Portrait and biographical record of the state of Colorado, containing portraits and biographies of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 37

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 37

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For eighteen years a Mason, Mr. Stratton is now a member of Mount Moriah Lodge No. 15, A. F. & A. M., at Canon City. In October, 1889, he was united in marriage with Miss Laura T. Witherspoon, daughter of H. S. Witherspoon, county commissioner of Park County. To their marriage have been born two children, Donald and Pauline.

OBERT A. STEEN, president of the La Junta State Bank, and one of the most influential mien of Otero County, was born in Bridgewater, Beaver County, Pa., May 5, 1851. He is of remote German extraction, but the family has long been identified with American history. His father, Robert L., son of John Steen, was born in Ohio, and is now living in Lawrence, Kan., quite active for one of his seventy-four years. He went to Topeka, Kan., in 1871, and for many years was employed on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. During the Mexican war he was a member of the state militia, but was not called out into serv- ice. Politically he has been a lifelong, but not an active, Democrat. In religion he is a Pres- byterian. His father, who was a native of Pennsylvania, married Katie Barnes, who was born in the north of Ireland, and thus he was of mingled German and Irish lineage.

The mother of our subject was in maidenhood Mary Jane Bunting and was born in Pennsyl- vania. She died in 1865, at the age of forty-five

years, and left eight children. Of these Robert A:, who was second in order of birth, was given good educational advantages in the schools of Pennsyl- vania and the academy at Darlington, Beaver County. Afterward he took a course in the Topeka Commercial College in Topeka, Kan. At twenty years of age he became connected with a dry-goods and grocery store owned by a mining company in Pennsylvania, and of this he had charge for two years. He then went to Kansas and after taking a business course he began to work for the Santa Fe Railroad, having charge of the water service department as general fore- man, on the western division from Dodge City to Denver. He held this position for thirteen years and two months and during that entire time never lost a day from work.

Resigning his position in 1883 and coming to La Junta, Colo., Mr. Steen was here given charge of the Santa Fe Railroad Company's lands and their water works, but these were at a later date sold to the city government. However, he still has charge of their landed interests in this sec- tion of Colorado. On the organization of the Bank of La Junta, with which he was actively identified, he became the vice-president, and con- tinued as such during the existence of the bank, which was after a time merged into the First National Bank. January 16, 1893, he was one of the organizers of the La Junta State Bank, of which he was the first, and has been the only president.

Until coming to La Junta Mr. Steen did not participate in politics, although he always cast a Democratic vote on election day. Here, how- ever, he has maintained a close connection with local political affairs. At one time he held the office of mayor. Otero County was organized in 1888 and the following year, at the first election in the new county, he was elected one of the com- missioners, receiving the largest vote of any can- didate on his ticket. During the three years that he remained in office he served as chairman of the board the entire time. When his term expired, in January, 1893, he was appointed deputy county treasurer, in which capacity he was retained for five years. Since resigning that position lie has devoted himself to his banking and private inter- ests. He has been identified with local interests from the organization of the town, of which he was one of the ten organizers, and has assisted personally in the advancement of local enterprises. For seven years he has served as a school director,

HORACE C. MITCHELL.

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and during this time he has also been treasurer of the board. In the organization of the Otero County Building and Loan Association he was interested, and was one of the original stockholders.

Fraternally Mr. Steen is connected with Euclid Lodge No. 64, A. F. & A. M., La Junta Chapter No. 20, R. A. M., and Palestine Commandery No. 22, of all of which he was a charter member. He is also identified with El Jebel Temple, N. M. S., in Denver. He has been connected with the Masonic fraternity since June, 1872, when he was made a Mason in Darlington, Pa. With his family, he holds membership in the Presbyterian Church. In 1877 he was united in marriage with Miss Clara Alice Dillon, of Council Grove, Kan. They have two children, Sadie A. and Walter S.

ORACE C. MITCHELL is a pioneer of Leadville, having come to this city in the days when it was known as California Gulch, and here he has since engaged in mining. He located the Mahala mine, which he named in honor of his sister and which is one of the largest and most productive mines of this camp. With it he has been connected from the first. The shaft of the Mahala mine penetrates to a depth of twelve hundred feet, and five large smoke stacks can be seen. He is also connected with other mines of this region, and his mining interests are important and varied.

Mr. Mitchell was born in St. Clair, Mich., in 1846, a son of Periz and Susan (Carelton) Mitch- ell, natives respectively of Freeport, Me., and New Hampshire. His father, who followed the sea until thirty years of age, then settled in St. Clair, Mich., where he conducted a sash and door factory until his death. For years he served as town trustee, and as a Republican was active in local affairs. He was an earnest Christian and a member of the Congregational Church. His death occurred when he was fifty-six. Little is known of his father, save that he was a sailor. His wife, who died at seventy-five years of age, was a daughter of Jeremiah Carelton, a farmer and merchant of New Hampshire and a captain in the Indian wars. Our subject was one of five children. His brother, Jeremiah, is engaged in mining and the real-estate business, with his home in Denver; George M. is connected with the Denver Mining Exchange; Mahala is unmar- ried; and Cora is the wife of George W. Bethel, pf Canon City,

At the age of fourteen years our subject began life as a sailor, and for six years he lead a sea- faring life. In 1870 he came to Colorado and settled in Denver, securing employment with the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Company. From there in 1874 he came to what is now Leadville, and here he owns an elegant residence, over which his wife (formerly Margaret Braden, of Canada) gracefully presides. His home is known for its hospitality and he and his accomplished wife have many friends. In Masonry he is connected with the blue lodge, chapter, commandery and shrine. He is a man of liberal views, enterprising and progressive, and always does his part in promo- ting those enterprises which are calculated to be of public benefit. He has never cared to identify himself with politics, although he is a pronounced advocate of Republican principles. A man of public spirit, energetic and possessing clear judgment, he is reputed to be one of the most sagacious mining men of the city and his opinion is relied upon in matters relative to the mining industry.

ON. WILLIAM H. BRISBANE, former state treasurer of Colorado, came to Lead- ville in 1879, and with the exception of the years of his official life, has since been a resident of this city, where he has been interested in real estate and mining and is now manager of the Vendome hotel. He is the sole owner of the de Mainville block, in which the postoffice is located and which is among the best business buildings in the city. From the time that he came to Lead- ville he was a partner of Mr. de Mainville in the real-estate and mining business, until the death of the latter in 1896.

In Allentown, Lehigh County, Pa., the subject of this article was born in 1851. His father, Rev. William H. Brisbane, was a minister in the Meth- odist Episcopal Church and, while a native of New York, spent the most of his life in Pennsyl- vania; his death occurred in 1862, while he was pastor of one of the leading churches in Philadel- phia. He had two brothers, Arthur and Robert, who served in Colonel Baker's regiment in the Union army and were killed in the battle of Fair Oaks. Their father, William H. Brisbane, was a prominent merchant of New York and for some time held office as collector of the port of New - York; his father was an intimate friend of Martha Washington.

The mother of our subject was Jennie (Biggs)

₮3

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Brisbane, a native of Delaware, and sister of Gov. Benjamin T. Biggs, of that state. Her grand- father, John Biggs, was a soldier in the Revolu- tionary war; and her father, whose name was also John, was born in Delaware, where he became a large and prosperous land owner. She is still living, and makes her home with her only son; her daughter, Mary H., married George W. Polk, of Denver, and died some years ago.

Educated in Quaker schools in Philadelphia, at the age of eighteen our subject learned the print- er's trade, and for some time was employed on the Philadelphia Press, with John W. Forney. Later he was employed by the Harlan & Hol- lingsworth Company, car and ship builders, who built some of the finest ships in our country. He then went to Wilmington, Del., where he en- gaged in the wholesale tobacco and cigar busi- ness. In 1876 he came west, settling in Chey- enne, Wyo., and three years later came to Lead- ville, where he began to buy and sell real estate and also acquired large mining interests. A prom- inent and active Republican, he was elected state treasurer on this ticket in 1888, and served for one term, meantime making his home in Denver. In 1893 he returned to Leadville, where he has since resumed his real-estate, mining and busi- ness interests.

In 1897 Mr. Brisbane married Florence Belle Maulding, who was born in Illinois and is a highly educated and refined lady, and for a time was a school teacher in Leadville. She is a daugh- ter of James Manlding, who for six years served as sheriff of Hamilton County, Ill., and has been prominent in public affairs during almost his en- tire active life; his wife bore the maiden name of Margarette Manchester. Fraternally Mr. Bris- bane is connected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Knights of Pythias and stands at the head of the local lodge of Elks. Having witnessed the growth of Leadville for twenty years, he feels a deep interest in every- thing pertaining to its welfare. He has gained financial success and an honored position among the citizens of Leadville, whose people hold him in esteem as a man of business ability and in- tegrity.

M ARK B. GILL, chairman of the board of commissioners of Washington County and superintendent of 22 ranch, was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., January 5, 1863, being the youngest son of William H. and Elmira H.

(Otis) Gill. He was one of seven children, of whom those beside himself now living are: Alice M., Florence E., Frank H. and William H., all residents of Greeley except Frank H., who owns and occupies a ranch in Morgan County. The Gill family descends from John Gill, a native of England, born in 1620. He emigrated to Amer- ica about 1639 and settled in Salisbury, Mass., where he married Miss Phoebe Buswell, daugh- ter of Isaac Buswell, one of the original owners of the site of Salisbury. Samuel, son of John Gill, was born in Salisbury in 1652, and was the father of Daniel Gill, who was born in the same town November 18, 1679, removed to Exeter, R.I., in 1730, and there remained until death. His son, Daniel, Jr., was born in Exeter September 25, 1734, and about 1770 removed to Spring- field, Vt., from which city he was elected, in 1784, to the Vermont legislature, and again elected in 1792. During his attendance upon the session at Rutland in 1792, he was presented with a petition signed by one hundred and ninety-five inhabitants of Springfield and vicinity, bearing date October 19, 1792, and appointing him and Abner Bisbee to select homesteads for the peti- tioners in Upper Canada, in response to a procla- mation issued by John G. Simcoe, then gover- nor of the province. He accepted the appoint- ment, and on his return from the mission, was taken ill and died at Sing Sing, N. Y., December 7; 1793.

Whitford, son of Daniel Gill, Jr., was born in Springfield, Vt., July 5, 1778, and for many years sailed the lakes, but later kept an inn on the banks of the Connecticut River, at the old homestead. He married Betsy Holden, granddaughter of William Holden, who was a colonel from New Hampshire in the Revolutionary war. Their son, William H., our subject's father, was born at Springfield in 1807. When two years of age he was taken by his parents to Montreal, Canada, and a year later to Jefferson County, N. Y., thence in 1814 to Galloe Island, where he grew to manhood and assisted to clear a tract entered by his father. When the land was cleared he used the timber in constructing a vessel with which he freighted to market. He engaged in farming and shipbuilding until he died, Angust 31, 1869.

At the age of sixteen our subject began to work on the range in the round-ups, which work he continued for twelve years, being with Bruce Johnson, vice-president of the Union Bank of Greeley and one of its most prominent mien,

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Meantime he gathered together a bunch of cattle for himself and ranged them with the stock owned by his employer. Since 1887 he has had entire charge of Mr. Johnson's cattle interests and also of 22 ranch, comprising forty-two hundred acres of land. He owns an interest in the seven hun- dred head of cattle now on the range, and also owns an interest in the ranch.

In 1896 Mr. Gill was the Republican nominee for county commissioner and was elected by a handsome majority. In 1898 he was nominated by his party for senator from the twenty-fifth senatorial district, comprising Morgan, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Washington and Yuma Coun- ties; his opponent, however, was the nominee of the fusion ticket, representing four parties, and defeated him by two hundred and fifteen votes. Fraternally he is a member of Oasis Lodge No. 67, A. F. & A. M., at Fort Morgan; Chapter No. 31, R. A. M., in that town; Poudre Valley Lodge No. 13, I. O. O. F., at Greeley; also the Olive Branch Lodge of Rebekahs. July 2, 1889, he married Ada E., daughter of U. C. Killebrew, who came from Illinois to Colorado in 1878 and is now a brick contractor in Denver. The chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Gill are: Eula B., Helen H. and Lucille.

ON. N. WALTER DIXON was born in the town of Princess Anne, Somerset County,

- Md., September 22, 1858. His father was George C. Dixon, M. D .; his mother's maiden name was Virginia White. On · his mother's side he is descended from Col. William Stevens, one of Lord Baltimore's council and deputy governor of the province of Maryland, Colonel Stevens being his maternal great-great-great- great-grandfather; he was born in 1630 and died in 1687. His tomb is yet to be seen at Rehobeth, Somerset County, Md. The maternal great- grandfather of Judge Dixon, Capt. William White, during the Revolutionary war, at the age of eighteen, raised, equipped and maintained at his own expense, a company of the Virginia line, which he commanded during the war. By virtue of descent from him, Judge Dixon is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.

The Dixons were among the first settlers of Somerset County. The ancient records of that county disclose that in 1665 Ambrose Dixon was an attorney-at-law and practiced in the court over which Colonel Stevens presided as commis- sioner. The subject of this sketch received his early education in Washington Academy in Prin-

cess Anne, and in 1872 entered St. John's Col- lege, Annapolis, Md. He was graduated in 1877. For several years he taught school, dur- ing which time he read law and was admitted to the bar. In 1887 he was elected state's attorney of his native county. This position he held un- til March, 1891, when he resigned and moved to Colorado. Opening an office in Pueblo, he formed a law partnership with his brother, John R. Dixon, their connection continuing until the fall of 1894, when he was elected judge of the tenth judicial district of Colorado.

rado.

ON. ROBERT W. PATTERSON, presi- dent of the First National Bank of La Junta, is one of the successful financiers of Colo- In his life we find an example worthy of emulation by young men just embarking in the field of active life. When he was young he had no school advantages (except such as he obtained for himself), nor had he wealth or influence to aid him. He relied solely upon his unaided efforts to win prosperity, and without other aid than his energy, perseverance and determination, gained success. Nor has his been a success merely in the sense of obtaining a competence, but he has also been successful in winning the regard of associates and the respect of all with whom he has had business dealings.

In Adams County, Ohio, about seventy-five miles east of Cincinnati, Mr. Patterson was born, and from there, in infancy, he was taken by his parents to Woodford County, Ill., growing to manhood upon a farm. With the exception of a year in the college at Monmonth, Ill., he had few opportunities in boyhood, but he was deter- mined to obtain an education, and bought some Greek and Latin text books, which he studied at home. When only fifteen years of age he taught a term of country school. The money thus obtained he applied on his tuition in the Wesleyan Univer- sity, at Bloomington, Ill., where he studied for five years. As his means were very limited, he "batched" and boarded in boys' clubs during his entire college course. He was so diligent and studious that he led his classes, standing at the head in every study. Finally he graduated in the classical conrse, but the long hours of study and privations had told upon his strength (never great ) and he returned home in very poor health. . For two years he remained on the farm. Mean- time he continued his studies in French, German and Hebrew.

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Hoping that the climate of Colorado might benefit him, in 1883 Mr. Patterson came west, where he worked on a ranch for a time and after- ward engaged in the horse business near La Junta for eight years. In 1890 he sold his horse ranch and came to La Junta, where he read law for two years, being also for a time in the office of Talbot & Dennison, of Denver. He was one of the original stockholders of the First National Bank of La Junta and since his election as president has devoted much of his time to its management. He is a conservative banker, careful in judgment and accurate in details, and is fitted for the man- agement of a financial institution in a country where investments must be made with care and watched with judgment. Having gone into other lines of activity, he has never sought for admission to the bar, but is as well informed as any lawyer in Otero County, and finds his pro- fessional knowledge of much help to him in the banking business.

In politics Mr. Patterson always voted with the Republican party until 1896, when he went as a spectator to the famous St. Louis convention that adopted a gold plank in the party platform. His sympathies being with the silver movement, he left the old party and has since been an adherent of its silver wing. He is very well informed upon all political questions, and an active worker in the best interests of the masses of the people, but is not a partisan, except to the extent of good government. He has no political ambitions, and politics and office are distasteful to him. In the fall of 1898 he was nominated for the legislature on the silver Republican ticket, and elected by a large majority. He is a member of several im- portant committees and is a conscientious worker.

If from the life of Mr. Patterson one lesson can be learned more than any other, it is this: that any boy who is determined to be successful can attain his object, in spite of poverty, in spite of the lack of educational opportunities, in spite even of delicate health. Perseverance and econ- omy are the two characteristics which he names as being needful in the attainment of success.

UGUST MUNTZING, one of the leading attorneys of northeastern Colorado, with his office in Akron, was born in the town of Heilbraun, kingdom of Wurtemberg, Germany, March 19, 1855, a son of John Phillip and Mar- garet (Hahnamann) Muntzing. He was one of twenty-five children, four of whom are living,

those besides himself being: Henry, who is a commissioner in the Choctaw Indian agency; Minnie, widow of John Meinholdt, and a resident of Alma, Kan .; and Louisa, wife of George H. Crouse, a mine owner at Silverton, Colo. In this family there were two sets of triplets, for which the mother was given the crown reward.

When a young man our subject's father studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 1858 he emigrated to America, settling in Winchester, Va., where he engaged in the raising of grapes and manufacture of wine. After the close of the Civil war he removed to Kansas, establishing his home at Manhattan. In that place he resided until he died, in 1880. His son, our subject, re- ceived a public-school education in America. The unsettled condition of the country caused the nomadic spirit to develop, and at the early age of sixteen lie entered the government service as a teamster. He engaged in freighting across the plains to Laramie, Wyo., for two years, after which he purchased a team of his own, and in 1875-76 engaged in buffalo hunting from Fort Dodge southward through the mesquite country to Fort Griffin, Tex. During that time he ex- perienced some danger from Indian hostility and witnessed not a few of their depredations. In 1879 he went to the San Juan country and began freighting from Alamosa to Silverton and Lake City, which business he continued for two years.

Meantime, even under these unfavorable cir- cumstances, our subject liad gained a rudimentary knowledge of law. Going to Kansas City, he at- tended the Kansas City Law Institute, where he finished his third course of lectures. He then began the practice of law in Attica, Kan., remain- ing there from the fall of 1884 until the spring of 1887. Meantime, he had considerable experience in the legal intricacies connected with the fight for the location of the county-seat. In 1887 he opened a law office at Yuma, Colo., and remained there until Angust 4, 1894, when he was appointed register of the United States land office at Akron. He removed to Akron and assumed the duties of the office. During the four years that he filled the position he also, by special permission of the commissioner, engaged in the practice of law. On retiring from office he turned his entire attention to his practice. He has made a specialty of crimi- nal law and during his years of practice has won every case but two which he has undertaken.

In 1882 our subject married Fannie, daughter of Charles Lamb, a farmer of Illinois, Two chil-

Jonathan B. Chillo um .

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

dren were born of their union, but only one is living, Kathleen Guidotta. In politics Mr. Munt- zing is a Democrat. In 1886 and 1887 he served as mayor of Attica, Kan., to which office he was elected on what was known as the liberal ticket. During his term of office he did much toward cor- recting political abuses and making needed re- forms in the public affairs of the place. Frater- nally he was actively connected with the Knights of Pythias while in Attica, and is a member of Akron Lodge No. 31, Star of Jupiter; also Akron Lodge No. 74, A. F. & A. M .; Akron Chapter No. 26, R. A. M .; and Akron Commandery No. 21, K. T.

ONATHAN BURWELL KILBOURN, of Pueblo, was born in Middletown, Conn., August 22, 1843, a son of Jonathan, Jr., and Sophia (Newton) Kilbourn. His father was born in Killingworth, Conn., November 4, 1801, but in early manhood settled in the city of Mid- dletown, Conn., and for years was a promi- nent and successful business man of that place, where he died February 7, 1890. He had been a selectman of the town, member of the common council and an alderman of the city, and chief en- gineer of the fire department. In 1846 he was appointed a state bank director by the legislature, and in 1850 he was appointed state commissioner on the Middlesex Turnpike Company. He had been a director of the Middlesex County Bank, di- rector of the Meriden Bank, director of the Con- necticut River and Long Island Steamboat Com- pany, director of the Middlesex Mutual Assurance Company, and director of the Boston and New York Railroad Company. He was a member of the Episcopal Church, in which he was an officer. His wife from childhood was a devout member of the Congregational Church, possessed all of the Christian graces, and wasa true mother and a kind and beloved neighbor. Two children, Jonathan Burwell and Sophia Elizabeth, were born of his marriage to Sophia Newton, who was born in Durham, Conn., February 2, 1800, and died Sep- tember 28, 1886.

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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 37

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