Denver County, History of Colorado, BIOS: SKERRITT, Thomas (published 1918)
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"History of Colorado", edited by Wilbur Fisk Stone, published by The S. J. 
Clarke Publishing Co. (1918)  Vol. II

p. 51-52


THOMAS SKERRITT.

	Among the names that appear prominently upon the pages of 
Denver's pioneer history is that of Thomas Skerritt, the date of whose 
arrival in the present capital was June 2, 1859. He continued a 
resident of the state throughout his remaining days, covering a period 
of fifty-four years. A native son of Ireland,' he was born in Parsons 
Town, Kings county, on the 16th of August, 1828, and remained a 
resident of that land until he reached the age of twenty years, when he 
came to the United States with his uncle, for whom he was named. His 
father had previously crossed the Atlantic and Thomas Skerritt made his 
way to the former's home in Michigan, there spending a year, after 
which he devoted six years to farming in Canada. He then returned to 
Michigan but afterward went to Chicago, where he resided until 
September, 1858, when he became a resident of Leavenworth Kansas. In 
April, 1859, he started with oxen and wagon for Pike's Peak, reaching 
Denver on the 2d of June.

	In the meantime Mr. Skerritt had been married in Michigan, in 
1858, to Miss Mary K. Skerritt, a distant cousin, who was born in 
Ireland and made the trip to the new world on a sailing vessel when a 
maiden of fourteen years. From the Atlantic seaboard she traveled to 
Michigan, where she joined a brother. From Denver, Mr. and Mrs. 
Skerritt went to Central City, where the latter was the first white 
woman in the town, and although she had a great tear of the Indians, 
she succeeded in braving all the perils of the plains and in 
courageously meeting all the hardships and privations of frontier life. 
Occasionally their cabin would be suddenly filled with a band of 
Indians who had stealthily approached. On various occasions they packed 
their household goods and removed to Denver when Indians were reported 
to be near or on the warpath, but each time they returned to find that 
the family home had not been destroyed. From Central City, Mr. Skerritt 
went over the range to Breckenridge, Colorado, but in the fall of 1859 
returned to the Platte river and preempted a claim in 1864. He 
resolutely took up the work of developing his land, on which he turned 
the first furrow. The flood of 1864 destroyed his crops and he 
afterward sold his property to Peter Magnus. He then located six 
hundred acres of ground where Englewood now stands and the family are 
yet owners of that property. It was Thomas Skerritt who laid out South 
Broadway from Englewood to Cherry Creek. This he accomplished by 
locking the. back wheels of a wagon and making the trail along the 
prairie, it requiring three trips to sufficiently indent the soil so 
that the trail could be followed.

	To Mr. and Mrs. Skerritt were born eight children. Thomas M., 
whose birth occurred on the 24th of May, 1860, and was claimed to be 
the first white boy born in the state, followed the profession of 
veterinary surgery at Englewood until called to his final rest in 1915. 
Joseph A., who was born on the 25th of May, 1862, is a resident farmer 
of Hudson, Colorado. He wedded Miss Millicent Halliday, by whom he has 
two children, Millicent and Thomas. For two terms he served as county 
assessor of Arapahoe county and for one term held the office of 
sheriff. George E., who was born in July, 1864, is successfully engaged 
in the automobile business at Englewood, Colorado. He married Miss Iva 
Begg, of Terre Haute, Indiana. William, whose birth occurred in 1866, 
passed away at the age of thirteen years. Marguerite E., who was born 
January 28, 1868, died in May, 1917. Mary E., who was born on the 13th 
of February, 1870, resides in Englewood. Harry W., whose natal day was 
October 6, 1872, died on the 3d of October, 1916. Charles H., who was 
born on the 10th of July, 1874, is engaged in the automobile business 
at Englewood, Colorado. The death of the mother occurred January 16, 
1901, while Mr. Skerritt survived until May 28, 1913, when he, too, 
passed to his final rest. There was no phase of frontier life with 
which they were not familiar and they aided in planting the seeds of 
civilization upon the western plains, their labors constituting an 
important element in the development of the region in which they 
established their home. They were people of genuine worth, enjoying the 
warm regard of all with whom they came in contact, and the family has 
always remained a respected one of Englewood.