Otero County CO

Expeditions of Fowler and James to Santa Fe, 1821

General Thomas James

When Pike returned from his western expedition and related his experiences in Santa Fe and other places among the Spaniards, his accounts excited great interest in the east, which resulted in further exploits. In 1812, an expedition was undertaken by Robert McKnight, James Baird, Samuel Chambers, Peter Baum, Benjamin Shrive, Alfred Allen, Michael McDonald, William Mines, and Thomas Cook, all citizens of Missouri Territory; they were arrested by the Spaniards, charged with being in Spanish territory without a passport, and thrown into the calabazos of Chihuahua, where they were kept for nine years. In 1821, two of them escaped, and coming down Canadian and Arkansas rivers met Hugh Glenn, owner of a trading house at the mouth of the Verdigris, and told him of the wonders of Santa Fe. Inspired by the accounts of these travelers, Glenn engaged in an enterprise with Major Jacob Fowler and Captain Pryor for an expedition from the Verdigris to Santa Fe.

Biography of Charles B. Wiggins

Charles B. Wiggins. So indispensable has the automobile become to modern life that one is led to marvel that such great progress in manufacture and use could have been made in comparatively so short a time. Although the idea of self-propelled vehicles was entertained and to some extent proved possible long before 1886, when the first horseless carriage as a practical conveyance appeared on the boulevards of Paris, France, it presented so many impossible features that for years the venture was not regarded as feasible. When other motive power than steam became known to the industries, it required only the … Read more

Otero County, Colorado Cemetery Records

Most of these cemetery listings are complete indices at the time of transcription, however, in some cases we list the listing when it is only a partial listing. The following cemeteries have gravesite photographs hosted at the Colorado Tombstone Photo Project Fowler Fowler Cemetery La Junta Fairview Cemetry Rocky Ford Valley View Cemetery View Photographs The following cemeteries have transcriptions hosted at the Colorado USGW Archives Cheraw East Holbrook Mennonite Cemetery La Junta Center Cemetery Holbrook Cemetery Manzanola Manzanola Cemetery Mountain View Cemetery Rocky Ford Valley View Cemetery View the Transcriptions  

Biography of George Gorden Derby

George Gorden Derby is a comparatively young man but is old in the service of railroads. He began his career in Western Pennsylvania, where he was an employee and rose to large responsibilities with the Erie Railroad. About ten years ago he came West and had since been with the Santa Fe at different points and is now superintendent of the Oklahoma division, with headquarters at Arkansas City. Mr. Derby was born in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, January 14, 1876. His paternal ancestors were colonial settlers in Connecticut. His father, Lafayette Derby, was born in New York State in 1844, and … Read more

Biography of F. F. Finney

F. F. Finney, a native son of Oklahoma and a member of one of the pioneer families of the state, is a progressive, energetic and successful young business man and is now serving as superintendent of the gas department of the Indian Territory Illuminating Gas Company, his services being of great value to the corporation. He was born at the Kaw agency in June, 1884, and is a son of T. M. and Abbie (Florer) Finney, the former a native of Martinsburg, Ohio, while the latter was born in Ripley, that state. The father was born on the 13th of … Read more