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The Real Pioneers of Colorado

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The Real Pioneers of Colorado THE REAL PIONEERS OF COLORADO By Maria Davies McGrath Volume I The Denver Museum 1934 Document Division of The Denver Museum Clerical work done by CWA Project No. 551 Retyped to make available on the Internet October 2001 Jane P. Ohl, Volunteer Denver Public Library Western History and Genealogy 1 RECOMMENDED PUBLICATIONS Benson, Maxine, 1994. 1001 Colorado Place Names, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, 237 pages. ISBN 0-7006-0632-7 (cloth:alk. paper). -ISBN 0-7006-0633-5 (paper:alk. paper) Noel, Thomas J., Paul F. Mahoney, and Richard E. Stevens, 1994. Historical Atlas of Colorado, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, unnumbered pages. ISBN 0-8061-2555-1. Ormes, Robert, 1971. Guide to the Colorado Mountains. 6th Edition. Sage Books, The Swallow Press Inc., Chicago. 300 p. Library of Congress Catalog card number 72-115033. 2 NOTES Throughout this retyping of an extraordinary collection of data, I have been impressed with the destination of many emigrants to the “Pike’s Peak” gold area. Some have arrived at Old Colorado City, southwest of Colorado Springs; some came by way of the Arkansas River, arriving at Fountain City, now part of Pueblo; some arrived in what is now Denver; some arrived far north of Denver, having followed the South Platte River. Many were walking or guiding slow- moving animals. The view to the south from downtown Denver, on a clear day, reveals the magnificent peak, but it is 70 miles away. From Pueblo County, the view northward is nearly as distant, both very impressive walks from Denver, with or without teams of animals. So, the emigrants had a very broad view of what “Pike’s Peak excitement” meant, geographically. Pikes Peak as a source of gold is related to the confirmed finding in 1891 of gold telluride (years later than the 1858-60 “Pike’s Peak or bust” phenomenon), by W. S. Stratton, on the west side of the mountain, about 45 miles southwest of Colorado Springs. Though prospectors were active in the Pikes Peak region as early as 1859, they overlooked the ores of Cripple Creek. Stratton filed a claim on a “barren, granitic-appearing outcrop that proved to be gold ore worth $380 per ton.” (Principal gold-producing districts of the United States, by A. H. Koschmann and M. H. Bergendahl, U. S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 610, p. 117-118, 1968.) The U. S. Board on Geographic Names does not use apostrophes in place names, therefore, Pike’s Peak is officially spelled Pikes Peak, and has been so used throughout this retyping. On November 1, 1861, the State of Colorado was divided into 17 counties. From northwest to southeast they were: Summit, Larimer, Weld, Boulder, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Arapahoe, Jefferson, Douglas, Lake, Park, El Paso, Fremont, Pueblo, Guadalupe (Conejos), Costilla, and Huerfano. There also was the Cheyenne and Arapaho reservation, abutting the eastern boundaries of El Paso and Pueblo Counties. (Noel and others, 1994, section 15, “The seventeen original counties.”) Present-day Colorado is divided into 63 counties. In November 2001, Broomfield County will become number 64 and abut an area north of the City and County of Denver. In many of the following biographical sketches the “Battle of Sand Creek” or the “Sand Creek Massacre” is mentioned. In Noel and others, 1994, section 45 and map 45c, the following is to be noted: “Many Native Americans did not sign the treaties and resisted white advances. Nor did the whites keep the promises that they made in the flawed Fort Laramie and Fort Wise treaties. Increasingly hostile incidents culminated in the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre, where more than one hundred Arapaho and Cheyenne--mostly children, women, and old men--were slaughtered.” Sand Creek is now a historic site in Kiowa County, southeastern Colorado. 3 To my Granddaughter Griselda Dolores 4 FOREWORD The term “pioneer” has been described by Webster as “One who goes before to prepare the way for another.” The term “pioneer” as used in this work follows the accepted general classification in Colorado, which is as follows: Pioneer era: Anyone arriving in what is now Colorado prior to February 26, 1861, is known as a pioneer. Generally speaking, previous to that time, this region was little known except to Indians and occasional explorers. A few bands of Mormons crossed the country en route to Utah. Territorial era: On February 26, 1861, Colorado was declared a territory and remained so until August 1, 1876. Anyone arriving in the region during that period was known as a territorial son or daughter of Colorado. Maria Davies McGrath, the author, began this work some five years ago. Her desire to make a permanent record of the information that came her way through contacts with pioneers, coupled with the realization that accurate information should be made available, brought about a small beginning of this volume. The business of compiling some 1400 biographies in readable style was not an easy one. Mrs. McGrath, her own life enriched by pioneer experiences, brings to the reader true pictures. The rewards reaped by an author of biographical work of this sort are few. Historical writings must be given the test of time before their real value is ascertained. By way of pointing forward, too much cannot be said about the care that the author has used in accurately preparing these volumes. Every item has been checked against all available sources. The author by no means implies that the people represented in this volume are the only real pioneers. Countless persons poured into the frontier on every caravan, and a like number returned to their homes in the East. Biographies of thousands of people have not been available, and just as many thousands came West and their stays were unrecorded. The Denver Museum counts itself fortunate in being able to sponsor the publication of so important a document. The original manuscript, which was entirely handwritten, was loaned to the museum for this compilation, which was done with CWA assistance. Six copies of the volume have been placed as follows: The original copy belongs to the author; two other copies have been given to the Denver Public Library for the reference room and for the Colorado Collection; another copy to the Denver Museum; one to the State Historical Society; and one to Ben Draper. Maria Davies McGrath Inscription page written by the author 5 Vol. 1 Page 5 ISAAC ADAIR (1860) Isaac Adair was born in Ohio May 2, 1835. His first occupation after attaining his majority was that of boatman on a canal. In 1860 he came to Denver as a teamster for Majors and Russell, the overland freighters and stage proprietors. For many years, he was engaged in freighting with mule teams from the Missouri River to as far west as Salt Lake and Oregon. While the Union Pacific [Railroad] was being built he was engaged as a contractor, furnishing ties and timber for the company. In January 1870 he was married to V. Anna Shores of Cheyenne and shortly afterwards went to Pleasant Valley, Larimer County, where they lived until 1875 when they located on Upper Box elder and engaged in ranching, dairying and stock growing. There the family lived until 1904 when old age and declining health admonished them to sell their mountain holdings and move to Fort Collins. Mr. Adair died October 19, 1907, at Fort Collins, his wife survived him but a short time. They left one daughter, Mrs. Dora Hazard of Central City, Colorado. Vol. 1 Page 6 GEORGE QUINCY ADAMS (1860) George Q. Adams was born in Ohio, came to Denver in 1860, where he made his home for a number of years. He was one of the founders of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Mr. Adams died on January 9, 1920, at his home, 4486 Meade St., at the age of 85 years. He was survived by his widow, two sons, J. Walter Adams, superintendent of the Union Station at Omaha, Nebraska, and W. W. Adams of Kansas City, and a step-daughter. Vol. 1 Page 7 SAMUEL J. AIKINS (1858) Samuel J. Aikins was born in Bloomington, Illinois, December 16, 1835. At an early age he moved with his parents to Ogle County, Illinois, where his early life was spent on a farm. In 1856, he went to Atchison County, Missouri, and followed farming for 2 years. In the fall of 1858 he came to Colorado and spent the winter at Boulder and in prospecting in the mountains. The following March he returned to Missouri and farmed that season. In the spring of 1860 he again came to Colorado, bringing with him his family, and located in Boulder City. After spending the season in placer mining on Boulder Creek he took 160 acres of land on that creek, 2 1/2 miles east of Boulder City, which he subsequently preempted and on which he resided, engaged in farming until 1865. He sold this land and rented a farm 1 mile south of Valmont that he ran 3 years. In 1868 he purchased 160 acres of land on Dry Creek, 5 miles east of 6 Boulder, on which he resided, engaging in agricultural pursuits and in improving the land and to which he added 80 acres of adjoining land. Mr. Aikins was married in 1856 to Miss Mary A. Burns. Vol. 1 Page 8 Captain THOMAS A. AIKINS (1858) Mr. Aikins was a ‘58er who at that early day came to the then almost unknown Pikes Peak country in search of gold and, subsequently, became one of Colorado’s pioneer farmers. He was born in Maryland August 8, 1808.
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