BROWER, William J., b 1868; 1905 Bio, Delta County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/delta/bios/browerwj.txt --------------------------------------- Donated September 11, 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- William J. Brower William J. Brower is actively and profitably engaged in ranching and raising stock on a good ranch of two hundred acres one mile and a half west of Cory, Delta county. He was born in Canada on September 2, 1868, and is the son of John and Matilda (Lapham) Brower, the former born in the province of New Brunswick, Canada, on March 8, 1824, and the latter in Canada on April 23, 1835. During the whole of his mature life the father has been a farmer. He lived in Canada until 1874, then came to Colorado and located in Wet valley where he took up a homestead which he improved and on which he engaged in general ranching and raising stock until 1882. Selling it then, he moved to Delta county and pre-empted land on a part of which he is now living, having sold eighty acres of the tract to his son William. He has a good five-acre orchard and the rest of the land is in alfalfa and general farm products. The mother is also living. They have had six children, one of whom is dead. The other five have homes in Colorado. William remained with his parents until he was twenty-two, then having a fair common-school education and being well prepared for a career of usefulness by his training on the home farm, he started out for himself freighting and packing about the mountains near Silverton. He pushed his business in this line during the summers and wintered his teams on his father's ranch until 1900, when owing to the advanced age of his parents he took charge of the ranch and has since conducted its operation. In 1898 he bought eighty acres of his father's place and since then he has been improving and cultivating the whole tract of two hundred acres as well as looking after his father's land. His principal crop is hay and he has a good herd of cattle. On January 1, 1903, he was married to Miss Cora Samuel, who was born in Missouri in April, 1877, and is the daughter of William and Virginia (Ballengee) Samuel, life-long residents of that state. They had seven children, six of whom are living and three are residents of Colorado. Mr. and Mrs. Brower have one daughter, Rose Eugenia. Mr. Brower is earnestly interested in the fraternal life of the community as a member of the Masonic order, is in its political affairs as a Republican, and in its general advancement and improvement as a public-spirited and energetic citizen. By the people around him he is held in high esteem, and his influence among them is always felt in behalf of every commendable undertaking. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.