Eagle County CO Archives Biographies.....Hooper, William F. October 23, 1833 - ?
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Judy Crook jlcrook@rof.net March 10, 2006, 4:35 pm

Author: Progressive Men of Western Colorado

     Born and reared to the age of eighteen in the sunny Southland, and then

impelled by love of adventure and conquest, roaming abroad through many parts of

the West, confronting every form of danger on the frontier and in the untrodden

wilderness, and trying his hand at various occupations with alternating success

and failure, William F. Hooper, who is now comfortably seated on a good ranch in

the vicinity of Toponas, is well pleased with his location and the rapidly

developing promise of the section.  He was born on October 23, 1833, near

Madisonville, Monroe county, Tennessee, and is the son of Enos C. and Margaret

(Hopkins) Hooper, natives and life-long residents of that state.  The father was

a physician and farmer and a prominent and influential politician in his county,

chosen to many local offices as a Democrat and filling them with credit to

himself and advantage to his people.  He was a member of the Masonic order and

both he and his wife were members of the Baptist church. The father died in 1873

and the mother in 1885.  They had six children, four of whom are living, Mrs.

George Pain, Riley S., Mrs. Theodore Miller and William F.  The last named

received a common-school education and worked on the paternal homestead until he

was eighteen years old.  He then turned his longing eyes toward the setting sun

and took up his march in its wake over the plains and mountains to California,

journeying by way of the Platte river, through the Black Hills, over the

Continental Divide at Pacific Springs, along the Bear river in Utah and down

Snake river to Oregon, consuming six months and four days in the trip, and

making it with four yoke of oxen.  On the way the Sioux Indians stole the cattle

belonging to the train but afterward returned them for a barrel of crackers,

which the chief divided among the braves.  From Oregon Mr. Hooper moved on to

California and established his headquarters at Oroville in Butte county.  From

here as a base of operations he followed mining with fair success until 1873. 

He then returned to Tennessee and engaged in raising tobacco two years but and

engaged in raising tobacco two years but without profit.  In 1875 he came to

Colorado and located at Breckenridge, where he mined and prospected without

success until 1883.  In that year he moved to Eagle county and took up a

homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, becoming the first settler in the

Burns Hole district.  He has increased his ranch to three hundred and sixty

acres and has two hundred under good cultivation.  His water supply is furnished

from independent ditches belonging to the place, and is sufficient for his

present purposes, with enough for a considerable expansion of his tillable

acreage.  The land was all in wild sage when he took it up, and the development

of it into its present productive and attractive condition is the work of his

own hands almost wholly.  Hay and cattle are his chief productions, and these

are raised on an extensive basis.  In politics Mr. Hooper is an ardent Democrat.

 He was married on November 18, 1858, to Miss Nancy Rogen, a native of

Bloomfield, Iowa.  They have had six children.  Louis died in 1864, and William

W., Mrs. Louis W. Woods, Mrs. Thomas J. Parker, Charles E. and Mrs. Oscar G.

Allen are living.  Their mother died in 1884.  Mr. Hooper applies to his

business with intelligence and vigor the results of a wide and general

experience, and a progressive spirit, and in it he is very successful.  He is a

leading and highly esteemed citizen in his community.  

Additional Comments:
From Progressive Men of Western Colorado.  Chicago:  A.W. Bowen & Co., 1905

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/eagle/bios/hooper256gbs.txt

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