History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 86

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

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ARRIVAL OF THE " RESURRECTIONISTS " --- 1864.

The improvements made in Canon during the flush days of travel in 1861 were of the most substantial kind, stone houses being erected with cut-stone fronts, and the three families who remained, believing in a town with such a foundation, were gratified, on September 16, 1864, by the arrival of Thomas Macon and family; Mrs. Ann Harrison and sons, Henry, James and Robert; Mrs. George and her daughter Annie, with two sons, John and Allie; John Wilson, our County Clerk; Joseph Macon; Mr. Fletcher and wife; Au- gustus Sartor, Zach Irwin, and others, twenty in all, who started from Omaha in June of that year, on the perilous journey across the plains.

For years, the events of that journey fur- nished fireside topics, not only for the actors, but their acquaintances. Their wagons, known as prairie schooners, were all drawn by oxen, except one team, drawn by two cows. Only three of the men had ever driven a yoke of

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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.

cattle. The names given to the parts of their schooners were equal to a landsman's ideas of the parts of a full-rigged, sea-going vessel. For instance, when the long line of cattle took it into their heads to go on the run down some of the ridges or little hills, Mrs. H -- would, with great haste, showing much alarm, thrust her head out from under the wagon-cover and shout, "Hi! hi! Henry, tie up the hind leg of this wagon," meaning to lock the wheel. Henry, realizing the first duty to be performed was to stop "the cattle," would run for the lead team and grab the near ox by the horns and yell out, " Which ?" like a Comanche In- dian on securing his captive. Learning that party how to steer the steers cost nearly every ox a horn before the journey was performed. The whole party rested upon the Sabbath Day, except to secure their herd of eighty head of cattle and a few horses, at which duty their preacher took his turn after service.

'HEAP BUENO PAPOOSE !"

The Indians were considered peaceable, yet, when forty miles west of Fort Kearney, on Plum Creek, the Sioux, on their way after their annuities, came upon them, and, it being Sunday, found them in camp. They were soon prying into every wagon, and were do- nated many a little article. Finally, on the old chief giving a signal grunt, they all started on their journey. Soon after they left, there was great consternation in camp, as Mrs. Thomas Macon's little baby Willie was miss- ing. Without thought of fear, the mother, at the head of a pursuing party, overtook the In- dians one mile away. Going, as if by in- tuition, directly to the sqnaw who was carry- ing Willie under her blanket, she took her boy, the only excuse of the savages being, " Heap Bueno papoose!"

After having the freedom of the savage in this mountain air for fifteen years, could the would-be squaw mother see said papoose, she would consider him now rather too heavy a load to be coveted.

In 1875, when the Indians of the plains got very bad, and the settlers of the valleys occasionally built stockades for protection, and most of the houses had port-holes in con- venient places, near which the trusty rifle

always hung, stories of Indian cruelties and poor "Lo's " conduct for general cussedness were often canvassed and dreamed over. At such times, all unusual noises in the night season were saddled onto Mr. Indian. As an illustration, we relate the following ludicrous

INDIAN SCARE."

Upon the arrival of the party at Canon, the owners, heirs and assigns of the stone build- ings before alluded to having generally left, said houses were pre-empted, calculating in due time to complete the title. The house that Thomas Macon occupied, at the corner of Main and Third streets, had no ceiling and no bed-rooms, yet, with their characteristic hospitality, they urged all their acquaintances to stop with them, and, having come to the country well supplied, their larder was rather ahead of the average, and was much appre- ciated and frequently enjoyed. On one occa- sion, when several beds had been made on the fiour, after the rehearsal of many thrilling stories of border life had been told before the glowing pitch-pine fire, which seemed to stimulate the cracking of that kind of nuts, all hands, without agreement, but intuitively, turned their heads in the right direction to permit one after another to undress and seek the repose of the primitive couch allotted to them. As the night wore on, the glowing logs, not having been punched, were draped with a covering of white, downy ash, and darkness and stillness held sway, a shriek, sharp and piercing, that even brought a flicker of light from the smoldering logs, like the flash that follows the discharge of a rifle, brought every one in the household en dishabille to their feet. All were confident the Indians were upon them, and all were going in what- ever way started, to seek a corner of safety, one blundering onto Mrs. H.'s bed who added to the consternation by crying out, at the top of her voice, " Conscience alive! what are you foolish people doing?" A light was found after a while, when there was the greatest squatting yet known on the border. Nellie C ---- and Johnnie A -- , with Henry H -- , accomplishing a double stumble over the same bed, while a general cry of " What's the mat- ter?" involuntarily escaped from every one.

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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.

Directly a moment of sobernese came over the scene, and Mr. M- rushed out to see if they were really surrounded by Indians and were about to be scalped. Everything with- out was as calm " as when the morning stars first sang together." When he returned to the inside to learn the cause of the commo- tion, it was soon discovered in the person of Bob H-, who was crouched on a beam overhead, close up to the roof, and not yet aroused from his somnambulistic condition, who, when disturbed, only turned about, say- ing, in darkey dialect, " Hukum! hukum!"

Not until this transpired did all realize what garments they wore. Soon all were dressed, and Robert aroused and got down from his peculiar sleeping-place, when he explained the cause, which was simply a dream that he was pursued by Indians, who, yelling, threw a tomahawk at him, and arrows whistled by his ears and through his hair, when he fan- cied he dodged them, and, quicker than thought, climbed a tree, and breathlessly snugged up so close in the crotch of a limb against the body of the tree that he was un- observed, while the savages (his friends be- low) kept up their unearthly yells for his blood. This episode was too much for Chat- field, who was ever afterward superstitious about visiting Mr. M -- 's, always refusing invitations, even to dinner.

The Utes spent a good deal of time in Fre- mont County during the early settlement of the country. Buckskins in those days were almost legal tender with the merchants; and ammunition, sugar, domestics, utensils and calicoes were swapped at enormous profits for them. They were used for foxing pants, as well as other ways.

Of late years, we seldom see a Ute, since their agency was moved to the Uncompahgre, about two hundred and seventy-five miles west- ward. As they generally behaved well in the settlements, having a greater hatred of the Plains Indians than the whites even, the early settlers considered them just so many in addi- tion to the fighting strength of the county in case of incursions of the Sioux or Arapahoes from the Plains.

In those days, in the early part of the win- ter of each season, bands of Utes made incur-

sions on the Plains tribes' territory after buf- falo, and not unfrequently coming in collision with their enemies. On one of these occa- sions, in December, 1869, the Utes were very successful, killing many of their enemies, and suffering but slight loss themselves. They captured a large number of ponies, dry goods, groceries and canned goods, including brandy peaches, which the Arapahoes had recently stolen from captured trains. On the return of the Utes, they built signal fires on Signal Mountain, near the head of Oil Creek, about twenty miles north of Canon, which rallied all of their tribe in this region at the Thirty- one Mile Soda Spring sufficiently far from the Plains to be secure from pursuit, while they had the greatest war-dance and Indian spree they were ever known to indulge in. After they left, the vicinity was scattered over with tepees, or tents of raw hides cut into' shreds, camp kettles mashed in, empty bottles and cans almost by wagon loads, showing that they had not only gorged themselves, but had been filled with the evil, destructive spirit so often engendered by " fire-water."

The Utes were very successful hunters. The white settlers knew by the presence of the Utes late in the fall, before seeing a deer, that the deer were coming down from the high altitudes to winter in the valleys. The writer, in his trips through the stock country, often ran on to the Indian drives, as we called the places where they put up winnows of brush to turn the direction of bands of deer to the reception-places where the Indians lay con- cealed, waiting the arrival of their game, which was being driven toward them by scouts, who seldom fired a shot.

It is said that the Indians may hunt through a country for years, and never frighten the game away. but a single season of the white man's appearance will percepti- bly thin out the game.

In the winter of 1872-73, the Utes made a very successful foray on the Plains Indians, between Bijou and the Republican, capturing several hundred ponies. The Plains brutes were claiming then to be friendly, and made a great howl about it, and made strong efforts to have the Governor interfere and make the Utes give up the captured stock. As the Sioux

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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.

and Arapahoes had made a raid a few seasons before on the Divide Valley stock men, cap- turing stock, and also into the South Park, killing a few Utes and stealing some of their stock, the Utes thought this only fair play, and jeered at the overtures made concerning the return of the ponies. In January and February, 1874, 'large bands of Utes squatted in Wild Cat Park, the present horse range of William F. Bailey, Esq., but then occupied by Judge S. D. Webster as a cattle range. They killed one or two of his steers, and, when expostulated with, answered, "White man come-deer go. Beef come; we take beef- umph!" The Governor, learning about it, arranged with Rev. Mr. Bond, then Indian Agent, to issue rations at Canon City to them and get them back to their agencies, then at Los Pinos. The streets of Canon were filled with them, and Mr. C. W. Talbot thought it an opportunity to secure photographs of the tribe. He had no sooner jumped up behind his instrument to get a focus than the Indians discovered what he was aiming at, and scat- tered in the twinkling of an eye, as the In- dians have a superstition that, if their likeness is taken, they will be taken sick and die in a short time. The Yankee was not to be baffled in that manner, and retreated gracefully to his store in the post office. Slipping out at the back door with his instruments and as- sistants, and going by a back street, he got a position in the upper story of the Shepherd blacksmith-shop, near the mill, in front of which the Indians were to receive their rations of flour. Just as the issue was com- pleted and their ponies packed preparatory to a start for the camp, the artist leveled on them and secured a fine photograph of the band. When shown to some of them, they said, " Bad medicine, no tell Utes; make heap mad." This was the last visit of any considerable band of the tribe to this region.

PARTIAL (VERY) HISTORY OF RANCHES.

Jesse Frazer took the farm where he now lives in April, 1860. He has on it a bearing orchard of ten acres, that yields about two thousand bushels of fruit annually. It brings 24 to 6 cents per pound.

The Edwin Lobach ranch was taken up by

William Costan, in 1860, who sold to Stephen Frazer in 1862, and he to Mr. Lobach about 1872; is a very rich grain farm, and always has good crops. Alfalya has proved a success on it.

A young Frenchman by the name of An- toine took the next claim above. He sold to James H. Nelson, he to Henry Johnson, he to J. A. McCandless and he to C. C. I. Co., now Owners; not much worked.

Mr. Peaseley took next ranch above, in 1860, and sold to S. D. Webster, who made the first improvements in 1864. He sold to Mills Craig, whom Dr. Reed sent down from the mountains where he could get vegetables, he was so feeble then; now he raises them by the car load. He sold to John T. Smith in 1865, and he to C. C. I. Co.

The next claim above was taken by Judge John Howard and Wilbur F. Stone, in 1861, they making arrangements with Mr. P. A. Mc- Cumber to improve it, and they furnish grub, which the old gent said was too scarce, and hence he took the ranch to raise his own grub off of.

William H. May, -- Hopkins and Jim Stocker took the claim above, in 1860. Mr. May, being the oldest and leader of the crew, .. and withal a civil man, was, by Judge S. D. Webster and them, dubbed Colonel, which title he has born ever since. The floods came in the spring of 1861 and dissolved the partner- ship, which was each week racy with amusing events. The floods left them with only a yoke of oxen and a wagon, which were conceded to Col. May. Mr. McCumber gave him employ- ment to haul rock to fill a water-hole at the head of his irrigating ditch, near the place now known as Elephant Rocks. There being no end to the capacity of that hole to take rock, they decided to cut and put in a big cottonwood tree, which did not navigate to suit, when Mr. McCumber got onto it to rush it around. The current helped him too much, and off he went; amidst the splurge and struggle, he gave vent freely to his kind of cuss words, just as the Colonel was about plunging in to make an effort to save him. This was really a magnanimous act on his part, as neither of them could swim at all. A hint of reproach was too much for the

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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.

staid, matter-of-fact Colonel, and, saying, " Damn, will you? Well, I'll let you stay in one;" geed the oxen, and left to take up a ranch of his own. It is not necessary to add that Mr. McCumber came up out on top, as he always has ever since.

The ranch Col. May got next was in com- pany with William H. Phelps. They bought out Clark Harrington's Bowlder ranch, on the south side of the river, below the mouth of Beaver Creek, where the floods again washed him out, and he decided to try his fortune on Oak Creek, on a stream too small to swell. The very day be took it, in 1866, Jesse Rader was there for the same purpose. Well, it proved to be in the right place, and he is now as comfortably off as any of his neighbors.

W. H. Phelps went to clerking for D. P. Wil- son, the little episode which dissolved the con- nection being a bit of the unfortunate unwrit- ten history which it is best oblivion should cover. The Colonel rather liked the Utes. In passing up and down Oak Creek, he says they always put up the bars, and on one oc- casion, when Ouray asked permission to go through with about three hundred of his tribe, and himself stayed at the Colonel's house until the last one passed, and he went through and put up the bars. His friend, John Mills. who came in 1865, located on Chandler Creek. He, like the lamented Squire Richardson, of Cañon, died from lock or knotting of the bow- els, for which there was no help.

William Ash took the claim of Uncle Jesse's. He sold to Ira W. Chatfield and Clark Har- rington in 1863. Harrington sold out to Chat- field in 1866, and moved to Lower Hardscrab- ble, and in 1869 he moved to Upper Hard- scrabble. Chatfield sold to Mr. McCandless in about 1871. It is now one of the most productive ranches in the county; has a fine orchard, partly in bearing.

The next ranch below was taken up by Syl- vester Sturgis, in 1860. He sold to John Shields, he to J. Frazier, he to Henry Frazier in 1862, he to William A. Helm. Who that now knows Wills would ever suppose he was a festive, hard-working farmer. He sold to Jack Beers, he to Jacob J. Reisser in 1866, and he to Stephen Tanner. Mr. Tanner still

owns it, and cultivates it thoroughly, having the largest successful alfalya fields in the county. He finds it very valuable food for making milk, considerable quantities of which he furnishes to the Leadville market.

John Striker took the next claim below, in 1861, and John Tenasse worked with him. Uncle Jesse said, one being a Dutchman and the other Italian, he could scarcely understand either of them.

Butter, in those days, was worth $1 per pound; eggs, $1.50 per dozen; corn, 10 cents per pound; wheat, 10 cents; flour, $18 to $20 per sack.

Mr. Tenasse went into the stock business, and to the mountains afterward, accumulating over $10,000 in cash, which, taking his family with him, he thought to return to visit his old home in Italy. In Paris, he was robbed of the whole sum, and left penniless. The American Minister generously assisted him to return to America, and he is now working at mason work for a livelihood, at Rockvale. He says, "Thank God we got our healths yet," and is working away with undaunted spirit, and is sure of a competency.

Thomas Virden farmed the Webster-Smith ranch in 1863, and he and John Witcher bought the Castle Rock ranch in 1864. Tom was very gallant among the pioneer young ladies, and fancied Nellie C ---- , but "Chat" wanted her to encourage the attentions of Russell B --- , while he traded him out of some of his blooded cattle. As Tom would not stand any foolishness, he went over to visit Uncle Jimmy Smith's daughter on Hardscrab- ble. As she was not dressed to receive com- pany, she got under the steps, and could not be found until after Tom left. It leaked out, however, and, "they say," so disgusted him with Colorado girls that he went back to the " home of his childhood," and triumphantly returned with the present Mrs. Virden.

Robert Pope and Ambrose Flournoy farmed here afterward, and Uncle Frank Moore now owns it. It is said Will Mckinney, step-son of Hon. Lewis Jones, well known as "the wild cow-boy of Fremont," before he was married, was irrigating for Mr. Moore, in grass- hopper time, in 1876, and was overheard to sing:

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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.

"Oh! Ise an irrigater, Got grasshoppers in my crop, And hay seed in my hair. Son of a gun and centenariah square-whoop!"

On Adobe Creek, Ed Pauls, who was in trade in Canon in early days, sold his ranch to Rev Samuel L. Gould in 1871, taking up another near by. Rev. Mr. Gould, a thorough classical scholar, formerly from Boston, and, for a few years previous to his coming here, Superintendent of large reduction works at Black Hawk, sought this place for rest and to enjoy the charms of our climate. He built a cozy home, was getting together a herd of blooded stock, and, not forgetful of his duties to his fellow-men, also prepared some of the finest essays on religious topics ever delivered in Canon. But his usefulness was cut short by a sad accident. He fell from a load of wood, which broke one of his limbs in such a manner that amputation became necessary, and from the effects of this he died. In and around the small parks with scattering pines hereabouts, wild-cats delighted to visit, and on one or two occasions actually attacked grown persons who were out cattle-hunting on foot.

William C. Catlin took up his ranch opposite Canon nearly as early as any in the county. He has some of the finest fruit-trees in bearing in the county. All the brick-yards here are on his place. This year, over four million of brick will be made on it. Harry Baker's fa- mous garden is located on this tract. Mrs. Catlin has been one of the most faithful mothers and self-sacrificing women in the county, and deserves kindly remembrance from all old-timers. The beautiful place of Mr. O. G. Stanley, joining, also, where South Canon is located, was taken up a few years later, by some of the Arapahoes who went back East for reasons given on another page. The jubilee, about 1866, over the completion of the bridge which joined them with Cañon, whether the ford was fordable or not, was held in the Wilson, now Agard, hardware store, and was one of the pioneerest to perfection jollifications known in the country. Every- body was there, and men, women and children were beguiled by Wills Helms' seductive native wine. Feeling jolly himself, and hav- ing such a vein of mirthfulness coursing

through his nerves, how could he resist sugar- ing the wine so freely that no one but he knew its strength. Those days are past, and "taste not, touch not " days are said to have taken their place.

Jonathan Higbee, who, as Justice, made never-to-be-forgotten decisions, as good, in- dustrious, honest-hearted soul as ever lived, took up the places now owned by Mrs. Col. Greenwood, Arthurt T. Richardson, Augustus Sartor and others. John Griffin once lived on the next farm south, where A. Macon's, and Harrison's, Rockafellow's and Macon s Additions are, and it is said Sam Hoyt and others connived with him to get the start of Mr. Augustus Macon and take in his ranch, but that was a hard thing to do. "Gus " got a Government patent, and has quite a city built on it now, besides one of the most prom- ising gardens and young orchards in this sec- tion, and is raising more fruit and setting out more large orchards than all the State besides.

The next ranch was owned by Mr. Warford. He sold to Reuben Frazier, and he to Judge J. H. Terry, who has sold $3,500 worth in railroad right of way. Dr. Thomas H. Craven has a fine, ten-acre young orchard piece, Henry Sartor a twenty-acre tract, and, the Judge thinks, about as good a farm as anybody left.

The next ranch north was taken up by our present County Treasurer, Henry Harrison, which is improved in first-class order by him- self and brother, Robert.

The writer took up the ranch joining in the winter of 1866, an undivided half of which he has sold to the industrious, |persevering gar- dener, florist and horticulturist, John Grave- stock, and his son, John G. They have com- menced orchard-planting on it, which they do not propose to stop until 100 acres are thus planted. A portion of Delray was platted, in 1861, on this place, and the balance on that taken up by Mr. W. R. Fowler, joining, the object being to bring down the high ideas of the lot speculators of Canon in that day, by opening out a suburb, with cheap lots. This may or may not be taken as a gentle reminder to Canonites of the present day; should say not, as their formidable piles of brick and

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'HISTORYOF FREMONT COUNTY.

mortar bear a decided air of permanency, that has no fear of competitors.

Mr. Fowler's farm has been worked longer than any other near Canon on the north side. Late years, a portion for grazing a nice herd of milch cows, with which he supplied milk to Cañon in person for several years, the boy's say, until he was becoming generally known as the "milk man," which he could not for- give them for, it being understood he desired to be known as a "cold-water man," temperance being his hobby. He will not institute libel proceedings for this fearful pun. Candor suits the writer's gray hairs best, and through it he must admit Mr. Fowler's improved cir- cumstances caused his turning over the milk- wagon "to the boys," and riding in a carriage himself instead. In the days when most of the stocks of goods in Canon consisted of gro- ceries and provisions, and there were no ladies' shoes to be had in the country, he made shoes for Mrs. Fowler out of the goat- skin part of his boot-tops, and that faculty of adapting himself to circumstances has carried him cheerfully, thus far, through a life of more than usual vicissitudes.

The publisher says this has gone far enough, and the writer regretfully stops, without being able to do Uncle Dick Parker, S. H. Davis or Col. Ebenezer Johnson, and his sons, John and Tom, justice, or the many "characters " on Beaver and other creeks in the county.

The pioneer is excusable for many of his irregular actions. The bacon and beans epoch of every far-away, inaccessible region is enough to make a Christian forget the tenets of faith, and make the devil in a naturally depraved man more devilish, while the Indian and grasshopper are not calculated to tone down humanity much, or the 2 per cent era to allow one to settle in faith or works. The advent of railroads, with the comforts of civiliza- tion and cheap money following in their train, are working the great wonders for us they do in every land. There is seldom a field of grain without some smut or chess or tares, yet the flinty kernel grows perfect among them. So with mankind; the majority will bear in- spection and class as No. 1, while others must go to lower grades, and among the screen- ings, and, as it is our boast that Colorado's improved climate and cultivation bears the finest grain, so it is that she is developing the noblest manhood, and fast weeding out the foul, tough and worthless specimens. Fre- mont County combines all the elements of mineral, agricultural and grazing wealth, health in the air and healing in her waters. Who can foresee the bright future that lies before her? As pioneers, we have dimly and very imperfectly outlined the past. Cultivat- ed historians will more satisfactorily hand down the records of the wonderful future.

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History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 86

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