Gunnison County CO Archives Biographies.....Van Ostern, William V. 1824 - ?
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Judy Crook jlcrook@rof.net March 24, 2006, 9:16 am

Author: 

Progressive Men of Western Colorado



     A veteran of two of the wars fought by his country, in one of which he

helped to conquer from Mexico a portion of the state in which he now lives, and

in the other to defend it against the evils of threatened dominion, William V.

Van Ostern, of Crested Butte, Gunnison county, is sealing his devotion to the

section with which he has cast his lot by aiding in developing its resources and

making its treasures available for the service of mankind and thus augmenting

the sum of human comfort and happiness.  So in war and peace he has been its

devoted friend, and is justly entitled to the high regard in which he is held by

a considerable body of its people.  He was born in Ohio in 1824, the son of

Peter and Cynthia (Vance) Van Ostern, natives of Pennsylvania and who were among

the early settlers of Ohio.  His father died there in 1868, at the age of

seventy-seven, and his mother in 1882, at that of eighty-two.  They had three

children, of whom William was the first born.  His childhood, youth and early

youth were passed in his native state, and in her liberal schools he received a

fair education.  At the age of twenty-two he enlisted among the volunteers for

the war against Mexico and in that stirring contest he followed the flag of his

country until it waved in triumph over the capital of the conquered foe.  After

the close of the war he went to California, remaining six or seven years engaged

in mining and driving stage.  In the fall of 1860 he crossed the plains to

Missouri and bought a farm of three hundred and twenty acres in that state on

which he lived until 1862.  He then returned to Ohio and enlisted in Company A,

One Hundred and Twentieth Ohio Infantry, for a term of three years or during the

war.  He was discharged in 1864, as first lieutenant, and on his return to Ohio

at once re-enlisted as a member of the One Hundred and Eighty-sixth Ohio,

Company B, for a term during the war, and served to its close.  In all his

military experience he was in active field service and participated in the most

important engagements.  When he was mustered out of service in 1885 he took up

his residence at Tipton, Missouri, and engaged in mercantile business, limiting

his operations to handling shoes and kindred commodities.  A few years later he

sold out at Tipton and removed to Bunceton, where he opened and for two years

conducted a general merchandising establishment.  Then selling that, he went

into the employ of the Osage Mining Company with headquarters at Sedalia,

Missouri.  After giving this company faithful and valued service for five years

he removed to Irwin in Gunnison county, this state, and remained there until

1885, and during five years of his residence at that place was its postmaster. 

In 1885 he determined to make his home at Crested Butte, in the same county, and

there he has since been in the employ of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company.  He

was married in 1858 to Miss Mary E. Crall.  In politics Mr. Van Ostern has been

an unwavering Republican from the formation of the party, and has on all

occasions taken an active part in its campaigns, giving to its cause both wise

counsel and active support.  

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

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/gunnison/bios/vanoster379gbs.txt

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