Allen, John M; 1905 Bio, Gunnison County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/gunnison/bios/allenjm.txt --------------------------------------- Donated May 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- John M. Allen Born and reared in Ayrshire, Scotland, the region so highly honored by the poetical genius and the sterling manhood of Robert Burns, and losing his mother by death when he was but six years old, then coming to this country at the age of nineteen, and trying his hand at a number of different occupations in various places, in which he traversed over many parts of this great land, John M. Allen, of Gunnison county, living on a fine ranch six miles north of Gunnison, on which he conducts a flourishing general ranching and stock business, has found after the trials and difficulties of numerous pursuits and many wanderings a peaceful anchorage in a safe harbor, where he has a pleasant home and an occupation pleasing to his tastes and profitable in its returns for his labor. His life began on February 20, 1847, and he is the son of John and Jennie (Nichol) Allen, like himself natives of Scotland, where the mother died in 1853 and the father is still living, at the age of more than ninety-two years, retired from active work after a long, honorable and prosperous career as a contractor and builder. Nine children were born in the household, of whom four are living, John M. being the sixth born. At the age of fourteen, after receiving a limited common-school education, he was apprenticed to the tailor trade and after serving an apprenticeship of five years and ninety days, he went to Glasgow to complete his trade by qualifying himself as a professional cutter. In 1868 he emigrated to this country, arriving in New York city on July 4th. The booming of cannon in celebration of the day alarmed him with the fear that another civil war was in progress, the echoes of the sanguinary contest of 1861-5 having scarcely died out of the world's recollection. He soon afterward took up his residence at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and there worked at his trade as a cutter and tailor, and also attended the Iron City Business College. In addition he engaged in business for himself as a merchant tailor, but on account of the failing health of a sister whom he had brought with him from Scotland, gave up bright prospects, sold his business and moved to Denver, this state, arriving there in March, 1870. The great metropolis of the state was then a thriving little city of some five thousand inhabitants, but had already shown signs of its marvelous growth and in a small way struck the pace of progress which has made it a modern wonder of the world. He became cutter for the tailoring establishment of Messrs. Lennan & Hanna, the latter of whom is now president of the City National Bank, and he remained at Denver about two years. In the summer of 1872 he went on the first regular passenger train on the Rio Grande Railroad to Colorado Springs, then a lusty little bantling but recently baptized into municipal life. There he erected a building, bought a stock of goods and opened a flourishing mercantile emporium. The business prospered and he carried it on three years, then, impelled by his own failing health, sold out and during the next five months traveled through southern Colorado and portions of New Mexico, never sleeping under a roof in that period, making his conveyance and his lodging place in a wagon. Regaining his health and vigor by this heroic treatment, he returned east to Illinois and passed a year at Mendota, that state, clerking in a store. There he met the lady whom he afterward married, "when love took up the harp of life and smote on all its chord with might." In the spring of 1876 he came again to Colorado and, going to the San Juan country, passed the season in mining, and he still has some interests in that region, where his partner in the venture still lives. Lake City started that year and late in the fall Mr. Allen transferred his energies to that promising camp. In January, 1877, he want back to Illinois and was married. That summer he opened a store at Lake City. This he sold a year later, and returning to Mendota, Illinois, remained three years clerking for his former employer. Intending to make that place his permanent residence, he procured for himself a fine home there, furnished with all the modern conveniences; but the western fever was still running in his veins and would not be reduced. This brought him to Colorado again in 1882, and on his arrival he opened a general store at Gunnison in partnership with Mr. Latimer under the firm name of Latimer & Allen. The great boom was on the town and section at the time, and the business grew to proportions of magnitude, making a very large extent of the surrounding country tributary to its trade and its proprietors well known all over the Western slope of the state. In 1898 he bought Mr. Latimer's interest in the business and carried it on alone thereafter until March 30, 1902, when a disastrous fire destroyed more than half of his forty thousand-dollar stock of goods. In the meantime, in 1886, he had bought one hundred and sixty acres of land of the present congressman from Colorado, Hon. H.M. Hogg, who had built a cabin on the land but had made no other improvements on it. Mr. Allen purchased more land from time to time, and at the date of the fire owned six hundred and forty acres. This he improved from a totally wild condition to one of great productiveness, and enriched it with a good dwelling and other buildings, and on it since the fire he has been carrying on a large and prosperous stock and ranching industry with cumulative profits, having now about five hundred cattle of superior grades, and everything about him to indicate a vigorous management of an extensive undertaking and a state of advanced prosperity. In politics he is a staunch Republican, and fraternally is connected with the order of Odd Fellows, with membership in the lodge of the order at Gunnison. On February 20, 1877, he united in marriage with Miss Lucia Ella Clark, a native of Mendota, Illinois, and a daughter of Warren and Juliaette (Aldrich) Clark, the former a native of Massachusetts and the latter of Vermont. Their marriage occurred in Vermont and soon after they moved from Massachusetts to Mendota, where the father was a contractor and builder and very successful in his business affairs. He died in 1888, while on a visit to his daughter, Mrs. Allen, the mother passing away at the old Illinois home. Mr. and Mrs. Allen have had four daughters and a son, Ruth R., now the wife of H.F. Lake, Jr., of Gunnison, Ralph R., Florence M., and Winona and Naomi, twins, the latter of whom died in 1889, at the age of sixteen years. The other four are living. =================================================== 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.