La Plata County CO Archives Biographies.....Wingate, John W. July 16, 1845 - ? ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/co/cofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Judy Crook jlcrook@rof.net February 22, 2006, 3:37 pm Author: Progressive Men of Western Colorado John W. Wingate, of Durango, a retired merchant whose career has been active and fruitful in this state, is a pioneer of 1870 in Colorado and of 1873 in the San Juan country. He was born on July 16, 1845, at Boston, Massachusetts, and is the son of Moses and Martha Dunham (Walker) Wingate, the former a native of Dover, New Hampshire, born on the old Wingate homestead, on which the family settled in 1658. In 1849 the parents of John Wingate moved to Rome, New York, where he lived until the Civil war called him to other scenes of usefulness. On August 11, 1862, he enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and Seventeenth New York Infantry, and served until June 8, 1865, his only mishap beyond the general privations and hardships of the service being a slight wound received at the explosion of the mine before Petersburg July 30, 1864. After his discharge from the army he returned home, and in 1867 moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and later changed his residence to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he worked at his trade as a carpenter, helping to build Fort Russell. In 1868 he moved to Kansas, and two years later came to Colorado, locating at Denver. In 1871, however, he went to New Mexico in the employ of a large English company, but a year later he returned to this state and went to the head of Cherry creek in company with O.P. Posey and Milton H. Mark, of Denver. Here they rented a ranch and raised potatoes until 1873 when he and Mr. Posey came to Colorado Springs and engaged in contracting and building. Then, in company with former Governor Alva Adams, they started a hardware business at Del Norte. Some time afterward, leaving Mr. Posey in charge of this enterprise, Mr. Wingate went to Bbaker’s park, and in partnership with others built a sawmill in 1873. They were obliged to construct their road into the park, crossing the Rio Grande fifty-three times. Returning to Del Norte he remained a short time, then went to the Summit camp and assisted in opening the Golden Queen mine, of which he was one of the owners. It is now a part of the Consuls Gold Mining Company’s property, and he is one of the stockholders in the company. Some time was passed in prospecting, after which Mr. Wingate took charge of the Hotchkiss mine near Lake City, and in the ensuing fall he took control of the Summit mine and mill at Summit gold camp, but soon after returned to Lake City, where he took charge of the VanGieson Lixiviation Works and remained until 1878. At that time they opened a hardware store at Silverton and he assumed the management of it. They also had a store at Alamosa which Mr. Adams managed. The firm dissolved during 1878. Posey and Wingate took the Silverton store and continued until 1882, when they took in another partner, Col. H.G. Heffron. In 1884, with Alva Adams and William Bayly, they organized and incorporated the San Juan Hardware Company, with stores at Silverton, Durango, Ouray and Telluride. In 1893 Mr. Wingate sold out his interests in all and retired from active business pursuits. On January 8, 1885, he was married to Miss Juliette A. Conger, a native of New York, and they had two children, John C., who died in infancy, and Oliver E., who is living. Their mother died on October 4, 1890, and on June 7, 1893, at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Mr. Wingate married a second wife, Mrs. Susan Greene, a native of Ohio. They have one child, a daughter Martha, who was born on April 18, 1896. In 1895 the family took up their residence at Durango. Mr. Wingate has served three years as mayor of Silverton and a number of years as alderman. In 1888 he was elected a delegate to the Republican national convention at Chicago which nominated Harrison for President. Mr. Wingate is still interested in mines and real estate. He is a prominent member of the Masonic order, belonging to lodge, chapter and commandery, and is also active in the Grand Army of the Republic, holding the rank of post commander. In the San Juan Pioneers Association his membership is very active and serviceable, he being secretary and treasurer of the body, and having served as its second president. In all public local matters he is diligent and aggressive, looking always to the general weal of the community rather than to the advancement of any personal or factional interest. Additional Comments: From Progressive Men of Western Colorado. Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1905 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/laplata/bios/wingate173gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cofiles/ File size: 5.0 Kb