Cavanaugh, Martin; 1905 Bio, Eagle County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/eagle/bios/cavnghm.txt --------------------------------------- Donated April 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- Martin Cavanaugh Born in the state of New York of Irish parentage, and inheriting from his ancestry a disposition to go forth into the unknown parts of the world and conquer new kingdoms of material and industrial wealth, Martin Cavanaugh, who is popularly known as "Mat," one of the enterprising and prosperous ranch and cattle men of Eagle county, has wandered from his parental fireside many longitudes and worked out his desire to win a home and a place in the public esteem for himself. His life began on January 1, 1862, in Onondaga county, New York, near the city of Syracuse, and he is the son of John and Ann (McDonald) Cavanaugh, who were born in Ireland and emigrated to the United States soon after their marriage, moving later to Michigan and locating in Ottawa county, where the mother died on November 17, 1901, and the father is still living. The latter is a farmer and does grading work under contract. He is a Democrat in political connection and usually deeply interested in the welfare of his party. Four of the children survive the mother, James, Mrs. Ellen J. Buswell, Mrs. Mary Bidlack and Mat. The last named attended the common schools near his home and the business college at Grand Rapids, meanwhile working on the home farm, where he remained until he reached the age of eighteen. He then devoted several years to railroad work as engineer and yard master in Michigan at Grand Rapids. In 1881 he came to Colorado, arriving at Pueblo on March 13th, and there he served as yard master for one of the railroads until 1890. He then moved to Custer county, where he engaged in the cattle industry three years, or nearly that length of time. Late in 1892 he moved to Mesa and two years later to Whitewater, Mesa county, at both places continuing his connection with the stock industry, which he afterward continued further in Rio Blanco county, enlarging his interests and his operations in the neighborhood of Rangely until 1898. In that year he sold out there and changed his residence to the vicinity of Carbondale, on Cattle creek, Garfield county, where he remained until 1900, and then purchased his present ranch in the Gypsum valley. This comprises three hundred and twenty acres of tillable land, owning also another ranch of one hundred and thirty acres, of which ninety-five are under cultivation. His principal products are hay and cattle which he raises extensively in good qualities. Since becoming possessed of these properties he has made many improvements on them, building on the home place a comfortable and attractive modern dwelling, new corrals and other necessary structures. He lives four miles south of the town of Gypsum and is one of the leading citizens of the section, taking an active part in matters of local improvement as a man of progress and breadth of view and in politics as an ardent Democrat. He was married on November 22, 1887, to Miss Anna Brady, a native of Galesburg, Illinois. They have had two children, Mat and James, both of whom have died. Mr. Cavanaugh has mingled freely with the Ute Indians in his wanderings and speaks their language fluently. =================================================== 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.