History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV, Part 54

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

USA > Colorado > History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV > Part 54

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in preparing that now fruitful section for tillage, and wonderfully to the spirit of enterprise manifested by that remarkable people. We need not dilate upon the subject, for the story is told in the foregoing digest and in the concluding chapter of our first volume, but should fuller details be sought by the reader, we commend to him David Boyd's elaborate history of Union Colony and Greeley, published in 1890, wherein every particular of importance is ably set forth.

YUMA COUNTY.

AN AGRICULTURAL AND GRAZING REGION-PRIMITIVE SETTLERS-A GREAT CATTLE RANGE-EXTINCTION OF THE BUFFALOES-HOW THEY WERE SLAUGHTERED BY THOUSANDS-THE TOWN OF YUMA-WRAY AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS.

This county was named for the town of Yuma, its present county seat. It was established by an act of the General Assembly, approved March 15th, 1889, from the eastern part of Washington county. It is bounded on the north by Logan and Phillips counties, east by the state of Nebraska, south by Arapahoe and west by Washington. Its area is 1, 180 square miles, and according to the census of 1890 then had a population of 2,569.

Like all contemporary counties on and near the eastern border of the state, its chief industries are agriculture and stock raising. The North Fork of the Republican river is the principal stream, which is fed by numerous small tributaries. The following were its first county officials, most of whom were appointed by the governor, a few holding over from Washington county: Commissioners, James S. Hendrie, W. R. Field, A. M. Bullard; sheriff, M. R. Lovell; clerk and recorder, Geo. F. Weed; treasurer, Albert N. Turney; county judge, Granville Pendleton; superintendent of schools, W. Curtis; assessor, Dr. David Sisson; coroner, E. J. Bales; surveyor, Ira Edwards.

September 8th, 1889, the commissioners established precincts for election pur- poses. In November the following were chosen by the people: Commissioners, Turner Forker, A. M. Bullard and James S. Hendrie ; sheriff, M. R. Lovell; clerk and recorder, F. A. Wilhams; treasurer, Albert N. Turney; county judge, Granville Pen- dleton ; superintendent of schools, M. W. Haver; assessor, John M. Emanuel; cor- oner, Dr. F. Wilms; surveyor, Ira Edwards.

The question of permanent location of the county seat being voted upon at this election, the contest between rival towns became quite spirited. Of the total vote cast, Yuma received 477, Wray 315, Center or Waverly town site 58, Robb 10 and Eckley 22.

Quitman Brown was appointed county attorney by the commissioners elect. Mr. M. R. Lovell, who was the first sheriff of Washington county, and under the pro- visions of the act establishing Yuma county became the "hold over" sheriff thereof, had been a resident of the plains country for many years. He came to Colorado from Johnson county, Missouri, in 1874, and in that year was appointed cattle foreman for the herds of Samuel E. Wetzel and S. P. Williams. He was also foreman for L. F. Roberts, A. J. Redford and I. C. Hale. The ranch of Wetzel and Williams was at the head of Beaver creek in Elbert county, near Godfrey station. Both firms ranched to- gether, the herd being increased from 10,000 to about 25,000 head of cattle. From Mr. Lovell we obtained the following data respecting this region when it was scarcely more than a vast stock range. In 1875, during his foremanship, there

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were no houses along the North Fork of the Republican river, within the present boundaries of Yuma county, except here and there a deserted buffalo camp. About 1876 J. W. Bowles located a ranch near the head of the North Fork of the Repub- lican, some twenty-three miles from the present town of Yuma. About the same time W. L. Campbell located a ranch near that of Mr. Bowles on the North Fork and close to the Nebraska line. The same year, also, came Daniel Holden, from Bijou Basin, in Elbert county, and located some five miles from Campbell on the same stream. A Mr. Johnson was foreman for Bowles, Jason Forringer for Campbell, and George Woodward for Hoklen. These were the pioneer ranches in this section. In 1877-78 Mr. I. P. Olive took up a ranch near the present town of Wray. Subsequently came Thomas H. Ashton, Wickliff Newell, Wm. Lauver, C. D. Thompson, J. R. Porter and others. Mr. Olive was murdered at Trail City a few years ago. The Cheyennes, Arapahoes and Sioux frequently raided that section, but committed no depredations after 1881. In the various hostile incursions a number of cowboys and others were killed. Herds of buffaloes were seen on the eastern plains of Colorado up to 1871, but all have since disappeared, as the spoil of huntsmen and robe gatherers, and the species is well nigh extinct. Prior to and for some years after the Pike's Peak immi- gration, these plains were, at certain seasons, literally covered with bison. Many were killed by passing travelers, but the wholesale decimation began in great force and for a distinct purpose-that of collecting hides-in 1869-70, and thence- forward the slaughter was continuous, the railways affording transportation for the hides, heads, and the edible parts of the carcasses. Hundreds of hunters entered the field and each killed and skinned all he could. The relentless slaughter proceeded year by year until all were gone. A small number fled to the moun- tains and there found safe refuge for a time, but even these have since been pur- sued and mostly destroyed. Then came a cloud of bone gatherers, who collected the whitened remnants of skeletons and sold them at five dollars a ton, to be converted into buttons, knife handles, combs and fertilizers. At nearly all the railway stations vast heaps of these bones were stacked up, awaiting shipment to markets east of the Missouri. The Kansas Pacific and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé took away hundreds of carloads. While the red savages killed only for food, using the skins for clothing and tepees, the white marauders extinguished the species for the mere value of the skins. "In a little more than three months," says one writer, "in the fall of 1874, over 50,000 hides were shipped from the stations on the Santa Fe road, and it was estimated that the shipments for the year over that and the Kansas Pacific aggregated 125,000. During the winter season of five months about 2,000,000 pounds of buffalo meat were shipped to all parts of the country. At Kansas City large quantities were cured and packed for eastern consumption." The lives of the buffalo hunters were filled with exciting adventures. Parties organized with regular camping outfits. Expert riflemen went in advance, killing the buffaloes, and were followed by the wagons and skinners. The hides were shipped from River Bend, Ilugo. Kit Carson and other convenient points. In early times the price of undressed hides was one to two dollars each, but as the game disappeared values advanced.

Yuma, like Sedgwick, Phillips and others, is in what is called the "rainbelt region," but differs from those named in having a few canals for irrigating the soil. Farmers began coming in 1885, locating principally near Wray, and in 1886 in various parts of the county. Among the earlier settlers in the vicinity of Wray were J. S. Hendrie, J. 11. Shoemaker. W. H. Wolf, W. R. Hayes, J. W. Zepp, John Gilliland, Edmund O'Donnell and John Griffin. About the same time a settle- ment was springing up at Yuma. Among those who settled at or near this place was M. S. Estes, who camped at Golden City in 1858, and, together with George B. Allen and others, assisted in laying off the old primitive town of Arapahoe,

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just below Golden City. Some of the other pioneers at Yuma were Albert Turney, John Morrow, Richard Gardner, Hans Bruner, W. Pershing, John Westcott, Benjamin Ward, Ira Edwards, C. H. Madeley, L. W. Leland, Rev. Jacob Roth, J. R. Williams, Jacob Evans, Lawrence White, Henry Holder, Dan McMonigal, T. J. Tuttle, Albert Barbezot, E. Burson, Fred Scott, T. B. Babcock, John Wenger, Miss Mary L. Pratt, Turner Forker, W. C. Orum, C. H. Harvey, W. P. Foreman, George F. Weed, George Borhite, John Heineke, J. B. Campbell, L. Schucke and Jesse Wilhams.

The town of Yuma was surveyed by A. B. Smith, December Ist, 1885, and laid off by George F. Weed, December 18th. The plat was filed January 8th, 1886. It is situated on the Burlington & Missouri railroad, in the western part of the county. I. N. Foster built the first store, James Gardner the first hotel, and the first residence is claimed for both W. C. Orum and Miss Ida B. Albert. Miss Mary Elmore taught the first school, in 1886, in the lumber office of W. C. Bullard. The Rev. George Dungan and also Elder Marshall, the latter from Wray, were the first preachers. From the statement of Sheriff Lovell there must have been an earlier expounder of the gospel in this section, a man named Joseph Mankins, since he informs the author that the little stream called "Holy Joe" was named for him. Charles E. McPherson, now clerk of Phillips county, was the first mayor. Among others prominently connected with the early town govern- ment were T. B. Babcock, J. B. Morton, C. M. Ashmore, John Smith and John Borley. W. C. Orum was city clerk; Quitman Brown, city attorney; Benjamin Ward, marshal; George F. Weed, treasurer, and C. H. Harvey, police magistrate. Edward Dunn makes the following statement of pioneer days: He came to Yuma August 17th, 1884. John Houstine, a section hand, was there at the time, and John Larson, section foreman, had been managing the boarding house for the men. The railway station and water tank comprised the town of Yuma. Larson's family, consisting of his wife and children, were there. Edward Dunn, O. Olson, August Wren and Henry O. Berger worked for Larson on the section. In the fall of 1884 Henry Houstine became section foreman, and Mr. Dunn ran the boarding house. W. C. Orum came in 1885 and built the first residence, and in that year, also, came George F. Weed, who laid off the town. Jacob Schwartz and others of the Burlington road became interested in that section.

Yuma grew rapidly into a prosperous village, but like contemporary towns in the "rainbelt," ultimately suffered from the long drouth, which destroyed the crops and left many of the farmers destitute. In 1888 water works were built at a cost of $10,000, the supply being obtained from wells. One hose company constitutes the fire department. There is no county building, but the town has a fine school edifice costing $4,000.

In the matter of churches, the Catholics have a good brick structure, and the Lutherans a frame building for worship. The Rev. Father Hickey is in charge of the first, and the Rev. Carl Zueld of the second. The Methodists, Baptists, Presby- terians and Congregationalists occasionally hold services. The Grand Army, Knights of Pythias and Knights of Ilonor have organizations at Yuma.

The town officers for 1800-01 were as follows: Mayor, T. B. Babcock; attorney. August Muntzing; treasurer, F. W. Reed; clerk. J. B. Campbell; councilmen, W. F. Flynn, A. F. Meyer, G. F. Weed, F. E. Rickey, W. A. Sheedy, E. G. Hampton.

Banks .- The Bank of Yuma was founded May 22nd, 1886, by H. Bostwick, president, J. E. Yerkes, cashier, J. M. Ferguson and W. G. Clark. June 20th, 1888, it was changed from a private to a state bank, with the same officers. Octo- ber 14th, 1880. it was purchased by H. Bostwick, B. F. Durham and W. C. Donichy. when it was again changed to a private banking house-the Bank of Yuma -- with Bostwick, president, and Durham, cashier. October 11th, 1800, W. H. Dur- ham became president, and B. F. Durham, his nephew, cashier. The capital is

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$15,000. George C. Reed, F. W. Reed (cashier) and L. K. Morris compose the banking firm of Reed Bros. & Co., at Yuma. This house was established as a private bank May 9th, 1887, F. W. Reed having been its cashier since the begin- ning. George C., his brother, was a member of the House in the General Assembly of 1889, and is now receiver of the land office at Akron. The capital of this bank is $18,000.

Newspapers. - Volume 1, No. 1, of the Yuma "Pioneer," founded by F. C. Brobst, bears date December 25th, 1886. He also established the Yuma "Sun," and there is some dispute as to which is the elder enterprise. But the "Pioneer" of the present day was founded on these okl plants, and has all the prestige of both. Brobst sold the "Sun" to W. J. Goodspeed in 1888, and he to Thomas Williams, who in turn sold to Win. Price in 1889. Soon after it fell into the hands of M. L. Thomas, who changed the title to the Yuma "Republican," and in 1890 sold it to Jesse A. Wilhams, who changed it to the Yuma "Pioneer." The "Pioneer" and "Republican" were consolidated July 12th, 1890. Yuma has a full complement of business houses, sufficient for the inhabitants, and the leading professions are well represented.

East of Yuma, and nearly equi-distant from each other, are the towns of Laird, Wray, Robb and Eckley, all stations on the Burlington railway. In the far eastern part is Laird, named for Congressman Laird, of Nebraska. It was sur- veyed in September, 1887, by Willis Ball, and laid off by the See Bar See Land and Cattle company, by Wm. L. Campbell, president, and Amos Steck, secretary, October 5th, 1887. The plat was filed October 7th. Among its early settlers were F. K. Fisk, Wm. Roblin, John B. Draper, A. D. and D. A. Murdock, J. B. and E. G. Snyder, J. R. Raywalt and others. It has a station house, post office, school house and a few stores and residences.

I'ray, west of Laird, is, next to Yuma, the most important town in the county. It was laid off July 27th, 1886, by the See Bar See Land and Cattle com- pany, by Wm. L. Campbell, president, and Amos Steck, secretary, the plat being filed July 31st. Another plat of this town, surveyed by A. B. Smith in August, 1886, signed by the president and secretary of the Lincoln Land company and by the See Bar See Land and Cattle company, was filed October 7th, 1886.

Sheriff Lovell is our authority for the statement that Wray was named for Mr. John Wray, formerly cattle foreman for I. P. Olive. The town has a num- ber of stores, a church, school house, bank, newspaper and other evidences of substantial and permanent settlement. Until Yuma won the county seat contest, it was the strong rival of that place.

The Bank of Wray was founded in 1887 by Edwards & Gilmore, the latter cashier. Edwards died and the bank suspended. E. C. Crocker then started a bank under the same name, which is now managed by A. D. Hoy, president, and C. C. Tyler, cashier.

The Wray "Rattler," formerly owned by B. C. C. Conden, is now in its sixth year, and is published by J. N. Counter. The "Republican" was formerly owned by Mr. Pettingill, and later by W. C. Emmons: again by John Griffin, when it was moved to Eckley, where it was known as the Eckley "Republican."

The Masons and G. A. R. have organizations here. Wray is an incorporated town, the following being officers for 1800-01: Mayor. E. Hitchings; clerk. E. G. lloward: treasurer, F. D. Johnson: police magistrate. W. R. Hays; marshal. T. C. Jennings; street commissioner, M. C. Blust; trustees, A. A. Horn, E. H. Vaughn, L. C. Blust. W. C. Grigsby, M. W. Rogers and A. D. Hov.

Robb, west of Wray and east of Eckley, was surveyed by E. Zull, and laid off by G. M. Boss and C. G. Smythe, July 3rd. 1800. The plat was filed February 7th. Among its carly settlers were M. and D. Sisson, Alonzo. Morris and E. L.

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Sechrist, M. R. Lovell, John Zepp and others. It is a post office and railway station.

Likley, a little to the west of Robb, and between that place and Yuma, was surveyed by A. B. Smith, May Ioth, 1889, and laid off by the Lincoln Land com- pany May 30th. The plat was filed at the date last named. Among the pioneers of this place were John Sisson, W. D. Goodsey, F. J. Van Horn, J. P. and O. P. Speirs, James White, J. M. Graham, George Beckwith, Dr. Clark and others. It is a small post office station on the Burlington railway. It is said to have been named for Adams Eckles, at one time cattle foreman for J. W. Bowles.

Leslie, a small town in the northwestern part of the county, part of whose site is in Yuma and the remainder in Washington, was surveyed June 4th, 1888, by A. B. Smith, and laid off by the Lincoln Land company The plat was filed November 13th following. The town is also mentioned in the history of Washi- ington and Logan counties.

I'old Citr was a small settlement, started about the year 1887, by R. S. Wilson and John Morrow, some thirty miles northeast of Yuma, on the Eckley and Julesburg trail. Among its early settlers were Melvin Estes, John Morrow, R. S. Wilson, the Warren brothers, John Eckman, L. W. Ball and others. This town has been abandoned.

Wm. L. Campbell and J. W. Bowles have taken out a few ditches in the vicinity of Wray and Laird from the North Fork of the Republican river. One canal or ditch has been cut which terminates at Haigler, Nebraska. Bold mountain is a sand hill in the northeastern part of the county.

In 1890 Yuma county had a school census of 760. There were thirty-five school districts and twenty-two buildings for educational purposes, with 728 sit- tings. The value of this property was $14,605. All the schools were ungraded. The enrollment was 573, with an average daily attendance of 334.1. Forty-nine teachers were employed.

The assessed valuation of property in the county for 1889 was $995.396.62, and for 1890, $1,165,008. In the list are 156,730 acres of agricultural land, valued at $446,725; 1,544 horses, 148 mules, 5,240 cattle, 858 sheep and 3,033 hogs.

BIOGRAPHICAL DEPARTMENT.

ADAMS, Alva. See Vol. III, page 51.

ADAMS, Frank, bank examiner, was born in Iowa county, Wis., Aug. 29, 1856, where he remained until 1871, when his parents moved to Colorado. Soon after their arrival here, Mr. Adams returned to Wisconsin, where he completed his education in the schools of that state. Upon his return to Colorado, he located in Gunnison, and engaged in the mer- cantile business, and by his energy and sa- gacity built up the largest trade in western Colorado, In ISSS he also engaged in the cattle trade, which has prospered equally with his mercantile pursuits. In 1883 he was elected a trustee of Gunnison; the year fol- lowing became mayor of that city, and in 1885 was appointed postmaster of that place under Cleveland's first administration; was a delegate to the national democratic conven- tlon which inet at Chicago in 1892, and was appointed a member of the notification com- mittee which informed Cleveland and Steph- enson of their nomination. In the fall of 1892 he was unanimously nominated by the demo- cratie party for the state legislature, but re- fused to make the race. In the summer of 1893 he was appointed National Bank exam- iner for Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, and part of Texas, this be- ing the largest field to which any officer of the class was ever assigned. He has been a life-long democrat, has generally taken an active interest in the cause of his party, and is an influential campaigner. Ile is naturally adapted to the business of a bank examiner, and his services in that capacity show him to be thoroughly qualified.

W. II. Adams is a native of Wisconsin. The life of Mr. Adams has been, in many respects, a remarkable one, and the success he has achieved, instead of being due to any combi- nation of fortunate circumstances, is attribut- able alone to a native ability largely above the average. He was born at Blue Mounds, Wis., Feb. 15, 1861, and remained in that state until ten years of age, when the family removed to Colorado, where the education begun in Wisconsin was completed in the public schools. IIe began his public career at 22 years of age, upon his election to the office of city treasurer of Alamosa, and one year later he was elected a member of the board of trustees of Alamosa. In 1885 he was elected mayor of that city; being re- elected in 1886. He was elected a county commissioner of Conejos county in the fall of 1885, and a year later, while still holding the offices of mayor and county commissioner, he was elected to the lower house of the legislature to represent Conejos county. So favorable a record did he make for himself while a member of the house of representa- tives, that at the ensuing election in the fall of 1888 he was elected to the more prominent office of senator, representing the counties of Conejos and Archuleta, and re-elected in 1892. During his career as a legislator Sena- tor Adams has been noted as a ready and ag- gressive debater, and he is probably the most finished parlamentarian in the legislature of Colorado. It is a difficult matter to predict the future of men of Mr. Adams' mould, but those to whom he is best known confidently look forward to even greater success in the future than he has met in the past, and pos- sessed as he is of great tenacity of purpose. it is safe to assert that he has not yet reached the pinnacle of his career.

ADAMS, W. H., stato senator, is one of the most conspicuous examples in Colorado of men who have rapidly advanced to the front In both public and private life, and whose career and present position are entirely due ASHLEY, Eli M., manufacturer, was born to persistent and unswerving effort. Hon. May 28, 1833, at Portsmouth, Ohio, and

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primarily educated in the common schools, operative effort to the development of local but favored at a later period with a course industries out of which our large commerce of instruction in the Western Ohio Liberal in native wares has been evolved. In re- Institute at Marietta. From 1858 to 1861 he viewing his annual report to the Chamber was engaged in the drug business at Toledo. at the close of his presideney, one of our Coming to Denver, June 17, 1861, he was soon newspapers pronounced it an exhaustive record of Denver's progress during the year 1887, dealing not only with the events of that afterward appointed chief clerk to Frank M. Case, then surveyor-general of Colorado. In October, 1861, he returned to Salina, Ohio, period, but entering quite fully into the pos- and was united in marriage to Miss Susan E. Riley, with whom he resided permanently in Denver. In February, 1874, after thirteen years continuous service, he resigned his po- sition in the surveyor-general's office, and during the next three years was engaged in the lumber trade. In February, 1877, he was appointed chief clerk to surveyor-general Wm. L. Campbell, continuing until the elose of the latter's term. For three years he was

sibilities of the future, and concluding with the following well merited tribute: "Mr. Ashley has made an able officer. As presi- dent of the Chamber he has been conscien- tious in the performance of duty. Progres- sive and ready to grasp at all times the exi- gencies of any situation, he has been invalu- able as an advisor. Cautious, yet aggres- sive, he has not overlooked a point of ad- vantage, and as he retires from the presi- a member of the East Denver school board, deney he leaves behind him a record without and in 1875 was made its president. In 1873 a blemish."

he made his first visit to Europe during the World's Exposition at Vienna. In 1885 he ADAMS, Matt, for six years past clerk of the district court, was born at Newberry, N. H., March 10th, 1844, son of John Langdon and Jane (Felch) Adams. Passing the usual round of the public schools, he entered New London academy, where his education was, for the time being completed. In August, 1861, when only 18 years of age, he enlisted at Concord as a private in the 4th New Hampshire infantry, and in September, 1863, was promoted to be 2nd lieutenant. In No- vember, 1864, for meritorious service, he re- ceived a captain's commission, subsequently serving on the staffs of Generals Adelbert Ames and Alfred Terry as engineer and pro- vost-marshal. After the surrender of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's army to Gen. Sherman, organized the Western Chemical Works for the manufacture, in Denver, of sulphuric, nitric and muriatic acids, sulphate of copper, iron and zine, an industry of much import- ance to the city and state; was elected presi- dent of the company, and from that time to the present he has directed its affairs. In January, 1887, upon the retirement of Mr. R. W. Woodbury, Mr. Ashley was, by unani- mous vote of the board of directors, elected president of the Denver Chamber of Com- meree and Board of Trade for the ensuing year, and at its close though urged to accept a re-election declined the honor. The only political office he has occupied was that of chairman of the republican state central com- mittee, to which he was elected at the con- in April, 1865, he was appointed provost mar- vention of that party in September, 1890, and shal of the Middle Military district of North successfully conducted one of the most tur- Carolina, which embraced sixteen of the cen- bulent, exciting and trying campaigns in the tral counties, with headquarters at Raleigh. Capt. Adams discharged the duties of this responsible post until finally mustered out in November, 1865. During the four years of arduous service he took part in twenty-three distinct battles,-in Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina, and in Gen. Grant's memorable Virginia campaign of 1864-65 in front of Petersburg and Richmond, and was thrice wounded. At the close of the war he returned home, and soon after entered the of- fiee of the sheriff in Portland, Maine, where he remained eight years. Meanwhile he studied law, was admitted to practice, was elected a justice of the peace, and held other

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History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV, Part 54

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