C. S. DESCH. |
MRS. C. S. DESCH. |
Mardos Collection
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C. S. DESCH. |
MRS. C. S. DESCH. |
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 415
ASPAR S. DESCH is prominent in the business, civic and fraternal circles of Colorado. He is the manager of the Corry Mining Company, at Silver Plume, and is a member of the executive committee and manager of the Silver Plume Electric Light plant. In 1881 he started the gas works in Georgetown and operated the same until the company was consolidated with the United Light and Power Company. In 1893 he placed in successful running order the Georgetown electric light works and has since been connected with the company as a director. Thirty years ago he joined the Knights of Pythias and in 1889 associated himself with the Silver Plume Lodge, of which he is past chancellor. He is now grand chancellor of the order of the state. In the Masonic order, with which he became associated in Baltimore, Md., in 1865, he also stands high. He belongs to Warren Lodge No. 51, A. F.& A. M.; Phoenix Chapter No. 7, R. A. M., and Baltimore Commandery No. 2, K. P., when a resident of Baltimore, and now is identified with Washington Lodge No. 12, A. F. & A. M; Georgetown Chapter No. 4, R. A. M., and Georgetown Commandery No. 4, K. T., of Georgetown. Politically he has always been a strong Republican, but now is a silver advocate
The ancestors of C. S. Desch were participants in the Napoleonic wars. His father, Isaac Desch, was born and died in Hesse-Darmstadt, and his mother, Anna Elizabeth (Schutte) Desch, likewise a native of that German province, subsequently brought her children to the United States, taking up her abode in Albany, N. Y. C. S. Desch, the youngest of six children, was born near Frankfort-on-the-Main, Hesse-Darmstadt, December 14, 1836. He was a lad of nine years when with the rest of the family he sailed from Cologne and Antwerp on the sailing vessel "Talbott." The tedious voyage lasted fifty-two days. In the public schools of Albany the education of our subject was completed. He was but fourteen when he began learning the stovemolder's trade, and three years later he went to Dedham, Mass., where he took up the business of cabinet-making. For ten or twelve years he was thus occupied, making furniture for the California trade. He worked by the piece, but gave to his firm several simple devices and inventions for fastenings, etc
In April, 1861, Mr. Desch enlisted on the three months' call in Company G, Fifth Pennsylvania Infantry, while temporarily at Alexandria, Va. He was not summoned into the field, but remained at Camp Curtin. His time having expired, he recruited a company, which he turned over to another man, while he proceeded to sell supplies to the army. He became an independent sutler, having a store at Good Hope Hill. His brother John, captain of a company in a New York regiment, was cut in two by a cannon-ball during the Peninsular campaign
In 1863 Mr. Desch was engaged in the real-estate business in Baltimore, and subsequently engaged in the grain business, his location being on South Charles street near Conway. There he built a large warehouse and from 1864 to 1889 was a member of the firm of C. S. Desch & Co. He was interested in grain, dealing quite extensively in the same, and also carried on a large commission business in tobacco and general produce. He was a member of the Baltimore Corn and Flour Exchange and was very active and enterprising in his numerous and varied undertakings while there
It was in 1874 that Mr. Desch first came to Colorado, but it was not before twelve years had elapsed that he gave up his eastern interests to locate here permanently. He is now manager for the Corry Mining Company, which owns the Diamond Tunnel group of twenty-nine lodes, covered by patents, and having four miles of underground passages. When the conditions become sufficiently favorable they are prepared to employ and keep busy a force of four hundred or more men. To the executive skill and genius of the manager is due the splendid system and progress of the work at these mines. He is a practical genius, and has invented many appliances which have been of great use in the development of the plant
In Baltimore, November 1, 1864, Mr. Desch married Louisa A. Hagan, a daughter of John H. and Margaret Ann (Dell) Hagan. The great-grandfather of Mrs. Margaret Ann Hagan was George Hay, an officer in the Revolutionary war. He was of German descent, his ancestors having settled in the province of Maryland in 1700. His wife was an English lady. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Desch was a member of the home guard in the war of 1812 and was stationed at
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Wilmington, Del. Her ancestors for nearly two hundred years were residents of Baltimore and Wilmington. Her great-grandfather Dell was an English nobleman, who came to America at the time of the Revolution and settled in Wilmington. John H. Hagan for years was a prosperous merchant of Baltimore, of which city Mrs. Desch is a native. Will M., eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Desch, is bookkeeper and cashier in the office of the Times, in Denver; Caspar S., Jr., is a member of the class of 1901, Mining University of Colorado; the only daughter, Emily Addie, is the wife of Harry Morganthau, a dry-goods merchant, residing at Silver Plume, Colo.
ON. REUBEN CALVIN WELLS, ex-state senator from the eighth district of Colorado, is one of the pioneers of '59, but he did not make permanent settlement in the west until 1869. He then bought the building and water power owned by the Golden Paper Mills Company and at once began to remodel the plant, introducing new machinery and water wheels, and greatly increasing the capacity of the mill. He was a pioneer in the manufacture of wrapping and newspaper, of which he made a success. For several years he manufactured paper used by the Rocky Mountain News, Tribune and Times, until they began to purchase in the east paper manufactured from wood pulp. Afterward he continued to manufacture wrapping and building paper, his mills having a capacity of five tons per day. All the buildings but one, 40x60, were erected by himself, including a two-story mill, 80x140, and a two-story warehouse, 50x130, to which a siding runs from the Denver & Gulf Railroad. About 1872 he started the first wholesale and retail paper store ever in Denver, his location being Sixteenth, between Market and Larimer streets. The party to whom he sold the business later disposed of it to C. N. Knowles, the present proprietor. In 1896 he leased the mill and retired from business
The Wells family is of English descent. Our subject's grandfather, Joel Wells, was born in Vermont, whence he removed to New York state, then to Ohio, and from there to southern Illinois, finally settling in Rock Island, where he died. His son, Huntington, father of our subject, was born in Vermont, and accompanied the family in their various removals. Locating on the present site of Moline, Ill., he, with others, laid out the town that has since become famous as a manufacturing city. This was about the year 1843. On account of failing health, in 1850 he went to California, where he hoped the delightful climate would enable him to regain his strength, but he soon afterward died, aged forty-four years, He and his brothers and several cousins had served in the Blackhawk war. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Letitia Long, was of southern birth and lineage, her father, Reuben Long, coming north and settling in Illinois. She died in Moline when forty years of age. Of her seven children only two are now living, Reuben Calvin and Mrs. Sickles, of Denver
In Moline, Ill., where he was born September 26, 1833, the subject of this sketch remained until nearly seventeen years of age. April 1, 1850, with a horse and mule train, he started for California, traveling through Iowa and crossing the Missouri at the present site of Omaha. At that time a Mormon settlement occupied the present site of Council Bluffs. He journeyed along the north side of the Platte to Fort Larimer, then crossed to the south side of the river, but after several hundred miles again crossed and continued to follow the course of the stream. From South Pass he went into the Salt Lake district, where he rested for a short time. Resuming the journey, after a few hundred miles he came to the Humboldt, which he followed to its sink. He traveled fifty miles across the desert, then crossed the Sierra Nevada range, and finally reached Hangtown (now Centerville), Cal., on the 12th of August. From there he went to Sacramento, and soon began to mine on the Yuba River. His father died in 1851, but he remained in the far west two more years, returning to the east in 1853 via the Nicaragua route to New York City. On his return to Moline he became bookkeeper in the office of John Deere, the celebrated plow manufacturer, and there he continued for some time. In the spring of 1859 he started to Pike's Peak, but on the westward journey constantly met parties of discouraged prospectors returning, and none of them had any good words for the mountain regions. However, he continued his journey and spent the summer
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 417
prospecting in the mountains, but in the fall went back to Moline, where he was afterward with Deere & Co. and other firms
Coming to Colorado a second time in 1869, Mr. Wells settled in Golden, where he has since resided. He was here at the organization of the city and, as a member of the last board of town trustees rendered valuable service in making the change, but afterward he refused to serve as trustee longer. In 1888 he was elected to represent the seventh (now the eighth) senatorial district in the senate on the Republican ticket, and took an active part in the sessions of 188991, the seventh and eighth general assemblies. While in the senate he introduced several bills that became laws, and served as chairman on the committee on education and educational institutions. In 1889 he voted for Edward O. Wolcott for United States senator, and two years later assisted in the re-election of Henry M. Teller. For a short time he served as trustee of the State School of Mines, to which he was appointed by Governor Pitkin. He was married in Moline, in 1859, to Miss Henrietta Warner, a native of Pennsylvania. They are the parents of one child, Mrs. Ellen Moody, of Golden.
The Eaton family is of English lineage. The first of this branch in America was Benjamin Eaton, who crossed the ocean in early life and settled in Boston, there marrying a lady of Quaker faith. His son, Benjamin, who was for years a sea captain, removed to Kentucky on retiring from ocean life, and thence went to Ohio, where he spent his last years. Next in line of descent was Levi Eaton, who was born in Harrison County, Ohio, and spent the most of his life as a farmer in Coshocton County, that state. By his marriage to Hannah Smith, a native of Harrison County, there were born eight children, of whom six attained mature years, namely: Mary J., who is married and resides in Colorado; Benjamin H., of this sketch; Aaron S., a well-known retired farmer of Greeley, Colo.; Rebecca R., who is married and lives in this state; Elizabeth B., wife of Henry Paul, M. D., of Denver; and Albert L., of Colorado
Upon completing his education, the subject of this article taught school for a time in Ohio. In 1854 he removed to Iowa, where he taught in Louisa County for two years. Then, returning to Ohio, May r, 1856, he was there united in marriage with Delilah, daughter of James Wolf, and afterwards spent two years in that state, principally as a farmer. His wife died May 31, 1857, leaving a son, Aaron J., who is now a prominent agriculturist of Weld County. In the spring of 1858 he went, for the second time, to Iowa, but a year later, when the tide of emigration turned westward toward the mines of the mountains, he joined a party and crossed the plains to Colorado. Here, and in New Mexico, he prospected and mined and engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1864 he returned to Iowa and in Louisa County married Miss Rebecca J., daughter of Abraham Hill. Crossing the plains with his wife, he settled upon land between Greeley and Fort Collins; and embarked in the raising of stock. He soon became one of the most prominent men of his section. Prosperity rewarded his efforts and proved the wisdom of his judgment. In the early days of his residence here he endured all the hardships incident to frontier life and endured them bravely, as one who sees victory and prosperity ahead. In addition to his ranching pursuits and mining interests, he early became an extensive contractor and constructor of canals and waterways, through the building of which he greatly advanced the agricultural interests of his county. As the years passed by he enlarged his possessions until he came to be recognized as the most extensive farmer in the state, and his activities continued unabated until more recent years, but he still superintends all of his properties and gives personal attention to his large moneyed interests.
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. The connection of Mr. Eaton with public affairs dates from the '60s. In politics he has always been an adherent to Republican principles and stands firm and stanch for the policy and platform of his party. In 1866 he was elected to the office of justice of the peace, which position he held for nine years. He also held the office of county commissioner for six years, during four of which he officiated as chairman of the board. In 1872 he was selected to represent his district in the territorial legislature, in which body his talents commanded attention. In 1873 he was elected to the territorial senate, where he served for one term, meantime doing effective service on various committees. Step by step he had advanced in influence until 1884, when he was nominated, as the one best fitted to make the race of the party for governor. He was elected by a fair majority and filled the executive chair for two years
Since his retirement from the governor's office, Mr. Eaton has carried on his ranch, also built one of the largest reservoirs and canals in the state, erected the mill at Eaton, a town that was named in his honor; and until 1890, also gave considerable time to mining interests, but these he sold in the latter year. Fraternally he is connected with the Knight Templar Masons. By his second marriage he has a son and a daughter, namely: Bruce G., who resides in Eaton and assists in. the management of his father's extensive interests in this place; and Jennie B., wife of John M. B. Petrikin, the postmaster at Greeley.
ILLIAM S. BAGOT, B. A., M. B., M. D. By the most thorough preparation in Europe and by subsequent supplemental study, Dr. Bagot is entitled to be placed in the front ranks of the medical profession of Colorado. He is now professor of clinical gynecology in the University of Denver, attending gynecologist to St. Joseph's, St. Luke's and Arapahoe County hospitals, consulting surgeon of the Cottage Home hospital, and in his private practice makes a specialty of abdominal surgery and the treatment of diseases of women
The Bagot family was founded in England at the time William the Conqueror came over from Normandy and they fought in the battle of Hastings in 1066. During the reign of Henry II (1172), Sir John Bagot of Bagotsbromley, County Stafford, England, went to Ireland, where he became the owner of vast estates. Later his descendants removed to different parts of the Emerald Isle. They were leaders among men and possessors of large landed properties. A number of villages and streets were named in their honor. Among their representatives were many prominent lawyers and physicians. The genealogical record can be traced back, in a direct line, to 1171. The doctor's grandfather, Thomas Neville Bagot, owned the Ballymoe estates in the west of Ireland, County Galway, and was a typical Irish gentleman, witty, brave, kind, and fond of sports.
Charles Augustus Bagot, the doctor's father, was the next to the youngest son in the family. He was educated in Trinity College, Dublin, and followed the profession of law in Dublin until his death. His wife, Frances Louisa, was a daughter of Dr. Alexander Kerr, of Dublin, and is now living in County Kilkenny. In her family there are three sons; Bernard William, who resides in Virginia; George Hinds, whose home is in New South Wales, Australia; and William Sidney. The last-named was born in Dublin and was given the best educational advantages that city afforded. In 1885 he graduated from Dublin University with the degree of A. B., and two years later he graduated with the degree of M. B. From 1887 to 1891 he was assistant physician in the Rotunda Hospital, and on retiring from that position he opened an office in Dublin and engaged in practice until 1892. Failing health rendered a change of climate necessary and he made preparations to go to Australia, via the United States. On his way he stopped in Denver, where Dr. Eskridge and other physicians prevailed upon him to locate permanently. He reached the city in May, 1892, and in July opened an office in the California block, but three years later removed to his present quarters in the Stedman block. Shortly after coming here he accepted the position of professor of obstetrics and abdominal surgery in the University of Denver, later took the chair of gynecology and is now professor of clinical gynecology. While in Europe he contributed frequently to current medical literature, and since coming to this country he has written articles for professional journals. He is a member of the Colorado State, and the Denver and
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