HAVERSTICK, Simon E., b 1821; 1905 Bio, Delta County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/delta/bios/haverstickse.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. --------------------------------------- Simon E. Haverstick The progress of civilization and settlement over the untrodden wilds of this country, from its earliest history to the present time, is one of the most striking and interesting subjects of thought, an oft-told but ever new story, full of incident and adventure, and strong in proofs of the mastery of mind over matter and every condition or circumstance. The procession once started has never halted, the most substantial advance of one decade being but the beginning of or stepping stone to the next, every conquest of one day opening the way to more extensive and beneficent conquests for the morrow. Almost within the memory of men now living the earlier advances stopped on the banks of the Ohio, the Wabash, the Illinois, then the Mississippi stayed the eager, adventurous progress. But still steadily following fast on the heel of the flying buffalo, they have since swept over every boundary and obstacle until the conquest and occupation of the whole untrodden West of a former day is almost accomplished. The father of Simon E. Haverstick, of Delta county, a pioneer of this state, was one in Indiana, where he arrived from his native Pennsylvania about the year 1829. His name is Isaac Haverstick and he was born at Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1821. He settled near Southport, Marion county, and there he married with Miss Sulla Smock, a native of that place, born in 1822. They were farmers and prospered in their vocation, remaining at the home of their early married life until death, the mother passing away in 1897 and the father in 1901. Eleven children were born to them and all are living, ten in Indiana and one in Colorado. Simon was born on the paternal homestead at Southport, Indiana, on February 23, 1857. There he grew to the age of nineteen, receiving a common-school education, gathering strength of body and independence of spirit and self-reliance on the farm, and in 1876, when well equipped for the duties of life, he assumed charge of a neighboring farm for himself, which he managed four years. At the end of that period he went to Indianapolis and found employment there during the next four years in the stock yards. In February, 1884, he moved to Kansas, and six months later started overland with teams to Pueblo, in this state, where he arrived in October and remained until the ensuing May, engaged in teaming most of the time. From Pueblo he changed his residence to Ouray, where, after railroading three months and teaming there months, he went to farming, in which he was occupied in that vicinity until the autumn of 1889. He next passed a year at Olathe, at the end of which he again turned to farming, following this industry on Ash mesa and in the Gunnison valley until 1902, when he moved to the sixty-acre ranch on which he now lives one mile and a half from Cory on the river. On this ranch he has an orchard of two and a half acres in fine bearing order, the rest of the land being devoted to general farm products, principally potatoes. His potatoes are among the largest and best produced in the county, large numbers of them weighing over four pounds apiece and many as much as seven, and the yield is eight to ten tons an acre. The orchard is nearly all in peaches, and the crops are abundant in quantity and excellent in quality. He has prospered in his enterprise here and is held in high esteem by the citizens of the valley generally. On November 19, 1879, he united in marriage with Miss Martha A. Pate, who was born in Indiana on November 29, 1858, and is the daughter of Edward and Mary (Hubbell) Pate, early settlers in that state. The father was a shoemaker and farmer, and gave his attention to both pursuits with profit. He also taught school for a number of years. He is still living in Indiana, having never left the state after once settling there. The mother died in 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Haverstick have had four children, Ethel, Myrtle, Floy and Estella. The first born is dead, the others are living and at home. The head of the house is a Socialist in political faith and fraternally he belongs to the Woodmen of the World. =================================================== 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.