History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV, Part 108

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company
Publication date: 1889-95
Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co.
Number of Pages: 791

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turing establishments. In the spring and sum- mer of 1800 he carefully collected and com- piled a large amount of interesting information and published the same in the form of a series of weekly letters in the Denver " Re- publican," showing the possibilities of that city as a manufacturing and mercantile cen- ter, urging the wisdom and policy of loyally supporting and patronizing existing home in- dustries, and pointing out the undoubted openings for new factories in various lines. His effective handling of the subject was much appreciated by the community, and on the 18th of Der .. 1890, at a banquet at the Windsor hotel, he was publicly presented by the manufacturer's exchange of the Denver Chamber of Commerce with a handsome testimonial. "as a mark of appreciation of his literary work for the city."

TANQUARY, Nathan Q., was born Sept. 7, 1855, in Marshall county, 10., where he was reared and educated, and there taught school for several years. Selecting law for his pro- fession in life, after due preparation, he was admitted to the bar in 18 2 in that county. In 1883 be removed to Livingston county, 11 .. where he practiced until 1889, when he came to Denver. Colo. Continuing in his rhosen profession, by the judicious exercise of his legal attainments, he commands a fair share of Denver's elientage, lle is also inter- ested in mining and other investments, in which he has been likewise successful.

TAYLOR, Alexander H., was born in Huntington, Pa., Dee. 25. 1810, son of Eliazor Taylor and Nancy Rogers who were of Scotch- Irish extraction. Alexander was the fifth of eleven children, being the issue of a second marriage. His father was a stonemason, a sollier in the war of 1512, and died at Hunt- ington in 1862, his widow dying in 1984. Alexander attended the district schools of his native county until 1859, when he en- gagel in agricultural pursuits. Upon the breaking out of the civil war he enlisted in company C. 3rd Pa. vols, infantry. a militia company of which he had been previously a member, and was marched immediately to the capital to Colorado. Ho is best known. however, as a prominent and reliable journalist. In addition to his frequent contributions to the columns of inthen- tial English papers, which have done much to make the advantages of Colorado known in the United Kingdom, his letters in Denver dailies, notably the " Republican," have been especially valable. Born and raised in the greatest, manufacturing district of the north of England (which, in a radins of forty-five miles from Manchester, contains 7,000,000 front. Having been mustered in for only ninety days, he, at the expiration of that time, re-enlisted in October of the same year in com- pany E. S4th Pa. He was promoted to 2nd lientenant May 23. 1563, and to Ist lieutenant Jan. 1. 1864. and thereafter was in command of his company until it was mustered out of service. He was slightly wounded four dif- ferent times while doing duty as a soldier. le returned home in 1964 and re-engaged in farming. and in 1866 came to Colorado and set- tled in Trinidad. In INGShe waselected to the people directly or indirectly engaged in or de, office of assessor of Las Animas county and pendent on the manufacture of imported raw the same year was appointed undersheriff. He locateda farm seven mlleseastof Trinidad in 1871, but the grasshoppers destroyed hls crop, and the next year he took another ranch Selling out In materiab, he was impressed, soon after his arrival in Denver, with the fact that Colorado possessed an enormous supply of varied raw materials and comparatively few manufac- eleven miles from that city.

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1873 he located another ranch in the same Thomas left home at the age of eighteen years vicinity and began raising cattle. The same and started business for himself, engaged in year he was elected to the lower house of the burning charcoal and in running a pack-train territorial legislature and was the author of of burros. His pack-train, consisting of twenty the bill for removing the territorial capital from animals, carried the first load of silver ore to Denver to Pueblo. He was an active member Leadville that was taken from Aspen moun- tain. Ile secured a farm in Crystal river val- ley of 160 acres and the crop of oats, potatoes, watermelons, etc., planted by him was the initial attempt at farming in that valley. IIe was the first man to adopt the corrugating system for applying water in that section of the state. In 1887 he married Miss Cora Facet. lle has been continuously engaged in married again. He engaged in mining coal at farming in the Crystal valley for eleven years and is an industrious, upright man. "My am- bition in life," said he. "is to own a good farm and to properly raise and edneate my ehil- ren." His place is one of the best improved in the valley, and so successful has he been that his family of growing children will be abundantly provided for. of the democratic convention which nomi- nated Hon. Thomas M. Patterson as a dele- gate to Congress. In the fall of 1874 he lost his wife, and his numerous misfortunes hav- ing ruined him financially he was compelled to begin life over again. lle went to Pennsyl- vania and remained there until 1883, when he returned to Colorado, having in the meantime Engleville until 1885 and served also as a justice of the peace. He located a ranch two miles east of Trinidad in the spring of 1884 where he has since lived. He was appointed chief deputy sheriff in Jan., 1886. Ilis first wife was Miss Lizzie J. Bossler, to whom he was married in 1870. She left a daughter. His second wife was Miss Ria Shinkle. They TODD, William D. See Vol. 111, page 194. were married Sept. 14. 1880, and have three children.

TAYLOR, John M., was born in Fulton county, Pa., March 5, 1847. Ile received a limited education in the common schools, and upon the death of his father, which ocenrred when John was fifteen years of age, he was compelled to begin the battle of life for him- self. He worked for different farmers in the neighborhood of his home until the spring of 1864 when he joined the Union army. enlisting in company E, 84th regiment of Pa. volunteers and served as a private soldier until the close of the war. Returning home in 1865, he again resumed the occupation of a farmer and con- tinned to follow the same until 1867. when at twenty years of age he came to Colorado and settled about twenty-two miles east of Trini- dad where he kept the stage station on the ohl Santa Fó trail. The following year he located a hay ranch north of Trinidad and lived there until 1877, when he sold it and moved to an- other twenty-seven miles from Trinidad. At that time he had about 200 sheep and has been constantly engaged ever since in raising sheep. Although he has met with many misfortunes and suffered many losses he has now (1886) a flock of sheep numbering 5.000. After his flock had grown to be so large he opened an- other ranch, and now runs two, the latter be- ing his home place. Mr. Taylor is a highly esteemed citizen of Las Animas county. Ile has never taken any ospecial interest in poli- ties but has devoted his time to business.

TRANKLE, Conrad, was born in Baden, Germany, in 1816, where he passed about thirty years of his life. He came to America during the progress of the war between the United States and Mexico and enlisted as a soldier in that war when at Belleville, Ill. He went immediately into active service and was wounded at the battle of Buena Vista. Feb. 22, 1847. This resulted in his being honorably discharged. He returned to Belleville, Ill .. and remained there for nine years. In 1848 he married Justina Spitz, who was also a native of Baden and who came to America the pre- ceding year. During their residence in Belle- ville they followed the hotel business until 1860 when they moved to Denver. Here they continued in the same line until the death of Mr. Trankle, Sr., which occurred Nov. 12. 1887. They constructed the Washington hotel on Fifteenth street and opened it to the public in June. 1866. Mrs. Trankle, in connection with her son, has condneted the hotel sinee her husband's death, and in 18SO she spent considerable money in rebuilding and repairs. She has succeeded in business and has reared her family of children, each of whom has ac- «mired some wealth, and are useful and re- speeted members of society.

TRITCH, George. See Vol. III. page 201.

TUCKER. Alfred, farmer, was born in Tennessee. Nov. 30, 1820. When thirteen years of age he moved to Illinois and lived there un- til 1842 when he went to California. He en-

THOMAS, J. L., was born March 13, 1861, gaged in mining in the latter state for twenty- two months and then returned to Ilinois by way of the Isthmus of Panama and followed farming and stock raising until 1859 when he settled in Colorado. Soon after his arrival in Denver he mined for a short time near Central City and Black Hawk, and in 1860 located on the time of his death which ocurred June 15,

in Rushville. Rush county., Ind., where he remained until the fall of 1866, when his parents moved to Clarenda, Iowa. In 1869 the family went to Humboldt, Kan., three years later to Woodson county, same state, and in the summer of 1877 came to Hinsdale county. Colo, and the following winter lo- a ranch on Ralston ereek, where he resided at cated in Leadville. In Aug., 1879, young

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HISTORY OF COLORADO.

1880. Ile was a good citizen and took an in- been actively engaged in the practice of his terest in everything that aided in the up- profession. He is a close student, prepares building of his adopted state.

TUCKER, T. F., farmer, was born in Jeffer- son connty. Colo., in 1866. and received hisedu- cation in the public schools. When fourteen years of age his father died and the cares and responsibilities incident to the development of a ranch fell almost entirely upon his young shoulders. His success is evidenced by the present condition of the estate. When he took charge of the property he at once began a systematic course of improvement, conduct- ing it as a business enterprise. Under his wise and energetic supervision his landed es- tates have increased to 2,000 acres, 640 of which are now under cultivation, and the small bunch of cattle which was left at the death of his father has multiplied more than four-fold and consists of a herd of 600 head of the best breeds of Herefords. Sept. 10. 1892, he married Miss Mary Church. He is a K. of P. and takes an active interest in the welfare of that institution.

TOWLE, C. C., dairyman, was born in Mass- achusetts in 1853, where he acquired a col- legiate education. He came to Colorado in 1876 and settled in Denver. The "Fairview Dairy," of which he is the proprietor, is one of the best paying institutions of the kind in the state. From a small beginning his busi- ness has increased to large proportions. His farmn is located six miles east of Denver and the product of his dairy is disposed of in that city. Ile is married and owns a comfortable home.

TRUAX, J. W., farmer, was born in Can- ada in 1824 and resided there until he was twenty years of age, when he located in Low- ell, Mass. Remaining there nine years he learned the trade of a mason, then moved to Illinois and subsequently to Michigan, where he lived fifteen years. Ile afterward went to Kansas, thence to New Mexico, and in 1862 he took up his residence in Denver. He has worked at his trade since coming to Colorado and also at civil engineering and the locating of lands, but is now a farmer and is devoting his time to raising small fruits.

his cases with great care, and looks after the interests of his clients with an unyielding tenacity. lle stands well with the members of the bar and enjoys the full confidence of his clients and the respect of the community.

UNDERHILL, Mrs. E. P., one of the pio- neer women of Denver. Iler maiden name was Engenie Charpiot. Her first husband's name was Joseph Putz, who was born and reared in France. He was in the Prussian army and was chief clerk to Gen, Eau Claire in the U S. army. Mrs. Underhill was mar- ried in St. Louis, Mo., in June, 1859, and came over the plains in that year, being the third white woman to cross the Rocky Mountains. Mr. Putz was stationed at Ft. Leavenworth. Kan., and served in the army during the en- tire civil war. Mrs. Putz came to Denver in 1861 and engaged in the millinery business, continuing eleven years. She made the first costumes that were manufactured in the state. She made some very fortunate investments in land in the town of Swansea and in Califor- nia and Lawrence street property; also in land near the Westminster university. She is a member of the Twenty-third Avenue Presbyterian church, and takes an earnest interest in its welfare.

VAN HORN, Marion D., ex-mayor of Den- ver, was born in Delaware county, Ohio, Jan. 12, 1537. and received his education in the Ohio Wesleyan university. He taught school and instrumental music in his native town. While at college in 1861 and in his junior year he enlisted in the ISth U. S. infantry and re- mained in the army until Jan. 31, 1866. He passed through all the gradations from a private up to major, including the ranks of sergeant, sergeant-major, adjutant, lieutenant. captain and was brevetted major of U. S. volunteers for gallant service during the war. In 1866 he became a cotton planter in Ala- bama but the following year he went to To- peka. Kan. Ile afterward returned to Ala- bama, lived at Huntsville and Stevenson, and finally located at Chattanooga, Tenn., where he remained until 1877. At each of these places he was in the hotel business, and dur- ing the year last named entered the U. S. treasury department as a special agent. His tiekl of service embraced the southern and Pastorn states. In Feb., ISSI, ho was sent to Denver which he has since made his home. Ilis territory in the West included Colorado. Kansas, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyo-

ULMAN, William A .. lawyer was born at Carrollton, Carroll county. Ohio, in 1867. where he remained until he was six years of age. In 1873 he parents moved to Massillon. same stato. Ile was educated at Adelburt college. Western Reserve university. He was admitted to the practice of law in 1889 and during that year he came to Colorado and lo- ming, idaho and Montana. He remained in eated in Pueblo. He lived there three years, government service until Isss when he voluin- and during that time was nominated for the

tarily resigned. While acting as a special legislature on the democratic ticket, but hay- agent he was instrumental in unearthing ing no aspirations for political honors he de- some of the most gigantic frands with which the government had to contend, and because

clined the nomination. In 1890, however, he acted as assistant city attorney of Pueblo and of his vigilant and valuable services he was tilled the position in a satisfactory manner. rapidly promoted from one responsible posi- Ile came to Denver in 1802 and has since tion to another. He was elected a member of

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the board of supervisors for Denver in April, for the city of Denver. During the panic of 1891. Ilis efficiency and fidelity to the inter- ests of the city while serving as a super- visor brought him prominently before the re- publiean party as a suitable candidate for the office of mayor. He was accordingly nomi- nated in 1893 and elected by a handsome ma- jority. llis administration, taken as a whole. was characterized by safe, conservative meas- ures which inured to the welfare of the city. Ile is an ardent Mason, a member of the G. A. R. and of the Loyal Legion. ffe has ae- quired much valuable property in the city, and is interested in fruit lands near Grand Junction.

that year, when a number of banks and many Isiness houses were involved in rum. among them the Flanders Dry Goods company, Mr. Vaughn was made assignee of this large es- tablishment, managing its affairs so skillfully it was'elosed but one day, and its affairs were speedily adjusted without loss. Mr. Vaughn is a leading spirit in the G. A. R., has been commander of Meade post of Denver and is held in high esteem by his comrades; is a mem- ber of the Chamber of Commerce and largely engaged in mining. Firmly identified with the republican party, he takes an active part in its councils and campaigns. lle is a fluent and pleasing speaker, talking to the subject in hand with energy and convincing argument. Tall, straight and slender, with a martial bear- ing, his face and figure attract even the easnal observer. .

VAUGHN, Harrison S., lawyer, was born on a farm in Niagara county, N. Y., Aug. 30, 1846. his earlier education being received in the public schools. In 1863, at the age of seventeen, moved by the patriotic spirit of the time. he was the last of four brothers to enter VALLERY, George William, railway freight agent, was born at Plattsmouth, Neb., in 1861. He was educated in the pub- lie schools, supplemented by a course at the high school in his native city. In 1875 he entered the service of the Burlington & Mis- souri railway company as messenger and tele- graph boy. Later he entered the machine shops of the company at Plattsmouth, as an apprentice, where he remained until 1878, when he was placed on the road as fireman. in which capacity he served two years, and was then transferred to Lincoln, Neb., in the freight department, as car accountant; also served in various other capacities until 1882, and then came to Denver as chief clerk in General Agent E J. Sword's office -who was succeeded by Geo. II. Crosby in 1883, who retained Mr. Vallery as chief elerk-but after- ward he was promoted to contracting agent and traveling freight agent, which positions he filled until 1887. when he was appointed general agent. with headquarters at Chey- enne, Wyo .; remained there one year, and was then transferred to Salt Lake City, Utah, as general agent. In 1891 he was transferred to Denver to fill the same official position. which he still retains, with credit to himself and satisfaction to the company. During his residence in Denver he has been identified with various publie enterprises; is a member the Union army. He enlisted in company A. Sth N. Y. heavy artillery, then stationed at forts Federal Hill and MeHenry. General Grant's advance upon Lee in 1864 called this command into active service in the field as infantry, with which Mr. Vaughn took part in all the great battles of that terrible campaign to the awful conflict at Cold Harbor, where he was twice severely wounded, resulting in the loss of his right arm and thereby termi- nating his career as a soldier. Nearly seven hundred men of his regiment were killed and wounded in that memorable engagement. l'pon leaving the hospital he returned home. and soon afterward entered Medina academy. to prepare for a collegiate course, but was not permitted to continue. Broken health conse- quent upon his wounds compelled him to leave school and also that partof the country. There- fore, in the fall of 1866, he went to Chicago and found employment as cashier in the great packing house of A. E. Kent & Co. At the close of the packing season that year, having de- cided to complete his education, he declined an excellent offer to remain, and entered the state university of Wisconsin, at Madison. In 1870 he was graduated from the law de- partment in the same class with Mr. Petti- grew, who, many years later, was elected United States Senator from South Dakota. Immediately thereafter he began the practice of several clubs. an active member of the

of law at Algona, lowa, and was exceptionally

Masonie order, an honorary member of the

successful. He was elected auditor of the Chaffee light artillery. and in 1894 was a director of the Denver Chamber of Com- merce and Board of Trade. In 1891 he mar- riel Miss Martha E. Pickard, of Salt Lake City. I'tal. They have one child, a daughter.

county, serving two years; was president of the trustee of the M. E. church, and of the trustees of the northern Iowa normal school; also attorney for the B. C. R. & N. railway e .many. When Benjamin Harrison became president, Mr. Vaughn was a candi late for the VANDERLIP, John S., farmer, was born in Manchester. Vt., in 1825, and is the son of a farmer. The family moved to the state of New York, and when John was sixteen years office of commissioner of pensions het "" defeated by Mr. James Tanner. In Isso ill boa in case ms en val to Denver. where he resumed the practice of his profession. of age he began the battle of life for himslf. soonacquiring a largeclientage. In April. 1893. About the year 1844 he went to Michigan and he was elected to the board of supervisors located in Wayne county, where he was em-

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HISTORY OF COLORADO.

ployed by a lumber company. He subse- due to the wise counsel and cheerful compan- quently lived in Iowa and southern Kansas, ionship of his estimable wife, who is a lady of In 1862 came to Colorado, and from that time much practical ability and business judgment. until 1861 was engaged in freighting across

She has not only bravely shouldered the re- the plains. His permanent settlement was sponsibilities which came to her at his death, made in Colorado in 1865, and he has been bnt has gone forward with much of the same spirit of enterprise that characterized her hus- band, besides taking care of and properly raising and educating two boys. out of the state but once since that time. He has lived on a ranch and has devoted the most of his time to raising cattle and horses, Ho invested in East Denver property and is now the possessor of considerable real estate.

VAN CAMP, John Manley, was born in

WOLCOTT, Henry R., was born at Long Meadow, Mass., March 15, 1846. He was edu- Jated at Providence. R. I., and in Cleveland,

the town of Tully, Onondaga county. N. Y .. Ohio, during the periods when his father Nov. 25. IS29, where he grew to manhood. and ministered to Congregational churches in those where he attended the public schools. At the cities. After leaving school he became a age of eighteen he left the farm and started clerk in one of the banks of Cleveland (162) ont to try his fortune in some of the large and for four years held positions in two of cities. His first venture was in Syracuse. the banks of that city. In 1864, when only eighteen years old, he enlisted in a regiment of young men recruited in Cleveland, for one hundred days' service on the defenses of Washington. When near the end of its torm, the War department requested, since it could not command, that the regiment be sent to the front as a reinforcement to Grant's deci- mated army, then before Petersburg, but as most of the members objected. the scheme had to be abandoned. Nevertheless Mr. Wol- N. Y., where he engaged as a clerk in a large store, remaining two years. He then went to New York City, where he lived until the mon- etary panie of 1857. During that disastrous period he, like thousands of other deserving young men, was thrown out of employment. and spent the winter with some relatives who owned a large plantation near the city of New Orleans. The following spring he went to Michigan, and after engaging a short time in mercantile pursuits, embarked in the nur- cott, and four others, anxious to witness some- sery business. He had accumulated a small fortune, but, on account of Inng trouble, he

thing of the more serious business of war, re-enlisted in the 143rd Ohio, and remained with went to Pennsylvania to try a change of eli- it until the regiment was sent home and dis- mate. While there, and during the time when charged. For a time thereafter he was en- gaged in business at Springfield. Mass .. but had not adopted any distinct line or profes- sion. In 1869. soon after the Union Pacific railway had been built across the Rocky Mountains, he came to Colorado, passed up to the Gilpin county gold mines and, after a brief experience in mining, was offered and accepted the position of book-keeper and gen- eral accountant in the office of the Boston & Colorado Smelting company at Black Hawk. Here his native qualifications for the conduet of business affairs, which have promoted his success in life. were signally developed. When Mr. Win. A. Abbe retired from the com- pany, Mr. Wolcott became a stockholder and simultaneously Wax appointed assistant the oil excitement was at its highest, he in- vested his money in one of the new towns of that state, and in a short time lost all that he had made. Broken down in health and for- tune, he returned to Michigan in 1870, and started once more in the nursery business. His health becoming again impaired, he sought recuperation in the healing and bracing air of Colorado. After a brief sojourn here, he be- came so favorably impressed with the climate and the state as a new and inviting field of industry, that he determined to make it his permanent home. Being a man of great en- ergy. he began and completed the erection of a number of houses in different portions of Denver. He also engaged in the growth and culture of strawberries, on a small spot of land embracing the site of the present Ebert school house, and subsequently purchased eight acres, where he pursued his congenial labors on a much larger scale. Later he bought twenty acres, upon a portion of which the Van Camp block now stands, and con tinued raising small fruits and gardening. until he began the real estate business, which he followed to the time of his death, which occurred May 2. 1890. He was married in 1874, at Detroit, Mich., to Miss Sarah M. John- son, who belonged to a class of teachers who had great influence in molding and shaping the minds and character of the youth of the country. The good fortune and prosperity with which Mr. Van Camp met were largely

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History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV, Part 108

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company Publication date: 1889-95 Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co. Number of Pages: 791

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company
Publication date: 1889-95
Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co.
Number of Pages: 791