Portrait and biographical record of the state of Colorado, containing portraits and biographies of many well known citizens of the past and present, Part 89

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 89

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Entering land in the southern part of Prowers County, Mr. Pike gave some time to its improve- ment, and at the same time he carried on a mercan- tile store at Mulvane for some years, also served as postmaster of Mulvane. In 1890, the Republican party, with which he had been identified from youth, elected him treasurer of Prowers County, and he then removed to Lamar. At the expira- tion of his first term, in 1892, he was re-elected, this time on the independent ticket. January 1, 1895, he retired from office, and turned his atten- tion to business pursuits. The various projects for the advancement and growth of Lamar have received aid from him, and he has been especially active in such public enterprises as the creamery, hotel and mill. He has an only son, James E., who was born in Mason City, Iowa, November 11, 1881. Fraternally he is connected with Lamar Lodge No. 90, A. F. & A. M., in which he has held the office of junior deacon. He is also a member of the Woodmen of the World and has been banker of the camp for a number of years.

ATHANIEL C. PATTON is one of the en- terprising business men of the San Luis Val- ley. He is a dealer in lumber, coal, hard- ware, tinware, stoves and all kinds of builders' supplies, and has built up a valuable trade in the village of Mosca, Costilla County, being also well known throughout the surrounding country. In 1898 he was one of the principal factors in the or- ganization of the Farmers' Elevator Company of Mosca, of which he is still a member.

May 10, 1861, Mr. Patton was born in Mar- shall County, Ill., a son of Nathaniel and Par- thena (Bennington) Patton. His father, who was born in Brown County, Ohio, September 22, 1823, removed with his parents to Illinois when he was less than ten years of age, and passed through Chicago when it was still Fort Dearborn. His life was devoted to farm pursuits, and he died in his Marshall County homestead in January, 1897. In early days he was a Henry Clay Whig

and an active worker in his party, but not an office-seeker. His father, Nathaniel Patton, was born in Pennsylvania, and was of Irish extraction.

The mother of our subject was born in Ken- tucky, and was a daughter of Thomas Benning- ton, who removed from Kentucky to Illinois dur- ing the '30s, when she was an infant of six months, and during that trip she was carried in her mother's arms on horseback. The family settled at Walnut Grove, Tazewell County, Ill., but after a short time, in 1831, went to Crow Creek, Marshall County, Ill., where she grew to womanhood, married and spent her remaining years, dying within one and one-half miles of her girlhood's home. She was the mother of four children, but one of these died in infancy. Henry C. is engaged in the manufacture of tile at Flan- agan, Ill .; and Lydia M., who died in Marshall County, was the wife of Albert H. Perry, now of Cuba, Kan.

On the farm where he was born our subject grew to manhood, meantime receiving a common- school education and assisting his father in the cultivation of the land. In 1887 he was one of a party of fifteen who came from Marshall County to Colorado, settling in the San Luis Valley. He arrived November 25, and at once pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres on section 32, town- ship 40, range 10. There he improved a farm, build- ing ditches and placing the land under irrigation and cultivation. From time to time he added to his property until he finally owned an entire sec- tion. In September, 1895, he built a store in Mosca and put in a stock of coal and lumber. Two years later he enlarged the business to its present size. Since then he has disposed of a quarter-section of his land, but retains the bal- ance, which he leases, and also owns a half-sec- tion of valuable land adjoining the village.

Politically Mr. Patton is a straight Republican, and has been active in local matters. I11 1894 he was elected justice of the peace, which position he filled for two years. He is now serving his second term on the school board. In religion he is a Baptist. October 11, 1891, he married Nel- lie Severns, by whom he has three children, How- ard, Nettie E. and Julia H.

C OHN CAMERON, general superintendent of the Victor Coal and Coke Company at Trinidad and a recognized expert in the coal mining industry, is of Scotch birth and descent. His father, Peter Cameron, emigrated from Scot-

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land to the United States in 1848 and settled in Blossburg, one of the oldest mining towns in Pennsylvania. A coal miner by occupation, he secured employment with the Blossburg Coal Company, with whom he remained for ten years. His death occurred in Tioga County, Pa., at the age of sixty-five. Some years before he left his native land he married Anna Richardson, and they became the parents of nine children, but only three of these are living: Catherine, wife of William Watchman; David, of Tioga County, Pa .; and John. The mother died in 1874, when sixty-six years of age.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, May 10, 1848, our subject was only two years of age when he was brought to America, consequently he has no recol- lection of his native country, but his mind has been stored with legends of the clan of Camerons and Loch Eheal, where they originated. He received a public-school education. At the age of sixteen he secured work in the mines of the Blossburg Coal Company, and in time became proficient in every branch of coal mining. After having remained with the Blossburg Coal Com- pany until 1873, he then accepted a position with the Kittanning Coal Company, with whom he re- mained, as pit boss, until 1877, having charge of the inside workings of their mines. In 1877 he engaged with the Cambria Iron Company of Johnstown, Pa., as superintendeut of their mines in Johnstown and Connellsville.

Resigning his position in 1882, Mr. Cameron came to Colorado to accept a position as general superintendent of mines for the Colorado Coal and Iron Company, with head office in Pueblo. At that time he took up his residence in Pueblo, where he has since made his home. During the time that he was employed by the Colorado Coal and Iron Company, he prospected through all the western counties of the state, examining lands where it was thought coal and iron might be found. In 1889 he resigned his position, and accepted the position of general manager for the Southwestern Coal and Improvement Company in the Indian Territory, where he remained for one year. Returning to Colorado in 1890, he be- came superintendent of the Victor Coal and Coke Company, whose head offices are in Denver, he having charge of the Trinidad office.

In politics Mr. Cameron is a Republican. He is a member of Cambria Lodge of Masons at Johnstown, Pa., and is identified with Pueblo Chapter No. 28, R. A. M., and Pueblo Com-

mandery No. 3, K. T. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church. His first marriage, which took place in 1866, united him with Cornelia Marvin, of Tioga County, Pa., who died in 1874. Of the five children born of.this union, the young- est, Peter, died at five months, and Susan G. died at the age of three years. The others are: Kate, wife of A. R. Fellows, of Denver; Anna, who married Dr. A. Taylor, of Hastings, Las Ani- mas County, Colo .; and Belle, Mrs. F. J. Webb, residing in Port Jervis, Orange County, N. Y. In 1877 Mr. Cameron was united in marriage with Sarah A. Wilson, a native of Nova Scotia, but at the time of her marriage a resident of Pennsylvania. She died in Colorado in 1897, leaving two sons, Peter and James R.

AMES B. TRAXLER. Prominent among the influential attorneys of Prowers County is Mr. Traxler, of Lamar, who is engaged in the general practice of law and has built up a profitable clientage extending through southeast- ern Colorado. He has been identified with en- terprises looking to the advancement of his town and county. During the year that he served as a member of the board of trustees of the town of Lamar he gave his vote in favor of progress- ive plans. Under appointment, first by Governor McIntire, and afterward by Governor Adams, he officiated for two terms as water commissioner of district No. 67. By appointment he also held the position of deputy district attorney for one term. In 1898 he received from the fusionists the nomination for the state legislature, repre- senting the district composed of Baca, Kiowa and Prowers Counties.

Mr. Traxler was born in Henry County, Iowa, September 21, 1856, a son of Jacob and Eliza J. (Humes) Traxler. He was reared upon a farm and received a fair education in the country schools and an academy, after which he entered the Iowa Wesleyan University of Iowa. The expenses incident to his university course were defrayed by the money he earned in teaching school. After taking the regular scientific course, he was graduated in 1881 with the degree of B. S., being the valedictorian of his class. In September following his graduation he was elected county superintendent of his native county, and two years later was re-elected to the same posi- tion. During his service of four years he im- proved the condition of the schools of the county and advanced the grade of scholarship. Three

ROBERT S. LITTRELL, M. D.

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years after graduation he was chosen to deliver the master's address for his class, and at that time he, with the other members of that class, received the degree of M. S.

While filling the office of county superintend- ent Mr. Traxler engaged in the study of law in his leisure moments, and in May, 1884, he was admitted to the Iowa bar. He practiced in his native county for one year after retiring from of- fice, and then, in June, 1887, came west to Col- orado, beginning the practice of his profession at Lamar, and at the same time taking a claim near Granada. In the fall of 1888 he became principal of the schools of Coolidge, Kan., which position he held for a year. Since then he has devoted himself to professional work in Lamar, and has gained an excellent reputation for effi- ciency in practice.

At Afton, Union County, Iowa, the subject of this sketch was married April 29, 1886, to Miss Cora B. Syp, who was born in that town and re- ceived good educational advantages in girlhood. Two children bless the union: Harry W., who was born in Afton, February 22, 1887; and Ralph N., born in Lamar December 20, 1897. Fra- ternally Mr. Traxler is identified with the blue lodge of Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Wood- men of the World, in which last-named order he is consul commander of the local camp.

Y OBERT S. LITTRELL, M. D., is one of the successful physicians of Pueblo County, 2 and a prominent resident of Rye. He has much natural ability, but is withal a close student and believes thoroughly in the maxim "there is no excellence without labor." His devotion to the duties of his profession therefore, combined with a comprehensive understanding of the principles of the science of medicine, has made him a most successful and able practitioner, whose prominence is well deserved.

The doctor was born near Warrensburg, John- son County, Mo., November 18, 1848, and is a son of Robert and Matilda (Reed) Littrell, the former a native of Kentucky, the latter of Shannon County, Mo. Both are now deceased. The father studied medicine but never engaged in practice, though he was often called in consulta- · tion upon many points, being a man of remark- ably good judgment. He owned several large farms in Missouri. He was a strong Union man

during the Civil war, and was highly respected by all who knew him. His oldest son served as a lieutenant in the Southern army, but two others fought for the preservation of the Union. The doctor had four brothers and three sisters, namely : J. Calvin, who is a minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church; Elizabeth, deceased; G. Johnson, a resident of Oklahoma; Amanda, wife of Richard Ridenhour, of New Mexico; William R., deceased; Mary, wife of Julius H. Woodford, of Missouri; and Charles F., a resident of Atıstin, Nev.

Reared in the county of his nativity, Dr. Littrell acquired his early education in its schools, but he later entered the State University at Columbia, Mo., where he was graduated in 1871. He also took a preparatory medical course in the same institution, the department of medi- cine having just been added. He continued his medical studies and later entered the St. Louis Medical College, but did not graduate at that time, being engaged in practice for eight years before he again entered that school. Prior to this (eight years) he was in practice with Dr. Kuhen, of St. Louis, and Dr. Ward, of Johnson County, Mo., for two years. In the spring of 1874 he came to Pueblo County, Colo., locating in the vicinity of the present town of Rye, which at that time had not been established, and the country round about was all wild and unimproved. Here he successfully engaged in practice until he re- entered the St. Louis Medical College, where he completed his studies and wasgraduated in March, 1882, being better fitted for his chosen calling than he would have been had he graduated some years before without any practical experience. He immediately returned to Rye, where for a quarter of a century he has now been engaged in active practice. Being one of the ablest physi- cians of the county, he enjoys about the largest practice of any of his professional brethren outside of the city of Pueblo, his patronage coming from a large territory.

February 7, 1876, Dr. Littrell married Miss Almira A. Woodford, who was born near the birthplace of our subject, her father being a con- tractor of that locality. They now have a family of five children, two sons and three daughters: Virda, wife of Charles Wood, of Denver; Grace, Inez, Harry and Charlie, at home. The family have one of the finest homes in the community, and the beautiful residence is well and tastefully furnished in modern style. There hospitality

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reigns supreme, their many friends always feel- ing sure of a hearty welcome.

Republican, and takes an active and commend- able interest in public affairs. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and Woodmen of the World, and is a supporter of all churches. He is a man of fine personal appearance, is pleasant and genial in manner, and very popular with all classes of people.

ILLIAM NORTH, dealer in general mer- chandise at Las Animas, was born near Philipstad, Sweden, March 23, 1845, a son of Andrew and Katrina (Quornstrom) Peter- son. When he was twelve years of age he began to work in an iron mine with his father, who was a miner, and he continued in the same employ- ment until he was twenty-one years age. He then when to Norway, where he worked in the copper and feldspar mines for three years.

Having decided to seek a home in the United States, in 1869 Mr. North set sail from Bergen, Norway, on a steamer that landed him in this country after a voyage of eleven days. Going as far west as Boone County, Iowa, he secured work in coal mines and for eleven years con- tinued in the same locality. He started there without capital; in fact, after having paid all of his expenses from the old country to Iowa he had only $11 left, but he had good health and an abundance of determination, and did not become in the least discouraged. He was very econom- ical and frugal in his habits, and saved much of the money earned in the Iowa mines.

December 19, 1870, Mr. North married Miss Mary Anderson, who was born in Bergen, Nor- way, in 1852. He had become acquainted with her in Norway and they had plighted their troth before he came to the United States. As soon as he could afford to establish a home of his own he sent for her and she joined him in Boone County, where they were married. In 1880 he secured a clerkship in a store in Moingona, Boone County, where he was employed six years, resigning the position in order to embark in business for himself. He had previously bought eighty acres of land, which he improved, carrying on the management of his land in addition to the superintendence of his business interests. For one year he had a partner, but during the other seven years carried on business alone. In 1894 he came to Las Ani- mas and opened the store which he has since con-

ducted. Politically he gives his allegiance to the Republican party. In his native land he attended

In his political views Dr. Littrell is a strong . the Lutheran Church and on coming to the United States entered the membership of the de- nomination, in which he has since served both as a deacon and as church treasurer. He and his wife are the parents of nine children now living, all of whom were born in Iowa. They are named as follows: William, Hilma, Rebecca, August, Esther, Hannah, Martin, Elizabeth and Selma. The family are highly respected among the peo- ple of Las Animas, their home town.

LIAS L. PARKER. Coming to Colorado in 1889, Mr. Parker assisted in the erection of the roundhouse at Cheyenne Wells. In the spring of 1890 he bought a tract of land seven miles northeast of Cheyenne Wells, near the old fort. The land was then a bare, unimproved tract, with only a small cash value; but through his energy and perseverance, many improvements have been made, a good frame house has been built, barns erected, a windmill put up, and the land has been surrounded by good fencing. Upon this ranch he has since engaged in raising cattle and horses.

The father of our subject was Elisha Parker, a native of England, but a resident of Ohio from an early age, and by occupation an agriculturist. He married Hannah Rhodes, a native of Pickaway County, Ohio, and daughter of George Rhodes, who was a farmer, and a soldier in the war of 1812. The Rhodes family removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio in an early day. Five children comprised the family of Elisha and Hannah Parker, those besides our subject being Allen, a farmer of In- diana; Susan, deceased; Clarinda, also deceased; and Ellen, wife of Benjamin C. Drake, of Ohio.

The subject of this sketch was born in Wyandot County, Ohio, in 1838, and was only six years of age when his father died. His edu- cation was obtained in local schools in his native county. In youth he learned the carpenter's trade, but the most of his time was devoted to the cultivation of the home farm. In 1885 he removed to Kansas, settling in Rawlins County, where for four years he engaged in farming. From there he came to Colorado and has since been a resident of Cheyenne County. Politically he is a stanch Republican, and during the war (from 1862 to September, 1864) served as a mem- ber of the One Hundred and Forty-fourth Ohio Infantry, under Lew Wallace. In 1894 he was

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elected a member of the board of county com- missioners of Cheyenne County and served for one term. During his residence in Ohio he was actively identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church. Fraternally he is connected with the Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows.

The marriage of Mr. Parker, in 1860, united him with Miss Martha J. Harvey, who was born in Marion County, Ohio. When she was a child, she was orphaned by the death of her father, a farmer, who had served as a soldier in the war of 1812. Mr. and Mrs. Parker have four sons and one daughter, viz .: Charles A., William E., Lester M., Edward H. and Princess A.

RANK D. MANN, dealer in hardware, fur- niture, agricultural implements, hay, grain and coal, at Burlington, Kit Carson County, came to Colorado in 1886 and settled one and one-half miles from the present site of Burlington. At that time there was no railroad, no village and no stores; in fact, for miles around, the land was utilized only for cattle ranges. He took up a tract of government land and, to meet expenses, for a time worked in the employ of others. When the town was started he opened a meat market, which he conducted for four years, and afterward he carried a stock of dry goods and groceries for a year. Since 1892 he has carried on his present hardware business, to which, from time to time, he has added other lines, his most recent addition being an undertaking department. Besides his business interests he has served as trustee of the town board for four years, is now treasurer of the town and treasurer of the Burlington Creamery Company.

The parents of our subject are William C. and Maria (Daniels) Mann, natives of Pennsylvania, and still residents of that state. His father, who has always followed farm pursuits, is a man of upright character, a member of the Christian Church, and fraternally an Odd Fellow. In his family there are three sons and four daughters. Of these, Louis C. is engaged in the clothing business at Everett, Pa .; U. S. Grant lives in Pennsylvania; Christina Scott is the wife of Ver- non Skipper, of Tyrone, Pa .; Effie May married William Bear, of Saltillo, Pa .; Ella Myrtle and Lydia A. are with their parents.

On the home farm iu Fulton County, Pa., where he was born in 1861, our subject spent the years of youth. At the age of twenty he went to Monmouth, Ill., where he worked for a short

time. Later he was employed on a farm near Oakland, Ill., for a year. Going from there to Auburn, Neb., he secured employment on a farm. Afterward he engaged in farming in Colorado for two years. He then returned to Pennsylvania, but after a short visit, in 1886 he settled near the present site of Burlington, Colo., and has since made his home in Kit Carson County. The busi- ness enterprise of which he is the head is one of the largest and best in the county, and the snc- cess of the undertaking proves that the proprietor is a man of good judgment and business ability.

12 ANIEL L. EGGER, county judge of Archu- leta County and manager of the Pagosa Springs Printing Company, was born in Monroe County, Ohio, in 1861, a son of John and Elizabeth (Bauman) Egger. His education was obtained in the public schools of his home neigh- borhood, and after completing his studies he taught for four years in country schools. At the age of twenty-three he entered the office of the Monroe Journal, where he remained for three years, meantime learning the printer's trade. In 1887 he settled in Dighton, Kan., where he formed a partnership with John C. Riley, and for a year published the Dighton Herald.

Coming to Colorado in the fall of 1888, two years later Mr. Egger settled in Pagosa Springs and established the Pagosa Springs News, of which he was proprietor and editor for seven years. The paper is issued weekly and has become one of the most prominent publications of this part of the state. In 1897 he formed a stock company under the name of the Pagosa Springs Printing Company, of which he was elected treasurer and manager. He has been the principal factor in the building up of the paper, and to him its success and popularity are largely due. In addition to this business, he is the owner of a ranch of three hundred and twenty acres, devoted to stock and agriculture, and on this place he has raised, during the past year or two, the largest crops of grain in the vi- cinity.

In the organization of the Democratic party in Archuleta County Mr. Egger was the prime mover. Until 1898 he was the only man in the county who attended the state conventions of the party. He took a prominent part in the incor- poration of the town of Pagosa Springs, of which he was elected town treasurer and served eight terms. In 1892 he was chosen to serve as county

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judge and in 1895 was re-elected for a second term of three years. In all the political affairs of the county he has been interested and influ- ential. In 1895 Judge Russell appointed him clerk of the district court, which office he has since held. As a member of the school board he has promoted the educational interests of his town. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. In 1885 he was united in marriage with Adele Reef, by whom he has four children, Leroy D., Marie, Helen and Reef.

A NTONIO ARCADIA SALAZAR, dealer in merchandise and farm implements and sup- plies at San Luis, Costilla County, was born in Abiquin, N. M., in 1848, a son of Juan Man- uel Salazar. When two years of age he was left fatherless, his father, a stockman, having been killed by the Ute Indians, January 1, 1850, at the same time that thirteen others were mur- dered in retaliation for the murder of an Indian by a charcoal manufacturer named Bacado. From the time that he was eight years of age he was practically self-supporting. His first employment was at sheep-herding. When he was eleven he came to Colorado and has since made his home in the southern part of this state. From 1860 to 1862 he was in La Veta, then a small station with- out settlers, while in the entire surrounding coun- try there were no people except at the Mexican town of Badito. In 1863 he went to Cold Curbert Creek, where he engaged in ranching.

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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 89

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