hardware business; he is quite extensively engaged now in mining.

JOHN. H. HUGHES.

Mr. Hughes was born in New York City in 1841; his parents removed, when he was quite young, to Tioga County, Penn., and when he was eight years of age they emigrated to Dodgeville, Wis. In July, 1861, he went to Montana and built the first storehouse in Helena, and was engaged in mining, freight- ing and restaurant business for seven years. In 1868, he removed to Macon County, Mo.,

James 2. Marshall

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and was merchandising and handling stock till 1879, when he emigrated to Colorado and located in Maysville, Chaffee Co. He and his family first had to live in a tent, as there were no houses there. He has since built the Hughes House, one of the best hotels in the county. Mr. Hughes was first married, in 1861, to Miss Susan Sampson, of Dodgeville, Wis. She died in 1867, and he was married again, to Miss Nellie Harper, in 1868.

EDWIN H. HILLER.

Among the young and active business men of Colorado, none stand higher than Edwin H. Hiller, of Buena Vista. Starting out at a very early age to educate and take care of himself, he can truly be said to be a self-made man, and few men of his age have filled as responsible positions with credit to himself and the perfect satisfaction of his employers. He was born at Sharon Springs, Schoharie Co., N. Y., February 24, 1846. At fifteen years of age, he started out for himself, and was bound to get for himself an education, and, at the age of twenty one years, we find him Principal of Union Seminary, Belleville, N. Y., with ten assistants, all college grad- uates. This position he occupied two years. In 1869, he resigned this position and went to Wyoming Territory, and. had charge of the post trader's business at Fort Russell for two years, after which he went to Denver, Colo., and engaged in the Colorado National Bank, occupying, during the eight years he was with this bank, nearly all the different positions of the bank. During this time, he was also Receiver of the Miners' Bank of Georgetown for two years, and also acted as Special National Bank Examiner in the State of Colorado. In 1879, he was the first to start the Gunnison excitement, and was the founder of Hillerton, a town named after himself. He started the banking house of Hiller, Hal- lock & Co., at Hillerton, in the summer of 1879. In November, 1880, he started a bank at Buena Vista, under the same name. In May, 1881, he started another at Aspen. He is largely interested in mining and the lumber business in the Gunnison country, and in the charcoal business in Buena Vista. While in Denver, he was very prominent in church

matters, being Superintendent of St. John's Episcopal Church, Junior Warden and Treas- urer of the same, and was largely instrumental in securing Rev. Mr. Hart, of England, to be Pastor of the church. In 1870, Mr. Hiller was married to Miss Alice Adriance, of Os- wego, N. Y., who died in 1874. Death also deprived him of his two little children, one in 1873, the other in 1875. Mr. Hiller com- mands the respect and esteem of the people, and is considered one of Buena Vista's most worthy citizens.

ALEXANDER HOGUE.

Alexander Hogue was born in Wayne County, Ohio, July 31, 1845. He was raised upon a farm, and received a common-school education. In 1861, when the war broke out, and his country called for volunteers, he en- listed in the Sixteenth Ohio Volunteer Infan- try and served four years. In 1866, he came to Colorado, and was mining near Granite until 1878, when he located a ranch near where Maysville now stands. He is a man highly respected. He was married, in 1877, to Miss Sadie Boon.

WILLIAM HARRIS.

Mr. Harris was born in Milwaukee, Wis., June 5, 1842. His parents moved to Chicago when he was two years of age. In 1861, he enlisted in the Chicago Zouaves, under Ells- worth, and served with them three years and a half; he then took a trip to Salt Lake, and back to Atchison, Kan., where he resided till 1876. In 1876, he went to Black Hills, and in 1877 to Colorado. After spending some time in Central City, Black Hawk and Silver Cliff, he located in Maysville, Chaffee Co., when there was nothing but three log cabins there; he bought into the Columbus Mine, and afterward sold his interest for a nice sum; he owns several stores in Maysville, and has been very instrumental in building up the town. Mr. Harris was married, in 1880, to Nannie Mason, of De Soto, Kan.

CHARLES S. HILL.

Prominent among the young business men of Chaffee County is Charles S. Hill, of Buena Vista. He was born in Ypsilanti, Mich., April

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15, 1848; his father was a merchant, and did business in different places while Charles was a boy. He attended school and clerked in a commission house and telegraph office at different times till 1863, when he went back to Michigan and devoted himself to school for two years; took a thorough course in East- man's Commercial College, Chicago. In May, 1866, he came to Colorado and located at Empire City. In 1871, he joined his father in the lumber business in Clear Creek County. In 1873, he was married to Miss Emma Shep- ard, daughter of Judge Shepard, of Clear Creek County. He then followed farming till the fall of 1877, when he entered the Au- ditor's office of the South Park Railroad at Denver, where he remained till January, 1881, when he removed to Buena Vista, Chaffee Co., and took charge of the Buena Vista Land Company, a position he has since filled to the entire satisfaction of the company.

H. PERCY HUSTON.

Mr. Huston is a member of the firm of Billin, Huston & Co., which house carries the largest stock of general merchandise in Pon- cha Springs. This young gentleman came to Colorado in 1879, and, by sheer grit, industry and careful management, has attained his present position and success. He belongs to that class of rising young men who, if they cannot get the employment preferred, will labor at anything that presents itself until able to exercise a little choice in the matter. Messrs. Billin and Huston bought out J. P. True in the summer of 1880; then D. P. Cherry was added to the firm, and a very suc- cessful business followed for about six months, when, by mutual consent, Mr. Cherry dropped out, and was succeeded by George R. Elder, a prominent lawyer of Leadville. The busi- ness of this enterprising firm is continually increasing, and now amounts to $100,000 per year. Mr. Huston is but twenty-six years old, and well illustrates what ability, perseverance and industry can accomplish.

MAJ. JOSEPH HUTCHINSON.

Among the men in Chaffee County well known in political life is Joseph Hutchinson, who was born in Delaware December 31, 1840;

in early life, removed with his parents to In- diana; he enlisted in the Eighteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, the first three years' regi- ment in the State, and was elected Captain of Company D; he served three years, and when mustered-out was Major of the regiment. He then came to Colorado, and was Superintend- ent of the Gaff Mining Company, in Lake County, for seven years; he then went into the stock business; in 1874, bought him a ranch and made him a nice home near Poncha Springs. In 1873, he represented Lake, Sa- guache, Park, Fremont and San Juan Counties in the Territorial Legislature. In 1876, he was a candidate for the Senate, and was beaten by Jason B. Hall by only fifty-one votes. In 1879, he was elected again to the Legislature; he was in the session that divided Lake and formed Chaffee County. He was married, in 1868, to Miss Anna Belle McPherson, of Lake County.

WALTER H. JONES.

Prominent among the old pioneers of Colo- rado is the subject of this sketch. He was born in the State of Illinois, July 26, 1836; his father was a merchant, doing busi- ness in the West Indies. He received a good common-school education. In May, 1860, he came to Colorado, first locating in California Gulch, where he remained for thirteen years; he owned and worked the placer mines where now the carbonate belt crosses California Gulch; he also bought gold from the other miners, carrying on an extensive business in this line; he says he was well aware of the beds of carbonate ore in that section; they called it at that time lead ore; they first found it in the placer mines in the gulch, and afterward found a deposit of it while digging a cellar; this was in the fall of 1863; he made several assays, and found it to run from $3 to $27 per ton-not valuable enough to ship, and no means of working it at home at that time; in fact, it would cost $80 per ton to get it to the market. In the spring of 1872, he came to Granite, in what is now Chaffee County, and has been placer-mining here since; he is one of the owners and Superintendent of the Gaff Mining Company. Mr. Jones was mar- ried, in 1874, to Miss Susan Funk, of Illinois.

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CHAFFEE COUNTY.

The winter of 1870 he spent in Cincinnati, Ohio, and took a course in Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College. He was County Com- missioner for Lake County for six years. No man stands higher in the estimation of the people than Walter H. Jones. He has become well off through his own hard work and exer- tions, and his word is considered as good as his bond.

CAPT. WALTER B. JENNESS.

Capt. Jenness was born in Bangor, Me., May 20, 1840. His father died when Walter was six years of age, and he always had to depend largely upon himself. In May, 1861, he enlisted in the Sixth Maine Volunteer In- fantry as private, and was in active service four years and three months; the last year, he was Captain of Company H, First Maine Veteran Volunteer Infantry. After the war, he went to Chicago and engaged in the gro- cery business until March, 1866; he then went to Junction City, Kan., and was in the real estate and building business; he was ap- pointed Marshal, and organized the pioneer detective force, and was appointed its Chief. In 1868, he went to New Mexico and spent the summer, and, in the fall, removed to Black Hawk, Colo., and engaged in mining till the spring of 1870; he was elected Marshal of Black Hawk, and United States Deputy Mar- shal for five counties; afterward, he was en- gaged in mining in Clear Creek and Boulder Counties till 1876, when he went to Denver and opened a mining office; he remained here till August, 1878, and then went to Sil- ver Cliff. In July, 1879, he came to what is now Maysville; he became interested in the Columbus and other mines, and has been very successful.

H. A. JACKSON.

Mr. Jackson is the landlord of the Poncha Springs Hotel, and well known in all that section for bis devotion to the hotel and livery business. He was born in Quincy, Ill., April 10, 1838; he resided in Bonaparte, Iowa, some fifteen years; returning to Quincy, he remained seven or eight years; here he mar- ried Miss Reeves. To energy and good sense Mr. Jackson owes no small share of his worldly success. From Quincy he removed

to Lathrop and engaged in the hotel and livery business; from there he removed to Colorado, and for two years kept the Colorado House, in Boulder City; in 1879, he removed in Pon- cha Springs. Miss Jackson, his daughter, was the first young lady who arrived in the town; she is lively, prepossessing, and a gen- eral favorite.

EDWARD S. JEFFREY.

Mr. Jeffrey was born in Canandaigua, N. Y., July 20, 1845. He was educated in the Canandaigua Academy, and later spent three years in Rochester Military School; he then served one year as boy before the mast on a merchantman on the sea, after which he went to the oil fields of Pennsylvania, and re- mained there two years, making money and losing it, as thousands of others did; he then went to Louisiana and engaged in cotton- raising; later on, he went to Lexington, Miss .; and was appointed Postmaster under Andrew Johnson; also, Clerk of the Board of Regis- tration under the reconstruction act; later on, he went to Canton, Miss., and engaged in merchandising; while there, was Deputy Post- master; in October, 1869, was appointed Pro- bate Clerk of Madison County; in July, 1870, was elected Chancery Clerk of the same county, which office he filled for three terms. In 1880, he came to Colorado and located at Junction City, where he has since been en- gaged in mining, and was elected one of the Trustees of the city.

JAMES H. JOHNSTON.

Perhaps no man in Colorado has had a more varied experience than the subject of this sketch. He was born in Charlottesville, Hancock Co., Ind., May 21, 1834; at seven years of age, his parents removed to Platte County, Mo .; at the age of sixteen, he went the overland route to California; in 1851, he went back home, returning to California again in 1852; he then engaged in mining for four years; he then went to Chili and Valparaiso, South America; from there to China Islands, and soon after returned to the States, being ninety-eight days on the trip; he then re- turned to his father's store in Missouri, and clerked for him till 1860; he then came to

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History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 69

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