Portrait and biographical record of the state of Colorado, containing portraits and biographies of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 86

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 86

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Of a family of two sons and three daughters, John W., our subject's father, was the older son. He was born in North Carolina and when young accompanied his parents to Tennessee, where he learned the trades of blacksmith, wheelwright and cooper, and became a fine mechanic. He con- tinued to reside in Johnson County until his death, at seventy years of age. Active in public affairs, he was a member of the Republican, or, as it was then called, the Union party. For some time he held office as justice of the peace. By his marriage to Nancy Reese he had seven chil- dren, of whom six are living, viz .: William La- Fayette; J. I., whois engaged in the hardware busi- ness at Jonesboro, Tenn., and has for three terms been sheriff of Washington County; Mrs. Ellen Lundstrom; John, a planter at the old home; Frank and Marion, in Johnson County.

Educational advantages were meager in his section of country when our subject was a boy, hence he had few opportunities. At fifteen years

of age he went to Elizabeth, Tenn., to make his home with an uncle, and afterward his advan- tages were better. Heattended Duffield Academy, which was partly maintained by the Peabody be- quests (the bulk of the bequest, however, being given to the Peabody Institute in Baltimore). Learning the blacksmith's trade, he followed this for some time. When twenty-one years of age he accompanied his uncle to North Carolina and there remained until the spring of 1877, when he came west, settling at Emporia, Kan. Six years later he came to Colorado and settled in Fremont County, where he has since resided. He followed his trade at Coal Creek until December, 1897.

Since coming here Mr. Hawkins has been act- ive in the Republican party and has participated in both county and state conventions. His serv- ices have been appreciated by his party and his friends, and in 1897 he was nominated for sheriff. While the Republican majority in the county is usually not more than one hundred and fifty, he received a majority of seven hundred and two. The office of sheriff in this county is a difficult one to fill, but he is especially fitted for the posi- tion, and has given his best efforts to successfully discharge his duties. Fraternally he is connected with Bakersville Lodge No. 357, A. F. & A. M., in North Carolina; Canon City Chapter No 14, R. A. M .; and is also identified with the Florence Lodge, Woodmen of the World. December 14, 1880, he married Margaret Jane, daughter of Mrs. Caroline Blankenship, living near Emporia, Kan. They have had seven children, of whom five are living: William J., Carl V., Ella, Joseph and Esther.

12 EXTER A. RUSSELL came to Colorado Springs in 1874 and is now a successful con- tractor and builder. For a time after set- tling here he worked at the mason's trade, but in 1877 began contracting, being a member of the firm of Clement & Russell for fourteen years, since which time he has been alone in business. Among his contracts have been those for all the stone work, except the library, of the Colorado College buildings, the girls' hall at the school for deaf mutes, the first addition to Central building at the same school, the stone work of St. Francis Hospital, Giddings building, Carpenter, Gazette and El Paso blocks, Durkee building, City Hall, Colorado Electric Power Company's plant at Canon City, the Seldomridge and Robinson resi- dences and many other houses in Colorado

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Springs. He built his residence at No. 243 In- stitute street and also other houses which he still owns, and laid out a block known as Block I, Fairview addition to Colorado Springs.

The great-grandfather of our subject was a captain of a vessel employed in the coasting trade. The grandfather, Hazel Russell, married a Miss White and was a farmer by occupation; he served in the war of 1812. The father, E. W. Russell, a native of Oneida County, N. Y., was a contractor and stone mason in Oswego, but in 1851 removed to Oakland County, Mich., where he engaged in contracting. In 1870 he settled in Ottawa, Frank- lin County, Kan., and later removed to Osage County, the same state, where he followed con- tracting. In 1888 he went to Santa Clara County, Cal., where he bought a fruit farm. His death occurred in San Francisco, in October, 1896, when he was seventy-nine years of age.

The mother of our subject was Ann M. Allen, a native of West Monroe, Oswego County, N. Y., and daughter of Sylvanus and Elizabeth (Childs) Allen, natives of Massachusetts, the latter being the daughter of a physician in that state. Sylva- nus Allen, who served in the war of 1812, was a farmer at West Monroe, N. Y., and took a prom- inent part in local affairs. Among the offices which he held were those of city clerk and justice of the peace. His death occurred when he was eighty-six years of age. Mrs. Russell makes her home with her oldest child and only son, our sub- ject. Her daughter, Arabell, lives in California, where the other daughter, Isabel, died.

In Oswego County, N. Y., where he was born October 3, 1849, the subject of this sketch spent the days of infancy. He was taken by his parents to Oxford, Oakland County, Mich, thence to Ovid, Shiawassee County, later to Salem Town- ship, Washtenaw County, and finally to Ply- mouth, Wayne County. In these various loca- tions he attended the public schools. In 1870 he went to Ottawa, Kan., where he worked in a lum- ber yard for two years. Afterward he worked at the mason's trade under his father and others. Since coming to Colorado Springs, much of his time has been given to contracting in stone work, in which line of business he has been quite success- ful. In politics he is independent. He is presi- dent of the Home Forum and a trustee of the Knights of Honor. For one year he served as superintendent of the Evergreen cemetery.

In Ottawa, Kan., January 1, 1874, Mr. Russell married Miss Emma Duzenbury, who was born

near Charlotte, Eaton County, Mich., a daughter of Hiram and Sarah (Worden) Duzenbury, na- tives of New York state, the former a farmer in Michigan during much of his life. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Russell was George Duzen- bury, a pioneer farmer of Michigan; and her ma- ternal grandfather, James Worden, a native of New York state, was a son of Daniel Worden, of Vermont. James Worden removed to Michigan and resided at Olivet, Eaton County. During the war he enlisted in Company D, Twelfth Michigan Infantry; he was killed at Shiloh and was buried on the battlefield. Mrs. Duzenbury is living at Santa Anna, Cal., and is now sixty-six years of age. In her family there were four children: Emma; LeRoy, living in Victor, Colo .; Frank and George, of Los Angeles, Cal. The two sons of Mr. and Mrs. Russell are: Harry A., who is a student of the State School of Mines at Golden, class of 1902, and Frank Rea.

A RMAND CHOURY, treasurer of Costilla County and postmaster of San Luis, is a gentleman of broad knowledge and schol- arly attainments, and is a graduate of the Uni- versity of Bordeaux, France, with the degree of B. A. He was born January 28, 1861, in south- western France, and his parents were natives of the same locality. His education was thorough and comprised a course of study in literature, the sciences and arts; and being the possessor of a keen mind, he soon acquired an education that extended far beyond the usual limits.

In October, 1880, Mr. Choury came to the United States, and from New York came direct to Colorado, settling in Alamosa. Afterward he followed various employments, but gave his at- tention largely to teaching school, and taught eight consecutive terms in Costilla County. It was in this county that he cast his first vote. In 1890 he accepted the position of deputy coun- ty treasurer, and in 1892-93 he was employed as bookkeeper for the county treasurer. He was elected to the treasurer's office in 1893, wasagain elected in 1895 and 1897 and is now serving his third term. Politically he is a stanch Repub- lican and always votes its ticket. In July, 1888, he was appointed postmaster of San Luis, and he has since been continued in the office, regardless of changes in the administration.

October 19, 1887, Mr. Choury married Mary St. Clair, who was born in San Luis, to which valley her father, Alexander St. Clair, of Penn-

MRS. ALBERT B. CHASE.

ALBERT B. CHASE.

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sylvania, came in 1858 and assisted in the build- ing of the San Luis mill, the first mill of its kind built in the state. Mr. and Mrs. Choury are the parents of seven children now living.

A LBERT B. CHASE, who has been engaged in the livery and express business at Pueblo, was born in Nashua, N. H., April 4, 1837. When five years of age he was taken by his uncle to Canton, Mass., and there his boyhood years were spent. Soon after the discovery of gold in Colorado he came west, going by rail to St. Jo- seph, Mo. While in that city he assisted in plac- ing the first locomotive engine on the track of the new railroad then being constructed, this engine having, with considerable difficulty, been ferried across the river.

In April, 1860, with a party of twenty, Mr. Chase traveled via ox-team and wagons across the plains to Central City, Colo. He began to mine at Blackhawk, but not meeting with suc- cess, in the spring of 1861 he went to the head of the Blue, where he prospected. In September of that year he enlisted in Company E, First Colorado Cavalry, at Buckskin Joe mining camp, joining his regiment in Denver in September, 1861, and leaving that city February 22, 1862, traveling night and day to head off Sibley at Fort Union, and two engagements were fought, Sibley being defeated, although Sibley's force numbered three thousand and their own regiment only one thousand. The regiment then went to Val Verde and camped near Fort Craig during part of the summer, when food was so scarce that the soldiers were put on half rations. Next the company was ordered to Fort Lyon, and from there to Colorado Springs, where horses were provided and the sol- diers scattered to different parts of the state. En- listing in the ranks, Mr. Chase was soon promoted to be second sergeant, later was made first ser- geant, and in that capacity served the greater part of the time until the close of the war. He was sent from Colorado Springs to Fort Larned, thence to Winnicoop, and later to Fort Lyon, where he spent the winter, and then went to Boone, where many emigrants had been killed by the Indians. His next assignment was to Fort Garland, to subdue the savage tribes there, and later he was sent to Conejos, where the Espanosa outlaws were killing large numbers of emigrants, and he made out a detail that killed one of the Espanosa brothers. He had a personal acquaintance with Kit Carson and other pioneers of the period.

Upon being discharged from the army Mr. Chase settled in the St. Louis Valley, pre-empt- ing a water claim six miles from Garland, Colo., and remaining there until he came to Pueblo County in the spring of 1866. Here he pre- empted a claim on the St. Charles River, five miles from Pueblo. In 1893 he embarked in the livery business in Pueblo, in which he has since engaged, being now the owner of a good business here and about seventy-five head of horses run- ning on the range. His marriage, which took place at Fort Garland January 28, 1864, united him with Miss Lucy S. Anderson, who was born in Missouri and came to Colorado in 1859, set- tling with her parents in Arapahoe County, afterwards removing to Costilla County. They became the parents of eleven children, all of whom are living, namely: Otis W., who assists his father in business; Mary E., wife of James Kerr, of Delta, Colo .; Hattie, who married Minor Freeland, of Delta; Alice, who married Thomas Walden; Frederick A., a resident of Delta; Clara E .; Ralph, who is a member of Company C, First Colorado Regiment, now in Manila; Eu- genie, Arthur, Frances and Grant.

The parents of Mrs. Chase were Joseph and Elizabethı (Winfrey) Anderson, the former a na- tive of Jefferson County, Mo., and the latter born near Columbus, Ky. The maternal grandmother, Lucy Jones, was a native of Virginia, and after her marriage to Thomas Winfrey, removed from that state to Kentucky. Joseph Anderson was born in Missouri in 1823 and was educated in the public schools there, and assisted his father on the farm until reaching man's estate. He fought in the Mexican war under Colonel Donovan until the close of the conflict, when he was honorably discharged. On his return home to Missouri he married, in 1848, Elizabeth Winfrey and settled down to farm life. They were the parents of eight children, three of whom attained maturity, viz .: Lucy S .; Nancy A., wife of Abe Aberson, who is the owner of a fruit farm and orange grove in Florida; and Cordelia, who died at the age of sixteen. Joseph Anderson died in Colorado August 3, 1869; his wife survived him many years, dying at her home in Pueblo, October 3, 1897.

The Missouri ranch was sold in 1859, in which year Mr. Anderson brought his family to Colo- rado via ox-team, following the course of the Ar- kansas River on the north side. At that time Indians and buffaloes were plentiful upon the

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plains. The Indians were peaceable and the party, which was a large one, suffered no annoy- ance from them, but a few years later, when the Civil war was contending, they were more or less disturbed by the redmen. After reaching Colo- rado Mr. Anderson turned his attention to min- ing, and on the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted in Company E, First Colorado Cavalry, and took part in two engagements with Sibley's troops, first at Apache Canon and then at Pigeon's ranch. He was honorably discharged at the close of the war. After his demise his widow applied for a pension, which she continued to draw until her death. Cordelia, the sister of Mrs. Chase, was the first white infant seen in the city of Denver, she being about two months old at the time the family came to Colorado, while Mrs. Chase was ten years of age.

A stanch Republican and active participant in public affairs, Mr. Chase served as justice of the peace for six years, was school director for eight- een years, and served as United States census enumerator of Pueblo County in 1890. At one time he was a candidate for county commissioner, at the request of members of the Republican party, but was defeated by ten votes. Fraternally he is a member of Upton Post, G. A. R., at Pueblo. With his wife, he is a believer in the doctrines of the Unitarian Church.

Since the above facts were given to the report- er, Mr. Chase has been appointed, by the Pueblo city council, custodian of the (Bessemer) city building for two years, and he now resides there. After being appointed custodian he turned his livery and stock interests over to his sons, Otis and Arthur, giving them control of, and a large interest in, the business.

A LEXANDER D. SCOTT. The farm owned and occupied by Mr. Scott lies three miles northeast of Las Animas, Bent County, and bears all the improvements to be found on a stock ranch. Since establishing his home here he has engaged in the sheep business and has met with splendid success, his herd being one of the larg- est in this part of the state. He is a Scotchman by birth and parentage, born near Aberdeen, and is a son of James and Margaret (Davidson) Scott. When he was about fourteen years of age he accompanied his parents to America. The voyage across the ocean took seven weeks and three days, and, while it may have been monot- onous to the older ones, was a delightful exper-

ience to him, for he was at an age when climbing the rigging and dashing through the surf on the wind-swept deck were as great pleasures as life could give.

There were six children in the parental family, all born in Scotland, and five still living. With them and his wife, James Scott settled near Guelph, Ontario, where he bought government land, and in that place he spent the remainder of his days. Our subject received a fair educa- tion in Scotland, and after settling in Canada he assisted in clearing the land, which was raw and unimproved. For some years it was his custom to work on the home farm during part of the year, while in the remaining months he worked in the older and more settled localities, thus earn- ing the money necessary for the family's support.

When he was about twenty-five years of age our subject married Miss Annie Davidson, who was born in Canada, and bore the same family name as his mother, but was not related. In 1878 he came to Colorado and for a year worked in the employ of John W. Prowers, after which he returned to Canada for his family, establish- ing them in Las Animas. He bought a few head of sheep and thus secured a start in the stock busi- ness. At this writing he has about ten thousand head of sheep, besides which he has given his sons a good start in business. He and his wife became the parents of eight children, namely: William, who died at fourteen years of age; Alexander, who is engaged in the sheep busi- ness; James D., who is married and lives in this county; Anna; wife of Amos Maccabee, of Den- ver; George, living in Bent County; Christina, wife of T. H. Marshall, of Las Animas; Peter, who is a sheep herder; and Ellen Elizabeth, who died in infancy. Politically Mr. Scott is a Re- publican and in religion is identified with the Presbyterian Church.

AMES D. SCOTT, who resides near Las Animas, Bent County, was born near Luck- now, Ontario, Canada, April 17, 1869, and is a son of Alexander D. and Annie (Davidson) Scott. The first ten years of his life were passed in his native province. In 1879 he accompanied his parents to Colorado and for a few years was a pupil in the public school at Las Animas. He gave his time to his father until he was twenty- one, when he began to herd cattle for other parties. After five years in that employment he turned his attention to farming, having, in part-

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nership with his brother, bought three hundred and twenty acres. In 1897 he removed to his present home, where he has one hundred and sixty acres of irrigated, improved land, with a substantial residence and good outbuildings. He makes a specialty of the sheep business, in which he is meeting with success.

January 23, 1898, . Mr. Scott was united in marriage with Miss Susan James, of Ontario, Canada, where they were married. She was a daughter of William and Fannie (Templeton) James, and was reared near Lucknow. Mr. Scott has served as a delegate to various conventions of the Republican party and has been active in local politics. Fraternally he is a member of Elder Lodge No. 11, I. O. O. F., at Las Animas.

- ENTON L. MARTIN, a farmer and stock- man of Huerfano County, is a sturdy, ener- getic pioneer, who endured the hardships and privations incident to frontier life, leaving a comfortable home in the east and taking his part with that class of resolute and daring frontiers- men who paved the way to subsequent civiliza- tion. His life, could its record be printed in full, would show years of activity and resolute cour- age in the midst of obstacles and discourage- ments. Many thrilling adventures fell to his lot in early days, when wild animals lurked in the mountains and savage Indians roamed at will through the plains. He has lived to see a wonder- ful transformation in the country and its inhabi- tants, and has himself contributed his quota to the development of local resources.

Born in Fauquier County, Va., October 22, 1833, our subject is a son of Dr. Elias B. and Elizabeth J. (Kennard) Martin, natives of Virginia. His father, who was born June 8, 1800, was a large planter and slave owner in Fauquier County, where he also engaged in the practice of medi- cine. In 1838, accompanied by his family and twenty-five slaves, he drove across the country to Missouri, and it is said that he had the finest teams that ever crossed the Mississippi at St. Louis up to that time. Settling near Flint Hill, St. Charles County, he bought five hundred acres of land, which he cultivated, in addition to carry- ing on a practice as physician. After the death of his wife he returned to the Old Dominion and . spent a year, after which he went again to Mis- souri and married Miss Louise A. Pulliam. Soon afterward he removed to Kansas City, Mo., where he engaged in practice for several years.

Then he spent a short time in St. Charles, and from there removed to Cooper County, the same state.

At the opening of the Civil war Dr. Martin en- listed in the Confederate army as a surgeon under General Price. He was captured near Sedalia and imprisoned for ninety days, after which he was released on parole, through the in- fluence of some personal friends in the Federal army. The last years of his life were spent on a farm near Fulton, Calloway County, Mo., where he died August 7, 1877. Three times married, by his first wife, who was Jane G. Scott, of Fau- quier County, he had three children: Mary Catherine, who married G. Washington Brown; Hezekiah, who was named after the doctor's father; and Mrs. Charles Randall, of Colorado. The second wife of Dr. Martin was Elizabeth J. Kennard, daughter of John and Mary Kennard; she was born December 4, 1813, and died April 18, 1841. Of this union were reared three sons and one daughter. The last-named, Mildred B., was born February 27, 1829, and never married, but has made her home with our subject; John Franklin was born in September, 1831, and died February 11, 1888; Fenton L. was the third of the children; Mary E. died at the age of ten years; and Elias B., his father's namesake, is now liv- ing in Hannibal, Mo. The third wife of Dr. Martin was Miss Pulliam, by whom he had the following-named children: Elizabeth, Mrs. Ste- phens, of Calloway County, Mo .; Benjamin Rush, deceased; Marion W., deceased; Mrs. Me- dora Bryson, of Sedalia, Mo .; Mrs. Lavinia A. Erway, of Valley Springs, Neb .; and Sue H., who married N. T. Woodring.

The subject of this sketch was five years of age when his parents moved to Missouri. He grew to manhood on a farm, and, as a boy, attended a school taught in a log building, with slab benches, destitute of desks or any attempt at comfort. At twenty years of age he was given the management of the home farm. His first marriage united him with Virginia F. Carver, daughter of William Carver, who came from Virginia in middle life and settled in Pike County, Mo. The day after their marriage our subject and his wife went to St. Charles County, Mo., where for two years he rented a farm near the city of St. Charles. He then removed to the vicinity of his wife's early home in Pike County, where he rented land for a year. He bought his first farm near Mexico, Audrain County, Mo., and

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for five years engaged in the cultivation of the property, at the same time engaging extensively in the raising of cattle and their shipment to the St. Louis market. On selling out he went to Saline County and settled near Marshall, where he rented a large tract of land and engaged in feeding cattle for the markets. After one year, in 1867, he bought a tract of one hundred and sixty unimproved acres, which he improved, making it his home for five years, meantime con- tinuing to buy and feed cattle. During his last season there, the cattle that he sold were as fine as any to be had in the state and they brought him over $116 a head.

Owing to the poor health of his family, in 1872 Mr. Martin rented his farm and, with one hun- dred head of cattle, and several fine teams, drove across the plains to Huerfano County, Colo. Reaching La Veta, he found here Colonel Fran- cisco, Judge Daigre, the Hamilton brothers, Robert Willis and a very few other settlers. He started a ranch on the St. Vrain grant, of which, after the title had been granted to the original holders, he bought one hundred and sixty acres. Besides this he owned three hundred and forty acres of school land adjoining. He purchased the squat- ters' claim for $300, and with the land went a log cabin, with dirt floor and dirt roof. Here he made his home for a time, but afterward, in 1873, built a house, 16x20, which was the first house with a shingle roof, in the entire country. In 1882 he built the residence which he now occu- pies, and which was then, as it is still, one of the most substantial houses in the county. He has continued stock-raising, having from two to three hundred head of cattle, also a good breed of horses. A pioneer in many lines of farming, he was the first to introduce into this vicinity fall wheat, alfalfa and timothy, the production of which is an important feature of his agricult- ural operations.

When Mr. Martin came to Colorado wild ani- mals were still numerous. While coming across the plains, in the eastern part of the state, he killed a buffalo after pursuing him for ten miles. Afterward he killed an antelope and a large black-tail buck with his revolver. One bright sunny day, soon after settling in Huerfano County, he started for the postoffice, which was five miles distant. With him were two little shepherd dogs, while he carried a double-barreled shotgun, one barrel loaded with buckshot, the other with small shot. He heard the dogs bark-

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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 86

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