Portrait and biographical record of the state of Colorado, containing portraits and biographies of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 170

Author: Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1530

USA > Colorado > Portrait and biographical record of the state of Colorado, containing portraits and biographies of many well known citizens of the past and present > Part 170

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Presbyterian Church and did much to advance the welfare of the congregation with which he was identified. His death occurred when he was seventy-four years of age.

Our subject's mother was born in County Ar- magh January 16, 1825, and was a daughter of William and Eliza (Allen) Hill. Her father, a native of County Armagh, born about 1792, en- gaged in farming and became the owner of large landed possessions. For many years he served as bailiff of his county, and was one of its respected citizens. In religion he was a Presbyterian. He died when ninety-three years of age. Our sub- ject's father was born in County Armagh in 1822 and there married and engaged in the mer- cantile business. In 1869 he emigrated to Amer- ica and, after spending two years in St. Louis, he came to Colorado. One winter was spent in Denver, and in the spring he settled in Jefferson County, eighteen miles southwest of Denver, where he engaged in farming and the stock busi- ness. In 1877 he removed to Fort Collins, where he spent seven years, engaged in farming on the Cache la Poudre River, five miles southeast of Fort Collins. In 1884 he removed to Morgan County and settled four miles east of Fort Mor- gan, where he resided until his death, in 1895. In politics he was a populist. For a number of years he was a tax collector in Ireland, and during his residence in Jefferson County he served as a member of the school board. He was a faithful member of the Presbyterian Church. In his family there were seven children, and six are now living, namely: William J., a business man of St. Louis, Mo .; Eliza H., who lives in Morgan County; John H .; Robert M., a ranchman of Morgan County; Joseph C., who is engaged in the cattle business here; aud Anna M., also living in this county.

Upon reaching manhood our subject settled on one hundred and sixty acres which he home- steaded and upon which he began the task of im- provement. From time to time he added to the place, which now numbers four hundred acres. Here he has engaged successfully in raising stock and in general ranch pursuits. He is one of the well-known residents of Morgan County, and from 1892 to 1894 filled the office of county con- missioner, in which capacity he gave efficient ser- vice. In 1890 he was united in marriage with Miss Anna J. Camp, a native of New York City, and daughter of J. H. Camp, who for many years was a business man of that city. Shortly after

their marriage, Mrs. Glassey died. The second marriage of our subject took place December 28, 1892, and united him with Nellie F., daughter of Rev. Allen F. Randolph, a Presbyterian minis- ter, now making his home in Boulder County, Colo. Three children bless this union, namely: Mary Josephine, born October 21, 1893; John Randolph, October 19, 1894; and Gertrude Miller, February 28, 1897.

ILSON A. SKIFF. During the year that he arrived in Colorado, 1886, Mr. Skiff settled in Eagle County, and took up a pre-emption claim on Gypsum Creek. In July, 1887, he took up a homestead, upon which was later built a portion of the village of Gypsum. In 1890 he erected the first hotel in the town. Many of the enterprises of the infant town re- ceived his assistance and to more than one of them he contributed his time and means. The village is now growing and bids fair to become an important town at no distant day.

The Skiff family was founded in America by William Skiff, a native of Scotland and a farmer. He was connected with people of the same name who settled in Massachusetts from Scotland in 1637, but he was the first of his branch of the family that crossed the ocean. His son, Will- iamı, Jr., was born in New Hampshire, and in youth settled in Pennsylvania, where he engaged in farming. While he never held public office, he took an active part in local politics and always voted the Democratic ticket. He died in 1872, when fifty-nine years of age.

The marriage of William Skiff, Jr., united him with Miss Lucinda May, a native of New Hamp- shire, born in 1810. She was a daughter of Gilbert May, who was killed by the falling of a tree when she was small. Her death occurred in 1888. Of her family, Franklin, now a lumber merchant in Pennsylvania, served for four years as a member of the Eighteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry; Hiram, a farmer, died in 1878; Silas G., a farmer in Pennsylvania, died in 1883; Mathew- son is engaged in farming in Crawford County, Pa .; Françis M. came to Colorado in 1878 and is engaged in mining; William A., of Denver, has been connected with the Consolidated Ice Com- pany of that city since 1883; Charles E. carries on a lumber business in Warren County, Pa .; and Fidelia M. is the wife of Russell Harvey, of Crawford County, Pa.

When twenty-one years of age our subject

Beny Mattice

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started out in life for himself, and engaged in farming and later in the oil business. In 1876 he settled in Kent County, Mich., where he spent ten years in farming. He then came to Colo- rado and settled in Eagle County, where he still resides. He gives 'his attention closely to his business affairs, and has little inclination to mingle in politics, although he never fails to vote at elections and uniformly supports Democratic candidates for the presidency.

In 1873 Mr. Skiff married Miss Dell Alexan- der, who was born in Pennsylvania, but was reared and educated in Lowell, Mich. Her parents, Willard and Eunice (Braisted) Alexan- der, continued to reside upon a farm in Michigan until they died. They had a family of three sons and four daughters, of whom one daughter died in Colorado in 1893. Samuel and Willard are farmers in Michigan and Charles H. is a mer- chant in Lowell, that state; Miranda is the wife of Samuel Smith, a farmer of Pennsylvania; and Mary married Joseph Morgan, of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Skiff have two sons, Guy and Harvey, both of whom are in school.

ENJAMIN MATTICE, one of the leading real-estate owners of Pueblo, was born in Schoharie County, N. Y., April 8, 1830, a son of Peter and Catherine (Zeh) Mattice. His paternal grandfather, who was a native of New York and a private in the Revolutionary war, descended from German ancestors that emigrated from Saxony to New York in a very early day. The maternal grandfather, Joseph Zeh, was of German extraction, but himself a native of New York. During the raid made by the Indians on the white settlers near the Schoharie, he drove the horses back of the mountains and thus saved them.

A lifelong resident of Schoharie County, Peter Mattice was fairly prosperous as a farmer. In politics he was a Democrat, but not a politician nor a partisan. Following the faith of his ances- tors, he held membership in the Dutch Reformed Church. His death occurred in 1860, when he was seventy-six, and his wife passed away in 1856, at sixty-three years of age. The boyhood days of our subject were spent on the home farm. After attending common schools for some years he entered Schoharie Academy, where he re- mained for eighteen months as a student, and afterward was employed as a teacher there for two ternis. He later took the complete course of

study in Amherst College, graduating in 1856, after which he taught for six terms in the acad- emy at Galliopolis, Ohio.

Desiring to read law Mr. Mattice entered the office of Hon. A. G. Chatfield, of Belle Plaine, Minn., who was then chief justice of the terri- tory. Mr. Mattice afterward returned to his na- tive town in New York, where he continued his readings. He also taught for two terms in the Wainwright Institute at Middleburg, Schoharie County. When the Civil war commenced he assisted in raising two companies, and was offered a captaincy, but could not accept on account of poor health. In recognition of his active part in the raising of troops he was given an appointment in the United States treasury department, where he remained for two years and four months, meantime receiving promotion. During the canı- paign of 1860 he "stumped" his native county in behalf of Abraham Lincoln, and in 1864 came home from Washington and voted for him.

At the close of the war Mr. Mattice resigned his position in the treasury. Two years before he had been admitted to the bar, and in 1866 he located in Mascoutah, St. Clair County, Il1., where he engaged in practice for six years. In 1867 he was appointed register in bankruptcy under Secretary Chase for six counties, and that position he held until he removed to Pueblo, Colo., in 1871. In conjunction with his nephew, John C. Vroman, in 1872 he established a stock ranch iu Otero County, which Mr. Mattice left to the management of his nephew, while he turned his attention to his law practice. He was one of the original constructors of the Catlin ditch in Otero County. In 1894 he sold his stock ranch interests to his nephew. In 1884 he retired from practice in order to give his whole time to his large private interests. Since then he has platted Mattice's addition to Pueblo, consisting of about eighty acres; also the Mattice and Gibson addi- tion on the east side of the city. Many of these lots he has sold, while others he has improved and built upon and now has for sale.

As a member of a company of five Mr. Mattice owns an interest in thirteen hundred acres of val- uable land, with mineral and marble mines, in Saguache County, Colo. He also owns large marble quarries at Beulah, Pueblo County, Colo., where the marble has been obtained for use in the construction of the capitol building in Denver. Politically, from the time John C. Fremont was a presidential candidate until the campaign of

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1892, Mr. Mattice was a Republican, but since then he has affiliated with the People's party and Democrats on account of the money question. He is now serving his third term as alderman of Pueblo, which position he accepted largely on account of his valuable real-estate interests that might be injured by adverse action of the city council. At an early age he united with the Presbyterian denomination, and for several years officiated as elder, and was a commissioner to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church at Saratoga, N. Y., in 1883. In 1888 he became a member of the Congregational Church, in which he has officiated as a deacon.

May 27, 1869, Mr. Mattice married Miss Sarah Leonora Rayhill, of St. Clair County, Ill. They have six children living, viz .: May, wife of John A. Doolittle, of New Haven, Conn .; Charles Rayhill, 1 .o married Lydia Marshall, of Beth- lehem,"1 .', and resides in Pueblo; Ida, who was a teacher in the public schools of Pueblo and is now the wife of Herbert Thorp, of Marion, Kan .; Benjamin, Jr., who is an assayer in this city; Ruby, who is a student in the high school; and Eugene, a student in the public school.

] J. S. HARVEY, county commissioner of Washington County, is one of the prosperous and prominent cattlemen of northeastern Colorado, in which section of the state he has made his home for a number of years. He came to Colorado in 1888 and on the 19th of May of that year he filed a homestead in Washington County, twenty miles northeast of Akron, near the postoffice of Burdett, and here he began gen- eral farm pursuits. After a time, however, he turned his attention to the cattle business, to which he now devotes himself exclusively. He is an industrious and energetic man, and deserves success in his undertakings. The main industry of his county is the cattle business, and he is one of its leading representatives. Any plan for the benefit of his county, whether along the line of the development of its principal industry or in other enterprises, receives his stanch support. In November, 1897, he was elected on the Republi- can ticket to the office of county commissioner and is now ably serving his constituents in this capacity. For three years previous he had served his district as justice of the peace.

A son of John S. and Martha (Geist) Harvey, the subject of this sketch was born in Lancaster County, Pa., January 2, 1848. - He and his

brother, Henry T., of Columbus, Ohio, are the survivors of the original family of four children. His father, who was a member of an old family of Lancaster County, spent his entire life there, en- gaged in farm pursuits, and passed from earth in 1853, while in the prime of his manhood. His wife, who was born in 1817, and died in January, 1899, was also a member of a pioneer family of Peunsylvania and was a relative of J. M. W. Geist, long known as the "Nestor of journalism" in Lancaster.

When his father died our subject was but five years of age. Three years later he was given a home with a neighboring farmer, Miller Thomp- son, with whom he remained for two years. On the removal of his mother to Ohio, he was taken with her and settled in Franklin County. After- ward, until his sixteenth year, he spent his time on a farmi, doing chores and attending school during the winter, while in the summer he assisted in the tilling of the soil. When sixteen years of age he went to Columbus and appren- ticed himself to the harness-maker's trade, serv- ing a three years' apprenticeship, and afterward working for six months as a journeyman. He then returned to the country and spent one season in farm work, after which he removed to Illinois, where he was engaged in farming in Edgar County for four years. Going from there to Chicago, he was employed on a propeller that carried on a freight and passenger business be- tween Chicago and Port Sarnia, Canada. For nine months he was engaged in the lake and river service.

Meantime our subject's mother had married a second time and was again widowed. He re- turned to Ohio and settled up her business affairs, after which they moved to Indiana, locating in Newcastle. During the six years spent there he was interested in farming. Believing, however, that he could do better in the west, he removed to Nebraska and settled in Seward County, where he bought land and for nine years carried on a farm. From Nebraska he came to Colorado in 1888 and settled upon the homestead where he has since resided. During his residence in New- castle, Ind., he was married, May 21, 1872, to Miss Dorcas A. Harvey, daughter of Henry B. Harvey, who was a farmer and blacksmith in Henry County, Ind. To this marriage eight children were born, but only three are living, viz. : John H., a cattleman of Washington County; Frank H. and Flora A., at home, In the spring

J.L. Beaman

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of 1897 Mrs. Harvey received appointment as postmistress at Burdett, and this office she has since filled, the same being located on the ranch. The family are highly esteemed throughout the county, where they have many friends to whom their geniality, high honor and courtesy have en- deared them.

AMES L. BEAMAN, sheriff of Pueblo Coun- ty, and a resident of the city of Pueblo since 1890, is a member of an old New England family of American and Scotch ancestry. His father, who is an influential attorney of Denver and general counsel for the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, was born in Burlington, Lawrence County, Ohio, being a son of G. C. Beaman. In early life he was given good educational advan- tages. He was a student at Oberlin and after- ward studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1869, and practiced in Keosauqua and Ottumwa, Iowa, for some years. In 1887 he came to Colo- rado, where he practiced one year at Glenwood Springs. He then opened an office in Denver, where he has since resided. By his marriage to Luella A. Smith he became the father of three sons and one daughter, all of whom are living. The grandfather of these children was born in Massachusetts and settled in Ohio at an early day. Afterward, however, he became a pioneer of Lee County, Iowa, where he was a prominent citizen and an influential minister in the Presby- teriau Church. He continued to reside in Iowa until his death.

The oldest child of D. C. and Luella A. Bea- man, the subject of this sketch, was born in Selma, Van Buren County, Iowa, March 23, 1862. He attended the public schools of Keo- sauqua, Van Buren County. At the age of eight- een he began to learn the printer's trade in the composing room of the Daily Courier of Ottumwa, and afterward was made foreman in the job room of that paper, which position he held for six years. Meantime, for two years, he served as deputy county auditor of Wapello County.

In November, 1890, Mr. Beaman came to Pu- eblo to take charge of the real-estate department of the Colorado Coal & Iron Company, and after- ward liad charge of their real-estate throughout the entire state until the consolidation of the com- pany with another, thereby forming the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company. He was then placed in charge of the Colorado Coal & Iron Develop-

ment Company's real-estate department, at the head of which he continued until his election as sheriff. He has for years been actively identified with public affairs, and from the time of coming to Colorado has been an active worker in the Re- publican party of Pueblo County. In the fall of 1897 he was elected sheriff by a majority of three hundred and sixty-nine, and in January of the next year took the oath of office for a term of two years. For this position his coolness, determina- tion and will power admirably qualify him, and he is filling it in a manner highly creditable to himself and satisfactory to the people. While his attention is largely given to his official duties, he maintains his connection with the Colorado Coal & Iron Development Company.

In Ottumwa, Iowa, Mr. Beaman married Miss Nettie R. Bowman, who was born in Illinois. Their three children are Crichton Helen and Frank. Mrs. Beaman is a member o - Epis- copal Church, to the support of which our subject is a contributor. Politically, as before intimated, he is a stanch adherent of Republican principles and an advocate of the platform for which it stands. In fraternal relations he is connected with the Woodmen of the World, Ancient Order of United Workmen, Improved Order of Red Men, Junior Order United American Mechanics, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and Lodge No. 28, I. O. O. F., of Pueblo. The Pueblo Club numbers him among its members. In 1884 he became a member of the International Typo- graphical Union, in which he still retains his membership. In 1888 he was a delegate to the I. T. U. convention in Kansas City, and the fol- lowing year attended the national convention held in Denver. During his residence in Ot- tumwa, in 1888-89, he held the position of state organizer for Iowa, and is still an honorary mem- ber of that union.

OHN D. MILLER, president and manager of the J. D. Miller Mercantile Company at Nos. 120-124 First street, Pueblo, was born in Danby, Tompkins County, N. Y., March 22, 1836, a member of an old eastern family. In 1854 he entered the Syracuse Institute, and two years later, while still a student there, the agita- tion regarding Kansas caused him to determine to go there, and assist in obtaining its supremacy as a free state. With a double-barreled gun, bowie knife and other adjuncts which he sur -

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posed would be necessary, he started west in 1857. Reaching Kansas lie pre-empted a claim near Lawrence, where he remained for a year.

In the spring of 1858 he joined the first Law- rence expedition of gold hunters, bound for the Rockies. They traveled up the Arkansas River and camped on the Fountaine qui Bouille, ten miles from the present site of Pueblo, on the 4th of July. They then went up to and camped on a stream near the Garden of the Gods. Mr. Miller, George Peck and another gentleman went up to the top of Pike's Peak on the 8th of July, and he cut his name on a piece of wood, round which he piled a lot of rocks, and then stuck the piece of wood in the midst. On the 12th one of the party, Mrs. Annie Holmes, ascended the peak witlı her husband, James H. Holmes, and other members of the party, including Mr. Miller. She was the first woman who ever reached the summit of the peak.

John Easter, who lived near Lawrence, started to organize the party for gold hunting. Fall Leaf, an Indian chief who had been in Colorado with government parties, showed him a handful of gold nuggets, which he said he had seen when lying down to drink beside a brook. He agreed for $5 a day to pilot the party, consisting of forty - seven men and two women, to the place where he had found the gold. Trusting him implicitly, the men furnished his family provisions for six months. Then the party, with ten ox-teams and two mule-teams, started west, leaving a mule team with Easter and Capt. J. H. Tourney, who were to bring Fall Leaf and overtake the main party at Council Grove. However, when the two men arrived, the Indian was not to be seen, he having refused to go on the plea that the In- dians at the mountains would kill him. A vote of the party was taken to decide whether or not to proceed to the mountains, and all agreed to go on without a guide. J. H. Tourney was elected captain of the company, the other members of which were as follows: John Easter (now of Goldfield, Colo.), Roswell Hutchins (probably dead), William Mills, "Pap" Maywood, John Turner (now of Durango), William Prentiss, Peter Halsey, William McAllister, Giles Blood, William Regan, Joseph Brown, James White, Jason T. Younker (now of Arkansas Pass, Tex.), Howard Hunt, William Boyer, Josiah Hinman, William Hartley, Adnah French, George W. Smith, A. J. Bowen, William Parsons, Robert Peebles, J. D. Miller, George Peek (now of Las

Animas), Augustus Voorhees, William Copley, A. C. Wright (of Denver), Albert F. Bercaw, William (nick) Smith, Frank M. Cobb, Charles Nichols, James H. Holmes, Mrs. Annie A. Holmes, Robert Middleton and wife, Charles Runyan, John A. Churchill, Albert W. Archi- bald (an attorney at Trinidad), William Chad- sey, Messrs. Cross, Mckay and Blackman. Of these William Hartley, who was a surveyor, went north toward Denver, and surveyed Mon- tana, a town on the Platte, five iniles above Den- ver, in the vicinity of Petersburg. With him were Roswell Hutchins and John Easter, the former of whom built the first house in Auraria (now West Denver.)

Others of the company hearing of the discovery of gold in the Sangre de Cristo, went south and some remained on the Platte River. Mr. Miller was a member of the party that journeyed south to Fort Garland. However, he found no gold. While prospecting he learned from soldiers that Green Russell and party had found gold ou Cherry Creek. Some of the company (among them Mr. and Mrs. Holmes) remained in what is now New Mexico; Mr. Miller and the others returned to Cherry Creek in August. After prospecting there about a month the party di- vided, and fourteen started back for the Missouri River, among them being Mr. Miller, taking with them four teams, via the Platte route. At Fort Kearney they crossed to the Republican River, which they followed down to Fort Riley, thence to Lawrence.

It is impossible to secure accurate information regarding the present whereabouts of the men- bers of this pioneer party. James H. Holmes, who lives at No. 412 West Fiftieth street, New York, endeavored to compile a history of the party, but was unable to secure the needed in- formation. Captain Tourney, who with Easter, led the expedition, is believed to be dead. Doubt- less many of the others have also taken their last long journey.

In 1859 Mr. Miller returned to Colorado on a prospecting tour. He was in the Deadwood dig- gings, then at Central City, and in 1860 went to California Gulch, thence to Sulphur Springs and Georgetown. In August, 1861, he enlisted in Company F, First Colorado Cavalry, under Capt. Sam Cook. In the battle of Apache Canon, his horse was shot from under him. He assisted in driving the Texas rangers out of New Mexico, and, as quartermaster sergeant, rendered effective

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service. The battle of Apache Canon was in many respects the most remarkable of those in which he engaged, as it was both rapid and se- vere. The first day his company lost eleven men killed and three wounded. On the following day a more severe battle was fought, where there were three Texas rangers to one Colorado soldier, but the latter finally threw them into disastrous retreat and followed them to Texas. After three years and two months, the company was mustered out in 1864.

After having been mustered out of service, Mr. Miller returned to New York state, intending to remain, but he found himself dissatified, and in the spring of 1865 returned to Colorado, and com- inenced freighting across the plains, first using an ox-train and later a mule-train, and going from Leavenworth to Denver. Indians were trouble- some and he had frequent skirmishes along the Platte, but always won the victory. The train of which he was captain consisted of thirty wagons. In 1866 he settled in the Arkansas Valley, where he engaged in ranching, but in the fall of the same year came to Pueblo, where for two years he hired out at $25 a month. In 1868 he was elected county clerk and recorder, and, by re-election, held office for four years. In 1872 he opened a grocery with T. W. Sayles, and from a small retail business gradually developed intó a large wholesale trade, and since 1888 has been exclusively wholesale. After he had been in business for four years he bought the interest of Mr. Sayles, and continued alone. As the city grew his trade expanded. In 1880 he built what was then the largest and finest store build- ing in Pueblo, and added a wholesale department, meantime pushing his trade through Colorado and New Mexico.

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Portrait and biographical record of the state of Colorado, containing portraits and biographies of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 170

Author: Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago, pub Publication date: 1899 Publisher: Chicago, Chapman Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1530

Author: Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1530