Larimer County, Colorado - The whole text, 1911 (part 3 of 22)

Pioneer Transportation Train

Paul Tharp reached Laporte, he was in light traveling trim, having left coat, hat, gun along the trail, and he found the settlers prepared for defending themselves. Settlers in the lower Poudre gathered at Arthur's. The following morning the truth became known all along the river, and the scare was over. ; ,

The last Indian scare on the Big Thompson occurred in 1864, when six Utes stampeded Mariana's horse herd and run several of the animals into the mountains. So badly frightened were the settlers that they left everything and fled for safety. On the raid the Indians killed a Mexican in Mariana's employe, horribly mutilating his body. Word was sent to Laporte and a detachment of soldiers from the 11th Ohio cavalry pursued the Utes and recovered the horses. One of the two Indians that were guarding the horses was killed, but the other, badly wounded, escaped only to die in a lonely cabin, where his body was found later.

In 1862, A. F. Howes, as county clerk, recorded a number of squatters filings on lands, powers of attorney and real estate and chattel mortgages. W. B. Osborn had been appointed probate judge by Governor Gilpin but the records do not show that he transacted any business, although he held court at Laporte on the days set apart by law. Henry Arrison was the first sheriff of the county. The records kept by A. F. Howes, as clerk and recorder, were some of them in his own handwriting, but the most of them seemed to have been recorded by Hal Sayre and J. C. Peabody. The record opens January 31, 1862, with a land filing in which Hal Sayre sets forth that he claims a certain tract of land described as follows: "Beginning at the southeast corner of E. O. Fritt's house, running thence north 76 degrees 6 minutes east to the top of a small knoll, whence the following houses will be at the following bearings: E. W. Raymond south 62 degrees 39 minutes west; R. G. Strauss south 11 degrees 15 minutes west, from this point north 46 degrees 30 minutes east 19 chains to a post which marks the southwest corner of this claim ; thence north 20 degrees 60 chains; thence south 70 degrees east 26.65 chains; thence south 20 degrees west 60 chains; thence north 70 degrees west 26.65 chains to place of beginning."

This description, though it may seem a little indefinite in this day and age, was probably as good as could have been given at the time, for the country had not then been surveyed into sections and townships.

On the 17th of March, 1862, the Laporte Townsite company filed a squatter's claim to 1280 acres of land, which was laid off into lots and blocks, in the expectation, no doubt, that here would be the future metropolis of the Rocky Mountain region. A. F. Howes was president of the company and Hal Sayre, secretary. On some date between March 24th and August 6, 1862, the day not being named, the constitution was spread on the records bearing the signatures of Benj. Sylvester, John F. VanDeventer, C. Randall, Thos. Pryce, N. Janis, F. R. and Antoine Janis, John L. Buell, by A. F. Howes, E. W. Raymond, Henry A. Swift, by A. F. Howes, his attorney, and A. F. Howes. The next mention of the company on the record the name of Abner Loomis appears as president and J. C. Peabody secretary. The capital stock of the company was fixed at $120,- 000. In September of that year the Townsite company sold to Benjamin Holladay block 238 and leased to him block 237 for corrals and stables for the Overland Stage company, reserving one lot 25 feet wide on Pawnee street, on which was located the stage station. The lease on block 237 was to run as long as the Stage Company should continue to carry the United States mail on the route from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Salt Lake City, Utah. A post- office, the first established in the county, was opened at Laporte in June, 1862. In the old record book from which these entrees are copied are 99 filings, the 98th and 99th being placed on record October 24th, 1863. These papers were conveyances from Jesse M. Sherwood and F. W. Sherwood to Ben Holladay, in which the grantors deeded to the grantee all their rights and interests in and to their farms at and near the mouth of the Boxelder creek, along the Cache la Poudre.

The first Territorial Legislature met in Denver September 9th, 1861. Larimer and Weld counties were included in one, the First Council and Representative district. H. J. Graham was elected to represent the district in the council and Daniel Steele as representative. Steele was a man of some education, but his opponent could neither read nor write and based his claim to the office on the fact that he had good common sense and wore a handsomely trimmed and decorated suit of buckskin. The election was held at Laporte and A. F. Howes and F. W. Sherwood were the judges. An old camp coffee pot served the purpose of a ballot box. Along in the afternoon a dispute arose among the adherents of the two candidates as to which had polled the greater number of votes up to that time. Money flashed and bets were made and to settle the controversy the table was cleared of books and loose papers, the votes turned out of the coffee pot and counted, when it was found that Steele was ahead. This was a frontier way of doing, but in those days the art of ballot box stuffing had not been introduced and an honest ballot and a fair count was the rule. In 1862 Joseph Kenyon was elected representative. For the third Territorial Legislature, which assembled in 1 864, Boulder, Larimer, and Weld counties sent Amos Widner to the oouncH and Larimer and Weld selected A. Or PatterSoii-'as representative, but he did not appear during the session. For the fourth Legislature, which met in 1865, the council and representative districts reelected Widner and Patterson. In 1866 J. M. Marshall went to the council and B. F. Johnson to the lower house, from Larimer and Weld, Mr. Johnson being replaced in 1867 by Peter Winne. In the seventh Legislature James H. Pinkerton was councilman and Harris Stratton representative; in the eighth, 1870, Jesse M. Sherwood was councilman and M. S. Taylor, representative. W. C. Stover represented Larimer county in the council of the 9th Legislature in 1872, and B. F. Eaton in the lower house; in the 10th Legislature, R. G. Buckingham and D. H. Nichols were the county's representatives in the council and lower house respectively, and in the 11th Legislature which convened in Denver Jan. 1876, B. H. Eaton and N. H. Meldrum had seats in the council and house respectively from Larimer county. The 11th Legislature was the last of the Territorial Legislatures. John E. Washburn and Capt. C. C. Hawley were members from Larimer county in the Constitutional convention which met in Denver on the second Monday in July 1864, to frame a state Constitution. At the election held on the second Tuesday in October of that year, the Constitution framed by this convention was rejected by the people on the score of economy. The following year another convention was held which submitted a draft of a Constitution to the people and it was adopted. William Gilpin was elected Governor. The Legislature met and elected John Evans and Jerome B. Chaffee United States senators. Congress consented to admit the state of Colorado into the union, but President Johnson vetoed the bill. The matter was revived periodically for ten years. On the 3rd of March, 1875, Congress passed an enabling act, authorizing the electors to vote, in July, 1876, upon a Constitution to be formed in a convention to be held at Denver before that time. This convention met in Odd Fellows hall in Denver on Monday, the 20th day of December, 1875, and organized by electing J. C. Wilson of El Paso county, president, and W. W. Coulson, secretary. Larimer county was represented in this convention by William C. Stover, father of F. W. Stover, the present county Judge, and A. K. Yount of Fort Collins, represented Larimer and Weld counties. The convention completed its labors on Wednesday, March 15th, 1876, and adjourned, having fixed July 1st,

1876, as the day on which an election should be held to approve or disapprove of the Constitution submitted. The election was held on the day named and the Constitution was adopted by a vote of 15,443 for, to 4,039 against its acceptance. On the the first of August, 1876, President U. S. Grant issued a proclamation admitting the state of Colorado into the Union.

Denver had long been working to have the regular Overland state route laid up the South Platte, and when Ben Holladay became proprietor of the line, he agreed upon a route running through Denver and from that point west, and to discontinue the North Platte route. The fact that the Indians had become troublesome on the North Platte route in 1862, had also some weight with him in deciding to make the change. The change was made in the month of June, 1862, and remarkable to relate, the transfer to the new line was so successfully accomplished that not a mail was missed or a coach delayed. From Denver the route followed the old Cherokee trail just outside the hogbacks to Laporte, thence through Virginia Dale to the Laramie plains and on to Salt Lake. Troops were stationed along the line to guard against attacks by the savages. Stage stations were established at Mariana's on the Big Thompson, Laporte and Virginia Dale. James Boutwell was the first keeper of the station on the Big Thompson, and the notorious Slade opened the station at Virginia Dale, and A. R. ChafiEee, father of County Commissioner Frank Chaffee, had charge of the Laporte station in 1863. When it became advisable for the desperado Slade to leave the country for the country's good, he was succeeded by W. S. Taylor, who later took charge of the Laporte station. The stage line across the country north from Denver was frequently changed. First it followed the hogbacks from the Big Thompson to Laporte, where it left the plains and entered the mountains. Then the route was changed so as to pass through Fort Collins. At one time the crossing of the Big Thompson was at the Washburn ranch near where Loveland is now, and J. E. Washburn was the agent. From there it crossed the divide to the Sherwood ranch on the Cache la Poudre and thence across the country to Park station, where it entered the mountains. For a short time the stage crossed the South Platte at Latham and then followed the Poudre river to the mountains.

The real history of the white settlement of Lari- ^ mer county begins when Antoine Janis located a squatter's claim on the Cache la Poudre river a short distance west of Laporte. Whether he continued to live on the claim from that time until the arrival of the Colona colony in 1858, we have no means of knowing as the records are silent on that point. But that he called it his home and remained in possession of it until 1878, when he sold it to Tobe Miller, there is no doubt. At that time and for many years before, the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians claimed and occupied all of Larimer and adjoining counties and it was through sufEerance that the whites were allowed to gain a foothold on the plains immed- iately east of the mountains. Antoine Janis tells us that these Indians ceded to him all the land in the Cache la Poudre valley lying between the mountains and the mouth of Boxelder creek, - a princely estate even in those wild days. In 1861, a treaty was made with these Indians at Bent's fort, by which all of their lands east of the mountains was ceded to the United States. From that time on white settlers were entitled to all the protection the government could afford them. They had a right to file upon, occupy and improve claims to public land regardless of Indian protests. These protests were frequent and often mandatory, as the Indians had no sooner signed away their lands than they regretted it. They had been persuaded to make the treaty, which dispossessed them of their ancient heritage by the usual means, presents, promises of annuities and mystification. The more the act was contemplated, the more determined they became to expel the settlers and regain what they had so foolishly surrendered. This led to frequent outbreaks, raids upon the settlers and the shedding of much blood in subsequent years.

"It seems eminently proper," says Gen. Frank Hall in his history of Colorado, "to submit a brief statement relating to such of the Indian tribes - ^the aboriginal owners of the territory lying between the Missouri river and the Rocky Mountains, as may have a bearing upon the prehistoric annals of the country. To attempt anything like a history of all the tribes would lead us too far from the general purpose of this work, besides, occupying space that may be more profitably devoted to other matters. But the subject is at least one well worthy of passing consideration. The enlightened emigrant of 1858 - and his followers in subsequent years, given to close observation, naturally expended some earnest thought upon the natives he encountered, and naturally enough, wondered how and whence they came, or, if they had always roamed up and down the country spending their time in war and the chase. He met the remnants of once numerous and powerful nations now decimated and degraded to mere fragments, stripped of power and reduced to beggary. What were they in the zenith of their strength? Their destiny was already manifest; requiring no prophetic vision to foretell the closing scene. Overborne by the surging tide of an irresistible movement, there could be but one result - their extinction. If men sow not, neither shall they reap. The redmen stubbornly refused to accept the conditions held up to them by modern law, so they were plowed under and forgotten. The whirlwind of civilized force swept over and blotted them out. Though renowned in war with their own species, they became helpless as babes before the resistless torrent. Humanitarians call it harsh, barbarous and cruel, but it was predestined. The march of progress from Plymouth Rock to the western rivers had been marked by trails of fire and blood. The Christian fathers carried their guns and torches, as we ours, and aimed to kill. There was no middle course. The crusade begun from the anchorage of the Mayflower, was not ordained to stop until it had mastered the continent. We could not halt at the Mississippi or Missouri and declare that all east of that line should belong to the white man and all west of it to the red; that half of the continent should be devoted to the pursuits of civilization, and the balance permitted to continue unimproved and under the rule of savages who would neither toil nor spin. And so the sanguinary procession advanced, the white man took possession and the barbarians disappeared.

"The Cheyenne, Arapahoes and Kiowas of whom the early emigrants had most intimate knowledge through frequent encounters were strong, warlike and cruel. There was a report that the Arapahoes were descended from the Blackfeet; that a hunting party accompanied by their families came down from the North to the Platte about eighty-five years ago, and being cut ofE by a severe snow storm, wintered here. The season in this latitude being mild and pleasant, the country abounding in game, and generally a better region to live in than the one they had left, they decided to remain. How much truth there may be in the story, if any, we are unable to say. We found them here and know that they roamed the plains in large numbers from the country of the Pawnees to the base of the mountains and down into the valley of the Arkansas river. The Cheyennes were pushed westward from Dakota by' the more powerful Sioux, and located first in the Black Hills, where they divided and scattered, the larger portion uniting with the Arapahoes, a union which continued unbroken to the last. Intensely warlike, of robust physique, scarcely less skilful than the Sioux, these two tribes were in almost constant conflict with their enemies of other nations, but more especially with the Utes, whom they hated with unquenchable malevolence and by whom the feeling was fully reciprocated.

"The Utes, members of the Snake family, have held the parks and the valleys of the mountains to be their exclusive property from time immemorial, and contended for these rights successfully against all comers. Though attacked periodically and in force by other nations, they were never dislodged, and never yielded an inch of their domain until compelled to part with it under recent treaties."

The settlers in the valley of the Cache la Poudre previous to 1861, were few and far between if we exclude those who located at what is now Laporte in 1858. They could almost be counted on the fingers of the two hands, the most prominent of them being 'James B. Arthur, Joseph Mason, John Arthur, Jeseph Prendergast, E. B. Davis, Dwight Scoutten, Ranger Jones, Thos. Earnest, J. M. and F. W. Sherwood, G. R. Strauss and a few others, all of whom located on the river bottoms southeast of the present city of Fort Collins in 1860. Joseph Mason purchased a claim located on the south side of the river about a mile above Fort Collins, and Rock Bush filed on a claim on the north side of the river in 1859, which he still owns and occupies. After the title to the Indian lands passed to the United States, settlers came in faster and at the close of 1861, nearly all of the bottom lands along the river from Laporte down to where Greeley now stands had been taken up. Among the settlers who filed on claims that year were the following: Hal Sayr, E. W. Raymond, E. Reed, John C. Peabody, C. J. Randall, A. J. Ames, Joseph Newton, Sus Lewis, E. D. Fritts, Nathaniel Perkins, A. Sprague, C. S.

Fassett, William Halford, A. F. Howes, B. Sylvester, G. R. Strauss, A. L. Snodderly, Mahlon Smith, M. S. Warder, H. B. Blevins, Paul Donan, Francis Belange. John G. Coy filed on his claim in August, 1862. In 1862, John B. Larster, Frank Long, W. W. Wyner, Samuel Heffner, William McGaa, Joseph 'Voore, N. Levine, John P. Martin, Andrew Lamarch, John A. Lattie, Hiram Harmon, filed on claims in the Big Thompson valley: Thomas McBride, G. R. Sanderson, Isaac W. Morris, J. Bradstreet, W. N. FalHs, A. C. Kenyon, A. C. Griffin, Joseph Filthian, Joseph Merivale, William J. Parker, A. F. Woodward, D. W. Buell,

Fishing Scene On The Cache La Poudre

Joseph Bocus, E. C. McGinnes, J. M. Aker, George Luce, T. B. Farmer, J. G. Farmer, R. E. Lawrence, Frank Lacy, Selma Watson, and William Ebersole on claims in the Cache la Poudre valley. But few of these became permanent settlers. They located claims for the purpose of selling out to new comers and when they had disposed of their holdings, moved on to other fields. The transfer of the Overland stage route in 1862 from the North to the South Platte and the running of daily coaches through here had the effect of directing attention to the advantages ofEered homeseekers in the Cache la Poudre and Big Thompson valleys, with the result that there were many new-comers during the years 1862, 1863 and 1864, so that before the end of the year last named the Cache la Poudre valley boasted of quite a large community. By this time so beneficial had been found the climatic influences of Colorado and her fame as a sanatarium having become wide-spread, that the influx of health-seekers grew larger year by year. The dryness and lightness of the air and its invigorating character together with the almost constant prevalence of sunshine, imparted new vigor and energy to the well, and gave a new lease of life to those whose constitutions were impared. Here on this great plateau, a mile above the sea, far removed from the fogs, chilling winds and damp atmosphere of either ocean, all the conditions of life to the new-comer were fresh and inspiring. But all those who came in the early days were by no means invalids. For the most part they were men in the prime of life, with strong, vigorous constitutions, level-headed, brave of heart, energetic and enterprising, possessing great capacity for work and filled with a desire to help plant the banner of civilization in the wilderness. That they builded better than they knew is now evident by a teeming and prosperous population, with villages, towns, and cities dotting the plains, with their churches, schools and higher institutions of learning; by the rush of the iron horse and by social conditions that are not excelled in any of the older states.

In the rush for gold in |he earlier years of Colorado but little attention was paid to agriculture. That was thought to be too slow a method for accumulating wealth. Most of the piofleers expected to garner a fortune in the mines and return to their homes in the east and enjoy their gains, surrounded by more civilizing influences than were to be found in the Rocky Mountains. Many accomplished their ends and did return eastward, but by far the greater number either lacked the means to recross the plains or attracted by the climate and the great dormant possibilities of the country, remained and engaged in farming or stock raising. They were incited to do this from the high price of provisions, and in view of the fact, since everything consumed came from the eastern states and was often months on the way, that a scarcity might sometimes bring with it high prices to the farmers. It was not long until the lands bordering the streams on the plains and the valleys of the mountains were found to be extremely fertile and capable of producing enormous crops. At first farming was, in the main, limited to the raising of vegetables and the cutting and curing of the native grasses, for hay, for which there was a great demand in the mining camps, at highly remunerative prices. Native grasses grew luxuriously over the bottom lands of the streams and this was cut and cured by the settlers, hauled to Denver, Central City and Blackhawk and sold to the miners and livery men. Hay at times commanded as much as $150 per ton, and vegetables of all kinds were much sought after. The story is told that small cabbages sold in Denver in 1861 for $5 per head, but it is not vouched for. While the area of cultivated land was small during the first decade and confined altogether to the margins of the streams, farming had become an important industry in the Big Thompson and Cache la Poudre valleys in 1867 -8, the cultivation of wheat having been successfully introduced, due to irrigation, and then came the demand for mills to convert the wheat into flour. This demand was promptly met in the Cache la Poudre by Mrs. Elizabeth Stone and H. C. Petterson who built the Linden Mills in 1868. A mill was built the same year in the Big Thompson valley by Andrew Douty. From this time a more rapid movement took place in the way of peopling the county, so that when the first federal census was taken in 1870, the population had grown to 838. Ditches to carry water from the streams to irrigate what was called the bench or bluff lands were built, and it was found that larger yields "of wheat of a better quality could be produced on these lands than on the river bottoms. Fifty, sixty and even seventy bushels of the finest wheat in the world were often harvested from the bench lands, so that in a few years the farmers of Colorado began to produce more wheat than was needed for Colorado consumption, causing a decline in the price. In the late seventies and early eighties the price of wheat fell to 50 and 60 cents a bushel, which left the farmer little or no profit. Meanwhile the county kept settling up so that in 1880 it had a population of 4,892. In 1890 this had increased to 9,712, in 1900 to 12,168, and in 1910 to 25,270.

But it was not all fair sailing with the pioneers. They had many obstacles and difficulties to over- ' come in addition to years of toil, hardship and privation. Irrigating canals had to be built, homes to be erected consisting more often of log cabins than otherwise, with the timbers they and the fences and corrals were made of far up in the mountains a day's journey away; with farm implements and seed to be obtained from the Missouri river, six hundred miles away. They were also surrounded by unfamiliar conditions, often terrorized by blood thirsty savages, frequently limited in food supplies and went hungry. But the pioneers, those who remained and continued the struggle were active, earnest, true-hearted men and women who set themselves to work with a spirit that deserved and achieved success. Among the discouragements and disappointments that would have disheartened and demoralized men made of less sterner stuiif, was the grasshopper visitation that came upon them just before harvest time in 1873,

These destructive insects came down upon the fields of the growing grain in vast clouds and consumed every green thing in their paths. Fields that gave promise of rich yields of golden grain, nearly ready for the sickle, were swept away as if by fire, leaving nothing but desolation for the farmers to gaze upon after all his toil and labor. Hope nearly gave away to despair. The visitation was not confined to one section, but spread itself over the grain fields in all portions of the Territory, so that the bread supply of the settlers was practically all wiped out. What made the situation still worse was that there was but little money in the country, for a financial panic had struck the entire nation and banks everywhere went toppling to the wall. Those able to withstand the wave of business depression were afraid to loan money, so that the out-look was truly disheartening. But, with Spartan courage and indomitable wills, men and women alike kept up the fight for supremacy against what seemed at times like insurmountable obstacles and difficulties, and finally won the victory. Development of the country was retarded by the grasshopper plague which tormented the settlers for two successive years, though people continued to come from the east in search of homes in the Golden west, though not in such large numbers however, until after conditions began to improve. How the pioneers subsisted during those trying years, only those who passed through the disappointments, privations and hardships they endured, can form an adequate conception.

Stock growing early became an important industry in Larimer county and in the late 60's and early 70's, thousands of head of cattle, great bands of horses and flocks of sheep grazed upon the rich pasture lands of the plains and the valleys of the mountains. The mildness of the climate, the vast grazing ground on the plains, the ranges in the mountain parks and valleys all tended to make stock growing profitable as well as pleasant. Large fortunes were acquired in this industry and many of the new comers engaged in it. At one time Larimer county ranked second in the state in the number of head of live stock owned and run upon its ranges. Nearly 50,000 head of cattle and 75,000 she^p were assessed for taxation in 1878, but as settlers came in and took up farms the range became restricted so that many of the cattlemen moved their herds to Wyomitig where there was a wider scope of unoccupied country for stock to range over and feed upon. Though there are still many thousands of domestic animals in the county, the herds are not as large as they were in the early days. The character and quality of these animals have greatly improved in recent years by the introduction of registered Hereford, Shorthorns, Jerseys, and other high bred cattle, so that prize takers at the stock shows of the country are now being produced.

In the spring of 1860, the Seventh United States infantry came down over the Cherokee trail and passed through Colona (now Laporte) on the way to Bent's fort. This regiment had been sent to Utah in 1858, to assist in quelling an anticipated Mormon uprising and to compel an obedience to the law of the government. Its mission ended, the regiment was called back to the Arkansas valley. Part of the command encamped over night at Spring canon. Joseph Frendergast, chief of the wagon train, had received his discharge on expiration of term of service and when the regiment reached the Cache la Poudre valley he became and remained a valued citizen of the county. G. R. Strauss was another member of General Sidney Johnston's expedition to Salt Lake, who tarried here on his way east and set about building himself a home in the Cache la Poudre valley. He located first on the A. J. Ames place, now known as the Slockett farm, later moving to the Strauss farm near Timnath, where he lived until his death in 1904. Joseph Lariviere took up a piece of land adjoining Rock Bush's claim on the west, and Phillip Lariviere filed on what is now known as the Inverness farm. In 1860 Abner Loomis, Joseph Whitsall and William Faith purchased adjoining claims in Pleasant valley for stock ranches. Mr. Loomis was then engaged in freighting from the

Missouri river, making two trips a year. One season he made three trips, making a total of eleven round trips across the plains in the years 1862, 63, 64, 65. A. R. Chaffee rode into the Big Thompson valley in 1862 astride a mule. Tired and hungry he rode up to a cabin about which he saw a white man, and asked for something to eat for himself and his mule. Being told that he could have it Mr. Chaffee put up his mule and entered the cabin. Over a fire in one corner he saw a kettle, before which sat an Indian woman. Ravenously hungry, Mr. Chaffee noticed with disappointment, the slim peparations being made for a meal, but it was too far to the next cabin, so he waited developments. A little later the man of the house came in, the kettle was placed on the floor in the center of the room and the guest was told to help himself. Apologizing for the slim fare. Jack Jones, the proprietor, stated that there was not a pound of flour in the settlement and hadn't been for some time; further, that he had no idea when there would be any. Jack Jones' real name was William McGaa, and his oldest son was the first child born in Denver and bore the name of his birthplace - -Denver McGaa. The boy grew to manhood in the Cache la Poudre valley, but went to Pine Ridge agency in the early 80's to join the tribe of Indians of which his mother was a member. He has revisited the scene of his boyhood on several occasions but not to stay long, prefering the nomadic life of the aboriginees to the career of the average hardworking white man.

In 1863, Co. B of the First Colorado volunteer cavalry, was stationed for a few weeks at Laporte, employed in guarding the mountain division of the Overland stage line and the emigrant trail against depredations by the Indians, raids of white desperadoes and stock thieves, with which the country was infested at that time. The desperadoes and stock thieves, mainly Mexicans with, perhaps, a dare-devil white man as leader, were more dreaded by the early settlers than the Indians, for the Plains Indians very seldom interfered with the property of white men in the country, but they were often charged with running off stock when they were not guilty. The white or Mexican marauders stole the stock and laid the theft to the redmen to avoid suspicion of themselves. In this way the Indians, though innocent, were often blamed for things they did not do, which enabled the real offenders to get away with their booty. The troops patroled the stage line from

Laporte to Laramie Plains and often a detail of soldiers was sent out with the coaches and also with trains of emigrants to protect them from raiders. The United States mails were carried by the Overland stage and they had to be protected by the government from interference by the Indians and white desperadoes. Thousands of emigrants were moving westward in those days and they also claimed and received, so far as it was possible, the same protection. The result was the soldiers were kept pretty busy most of the time. After a stage coach or a train of emigrants had been guarded by soldiers from Laporte to Willow Springs on the Laramie Plains, it was turned over to another detail of troops which accompanied the travelers to the next division point; the first detail returning to their post at Laporte. In this way the line was kept open and practically undisturbed, for the Indians and desperadoes had a healthy fear of the soldiers and generally gave them a wide berth. Occasionally a band of Indians or white marauders would swoop down upon a guarded stage coach or a protected emigrant train and either overpower or kill the guards and run off the stock, but these raids did not occur very often. The road from Denver to Willow Springs was kept open all of the time and travelers were seldom molested. From Willow Springs westward across the Laramie Plains the stage and emigrant trains had more or less trouble from raids by the Indians, and many of the people lost their lives through the rapacity of the savages. Road agents or stage robbers' gave the Overland company more trouble than the Indians. They usually did their work in the night while the Indians very seldom operated after dark. In September, 1862, an east bound Overland coach was held up near the North Platte crossing and robbed by two men. The driver was killed and the robbers carried off a small iron safe, which contained $70,- 000 in gold dust that was being sent east from California by express. There is a tradition to the effect that this treasury box was brought down the line to Virginia Dale and hidden in the hills near the station. Later that fall two prospectors, a German and an Irishman, on their way to Denver, made their appearance at John B. Provost's in Laporte, with a large quantity of gold dust which they claimed to have taken from a mine in the mountains which they had discovered. In the spring of 1863 they again passed Provost's on their way to the mountains, returning in the fall with between $6,000 and $7,000 in gold dust which they said came from their mine, the location of which they refused to make known. The following winter, so the story goes, the Irishman was killed in a quarrel at Central City and the German made his trips to his gold mine alrfne after that, always returning in the fall with a goodly quantity of gold dust. Efforts were made to get him to tell where his mine was, but he always put off his questioners in one way and another and never would give the desired information. At last a party of men set out to find what was then called the "Dutchman's" mine, but after prospecting for several days without results gave up the search. In the spring of 1864, when the old German passed through Laporte on his way to the mountains, two men followed him thinking he would lead them directly to the place where he claimed to have found so much gold, but he discovered their purpose and threw them off the track by going up the Cache la Poudre and crossing over into what is now Grand county through Lulu pass. He was never afterwards seen in these parts. The story goes that he was lynched in Central City for killing a man. At any rate the "Dutchman's" mine was never found, and the supposition is that the German and his partner were the ones who held up and robbed the stage coach of its treasure box and afterward obtained their supply of gold dust from the place where they had hidden it in the mountains near Virginia Dale. The keeping of a record of the proceedings of the board of county commissioners began October 8th, 1864, when Abner Loomis, John Heath and William A. Bean, commissioners for the county, appointed by Governor John Evans, met at Laporte and organized by electing Abner Loomis chairman. According to the record, all the board did after organizing was to approve the official bonds of the several county officers appointed by the governor at the same time the commissioners were appointed. There was, in fact but little else to be done at that time. There were no public roads, no bridges, except private or toll bridges, and no school districts in the county. No term of the district court had then been held consequently there were no jurors nor witnesses to be paid, and the newly appointed county officers had as yet performed no service for which they were entitled to pay. As a matter of fact, the commissioners had no public money to expend for any purpose, as the first assessment of property in the county for taxation was made that year. The records fail to show who was assessed, what species of property was listed and the total amount of the roll, but the footings of the roll could not have amounted to many thousands of dollars, as only personal property such as cattle, horses, wagons and improvements on public land were subject to taxation. The land could not be taxed as the title still remained in the government and as the country was new and most of the settlers were poor, there was not much property to assess. The public land had just been surveyed by the government and of course no land patents had been issued to any of the settlers. Previous to the time when the public surveys were completed the settlers only possessed a squatter's right to their lands, but after the surveys were made and section and township lines were established, they began to make preemption and homestead filings in which these lands were definitely described. These lands could not be taxed, however, until after the government had issued patents on them, and it does not appear from the county records that any of the public lands in Larimer county were patented until several years afterward, consequently

The first land patent recorded in Larimer county was issued May 1st, 1867, to Antoine Janis, assignee of Marcus Minorca, a New Mexican volunteer in the Navajo trouble to whom had been issued land warrant No. 103,153, for 160 acres of land. Janis located the warrant on the E. ^ of the S. E. ^ of section 30, and W. ^ of the S. W. ^ of section 29, township No. 8, north of range No. 69, west of the 6th principal meridian, the same land he had claimed under a squatter's right in 1844 - twentythree years before. The patent was signed by Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, and recorded on August 30th, 1867, in book "B" of the Larimer county records, by John C. Matthews as deputy for Edward C. Smith, county clerk.

Before the county was thoroughly organized for judicial purposes in 1864, A. F. Howes, who had been appointed county clerk by Governor Gilpin soon after Larimer county had been created by the Territorial legislature, opened "Book 'A' of deeds of Larimer county, Colorado Territory." In this book were recorded squatter's claims to land, bills of sale, chattel mortgages; and later on land office receiver's duplicate receipts; quit-claim deeds, contracts, etc. The first instrument in writing recorded in this book purports to be Hal Sayr's squatter's claim to 160 acres of land, which was filed for record January 31st, 1862, by A. F. Howes, county clerk and recorder. Four days afterwards, on February 4th, 1862, E. W. Raymond's squatter's claim was filed for record from which it appears that the county clerk was not rushed with work in those days. Every one of the instruments recorded in 1862 were acknowledged before J. C. Peabody, who seems to have been the only justice of the peace in the county. Hal Sayr acted as deputy clerk in 1862, and J. C. Peabody served as deputy in 1863, under A. F. Howes. The last instrument recorded in book "A" is a quit-claim deed from J. M. Sherwood to Ben Holladay, sub-contractor of the Overland stage company. It conveys to the grantee the rights of the grantor to certain lands situated near the mouth of Boxelder creek, the consideration named being $500. This deed was recorded October 24th, 1863, by L. Wright, deputy, in the absence of J. C. Peabody, the regularly appointed deputy clerk. Book "B" of the record of deeds was opened April 10th, 1865, by H. W. Chamberlin, county clerk and recorder. Between October 24th, 1863, the date of the recording of the last instrument in book "A", and April 10th, 1865, the date of the opening of book "B", the records fail to show that any instruments were recorded by the county clerk. There is a hiatus there of one year, five months and sixteen days, when business in the county clerk's office appears to have been at a standstill. The first instrument recorded in book "B", April 10th, 1865, was a United States receiver's duplicate receipt No. 197, issued to A. F. Howes, February 7th, 1865, upon the payment of $200, being in full for the N. i of the N. E. i, and N. E. i of the N. W. i of section 18, and S. E. i of the

Home Of Ebenezer Davis

S. W. i of section 7, all in township No. 7 north of range No. 68 W. embracing l60 acres at the rate of $1.25 per acre. The duplicate was issued at the Denver land office by C. B. Clement, receiver. From the records this appears to have been the first entry- of public land in Larimer county and the first duplicate receipt issued to a Larimer county preemptor. Mr. Howes, who was afterwards county judge of Larimer county and later represented the county in the state senate for four years, filed a squatter's claim on the land described in 1862 and preempted the same soon after the Government survey had been made in 1864. He proved up on his preemption in February, 1865, and completed the the entry under the United States land laws. This formed a part of Judge Howes' 800-acre ranch which he owned and controlled for 35 years, when it passed into other hands and is now owned by the Water Supply and Storage Company.

No one living here at the present time seems to be able to account for the hiatus of nearly eighteen months in the public records of the county. It was not because the settlers had forsaken their homes and claims and gone elsewhere, nor because they neither bought nor sold land claims or other property during the interim, for the same names appear in record book "B" as grantors and grantees that appeared in record book "A", with here and there a new name, showing that instead of having moved away accessions had been made to the number of settlers here in 1863. It is possible that Judge Howes, who opened record book "A" January 31st, 1862, before the county had been organized for judicial purposes, found that his acts as county clerk and recorder had no legal standing and were therefore invalid, hence closed up his office and discontinued the keeping of the records. Whatever the cause, the fact remains that there is not the scratch of a pen in the public records from October 24th, 1863, to April 10th, 1865, to show that a single transfer of property had been made by anybody within the boundaries of Larimer county. This lapse in the records does not, however, efEect titles to land, for in those days no one had any better title than a squatter's right to preempt or homestead when it came into market. The government surveys were made in the latter part of 1863 and in 1864, and it was not until then that settlers could get even a shadow of a tittle to the land they had squatted upon. After that, preemption and homestead filings were made and these subsequently proved up on when the title passed from the government to the settler. The number of Judge Howes' duplicate receipt, 197, shows that up to that time, February 7th, 1865, but few settlers in Colorado had acquired title to their land. That was because the government surveys had not heen made and therefore no title to land could be given until the country had been surveyed, platted and opened for . permanent settlement. When this was done, thousands of preemption and homestead filings were made and the records of Larimer county from that time on are filled with recorded evidences of title to real estate. The first settlers of the county located on the bottom lands adjacent to the streams and not until these were all taken up and occupied, was any attempt made to secure claim or title to what are known as bench or bluff lands. Native grasses grew luxuriantly on the bottom lands and, when cured, made excellent hay, and as hay, in the early days, brought a good price at Denver and in the mining camps, the first settlers devoted almost their entire efforts and energies to the production of hay. A few of them planted gardens in the low lands and raised potatoes and other vegetables for market with marked success. But little grain of any kind was grown in the county until about 1864, when a few of the ranchmen ventured to sow wheat and oats and to plant corn. The result of these few experiments were so much better than expected that a much larger area was planted to small grains in 1865, so that the birth of diversified agriculture in Larimer county can be dated from about that period of time.

After the settlers began to get titles to their lands the county took on a better and more favorable appearance. Improvements were made, more comfortable and more convenient houses were built to take the place of sod-covered and dirt-floored log cabins, the farms were fenced, trees planted and the general air of the Great American desert began to take on a more civilized and homelike aspect. About this time it was demonstrated that the uplands produced the best wheat, oats and other small grains and largest yields per acre and new comers began to locate on and improve them. Companies were incorporated to build irrigating ditches through which to carry water from the streams to irrigate the lands, which previous to this time, were thought to be worthless except for pasture. The surplus grain produced in 1865-6 and 7 was hauled in wagons to Denver and marketed at good prices, and all the ranchmen were making money and doing well. New farms were opened up and the grain crops became so important that in 1867 a grist mill was built in the Big Thompson valley and a year later another one was erected at Fort Collins. These mills were equipped with old fashioned millstones and bolts, but they served a good purpose for several years and afforded the farmers of the two valleys a home market for their surplus grain products, thus saving the long and tiresome haul to Denver.

Late in 1863, Co. B of the First Colorado volunteer cavalry was transferred from Laporte to another field of activity and a detachment of the Eleventh Kansas volunteer cavalry was sent west to guard the Overland stage line, taking the place of the Colorado troops. The following spring Lieut. Col. W. O. Collins, commanding the Eleventh Ohio regiment of volunteer cavalry, stationed at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, sent companies F and B of his regiment to Laporte to take the place of the Kansas troops which had been ordered into active service in the field. The Ohio troops arrived here in May and established a post a short distance southwest of the point of rgcks west of Laporte, which they named Camp Collins in honor of Col. Collins, commander of the regiment. These two companies of mounted troops, commanded by Capt. W. H. Evans, remained at Camp Collins doing patrol and guard duty until

October, 1864, when the camp was moved to the site of the present city of Fort Collins, the reason of the change being that the old camp at Laporte was flooded during the high water of June that year and much of the camp equipment, including tents, ammunition, blankets and clothing was washed away and lost at a cost of several thousand dollars. The new Camp Collins formed the nucleus around which the present city of Fort Collins and county seat of Larimer county, has since been built up, and as the history of the camp and the founding of that city are intimately connected, further and more extended reference to the soldiers and their duty and experiences here, will be made under the separate head of "Fort Collins'' in this volume.

Though set off and created by an act of the Territorial legislature, approved in September, 1861, as already stated, Larimer county remained unorganized until 1864, for reasons elsewhere given, consequently little or nothing was done in the way of making public improvements. The county remained in an inchoate state. The elements were present, the people were here, though few in number, comparatively speaking, the boundaries had been defined and the legislature had conferred upon the inhabitants the power to organize and the governor had appointed a full set of county officers so that, apparently, nothing stood in the way of the establishment of a county government. But the people were not yet ready to assume the responsibility. They were satisfied with conditions as they existed. The board of .county commissioners appointed by Governor Gilpin in January, 1862, failed to organize and there is nothing on record to show that the other county officers appointed at the same time qualified by filing bonds and oaths of office. Later in the season Governor Gilpin appointed a new set of county officers, including Joseph Mason, James

B. Arthur and William B. Osborn as a board of commissioners. This board organized by electing Mr. Osborn chairman, and proceeded to lay out the commissioner districts of the county practically as they still exist. Capt.

C. C. Hawley informed the author that after the failure of the first board of commissioners. Gov. Gilpin appealed to him to furnish the names of three qualified men for commissioners who would organize and act as such. Capt. Hawley recommended Messrs Mason, Arthur and Osborn and they were appointed. A. F. Howes was at the same time appointed clerk and recorder and he entered upon his official duties January 31, 1862. It does not appear that the board of commissioners transacted any public business during their term beyond that of laying out the commissioner districts.

Sawtooth Mountain, From Michigan Ditch Camp

ers, Abner Loomis, John Heath and William A. Bean; County Judge, John E. Washburn, Sheriff, Henry Arrison; Treasurer, B. T. Whedbee; Assessor, J. M. Smith; County Clerk, H. W. Chamberlin; Superintendent of Schools, H. B. Chubbuck. At this time there was but one public highway in the county and that was the Territorial road leading north from Denver to Fort Laramie. This road followed the Old Cherokee trail which closely hugged the hogbacks. Bridges had been built over the Big Thompson at Namaqua and over the Cache la Poudre at Laporte, but they were toll bridges owned by private parties or incorporated companies. These bridges were used mainly during flood periods when the water was too high for safe fording.

Record book No. 1 of the board of county commissioners opens with a brief report of the first meeting of the new board, which was held October 8th, 1864 at Laporte. The minutes of that meeting state that "the board convened at 4 o'clock p. m. Abner Loomis and John Heath being present and W. A. Bean absent. Abner Loomis was chosen chairman. The board proceeded to examine the bonds of the following county officers: H. W. Chamberlin, clerk and recorder; B. T. Whedbee, treasurer; J. E. Washburn, probate judge; H. B. Chubbuck, school superintendent; James M. Smith, assessor."

After approving the official bonds of these officers the board adjourned without transacting any other public business. No other meeting appears to have been held until February 17, 1865, when the board levied a tax of $1,000 "for the purpose of raising recruits for the 90-day service," in response to the call of Governor Evans, dated February 6th, 1865; also a tax of $250 for the purpose of purchasing books, blanks, and stationery for the use of the county. Abner Loomis and John Heath were present at this meeting, Mr. Loomis presiding.

On the 23rd of the following April the board met again and appropriated $150 to pay for a log house purchased of Henry Arrison, situated in Laporte; said building to be used for county purposes. Among the bills allowed and ordered paid at the next meeting held July 15, 1865, were the following:

$250 to Wm. B. Osborn for a horse pressed into the military service by order of Col. Moonlight, commander of the district; also $50 to Abner Loomis for one horse ; B. T. Whedbee $50 for one horse; Wm. Adolph $50 for one horse; Joseph Mason $50 for one horse; Mariana Modena $150 for three horses. These horses had all been pressed into the military service. At this meeting there were present William A. Bean, Abner Loomis, and John Heath. On July 26th, the board met again and allowed bills amounting to $250, each to Johnathan E. Wilde, and J. M. Sherwood for horses pressed into the military service by order of Col. Moonlight; $50 each to Mariana Modena, James M. Smith, James M. Eaglin, Frank Card, Joseph Markley, John J. Ryan, Daniel Walker, Jerry Kuhns, Sebastian Foster,

Thomas H. Johnson, John Hahn, Wm. B. Osborn, H. Hillbury, Luber Hillbury, Wesley Hillbury and H. Sharp, and $25 each to Nelson Hollowell, Thomas Cross, John D. Bartholf, John E. Washburn, John Keirnes and G. L. Luce to reimburse them for bounty money paid to recruits for the 90 day service. At this meeting the board fixed the annual tax levy at 7 mills on the dollar for county purposes; 13 mills special tax to pay bounties to recruits ; also a poll tax of $2 and a military poll of 50 cents.

The next meeting of the board occurred January 8, 1866, with Abner Lommis, James B. Arthur and Wm. A. Bean as members, Mr. Arthur having been elected to succeed John Heath at the election held in September, 1865, the first general election held in the county. Bills for per diem of judges and clerks of the election for canvassing of the returns were allowed and ordered paid. The names of those receiving county warrants for this service follow: James M. Smith, John E. Washburn, Thomas Cross, S. W. Smith, Harris Stratton, H. C. Peterson, Dominie Bray, H. B. Chubbuck, John Heath, J. B. Ames, G. R. Strauss, Wm. Rasmus, Henry Arrison, C. C. Smith, J. A. C. Hickman, Daniel Johnson, Ed. C. Smith, J. M. Smith Jr., William Cosslett, John R. Thacker, Antoine Lebeau, R. J. Brown, G. A. Goodrich, Thomas Gill, John M. Tout, Peter Cazzoe and E. G. Howard.

J. E. Washburn and Wm. B. Osborn and others presented a petition for the laying out and establishing of public highways in the Big Thompson valley. These were the first petitions to come before the board asking for public highways.

Samuel E. Brown of Denver, was employed by the board to collect from the United States the money expended by the county in raising 90-day men for military service in 1864, for which he was to be paid 33 1-3 per cent of the amount collected. If he failed in his endeavor he was to receive no compensation.

At the next meeting held February 6th, 1866, the first road petition acted upon was granted and a highway described as follows laid out and established : "Commencing at a point on the southern boundary line of the military reservation of Fort Collins, running parallel with the township line between ranges 68 and 69 west and three-fourths of a mile west from said township line and running due south to the southern line of the county of Larimer, in conformity with the petition of John E. Washburn and 29 others." This road was afterwards vacated and laid upon the section line and is now

The records do not show that another meeting of the board was held until January 12th, 1867, a period of more than a year having elapsed since the previous meeting, though the blank pages from page 10 to page 24, inclusive, in the record book, indicate that meetings were held during the interim and, for some reason, no record made of them. This session was mainly devoted to acting upon road petitions, rebating taxes and auditing bills. The members present were Abner Loomis, J. B. Arthur and W. A. Bean. On January 23rd, another meeting was held with Commissioners Loomis and Arthur present. At this meeting W. DeW. Taft, late deputy county clerk, on behalf of H. W. Chamberlin, late county clerk, turned over to Edward C. Smith, his successor in office, certain books, records, and papers pertaining to and belonging to the office of county clerk." The session was occupied mainly in auditing bills. The sum of $200 was appropriated for the purchase of a bridge over the Big Thompson at Washburn crossing.

On the 11th of February the board granted permission to W. H. Oviatt, agent, Brice Viers, A. H. Reed, agent, and Alexander Stewart to graze cattle in Larimer county. The record does not give the residences of the grantees, but they were presumably citizens of Wyoming. Harris Stratton was appointed a justice of the peace in and for Larimer county. On the 3rd of June, 1867, the salary of J. M. Sherwood, probate judge, was fixed at $150 for the first year of his term of office, and Fred Wallace was appointed a justice of peace. Judges of election were also appointed at this session as follows:

In 1867, the Colorado Central & Pacific Railroad company, which had been chartered by the Territorial legislature to build a railroad from Georgetown, via Boulder, St. Vrain and thence through Larimer county in a northeasterly direction to a junction with the Union Pacific railroad then being built westward from Omaha, asked the county to subscribe to the capital stock of the company in the sum of $25,000, and to pay for the same in the corporate bonds of the county. The company agreed to locate its line of road not more than one mile east of the mouth of Boxelder Creek. In furtherance of the proposition the board of commissioners, at a meeting held August 10th, at Laporte, adopted a resolution providing for submitting to a vote of the people the question of issuing the bonds of the county for that purpose. The election was called for August 13th, and it was held on that day, but the records fail to show whether or not the bonds were voted. The fact remains, however, that they were never issued and the road was never built. It was not until ten years later that a railroad was built into and through the county, that road being the Colorado Central, as it was then and for several years afterwards called, but now known as the Colorado & Southern. It passed by the sites of the present towns of Berthoud and the present city of Loveland and was completed and put into operation in October 1877. A depot and telegraph station were opened in Fort Collins on the 7th day of October. The towns of Loveland and Berthoud had their origin soon after the road was completed. The Greeley Salt Lake and Pacific railroad from Greeley westward through Fort Collins was built in 1882, and a few months later the two roads fell into the possession of the Union Pacific Railroad company which, in 1884, took up the rails on the Colorado Central from Fort Collins to Cheyenne, thus cutting Larimer county off from direct communication with Wyoming.

The tax levy for 1867 was fixed at 1 mill for school purposes, 3 mills for territorial purposes, and 8 mills for county purposes. Licenses to sell liquors were issued October 7th, to Peter Decora, Cornelius Maxwell and Provost & Claymore, at $100 each per annum. The rates of toll to be charged on the Laporte, Virginia Dale and Boundary Line wagon road were fixed at 25 cents for team and wagon, 2 cents per head for loose stock, 15 cents for carriages and teams, and 1 cent per head for sheep and hogs. At a special session of the board held March 12th, 1868, it was ordered that a county jail, 14 feet square, 8 feet high, be built of hewn logs. This jail was built at Laporte by B. T. Whedbee and Charles W. Ramer hauled the logs for it from the mountains with an ox-team. The tax levy for that year was fixed at 20 mills for county purposes; 5 mills, for territorial purposes and 5 mills for school purposes, at a session of the board held July 6th. At this meeting a petition signed by 99 of the legal voters of the county, was presented asking the board to call an election for the purpose of voting on a permanent location of the county seat. The prayer of the petitioners was granted and the county clerk directed to post notices of such election in each of the voting precincts. This election was held on the 8th day of September, 1868. Old St. Louis, situated on the Big Thompson one mile east of the present city of Loveland, Laporte and Camp Collins, each aspired to the honor of being known as the county seat, but the election resulted in favor of Camp Collins. On August 5th, the board set off and created the following elections: precincts No. 1, Laporte; No. 2, Camp Collins; No. 3, Sherwood; No. 4, Big Thompson ; No. 5, Livermore.

On the 5th of October Mason & Co. were notified to immediately move the county jail, safe, books, records and papers belonging to Larimer county from Laporte to Camp Collins. This was done and the next meeting of the board was held November 17th, 1868, at Camp Collins. Abner Loomis and James B. Arthur were the only members present. From this on for several years the sessions of the board were held in the Old Grout building erected for a sutler's store in 1865 on the site of F. P. Stover's drug store, which had been fitted up with bookcases, desks, tables, chairs and a stove for the use of the board. The room on the second floor of the building, occupied by the board of commissioners, was also used as a court room, for church and Sunday school purposes, theaters and balls. One of the bills allowed at this session was for $10 to C. Boulware for making a cofKn for a man killed by the Indians, but who the man was and where he was killed are not divulged by the records.

Beginning with July 5th, 1869, the records of the board of commissioners were dated at Fort Collins, instead of Camp Collins, showing that the people had become ambitious and discarded the common every day term "Camp" for the more aristocratic title "Fort". From that time to the present the town has been known as Fort Collins, though, until Fort Logan was established near Denver a few years ago, there was no fort nearer than Fort Laramie, 130 miles away.

It is -apparent from the records that in 1870, stage robbers had begun to commit depredations on the Denver and Cheyenne stage line, owned by Mason & Co., for on the 4th of January that year the board offered a reward of $250 for the capture and delivery of the robbers to the Larimer county authorities. No one ever called for the reward, so it is safe to say that the robbers were not caught.

At the meeting held November 7th, 1870, Lorenzo Snyder appeared as a member in place of William A. Bean, whose term of office had expired. The new board was composed of James B. Arthur, Abner Loomis and Lorenzo Snyder, with Mr. Arthur as chairman. H. W. Chamberlin, clerk; C. C. Hawley, assessor, and A. K. Yount, probate judge.

On the petition of A. R. Chaffee and 29 others, the board, on December 26th, 1870, laid out and established the Rist canon road from the southeast corner of John B. Provost's claim to the divide between the head of Rist canon and the Redstone creek; this is the road that leads over Bingham hill. At this session of the board the grand jury submitted, the following report on the county jail:

"The grand jury now in session beg leave to report to the county commissioners that the present jail is insecure and not worth repairing, and that they put it to a vote of the people if we build a new one, at the next general election. Signed, J. W. Smith, A. L. Fell, J. P. Warren, Thomas Cross, P. J. Bosworth, committee." Beyond accepting the report, the board took no action, and the old log jail was continued in use.

The session of January 2nd, 1871, was given over to the hearing of road petitions, and quite a number were acted upon. The country was settling up and ranchmen were fencing their premises, making it necessary that public roads be laid out and established for the convenience of the people. They could no longer drive where they pleased over the open prairie as they had done in years that had passed, so that for several years beginning with this period, much of the work of the county commissioners consisted in hearing and acting upon road petitions and in laying out and establishing public highways. At the session held April 3rd, 1871, the board purchased the W. J. & O. M. Carwile toll bridge over the Little Thompson creek for $75, and the Mariana toll bridge over the Big Thompson river for $200, making them public bridges. The Buckhorn election precinct was also set off at this session, and John C. Ish, James R. Oliver and Lucas Brandt were appointed judges of election. The tax levy for the year was fixed at 7^ mills for county purposes, and 4i mills for school purposes. The resignation of A. K. Yount as probate judge, was accepted, and Alfred F. Howes was appointed to fill the vacancy.

Arthur. Mr. Sherwood met with the board for the first time on October 6th. On February 3rd, 1872, in compliance with the petition of citizens, liquor licenses were increased from $100 to $300 per annum, and on March 4th, C. C. Hawley was appointed corresponding clerk of the Colorado Immigration society.

1872, to vote on the proposition of issuing the bonds of the county to the am.ount of $100,000 to aid in the construction of the Cache la Poudre & Pacific railroad. The judges appointed to conduct said election were:

1873, a petition was presented by the taxpayers of Fort Collins, asking that said town be incorporated. The commissioners being satisfied that two-thirds of the tax payers in said town had signed the petition, ordered that the town of Fort Collins be incorporated and appointed B. T. Whedbee, G. G. Blake, H. C. Peterson, W. C. Stover and W. S. Vescelius trustees of said town to serve until their successors were elected. L. R. Rhodes was appointed county attorney at this meeting, and the sum of $1200 was appropriated for the purpose of building a bridge over the Cache la Poudre river at the foot of College avenue, provided the trustees of the town of Fort Collins built a good practicable road to and from said bridge.

On Tuesday, May 4th, 1875, the board adopted a resolution requiring all persons floating timber down the Cache la Poudre and Big Thompson rivers to give bonds to secure ditch owners from damage to their dams and headgates during the timber driving season. Timber drivers on the Cache la Poudre were required to give bonds in the sum of $15,000 and those on the Big Thompson in the sum of $5,000. In those days thousands of saw logs, railroad ties, and mine props were cut in the mountains during the winter and floated down during high water to the railroad at Greeley, where the logs were sawed into lumber and the ties and mine props shipped to points where they were needed. At times the streams would be choked with floating timber which frequently tore out dams and carried away headgates of irrigating ditches to the great damage of owners.

Estes Park was set off and organized as an election precinct in September 1875, and the board appropriated $300 for use in opening a county road from Bald Mountain to the Park. On November 1st, a contract was let to John W. Boyd to build a vault for use in protecting county records, books, and papers from danger of destruction by fire. For this work the contractor was to be paid the sum of $350. At this session the proposition of Charles Emerson, J. B. Flower, John C. Abbott, J. H. Boughton, James Conroy and Coon & Scranton to donate to the county the sum of $800 to be expended in erecting a building suitable for use of the county officers, was accepted. This action of the board resulted in bringing on a fight between the old town and the new town, which raged with much bitter- ness for nearly twenty years. The old town as laid out in 1866, was extended from the river south to Mountain avenue and west from where the old foundry stood on Riverside avenue to College avenue, the streets running southeast and northwest, practically parallel with the river. In 1872 the colony came and laid out and platted a new town abutting on the south and west boundaries of the old town. At this time all the stores, shops, hotels and other business places, including the postoflSce and telegraph station were located in the old town, whose inhabitants watched with a jealous eye the improvements that were being made, the business houses established and homes erected in the new town. The colony had donated to the county block 101, where the court house now stands, as a site for the court house and it was on this ground that the proposed county offices were to be built. With the idea of heading oil and preventing the erection of the proposed offices in court square, by which the new town would receive a more direct benefit than the old town, W. C. Stover and A. K. Yount representing the interests of the old town, submitted a counter proposition as follows. "That they would build offices and vaults and give the county the use of them rent free for an indefinite period of time, or so long as the county saw fit to occupy them. The board rejected the proposition and on November 3rd, let a contract to Eph Love and Jonas Boorse to erect a small building on block 101, for county offices. The building was one story high, about 16 by 30 in size, and contained two rooms, one for the county clerk and the other for the county treasurer, for which they were to receive $490. This building was used until thirteen years later when the new court house was completed and ready to occupy, then sold and moved to a lot on S. Sherwood street where it was fitted up as a dwelling and is still used as such.

On February 1st, 1876, Joseph Mason resigned the office of sheriff and Eph Love was appointed to fill the vacancy, and on April 2nd, A. H. Patterson tendered his resignation as county clerk and recorder, which was accepted. Charles P. Scott of Big Thompson was appointed to fill the vacancy thus created.

Previous to the adoption of the state constitution and the admission of Colorado into the Union as a sovereign state, all county officers assumed the duties of their respective positions immediately after the result of the elections held in September had been declared, but since then, acting under a state law.

they have taken their offices in the month of January next following their election. On December 1st, 1877, Marcus Coon resigned the office of sheriff, to which he had been elected in October, 1876, and James Sweeney was appointed to succeed him until the election of 1878. At this election Mr. Sweeney was chosen by the people to succeed himself and was thereafter reelected three times in succession.

Up to February 1878, the board of county commissioners had been accustomed to granting licenses to saloon keepers outside the limits of incorporated towns to sell liquors. At first the license fee was fixed at $100 per annum, but later increased to $300, the object of the commissioners in increasing the fee being to reduce the number of saloons and doggeries in the county. This failing to have the desired effect, the commissioners, on the 4th of February, 1878, passed and adopted the following resolution:

"Be it resolved, that no further licenses will be granted by the board of commissioners for the sale of spirituous, vinous, fermented and intoxicating liquors after this date."

This resolution went into effect at once and from that time down to the present, the commissioners have steadily and consistently refused to grant or issue liquor licenses in Larimer county. The members of the board then were Noah Bristol, Lewis Cross and Revilo Loveland.

This brings the commissioners' records relating to the most important matters dealt with by them during what might be called the pioneer or formative period of the county, down to the time Colorado became a state when a new and more systematic manner of transacting public business was inaugurated. The board was composed of the same number of members who had been elected in the same manner as their predecessors, but they held regular meetings at intervals prescribed by law, performing their duties in a more methodical way and a better, more complete and more business-like record of their proceedings was kept than had been the rule with their predecessors during Territorial days. From 1878 down the records of the commissioners' proceedings have been preserved in a neat and orderly manner and are full and complete in all essential particulars. This is also true of the other departments of the county government, so since that time a full, accurate and complete record of every transaction of a public nature has been preserved in each of the county offices. Before that time, however, the public records are indefinite and incomplete, making it impossible to prepare a connected and intelligible transcript of them.

The climate of Colorado is of vital importance to the thousands of invalids throughout the world, as is evidenced by the great number who have come to the state and are now enjoying renewed health, prosperity and happiness. Many such people are to be found comfortably located in Larimer county. In the summer the days are seldom hot, and it is very unusual for the mercury to rise higher than 90 degrees; even at this point there is less discomfort than at a temperature of 80 degrees in the lower altitudes. It may be truly said that the dryer the atmosphere the less discomfort felt from heat or cold. The summer climate of Fort Collins, Loveland, Berthoud and other towns in the county east of the mountains, is equal to that of the Northern lakes and of Maine on the eastern coast. In temperature, the eastern part of the county may be compared with that of the Champaigne districts in France. The temperature belt corresponds with that of Scotland. The foot-hill section with that of Southern Sweden. In the mountain regions may be found all varieties of climate, from that of Norway to that of Southern Iceland. Citizens of Colorado, in a few hours travel by rail may enjoy the warmth of France or the cooler air of the approach to the Artie Circle. The dryness of the atmosphere is of great importance to the health and comfort of persons seeking a congenial climate. The pure life-giving air and the comfort of the average winters and summers, as compared with states farther east, are features heartily appreciated by those who have made Colorado their home. The medical profession is rapidly coming to the belief that health depends largely upon the proper assimilation of food. An excess of moisture in the atmosphere has a depressing efifect upon the nervous system, governing nutrition, and it is largely because of the absence of moisture in the air of Colorado that digestion is promoted and health preserved.

Sunshine is the life of everything. In Colorado the records of the weather bureau show that 320 out of 365 days of the year are "sunny days". In Switzerland, 8,500 feet is the line of perpetual snow; in Colorado the timber line is 11,000 feet. Davos Platz (5,200 feet) in Switzerland is unquestionably the most desirable health resort in Europe. The leading climatologists of London,

Glasgow, Boston and New York say that Colorado climate is far superior to Davos Platz for pulmonary troubles. In the eastern part of Larimer county at elevations ranging from 4,800 to 5,200 feet are large and very fruitful orchards, bearing apples, cherries and plums, while strawberries, raspberries, currants and gooseberries yield enormous crops and grow to their greatest perfection.

Larimer county receives the first waters of several very important streams and from these streams irrigating canals have been constructed, immense reservoirs built and lateral ditches run in every direction until a large area of the plains portion of the county and many of the foothill parks are covered by a network of canals and ditches that furnish a never failing supply of water throughout the irrigating season. About 200,000 acres is the total covered by these canals in the county, but many of them extend into Weld county on the east where many thousands of acres additional are irrigated. The streams furnishing this supply are the Laramie, Grand, Cache la Poudre and Big Thompson rivers and the Little Thompson and Boxelder creeks. In addition to the supply furnished during the irrigating season from these streams, the different storage reservoirs already constructed hold more than ten billion cubic feet of water, which is held in check during the spring and early summer, when the streams are running full, and drawn out into the canals later in the season when the waters of the rivers and creeks are low. These reservoirs are filled during the winter and from the surplus flood waters that flow down the streams in the spring, and they contain enough water to irrigate and mature the late crops, such as sugar beets, potatoes, etc. The eastern portion of the county is admirably adapted to irrigation farming. The canals are built on a grade that carries them far out on the higher lands, and from these lateral ditches have in turn been constructed to carry the water on to the cultivated fields and meadows, so that nearly all the available land is easily and cheaply given the moisture needed to mature a crop. The streams that furnish the supply of water all have their source in the mountain snow fields, high up among the hills, and they bring down to the headgates of the various irrigating canals a lot of good mineral fertilizing material which, being spread over the land by the water used in irrigating, adds to the fertility of the soil and helps to keep it from becoming exhausted by a succession of crops.

and the construction of some of them is now in progress. The most important of these is what is known as the Laramie- Poudre project, which when completed will supply water to about 125,000 acres of land in the Northern parts of Larimer and Weld counties. Completed according to plans, this project will cost about five million dollars. A portion of its water supply will be taken from the Laramie river at a point high up in the mountains. As a means of diverting the water to the Cache la Poudre water shed, a tunnel two and one-fourth miles in length, is being driven through the divide that separates the two streams, through which the water will flow into the Cache la Poudre river. It will be taken out at the company's headgate lower down the stream and thence carried out on to the land through irrigating canals and lateral ditches. Work on the tunnel is now in progress, more than half of it being completed. The Laramie- Poudre Reservoirs & Irrigation company which has entered upon this stupendous project and is pushing it forward with surprising vigor, will supplement the supply derived from the Laramie river and its tributaries by an extensive system of reservoirs located on the Plains, several of which are already constructed and others in process of construction. These reservoirs will catch and hold in check a portion of the spring flood waters of the various streams and also the surface flood waters which, during storms of rain, flow down the declivities in great volume.

With the advantages of a genial climate, a fertile soil and abundance of water for irrigation, good markets for the products of the farm and range, in addition to the various attractions afforded by the grand old mountains with their snow-capped peaks, awe-inspiring canons, rushing streams, beautiful parks and forests of timber, it is not surprising that thousands of the best people on earth are found happily and prosperously located within the borders of Larimer county. And yet there is room for

Society in the early days was on an altogether diflterent basis from that of the present period. When the pioneers came to the Cache la Poudre and Big Thompson valleys, there was no law by which the actions of men were governed in their relation to others, but it is not so certain, says a writer, that the code of the wilderness would not bear favorable comparison with that of modern times. When it comes to the personal relations of individuals to each other, the account stands in favor of the wilderness. It has often been demonstrated in the history of the west that the existence of laws and the presence of lawyers to expound and of officers to enforce them, are not indispensable to a just and orderly condition in thinly settled portions of a country. It was the universal testimony of those familiar with the life of the frontiersman and with that of the pioneer, that crimes of all colors were never so few, and punishment for such as were committed so just, and swift and sure, as in these remote localities where there were neither laws nor lawyers. Men trusted each other. Unless there were circumstances to justify it the frontiersman was never known to invade the property, or rights of his neighbor, even though detection and discovery were impossible. A pioneer seldom locked his door when leaving home. He felt secure in the belief that unless in a case of extreme necessity, the contents of his home would not be disturbed. Each man was in a measure, a law unto himself, but here on the frontier more than in the older communities, far more, the precepts of the Golden Rule prevailed, and every man tried to treat his neighbor fairly. The pioneers, though assembled from widely differing communities in the east and reared under widely differing conditions had a true sense of justice and if they administered it oftentimes in a rough fashion, there was rarely any complaint that their judgments were wrong. "No court, or jury is called to adjudicate upon his disputes or abuses," says Gregg, "save his own conscience; and no powers are invoked to settle them save those with which the God of Nature has endowed him." It may be truly said that among the pioneers the personal relations of individuals to each other were as harmonious and just as they are under the most elaborate social organizations.

Trapping, hunting and fishing were the principal occupations of the little colony at Laporte in 1858-9 - tilling of the soil not being thought of - and horse races, foot races and target shooting the principal amusements. Society was in a primitive state, but human nature is the same the world over and likes to be amused. It was so with the pioneer. While their social gatherings, dances and parties lacked in refinement in dress and manner of those of the present day, they enjoyed them to the utmost, and it is not for us of these latter days to sneer at and ridicule them. Our masquerades and carnivals are the same thing over again, with a little more finery, daintier refreshments and fancier liquors. Horse racing is as popular all over the country in our day as it was with the first settlers, and Capt. John Smith's squaw wife was presented at the court of England with all the honors that accompany state presentations of today. Indeed, Pocahontas is the only American female honored by a place on American coins. It is surely no disgrace then, that many of the first settlers had Pocahontas wives. Indeed there was not a single white woman on the Poudre in 1858, and only one in 1859.

One of the notable features in the social affairs of the Poudre was the weekly dog feast. This feature was introduced by the squaw wives of the settlers. A good, fat, healthy dog was slain each week, and the hair singed off over a fire made of dry grass. Then it was put into a kettle and boiled until tender. The meat somewhat resembled pork, and was considered a great delicacy. Some of the feasters, however, could never muster up courage enough to taste it, and as a result the dog feast soon became a relic of the past. In those days, the settlers had no calves, lambs or beeves to roast, no clams to bake, no oysters for church suppers, no terrapin, and they just had to boil dog or have no feast at all. It was no uncommon thing for them to be without flour for two or three weeks at a time. Then hoe-cakes were made of Government corn, brought all the way from Fort Laramie, and ground by female hands between common rocks. This is no fancy sketch, but the pure and unadulterated truth, as can be substantiated by the survivors of that early period.

During the summer of 1862 the route of the Overland stage was changed from the North Platte to the South Platte. This change was made on account of the many dangers from Indian raids on the coaches and stations and the difficulties experienced in keeping the line open. The new road led by the way of Julesburg to Denver, thence along the base of the mountains to Laporte where it entered the mountains and thence via Virginia Dale, to the Laramie Plains and then due west, to a junction with the old Overland trail. Speaking of this change Coutant's History of Wyoming says, "The transfer to the new line was so successfully accomplished that not a mail was missed or a coach delayed. The rolling stock, horses and other property of the stage company was transferred from the old to the new line with Company A of the Eleventh Ohio cavalry acting as escort. After escorting the stage stock to the new line of operations, the command selected the site for Fort Halleck and constructed the buildings. The fort was located on the new Overland route and was garrisoned for some years by troops from the Eleventh Ohio. The official orders locating Fort Sanders in 1866 includes the abandonment of Fort Halleck.

"A description of the equipment of the Overland road by Ben Holladay may not prove uninteresting, considering the great disadvantages the stage company labored under in providing it. The coaches, express wagons and rolling stock generally were all manufactured by the famous Concord Coach Manufacturing company of Concord, New Hampshire. This company not only manufactured the rolling stock but supplied the material used in the repair shops along the line. The harnesses were made by the Hill Harness company of the same city. The material in everything was of the very best. The stations along the line averaged about ten miles apart, and every fifty miles was what was called a 'home station,' where the drivers changed and made their homes. There were also eating stations for passengers. The intermediate stopping places were called 'swing stations' ; here only horses were changed, and at these were kept two men to take care of the stock. At every station was a large barn with accomodations for from thirty to fifty horses. The grain was supplied from Fort Kearney in Nebraska and Salt Lake. When there was a failure of crops, which sometimes happened, horse feed was shipped by wagon train from St. Louis. The main shops were located at Atchison, Kansas, Denver, Colorado, and Salt Lake, Utah, and there were repair shops on each division of 200 miles. Besides the repair shops, on each of these divisions was a traveling blacksmith shop. This consisted of a wagon fitted up with bellows and tools, drawn by a team of strong horses. The movable shop was kept going constantly from one end of the division to the other. There were also harness makers and menders, who traveled over each division with his tools and materials for repairing harness. The supplies for this long stretch of road - that is, the provisions used at the stations, were purchased in large quantities at St. Louis and sent out and distributed among the division points, and from there they were sent to smaller stations as required. The company owned large transportation trains of ox and mule teams and these transported all supplies to stations, and on their return hauled wood to places along the line when it was needed. The first division on the main line was from Atchison to Fort Kearney; the second from Fort Kearney to Jules- burg; the third from Julesburg to Denver; the fourth from Denver to Fort Steele, by way of Virginia Dale ; the fifth from Fort Steele to Green river and the sixth from Green river to Salt Lake. Leaving Denver going west the stations in Colorado were Burlington, (Longmont), Namaqua, (Big Thompson), Laporte, Park and Virginia Dale. One of the superintendents was Major John Kerr, afterwards a well-known and much esteemed citizen of Berthoud, where he died several years ago."

The Indian depredations on the Overland stage line in 1863, so intimately connected with the safety and success of that enterprise, in which Larimer county was deeply interested, a reference to them and the methods employed in preventing them and bringing the hostiles to terms, is not amiss here. Referring to and describing these events and their bloody results Coutant's history of Wyoming says:

"On the 13th of April Gen. Connor, then in command of the United States troops employed in protecting the stage line and emigrants, on their way west, telegraphed General Halleck from Camp Douglass: 'Unless immediately reinforced with cavalry, the Indians urged on by the Mormons will break up the Overland mail and make the emigrant road impassable.' General Halleck referred this dispatch to General Schofield, commanding the department of the Missouri, and that officer ordered Colonel John M. Chivington to send a cavalry force to reinforce General Connor, and the Colonel, after some delay, ordered four companies of the First Colorado cavalry, under Major E. W. Wyncoop, to proceed west on the Overland stage line as far as Fort Bridger and cooperate with General Connor's forces. Two of these companies were taken from Denver and Major Wyncoop was ordered to proceed with these to Laporte, where two other companies were located. Arriving there, he found that these troops were not mounted and were indifferently armed and so necessarily considerable time was lost before the troops were ready for the march westward. In the meantime, General Connor's forces had met the hostile Utes twenty-five miles west of Salt Lake, and after a severe engagement, had driven them to the hills. A number of emigrants had been killed in that vicinity; also soldiers and stage drivers.

"The delay of Major Wyncoop's command resulted in permitting the Southern Utes to attack the Overland line on the Laramie Plains. On July 5th, these Indians attacked the stage company's stage station at Cooper Creek and ran off all the stock, and the same night they visited Medicine

Bow station and carried off all the provisions and stripped the keepers of the station. Hazard and Nicholas, of their clothing. The Indians, on being pursued by the soldiers took shelter in the hills. On the 10th the Indians ran ofE all the mules at Rock Creek station. These same hostiles ran off 250 head of horses a few miles from Fort Laramie. Extending their route northward, they came upon 211 head of horses belonging to Reshaw and others. By this time the condition of affairs along the Overland route from Denver to the North Platte had become serious. Philip Mandel, the hay contractor on the stage line, had a number of encounters with Indians that season. He and his men went to the hay field armed with Winchesters and kept close at hand horses saddled, so as to fight or run as the occasion might require. These Indians belonged to the same tribe which had attacked the line beyond Salt Lake. General Connor, by urgent appeals, had secured reinforcements from California, composed of a battalion of the Second cavalry of that state."