Chaffee County CO Archives Biographies.....Ehrhart, Thomas J. January 28, 1859 - ? ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/co/cofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Judy Crook jlcrook@rof.net February 18, 2006, 11:18 pm Author: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Although born at Council Bluffs, Iowa, Thomas J. Ehrhart, of Chaffee county, has been for so nearly all his life a resident of Colorado that he may be said to be practically a product of the state. His life began on January 28, 1859, and when he was less than four years old the family moved to Denver. The father came to the state in 1860, and the family followed in 1863. Soon after their arrival they moved to what is now Chaffee but was than a part of Lake county. Here they took up land that is now a part of Mr. Ehrhart’s home ranch. The father prospected and mined during the summer months and wintered on the ranch. He carried on a general ranching business in a small way and raised as many cattle as the circumstances would allow, prospering at the work and finding congenial winter employment in conducting it. On this ranch the son Thomas J. grew to manhood, using with profit such school facilities as were then available in this new and unsettled country, which comprised a term of three months or less each year, interrupted by stress of weather and other unfavorable conditions. But while the school terms were short and irregular, the arduous labor on the ranch was constant and exacting, and he was from boyhood obliged to take his part of it and did so with cheerfulness and willing obedience. He was the only child of his parents and grew to maturity under their personal care; and when his father died he took charge of the ranch and conducted its interests for the benefit of his mother, who remained with him until her death in 1898. On January 2, 1882, at Nathrop, Chaffee county, he was married to Miss Margaret Evans, a native of Illinois. They have two daughters and one son. Mr. Ehrhart has passed almost all of his life so far in this particular portion of Colorado, and has been a material contributor to its growth and development. No phase of its expanding and aspiring life has failed of his ardent support or quickening influence. In the ranch and stock industry he has become a leader, in the general public affairs of the county and section he is prominent and forceful, and in political activities he occupies a position of commanding loftiness and weight, being one of the leaders of the Democratic party whose standard he has borne to triumph in more than one hard fought contest. He has served two terms as county commissioner, one beginning in 1885 and the other in 1899. Between these terms in that office he held others, being elected to the state house of representatives of Fremont and Chaffee counties, and to the state senate in 1898 to represent the twentieth district. From his youth he has been zealous and active in party work, even when just past twenty-one years of age being the candidate of his party for assessor, and although defeated then, his zeal never flagged and his ardor never cooled. In addition to his other business Mr. Ehrhart has been interested in mining from time to time and owns claims in various places which promise to be of great value when fully developed. In fraternal relations he is connected with Salida Lodge of Elks and also the Knights of Pythias of that town. Additional Comments: From Progressive Men of Western Colorado. Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1905 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/chaffee/bios/ehrhart130gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cofiles/ File size: 3.9 Kb