Portrait and biographical record of the state of Colorado, containing portraits and biographies of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 85

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 85

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The first ballot cast by Mr. Robinson was in favor of Gen. Winfield Scott in 1852. He has supported the principles of the Democratic party and voted its ticket since coming to Colorado. Though preferring not to accept office, when a justice of the peace was needed he accepted the position and held it for many years in order to

618

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

accommodate his neighbors. During all that time only one of his cases was ever appealed, and it never came to trial. His father, who was an old-line Whig, was a zealous Union man. When Morgan burned a church in the neighborhood the old gentleman reproved him for it; this so pro- voked Morgan that he declared, were it not for his age, he would hang him. Mr. Robinson told him he might do so if he wished, as he would not cheat him out of many days at most. After the war was over and reconstruction was in pro- cess, he became so disgusted with negro rule that he declared it would have been better had the south been successful in seceding.

Reared in the Baptist faith, our subject now holds membership in the Fountain Church, hav- ing changed his membership from Colorado City soon after the organization of the Fountain Church, of which he has been a deacon for a number of years. He and his wife are the parents of five children, all of whom were born on their present homestead. Ray Greene, who is unmar- ried, operates a ranch in El Paso County; John E., Mary B., Florence and Joseph Perry, Jr., are at home.

DMOND C. VAN DIEST, manager of the Costilla estate and mineral manager of the Trinchera estate in Costilla County, was born August 13, 1865, in the capital city of Buit- enzorg, Java, Dutch East Indies, a historic city that contains the splendid palace of the governor- general, and one of the most celebrated botanic gardens in the world. His father, Prof. P. H. van Diest, came to the United States in 1872, and for several years had charge of mines in Boulder County, Colo., after which he took charge of the Pennsylvania reduction works at Rosita, Custer County, and later, for seventeen years, held the position of chief of the land department of the United States surveyor-general's office in Denver. During the same time he held the chair of metal- lurgy in the Colorado State School of Mines. At this writing he is connected with his son at San Luis, where he is a well-known mining engineer and metallurgist. He is considered an expert in mining examinations and reports, mill construc- tion, patent surveys, plans, assays, etc. Both he and his son are identified with the American In- stitute of Mining Engineers, Colorado Scientific Society and North of England Institute of Min- ing Engineers.

In the family of P. H. van Diest there are four

daughters and one son, namely: Marie, who is the wife of John Rollandet, of Cripple Creek; Edmond C .; Margaret, who is married and lives in Fort Garland; Constance, Mrs. Frank Collins, of Glenville, Conn .; and Petronella, wife of G. J. Rollandet, of Denver.

When the family came to Colorado the subject of this sketch was almost seven years of age. He was educated in the Denver high school. Since 1880 he has given his attention largely to civil and mining engineering, and in 1886 graduated from the Colorado State School of Mines, after which he accepted the position he has since filled. At the same time he built the mill of the Mid- night Gold Mining Company, at La Belle, N. M., and is manager of the Plomo Mining Company, of Costilla County, the Boston Gold Mining Com- pany of La Belle, and the Ballard Gold Mining Company, of San Miguel County. He has also superintended the surveys of the Maxwell Land Grant Company in Colorado and New Mexico, as well as a number of government surveys. In 1895 he purchased the La Belle Cresset, which was published at La Belle until October, 1898, and then removed to Taos County, where it has since been published as the Taos Cresset, under the management of Frank Staplin. In 1890 he was instrumental in founding the colony of East- dale, in Costilla County, twenty-five families forming the nucleus, and he has since established farms, built ditches and made other improve- ments there.

In politics Mr. van Diest is a supporter of Re- publican principles. May 4, 1890, he was united in marriage with Anna L., daughter of Ferd Meyer, and they have two children, Alice and Josine. The family have a comfortable home at No. 1230 Washington avenue, Denver, but the nature of Mr. van Diest's business necessitates his frequent presence in San Luis. The Costilla estate, of which he is manager, comprises five hundred and forty-eight thousand seven hundred and eighty acres, owned by the United States Free- hold Land and Emigration Company. This prop- erty is situated partly in Costilla County and partly in Taos County, N. M., embracing four hundred and eighty square miles of the highest mountain range in Colorado, rich in mineral wealth, and three hundred and fifty square miles of the San Luis Valley, the most productive agricultural re- gion in the west. The Sangre de Cristo grant, of which the Costilla estate is the southern half, was granted in 1843 to Luis Lee and Narcisso Beau-

619

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

bien by the Mexican government. July 21, 1860, by act of Congress, the grant was confirmed to Charles Beaubien, and the patent issued Decem- ber 20, 1880. The farming lands comprise near- ly two hundred thousand acres that await devel- opment on the part of the enterprising farmer, and much of this land is of exceptional fertility. However, the estate is known principally for its mineral resources. In 1894 the land was opened to prospectors, since which time many important discoveries have been made. Four hundred claims have been located in the La Belle district. Among them are the Climax, owned by the Cli- max and Gold Conda Mining Company, where the assays run from $3 to $130 a ton; Aztec and Belle of Mexico, assay values $4 to $40 a ton; Wonder and Colorado, assay values $3 to $70; Ethel H., $5 to $35; Black Forest, $4 to $70; and Montezuma, etc., owned by the Boston Gold Mining Company, surface assays $6. The pres- ident of the company that owns the estate is M. P. Pels, of Denver; the secretary, Albert Smith, and the manager, E. C. van Diest.

The officers of the Trinchera Estate Company are: William A. Bell, president; J. E. Lund- strom, secretary; William H. Meyer, manager; and E. C. van Diest, manager mineral lands. The estate comprises four hundred and fifty thousand acres of land, and constitutes the north- ern half of the Sangre de Cristo grant, in Costilla County. It consists of four hundred square miles of mountain and mineral lands and three kun- dred square miles of farm lands. The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad traverses the estate from northeast to southwest, with over thirty miles of line from Veta Pass to Baldy Station. Placer mining is being carried on by three companies, under lease, but lode mining is the more impor- tant. The Blanca Mountain Mining Company operates the highest mine in the United States, thirteen thousand seven hundred feet above sea level. The Plomo Mining Company han- dles ore from a large quarry; the ore is of a low grade, but the supply is very great. While as yet comparatively little mining has been done on the estate it is sufficient to show that there are minerals of great value. In the agricultural portion of the estate two large can- als have been built, the Sangre de Cristo and Trinchera, which have a combined length of over twenty miles, and with laterals covering twenty thousand acres of the wheat lands that are so famous for quality and quantity. More than two

hundred and fifty carloads of baled hay are shipped from Fort Garland every year, and the yield of other products has also been of gratifying size. In fact, both in its mineral and its agricult- ural wealth, the estate offers apparently limitless opportunities for the skillful miner or the ener- getic farmer.

ICHARD F. KLETT, ex-county treasurer of Bent County and a resident of Las Ani- mas, is engaged extensively in the sheep and cattle business. For some time he devoted himself entirely to raising cattle, but now owns only five hundred head of these, having since 1894 made a specialty of raising sheep, of which he owns twenty-five hundred head. He is the owner of seven quarter-sections of land in different locali- ties where there is living water. While he has met with several severe reverses, yet he is now in prosperous circumstances, and is recognized as one of the well-to-do and capable stockmen of the county.

A sailing vessel that spent fourteen weeks in crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Saxony to New York had among its passengers Gottfried and Matilda Klett. During the voyage, February 28, 1846, a son was born to them whom they named Richard. The mother died after they landed in New York City and was buried there. The father, with his four sons, proceeded to Wis- consin and settled on a tract of timber land near Milwaukee. He married again and was thus enabled to keep his children together until they were grown. The oldest son died on the farm near Milwaukee; the second, who went to Ne- braska, died near Red Cloud; the third, Anton, is living in Milwaukee.

In boyhood our subject attended public schools, and there showed an aptitude for mathematics. At the age of sixteen, in the fall of 1862, he en- listed in Company A, Twenty-sixth Wisconsin Infantry, with which he fought at a place called by the soldiers "Burnside's Stuck in the Mud," and also took part in the battles of Fredricksburg and Chancellorsville. After participating in the battle of Gettysburg, he was sent to the western army at Bridgeport, Ala., and from there to Chat- tanooga, later to Knoxville, thence back to Chat- tanooga, where he spent the winter. In the en- gagements at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge he bore a part. While accompanying Sherman to the sea, in the battle of Resaca, his foot was injured while he was making a charge

620

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

against breastworks, and the sprain he received was so severe that he was unable to step on the foot. He was sent to a hospital at Lookout Mountain, from there to Nashville, thence to Madison, Ind., and finally to Madison, Wis., be- ing under treatment for six months. He was then given an honorable discharge. For three months after his return home he was unable to use his foot, but gradually, by the exercise of great care, he recovered its use.

Joining his two brothers in Lewis County, Mo., Mr. Klett worked there for six months. From there he went to Wyoming and visited the pres- ent site of Cheyenne, which then had only a few tents and no houses. The Union Pacific Railroad was in process of building and he secured em- ployment on it, working from a point just east of Cheyenne to Weber Canon. Beginning as a day laborer, his efficiency won his promotion to be superintendent of a gang, and he remained with the same contractor for two and one-half years. In 1869 he went to Greenwood County, Kan., and put up hay, which he sold to railroad contractors, meeting with fair success in his enterprise. In 1870 he drove nineteen men across the country from the terminus of the railroad to Silver City, N. M., camping out by the way and spending two months on the road. Later he engaged in hauling flour from Rio Grande to Silver City, but after a time he traded his teams for four hundred head of yearlings on the Pecos River. These he brought to the Arkansas Valley just below Pueblo County, where he wintered the herd, selling them in the spring. Then, going to Texas, he bought about eight hundred head of cows and calves, which he brought to Colorado and win- tered in the Arkansas Valley. He continued in this way until the country began to be settled, when he took his herd to New Mexico. During the three years which he spent there he lost about $10,000. Finally he moved his cattle back to Colo- rado, since which time he has been successful in the stock business.

In Milwaukee, Wis., March 11, 1884, Rev. C. Loeber performed the ceremony which united in marriage Richard F. Klett and Anna Meibohm, who was born and reared in that city. Michael Meibohm, the father of Mrs. Klett, was born in Hanover, Germany, and after coming to this country was married, in Springfield, Ohio, to Miss Sophia Kuehn, a native of Oldenburg, Ger- many, and a friend of his youth. For thirty-five years he engaged in business in Milwaukee, where

he died in 1883. Mr. and Mrs. Klett are the par- ents of two children: Agnes, who was born in Las Animas July 25, 1889; and Richard Henry, May 18, 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Klett were reared in the Lutheran faith, but are now identified with the Episcopal Church in Las Animas.

Politically a Republican, on that ticket Mr. Klett was elected county treasurer in 1895, and in that position he served satisfactorily for one term. He has served as a delegate to various conventions and member of party committees. He attended the convention which instructed Senator Teller to withdraw from the national con- vention hall, and also the state convention at Denver in 1898, at which Senator Wolcott was re-nominated for the United States senate. Fra- ternally he is connected with Las Animas Lodge No. 35, A. O. U. W., in which he has filled the different chairs.

ENRY O. MORRIS is engaged in the real- estate and insurance business in Pueblo, but is, perhaps, best known, both in this city and elsewhere, as the author of the new political novel, "Waiting for the Signal." He was born in Boston, Mass., October 14, 1858, a son of H. J. and Melinda (Bigney) Morris. His father, who was born in British America, was a grandson of the illustrious and philanthropic Robert Morris, first secretary of the treasury under George Wash- ington. Throughout his entire life H. J. Morris devoted himself to the shipping business and was captain of a vessel. The lady whom he married was a native of Nova Scotia, and a daughter of Peter Bigney.

The only child of his parents, our subject spent his early years in Janesville, Wis., and attended the public schools of that city. Afterward he was a student in the public and private schools of Leavenworth, Kan. At fifteen years of age he started out in the world for himself. Becom- ing an employe in a newspaper office in Leaven- worth, he worked for four years under a brother of Susan B. Anthony. In 1872 he came to Pu- eblo, where he secured employment on the Chieftain. Pueblo was at that time a small town, with little indication of its present prosperity, but he had the foresight to discern its future suc- cess, and has never regretted his action in set- tling here. Since 1882 he has carried on a real- estate and insurance business, and now has his office in the Opera House block. In 1893 he married Matta C. Kinnear, of Baltimore, Md.,

' CHARLES A. WESTCOTT.

623

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

daughter of Robert Kinnear, who engaged in the shoe business in that city. Politically Mr. Morris is a socialist. The literary production by which Mr. Morris is best known is a work of over four hundred pages, bearing upon the conflict between capital and labor, and in which the author's aim has been to impress upon the mind of the reader the wrongs endured by the working classes at the hands of capitalists. The work has received much praise and much criti- cism. It is certainly a production that cannot be passed by idly and without thought, but will call forth from every reader comment of some kind, favorable or adverse. W. H. Harvey, who is best known under his pseudonym of Coin, says of it: "The most powerful book I ever read." Eugene V. Debs gives this testi- mony in its praise: "It will be found of ab- sorbing interest by students of the great ques- tions of the day." Rev. Myron W. Reed says, among other comments: "It may wake up people who are asleep. It will not put anyone to sleep who is awake." Some of the criticisms have been sharp and pointed, but even the most severe critic admits the power of the work and the influence it will exert upon the mind of the reader.

HARLES A. WESTCOTT. A position of influence among the enterprising and suc- cessful business men of Pueblo County is held by the subject of this sketch, who is a well-known general merchant of Beulah. He was born in Homer, Mich., in 1847, and is a son of Josiah N. Westcott, who followed the profession of teach- ing in early life and later engaged in mercantile pursuits. The grandfather of our subject, Chris- topher Westcott, was a soldier in the war of 1812.

When our subject was five years old he ac- companied his parents on their removal to Ohio, locating at Perrysburg, near Toledo, and there he was educated in the union schools. In 1863, at the age of sixteen years, he offered his services to his country to assist in putting down the rebel- lion, enlisting in the Third Ohio Cavalry. The regiment was assigned to the army of the Cum- berland. Mr. Westcott took an active part in the war and was all through the Atlanta campaign. His regiment was with the Fourth Michigan Cav- alry when President Jefferson Davis was captured. He participated in many important battles and skirmishes, was once wounded, and at the battle

of Kenesaw Mountain received a sunstroke. His health was greatly impaired by his arduous serv- ice. He went to Chicago at the close of the war, but failed to regain his strength, and in 1876, with the hope of benefiting his health, came west, being brought to Colorado upon a bed. When he had sufficiently recovered he traveled for some time in Texas, Mexico and Colorado. In 1888 the healthful location of Beulah, situated in the midst of mountains, and surrounded by fine scenery, lovely streams and lakes, led him to settle at this place. It is now quite a popular health resort, and many people come here during the summer. His health has been greatly bene- fited during his residence here. He established a general store in Beulah, and was not long in building up an excellent trade, which he still enjoys.

In 1885 Mr. Westcott married Miss Harriet Lancaster, a daughter of Henry Lancaster, who was a minister of the Baptist Church. She was reared and educated in New Carlisle, Ind., and is a well-known writer, both of prose and verse. Her writings have appeared in a number of magazines and periodicals. A work entitled "An Evening with Colorado Poets," published in Denver, contains many of her poems on nature. She is a prominent member of the Western As- sociation of Writers, is a lady of rare ability, and presides with gracious dignity over her hospitable home. Both she and her husband hold member- ship in the Episcopal Church, and occupy an enviable position in social circles. Politically Mr. Westcott is a Democrat, and fraternally has been identified with the Grand Army of the Republic and the Odd Fellows' Society, but living so far from the lodge to which he belonged, he dropped his membership in the latter organization.

OL. SELDEN M. FRENCH, commander of the Colorado Soldiers' and Sailors' Home at Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, was born in Cortland County, N. Y., April 26, 1841, a son of James and Asenath (Jones) French, natives respectively of Vermont and New York. In 1846 the family removed from New York to Oakland County, Mich., settling twenty-five miles north of Detroit. The district was sparsely settled. Improvements were few. The first rail- road in the state had recently been completed, extending from Detroit to Pontiac. All the sur- roundings were those of the frontier.

Two years after the family settled in Michigan

624

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the father died. Our subject remained there until he was twelve, when his mother married again and removed to Iowa, settling at Man- chester, Delaware County. From that time on he practically made his own way. He worked at carpentering in the summer months, and during the winter months worked for his board, while attending school. He acquired a good education as the result of his diligent efforts. It had been his intention to complete his literary studies and then take up professional work, but the outbreak of the war changed his plans. He and five com- panions who were intimate friends enlisted August 18, 1861, in Company F, Twelfth Iowa Infantry. He was appointed musician of the regiment and was given the rank and pay of a sergeant-major. Of the six friends who enlisted only two.returned; three died in prison at Macon, Ga., and one was killed in battle.

Upon his honorable discharge from the army, our subject returned home, January 15, 1866. He took up the carpenter's trade, which he had previously learned. Settling at Erie, Neosho County, Kan., he remained there until 1872, and meantime laid out the town site of the village of Erie, now the county-seat of Neosho, and en- gaged in the building of houses there and the sale of real estate. For a time he served as township trustee. Coming to Colorado in 1872, he fol- lowed contracting and building at Georgetown, but after a year went to Golden, where he con- ducted the Astor house for one year. From there he went to Denver. In the spring of 1876 he moved to Boulder and there followed his trade until 1879, when he returned to Denver. That city continued to be his home until January, 1895, when he was appointed commander of the Home at Monte Vista. This institution was established July 4, 1891, and previous to his appointment its history was rather a checkered one, but since he was placed at the head of affairs, everything has moved along smoothly. The Home contains a hospital, general assembly, kitchen and dining room, quartermaster's department, the com- mander's residence, and a number of smaller buildings, while surrounding these buildings is the farm of one hundred and twenty acres, the products of which make the institution partially self-supporting.

A life-long Republican, Colonel French cast his first vote while in the service, supporting Abraham Lincoln, and since then he has adhered to this party. For two years he was commander of

Joe Hooker Post No. 16, at Monte Vista. He is past commander of Veterans' Post No. 42, of Denver. A member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows since 1867, he has served as noble grand and high priest of the local lodge. In Masonry he is connected with Union Lodge No. 7, A. F. & A. M., of Denver. Since the close of the war he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and during his residence in Denver he was for years an official of the Cali- fornia Street Church.

January 11, 1865, while still in the service of the government, Colonel French was united in marriage with Hattie A. McKee, who was born in Jefferson County, N. Y. There is a little romance connected with their courtship. While he was in camp at Chewalla, Tenn., the soldier- boys to relieve the tedium of camp life, devised the plan of writing the names of young ladies on slips of paper, each soldier drawing one of the slips. That which the colonel drew bore the name of Miss McKee. He started a correspon- dence and soon became interested in his new northern friend. While on a furlough to visit his mother he met Miss McKee, and, they having exchanged photographs previously, rec- ognized each other at once. Soon afterward they were united in a marriage that proved to be a most happy union. They became the parents of six children, two of whom are now living: Nellie, wife of Horace Wheeler, of Monte Vista; and Mae E.

Mrs. Hattie A. French departed this life Feb- ruary 23, 1899. At the time of her death she was matron of the Home, which position she had held since January, 1895, giving her services gratuitously to this work. The twelfth general assembly passed the following resolutions:

"WHEREAS, On the 23d day of February, Hattie McKee French, wife of Selden M. French, commander of the Colorado Soldiers' and Sailors' Home at Monte Vista, ended her years of useful- ness on earth and passed beyond; and

"WHEREAS, As matron of the Home for several years, without other recompense than love of the old soldiers and the reward that comes from doing a duty that was in itself a pleasure, she daily ministered to the sick in the hospital and watched over the welfare of the inmates, counsel- ing and comforting them daily; therefore

"Be it resolved, By the members of the twelfth general assembly, that the sympathy of the mem- bers be extended to Commander French and his

625

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

family in their sorrow over the departure of one whose life was steadfastly devoted to the work and pleasure of ministering to comrades, friends and relatives; and

"Be it further resolved, That an engrossed copy of these resolutions be forwarded to Commander French.

(Signed) JOHN R. SCHEMERHORN, President pro tem of the senate. WILLIAM G. SMITH,

Speaker of the house of representatives.

Approved this 10th day of March, 1899, at 12 o'clock M.

CHARLES S. THOMAS, Governor of the State of Colorado."

ILLIAM LA FAYETTE HAWKINS, sheriff of Fremont County, was born in Johnson County, East Tennessee, August 22, 1853. The family is of English descent, but has been represented in America for many gen- erations, and for years lived in North Carolina. His grandfather, John Hawkins, a native of Wilkes County, moved from there to East Ten- nessee and followed the trade of a wheelwright. When the Civil war came on he was eighty years of age, but he was as strong in his sympathies with the north and as frank in his expression of his opinions as though he were but forty. By reason of these views he fell under the displeasure of the Confederates, and was taken from his home and shot by Bill Parker's gang.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Portrait and biographical record of the state of Colorado, containing portraits and biographies of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 85

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