History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV, Part 112

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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in land, he purchased lots in the city and large tracts in the agricultural sections, and until about the year 1875 he was one of the heavy owners of such property. Ile made the first set of abstraet books for the county of Arapahoe (now owned by Anthony, Landon & Curry); was engaged in cattle and sheep raising; a stockholder in the Denver street railway company: the originator. builder and treasurer of the Denver Safe Deposit and Sav- ings Bank, on which the present Union National Bank was founded: was vice-presi- dent of the original Denver water company. and supervised the construction of its reser- voir, water power and present plant. His connection with the first movement for build- ing a state house forms a part of the history of that subject, as related in Volume 111. Chapter IV. In 1864 Congress passed an act to enable the people of Colorado to form a state government. After a constitution had been framed the republican state convention nominated for governor Henry D. Towne, of Gilpin county, but. he declining, the central committee met and by unanimous vote placed Daniel Witter's name at the head of their ticket. But the constitution being defeated at the polls, the ticket fell by the same vote. Mr. Witter was one of the originators and president of the first mining exchange organ- ized in Denver, as related in the history of Denver, this volume. The great financial de- pression of 1877 found him overloaded with real estate which he was unable to carry through it and he was obliged to surrender property to his ereditors that is now worth millions. ITe is still practicing his profession in this city.

WOODBURY, R. W. See Vol. III. page 196.

WILLIAMSON. George R., miner and banker, was born in Mercer county. Pa., July 14. 1824, of Scottish descent, his ancestors being among the colonial settlers of Pennsyl- vania. His grandfather was a soldier in the American revolution. The Williamsons were highly honored in Scotland. His father was a farmer, with whom he remained until he attained his majority, then was made super- intendent of the Davidson coal banks in Beaver county, Pa., owned by his unele. William Frait. He was thus occupied about four years. In the summer of 1855 he went to Dakota county. Neb., and shortly after- ward was elected sheriff. Removing to Colo- rado in 1859, he engaged in prospecting for gold in Gilpin county. That year was spent in Spring Gulch, near Central City, and the following year in California Gulch, near the present city of Leadville. The ensuing tif- teen years were devoted to mining in Gilpin and Boulder counties, with varying success. In 1877 he discovered the basis of his present

WOODWARD, Benjamin Franklin, was born in Newark, Ohio, June 25. 1834, of New England origin. His father was born in Mas- sachusetts, where the family had taken an important part in public affairs since 1634, in the organization and development of the col- onies and in establishing and maintaining American independence. He received a com- mon school education in Rochester, N. Y., whence the family had removed shortly after his birth. Ilis father. Thomas II. Woodward, was a manufacturer, and the inventor of sev- eral valable improvements to the cast-iron plow of that period. Benjamin removed to Pittsburg in 1847 where he obtained a posi- tion with the Atlantic and Ohio Telegraph company, one of the first telegraph systems in this country, subsequently merged into the Western I'nion. In his eighteenth year he became manager of the latter's office in Pitts- burg. In the spring of 1856 he was offered a copartnership with William Mccutcheon, a wealthy wholesale grocer. Accepting it. he removed to the West and established himself in the then promising town of Fulton. 111., where he remained until 1862. In 1861 he married Helen S., daughter of Dr. William Bassett. Failing health compelled him to abandon a profitable business and seek a more favorable climate. Through the influence of his friend, General Thomas T. Eckert, he ob- tained a position with the army, in the South. as cipher operator at General Pock's head- quarters at Suffolk, Va. In the spring of 1863 he resigned with the intention of trying the climate of California, but on his way to the Pacific he was tendered the position of manager of the Denver office of the Pacific Telegraph company which was then builling a branch line from Julesburg to Denver. Mr. Woodward took charge of the construction of the line and opened an office in that city Oet. 10, 1863. The Pacific Telegraph company was absorbed by the Western Union in 1865. Mr. Woodward continuing as manager. £

the fall of 1867 he organized the I'nited States and Mexico Telegraph company. AAssociated with him were Henry M. Porter, Win. N. Byers, D. H. Moffat, Jr .. F. Z. Salomon. L. B. Maxwell, John Dedd and E. Spiegelberg. He completed a line to Santa Pó. N. M .. in the spring of INGS, and In the fall of that year a line from Denver to Cheyenne, Wyo. The Western Union bought a controlling interest in 1870. in 1875 Mr. Woodward resigned his position with the Western Union to accept the superintendency of telegraph of the Den- ver and Rio Grande railroad. Ile negotiated

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BIOGRAPHICAL DEPARTMENT.

an important contract between these two erty, Ohio county, W. Va. Ten children were companies in the following year. Ile founded born to them, six of whom are living, and all Riverside cemetery in 1876 and became its residents of Colorado. In 1848 he became the owner and publisher of the Wheeling "Argus." Always fond of investigating every new subject, with the advent of the Iloopes brothers, he took up spiritualism and for a time pursued it with almost furious vigor. A bitter opponent of slavery, he de- voted his paper to caustie exposures of its debasing influences, expressing his opinions

first president. Ile was a director of the City National Bank for a number of years and vice-president of the Denver Insurance company. Since the severance of his connec- tion with the Rio Grande, Mr. Woodward has been engaged in acquiring, selling and im- proving real estate properties in Denver. Finding in the climate a radical cure for asthma, he has taken a deep interest in mak- of the institution boldly, regardless of conse- ing the discovery known to sufferers by that quences. Being a fierce writer and speaker, He has made several he naturally suffered from the attacks of the distressing ailment.

trips to Europe with his family. As a di- rector of the first Young Men's association of Denver, of which Mr. Henry Leach was pres- ident, he was instrumental in bringing orthodox church of the South and the virulent antagonism of the slave-holding plutocracy, hence his journalistie venture resulting dis- astrously. He was instrumental in outfitting George Francis Train to the city to lecture one of the earlier expeditions to California in for its benefit. The result of Mr. Train's 1850, and this also ended in serious financial visit was the organization of the Denver Pa- loss to himself. He then engaged in market- citic railway and telegraph company. Mr. Woodward has been associated with most of the public enterprises of the city, but has neither sought nor hell official position. gardening at Marshalltown, twelve miles be- low Wheeling, and from the proceeds in the ensuing five years paid all his debts. In 1857 he emigrated to Kansas, just in time to WYGANT, Thomas H., Jr., county treas- urer, was born in Albany, N. Y., Jan. 1. 1859, and remained at the place of his nativity until 1876, during which time his education was received, finishing with an academical course. In that year the desire to try his fortune in the West became too strong to be resisted and. after carefully canvassing the situation, he decided that Colorado offered the greatest in- ducements for the expenditure of his capabil- ities and he accordingly came to Denver, where he lived until 1881, when he returned to New York. Upon his return to his native state, he engaged with the West Shore rail- road. and subsequently with the Delaware and lludson, after which he again came to Colorado and engaged in the real estate bnsi- ness in Denver, in which, in connection with mining and insurance, he has since been en- gaged with marked success. Mr. Wygant has been alderman of the city of Highlands and served three terms as treasurer of that city. In the fall of 1893 he was elected county treasurer of Arapahoe on the repub- lican ticket in the face of the united opposi- tion of all the other political parties. throw himself body and soul into the savage struggle between the free-soil and pro-slavery forces, and again suffered acutely from the consequences, but remained an earnest fighter in the field until Kansas was admitted as a state. In 1859 he came to the Rocky Mount- ains, and in 1860 began gardening, which he followed with excellent results for nine years, In the meantime he became interested in sev- eral mining and milling enterprises, not one of which brought satisfactory results. At one time he owned several farms on Clear creek in Jefferson county. In 1865 he was an independent candidate for Congress, but was defeated by Allen A. Bradford. He took a lively interest in politics and about every- thing else that gave rise to public meetings, because being an eloquent and highly enter- taining speaker, probably the finest of his time, he invariably created strong impres- sions, no matter what the subject under dis- cussion. Mr. Wolff always aimed to be right, but, unfortunately for him, always advocat- ing the losing side. He was the champion of the poor and oppressed, standing by them manfully, even at the sacrifice of his personal interests. In 1869 he went to Washington to WOOD, Samuel N. See Vol. III, page, 179. prosecute certain claims against the govern- ment for stock stolen during the Indian raids of 1864-65. About that time he resided in New York and engaged in journalism. In 1876 he took up his residence in Washington and remained there until his death, which occurred in October, 1889.

WOLFF, John B., pioneer, was born in Martinsburg, W. Va., July 7, 1816, and passed all the early years of his life on a farm, mean- while obtaining a fair education in the district schools. At the age of twenty-two he became a preacher in the Methodist church, and about that time also published the first temperance paper in the United States, entitled "The Life- boat." lle was one of the instigators and prime movers in the organization of the Sons of Temperance, and throughout his life was a strong advocate of total abstinence. In 1843 he married Caroline J. Hedges, at West Lib-

WOLFF, Hiram G., pioneer horticulturist. was born in West Liberty, Ohio county, W. Va., Oct. 23, 1845, of old Virginia stock, and was educated in the public schools. He emigrated to Kansas in 1858, at about the close of the political disturbances in that territory, journeying down the Ohio river in

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HISTORY OF COLORADO.

an old stern-wheel boat to St. Louis, and thence citizen, extremely fond of his adopted city up the Missouri river to Leavenworth, long and state, and always eager to advance their welfare. anterior to the building of railroads in that direction, consuming three weeks on the trip. He came to Colorado in May, 1862, with his WALSH, Thomas F., miner and smelter, was born in Tiperary county, Ireland, April 2, 1551, and received his education in the schools of his native country, after which he learned the millwright trade, serving the full apprenticeship of seven years, as required there. At the age of nineteen he emigrated to America and located at Woreester, Mass., where he worked at his trade for one year, and in the spring of 1871, eame to Colorado and engaged with the Colorado Central rail- road, at Golden, as bridge builder. In 1873 he became interested in the San Juan region when it was thrown open to settlement, and engaged in mining at Del Norte during the winter, then came to Denver in the spring, and in 1874 removed to Central City, where he superintended the creation of the principal buildings of that city, and at the same time became interested in mines. In 1876 he re- moved to the Black Ilills, Dakota, to engage in mining, owning and operating a number, some of which he sold in 1878, then removed to Leadville, and in connection with two associates-Messrs. Leavick and Daly-pur- chased the Grand hotel, enlarged and oper- ated it. They were also the first parties that purchased any large amount of property in that camp. At the same time, Mr. Walsh was actively engaged in mining, which he still continues. In co-partnership with Du Bois Bros., he bought the New York mine in 1879, and worked it extensively. Since then, he has owned, operated and sold the Shields, Dinero and St. Kevin in Independence dis- triet. In addition to his Leadville properties. he is largely interested in the Dean-Ham group of mines at Cripple Creek. In the spring of 1801, through his efforts and the liberality of Ilon. D. S. Wegg of Chicago, Mr. Walsh introduced in Colorado the Austin process-then in use in Montana-for treat- ing ores, equipping the La Plata smelter at Leadville for operation on that plan, the rights of which for Lake county were sold to Mossrs. Moffat, Smith & Ballou. He Is manager of a company organized to control these patents. A sub-company was also or- ganized-of which he is general manager- that purchased the rights for Summit county, addition, he has smelters In course of erection at three other points in the state. wealthy through this and various other enter- This process takes up a class of ores that was of no value prior to Its introdnetion in Colo- rado, and through being able to treat them at a very low cost, they are made valnable. He is also general manager of the Ironclad min- mother and seven younger brothers and sisters, crossing the plains with ox teams. They joined the father (John B. Wolff) who had established a ranch on Clear creek a few miles from Denver. Mr. Wolff has been engaged in horticulture and gardening for nearly forty years, and was the first to bring fruit trees to Colorado, having transported the original consignment from Des Moines, Iowa, a distance of 800 miles by wagon dur- ing the winter of 1864-65 one of the coldest ever known, and perhaps the most disastrous to stock and people. Entire trains were left without teams or means to move them, the cattle and horses having all perished or been stolen. This stock of trees died either from want of knowledge of proper cultivation after transplanting in the soil of this country, from elimatic influences not then well understood, or from the ravages of grasshoppers. Never- theless, with earnest faith in the final out- come, Mr. Wolff procured another stock and continued his experiments until 1872, when a fair measure of snecess was attained. The next year vast elouds of loensts came from the northwest and from Kansas, and settling down upon the land soon swept everything their appetites craved out of existenee, in- eluding Mr. Wolff's carefully nurtured or- chards. The next four years with him was a struggle for bare subsistence, as each re- eurring season brought fresh incursions of the scourge. It came to be understood among horticulturists generally, that all attempts to raise fruit in Colorado would prove abor- tive, and might as well be abandoned. Not- withstanding the universal dejection how- ever, Mr. Wolff resolved upon a third under- taking in that line, and this time won a com- fortable fortune from the enterprise. He established very extensive nurseries, and from previous experience made fruit trees grow and bring forth abundant erops. Ile has distributed hundreds of thousands of trees in this state, and from the depressing failures of early efforts has achieved greater triumphs than he dreamed of when the primary stage began. He invented an in- genions and entirely practicable device for destroying young grasshoppers, and with it and to operate smelters at Kokomo. In extirpated countless millions of the pests. Between 1885 and the present date he became prises; went into large projects for irrigat- Ing lands, into banking, mining, real estate, ete. Ile is a member of the Chamber of Com- moree and Real Estate Exchange, and took consplenous part in the settlement and Im- Ing company at Ouray, and of a number of provement of the town of Highlands. Much other mlnes in Colorado and Montana. During of the existing efficient system of electric his residence In Denver, ho has invested street railways there is due to his effective quite extensively In real estate, and acquired ald. He is a vigorous and highly progressive considerable valuable property.

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BIOGRAPHICAL DEPARTMENT.

WEIR, J. A., one of the pioneers of Colo- ceased their attack and came up begging for rado was born about fifty miles from New York city, in New Jersey, March 4, 1840. His father was a merchant and a manufacturer of agricultural implements. The son attended a private school, when he was eight years old, in Philadelphia. The family soon afterward located in Allegheny City, where he attended the common schools one winter, when his parents located in Peoria, Ill. Six months later they settled in Nauvoo, arriving there soon after the expulsion of Joe Smith and his

Mormon followers from that place. While there, an application was made to the man agers of Girard college, Philadelphia, for admission to that institution of Mr. Weir . and his brother, but the latter being too old for matriculation, and his mother opposing

their separation, the idea of sending him shoot him. Mr. Weir did not know they were

alone was abandoned. His father died at Nauvoo and Mrs. Weir moved then with her family to Moline, in 1848. From Moline she went to Keithsburg. Ill., but after a short time returned to Moline. Here Mr. Weir at- tended the publie schools, and then obtained

work in the mills where he became familiar with the lumber business. In 1861, in com-

pany with a small party of men, he started for Pike's Peak. The trip consumed about six weeks. Mr. Weir went to California Gulch where he obtained work on a mining claim. II. A. W. Tabor was keeping a small store at the time, and his wife boarded the

Weir was to receive $2.50 per day, but un- miners, being assisted by her sister. Mr.

fortunately he did not receive anything, and, business at the point mentioned for three after three weeks hard labor, went to Buffalo

flats near Breckenridge, where he was em-

home, and the next spring, in company with there until the following fall, he returned ployed by Bond Altman. Remaining

his brother, two cousins, and one other, he

started again for Colorado. After they had

reached a point within seventy miles of

Denver, they observed a camp of Indians about a mile distant. Two of the Indians, one of them a powerful fellow six feet two inches in height, came to their camp, the large one acting as if erazy-eating grass and rolling in the dust. Suspecting some evil design upon the part of the Indians, they decided to

move at once, but while attempting to put

the yoke on their oxen, the large Indian

threw his blanket over his head and so frightened the teams they could not be chickens, committed some small depredations

yoked. Mr. Weir, possessing great strength,

til the teams were yoked and they were ready short struggle, succeeded in holding him un- slipped up behind the Indian, and after a

to start. When they began to move, about thirty mounted Indians armed with bows and

arrows bore down upon the party, yelling

continuing their anties for some time, Mr. and frightened the oxen Into a run, and after

Weir took the only gun the party had and leveled it upon the pursuers, who at onee

merey. After this, they were not molested again by this band who had been out on a thieving expedition. After two or three days rest at Denver, Mr. Weir went to Brecken- ridge and spent the summer in mining. In January, 1863, he camped at Canon City, and from there went to Little Butte where he worked as a carpenter. Leaving that place, he obtained employment at a sawmill on the Little Fountain ereek. While en route to the mill, and traveling on foot and alone, he was thought to be Espinosa, a Mexican des- perado who had a day or two before murder- ed one of the employes of the mill. Mr. Weir was followed by several men, and one of these named Jaek Olinger, a well-known Colo- radoan, drew up his gun several times to

after him, but had he at any time left the road, or acted as if he was trying to evade the men, they would have shot him. The man killed by Espinosa was a Mr. Harkness, and the place where he fell was thereafter called "Dead Man's Canon." The mill was burned in August and Mr. Weir lost his wages for his summer's work. The com- pany rented a mill on the Divide, about fifteen miles north of Colorado Springs. One of the partners quitung the business, Mr. Weir pur- ehased his interest, and finally secured entire control of the enterprise. It was one of the first that had been brought to the territory and was known as "Weir's mill." It is now (1889) being operated near Lake City. He did

years, and then built a flouring mill near

Colorado City, but soon disposed of it and went to Rule Creek and engaged in the lum- ber trade. In 1868, he built and conducted a

mill on the Divide. on Squirrel creek. Dur- ing that year he discovered the body of Charley Everhart near the present site of the Colorado college and saw the band of Indians who had murdered and sealped him. In the

spring of 1869, he moved his mill to Easton. One day, on going out of his mill, he was

surprised to find it surrounded by about

seventy-five Indians in war-paint. They dis-

mounted from their ponies and demanded something to eat. He was advised by the people living there to give up everything, but he flatly refused to give them anything. They shot and killed some pigeons and

but just at this time, one of their seouts and prepared to camp there for the night,

brought the news that a party from Bijou Basin was on their trail. This frightened them and they left. Mr. Weir left the Divide in 1882, and located near Montrose, where he

sawed lumber for the D. & R. G. railroad con-

like demons. They discharged their arrows, pany. He lost the mill however, in 1883, and

has not since that time been engaged in active

work. In 1865 he married Miss Cina A. Judd, who died Aug. 24, 1886, leaving two daughters. He was the postmaster at Weir's

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HISTORY OF COLORADO.

mill, and although elected a justice of the Point. Closing out late in the fall. he opened peace a number of times, he refused to qual- a meat market in Onray. For a year or more ify. He has real estate interests in Colorado Springs, Glenwood Springs, and in Dakota. He is an enterprising citizen, and is always ready to assist any good canse in behalf of his fellowmen, or in the interest of his county and state.

WEIR, J. W. This gentleman came to Colorado in 1860, and located on his pres- ent farm of one hundred and sixty acres, where he engaged in the dairy business. lle continued this until the spring of 18S7, when he sold his enterprise. He was born in New Wilmington, Lawrence county, Pa., Jan. 28. 1826, and remained there until he was twenty- seven years of age. He followed carpentering for a few years, and then opened a livery stable in New Wilmington, and also one, later on, at New Castle. He took two lots of horses to Chicago. in 1856-57. and came to Colorado, as above stated, in 1860. He is highly respected as one of the older pioneers of the state.

WATSON, Charles S., was born in the town of Thorald, Canada, April 21, 1845. He was educated in the public schools at Corunna, Mich., graduating therefrom in 1865. The next eight years were employed in teaching among the public schools of that state. In 1873 he married Mysa E . Mcclellan of Tray- erse City, Mich. In the same year he . was elected to the board of supervisors of Shiawasse county and was re-elected for five successive years. In 1875 he was elected superintendent of the public schools in the same county. In June. 1881, he came to Colo- rado and settled in Telluride, San Miguel county. In 1883 he was elected mayor of that city, and was appointed clerk of the distriet court. a position which he still retains. In 1889 he was elected clerk and recorder of the county, and re-elected in 1591. thus serv- ing two terms. Mr. Watson was one of the organizers and effective promoters of the Western Slope Mining congress held at Gun- nison in 1891. where a large body of represen- tative men was assembled for the purpose of unitedly promoting the higher interests of that section of the commonwealth. He is a member of the Masonic order and a charter member of Telluride lodge. No. 56.

WOODS, M. Y., was born in Coles county. III .. Feb. 7. 1853, raised on a farm and educated in the public schools, At the age of twenty-one years. he left that state for Colorado. Arriving in the spring of 1876 he proceeded to San Juan county. settled at Mineral Point and engaged in mining. The ensuing fall he passed over the range to Ouray, secured some towns lots there, and also invested In a ranch below that place, where he remained during the winter, returning to his mining prospects the following summer. In 1877-TS he was engaged in the provision trade at Mineral

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History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV, Part 112

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