WADE, Felix G., b 1836; 1905 Bio, Delta County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/delta/bios/wadefg.txt --------------------------------------- Donated September 27, 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- Felix G. Wade Through various pursuits in many different places, after suffering many hardships and privations and encountering unnumbered dangers, after counting numerous triumphs and numerous reverses in his existence, Felix G. Wade at length found a secure and comfortable anchorage from the storms of life on the fine ranch of one hundred and fifty acres of good land which is now his home, five miles from Delta, this state, on Ash mesa. He is a native of West Virginia, born on February 24, 1836, and the son of Alexander and Nancy (Corbly) Wade, the former born in Ohio and the latter in Virginia. The family moved to Iowa in 1865, and there the father passed the remainder of his life as a prosperous farmer. He died there in 1869. The son Felix attended the public schools in the neighborhood of his home and aided his father on the farm until he reached the age of seventeen. Then, in 1853, he left home and migrated to Iowa. During the next four years he worked in many parts of the state, and in 1857 he went on the plains with a freighting outfit from Nebraska City west. He followed freighting two years, then moved to where Denver now stands, that city at the time having lost its identity in the greater clamor over Pike's Peak, by which name the whole surrounding country for many miles was known. In the fall of 1859 he located there with a good ox team, and during the year he came into possession of several lots which have since become very valuable. But he was taken ill and obliged to sell everything he had for a paltry two hundred dollars. He then went back to Iowa and spent the winter. In the spring of 1860 he went to California, where he farmed awhile, then turned his attention to mining. He remained in the state until 1863, when he went to Nevada. There he prospected and mined until 1866, being all the while among the Indians and in continual danger of death by violence at their cruel hands. In 1866 he returned to California and three years later went back once more to Iowa. He remained east until 1876, moving about in Iowa, Missouri and Kansas and engaged in various occupations and meeting with alternating success and disaster. In the year last named he returned to this part of the country and settled in Ouray county, bringing with him from Kansas a small herd of cattle. Here he turned his attention to raising cattle and carried on the business in that county until 1893, at which time he moved to Delta county and bought a ranch of one hundred and fifty acres which has since been his home. He has improved his property and brought the land to an advanced state of cultivation. It now yields good crops of hay and grain, and he also conducts a flourishing stock industry. He still has some mining interests in Ouray county, but is devoting most of his time to his ranch. On June 11, 1874, he married with Miss Martha Wood, who was born in Arkansas in 1858, and is the daughter of Terrell and Jane (Fowler) Wood, the former a native of Georgia and the latter of Tennessee. Mr. and Mrs. Wade have had seven children, Jennie, Minnie, John H., Colorado, Felix A., Edith and Mabel C. Only three are living, the oldest being twenty-eight years old and the youngest thirteen. They are all at home. Mr. Wade belongs to the Masonic order and is a Democrat in political faith. =================================================== 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.