Colorado Biographies
This page contains biographical sketches of a few famous historical Coloradans.
A similar page, Notable
Coloradans, includes shorter sketches of additional people.
Casimiro Barela 1847-1920
Known as a highly respected legislator whose career in the State Senate
spanned 25 continuous years. Casimiro Barela also was a member of Colorado's Constitutional
Convention in 1875. Elected from Las Animas county, Barela was instrumental in ensuring that
Colorado
legislation was printed in the Spanish language so that the native Spanish speaking people of his
county
could understand Colorado laws.
Chipeta, "White Singing Bird" 1844-1924
In 1859, she became the second wife of Ouray of the Uncompaghres, chief
of the Ute Indian Nation. Her diplomatic tenacity strove to achieve a
bloodless peace with white settlers. She is buried at the Ute Indian Museum in
Montrose, Colorado.
Clara Brown 1800-1882
Known as the founder of Denver's first Sunday school in 1859, Clara
Brown
also was instrumental in founding the St. James Methodist Church in 1872. She was the first
African
American to come to Colorado in the gold rush of 1859.
William Byers 1831-1903
Known as the founder of the Rocky Mountain News, Willaim Byers
was
president of the constitutional convention for the creation Jefferson Territory and was active in
the final achievement of statehood for
Colorado.
Ralph L. Carr 1887-1950
Thirty-first governor of Colorado (1939-1943). Known best for his
humanitarian actions concerning Japanese-Americans during World War II.
His opposition towards alien land legislation ensured those of Japanese
ancestry their basic freedoms, and a safe haven from the internment camps
of the western coast.
Kit Carson 1809-1868
Known best as a mountain man, Kit Carson also was an Indian agent
and had a
long miliary service record. He accompanied three of the Fremont expeditions as a guide.
James William Denver 1817-1892
Known as the man for whom Denver City was named,
General
James William Denver was a Governor of the Territory of Kansas, a federal Commissioner of
Indian
Affairs,
served in the California State Legislature and was the leader of the Relief Expedition of 1852 in
which
50,000 immigrants crossed the Sierra Mountains to California.
John Lewis Dyer, "Father Dyer" 1812-1901
Known as early Colorado's itinerant preacher,
Father
Dyer traversed the Continental Divide in the central Colorado mountains to carry mail and to
preach to
Colorado's mining camps such as Buckskin Joe, Oro City, Como and Fairplay. Father Dyer was
also the
first Chaplain of the State Senate of Colorado.
Barney Ford 1822-1902
Known as a successful businessman in early Colorado, Barney Ford
was
instrumental in ensuring that equal voting rights for all citizens became a part of our state's
constitution
in 1876. Ford, who was once a runaway slave, is best known for his work in support of civil
rights in
early Colorado history.
Owen J. Goldrick
Known as the founder of Denver's first school in September of 1859 and of
Denver's first public school in 1862.
Horace Greeley 1811-1872 Known as a prominent journalist who promoted
Colorado during
the
Gold Rush. The town of Greeley was named for him by the organizers of the Union Colony.
Emily Griffith 1880-1947
Known as the founder of the Emily Griffith Opportunity School,
opened in
1916 and still in operation today, the school was a national model for the promotion of lifelong
learning and of
adult learning for people from all levels of educational background.
Nathaniel P. Hill 1832-1900
Known as a famous chemist who built the first large mining
smelter in
Colorado in 1868. The building of the smelter is said to have initiated the era of hard rock
mining in our
state. The company was called the Boston and Colorado Smelting Company.
Benjamin B. Lindsey 1869-1943 Known as the founder of the nation's first
juvenile court
system in
Denver, Judge Ben Lindsey is credited with shifting the treatment of juvenile offenders from
punishment
to rehabilitation.
Otto Mears 1840-1931
Known as the Pathfinder of the San Juan, Otto Mears is
best
remembered for his building of toll roads and narrow gauge railroads which helped to make parts
of the
state easily accessible for the first time in the state's history. Tourists today may realize that they
are
travelling on an Otto Mears road when they drive on the Million Dollar Highway in the San Juan
Mountains or ride the narrow gauge railroad between Durango and Silverton. Otto Mears also
served in
state government as chairman of the Board of Capitol Managers, overseeing the construction of
the State
Capitol and contributing the design for the gold leaf covered dome.
David H. Moffat 1839-1911
Known first as a mining king and then as a
railroad
builder, David Moffat rose to fortune early in Colorado history as owner of over 100 gold and
silver
mines and also as the builder of several railroads. The Moffat Tunnel, a railroad and water
tunnel
connecting North Park to the Front Range, was named for David H. Moffat.
Chief Ouray 1833-1880
Known as a great Ute Indian chief, Chief Ouray is recognized as the
man
who brought peace forward between his people and the white man. Ouray is buried in the Ignacio cemetery. Ouray County was named for this famous Chief of the Utes.
Alferd Packer
Known as Colorado's famous cannibal, Alferd Packer was convicted of
cannibalism
after it became known that he was the sole survivor among several prospectors stranded for the
winter in
the Colorado mountains. Packer was paroled in 1901 after serving a 15 year sentence.
William J. Palmer 1836-1909 Known best as a builder of railroads, but also as a
successful
businessman, military man and philanthropist. William J. Palmer was a Union Cavalry General
during
the Civil War, and later founded the town of Colorado Springs. He incorporated the
Colorado Coal and Iron Company which later merged with John Cleveland Osgood's Colorado Fuel and
Company in Pueblo, to form the Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation. Palmer was instrumental in bringing
the Denver
and the Kansas Pacific railroad lines to Denver. Palmer is perhaps best known as the builder of
the
Denver and Rio Grande Railroad which was the first narrow gauge railroad in the United States.
The
Denver - Colorado Springs line started service in 1871.
Florence Rena Sabin 1871-1953
Known as a famous medical researcher and humanitarian,
Florence
Sabin sought to improve health laws in Colorado. A statue of her resides in the nation's capitol
in
recognition of her service as one of the greatest scientists of our country. She was the first
woman
professor at Johns Hopkins University and the first woman to be elected to life membership in
the
National Academy of Sciences.
|