1901 Bio - Parish, H. Jay, Larimer County, Colorado Transcribed by Marta Norton January 30, 2000 The Berthoud Bulletin Newspaper Saturday, September 7, 1901 (The following is a small portion of a big news article about Berthoud. I am only transcribing the bio part). In the following columns we are pleased to give the pictures and personal sketches of a number of the people who assisted in making this beautiful and prosperous county what it is: H. Jay Parish H. Jay Parish, the subject of this sketch, was born in Taylor County, Iowa, February 5, 1862. When four years of age in company with his mother he journeyed from the place of his birth by rail over the then new Union Pacific Railroad to Carney, Nebraska, and from there by stage to join his father at Nemagua, at which place his father had settled the year previous. Nemaqua was located on the Big Thompson River a few miles to the west of where now stands the thriving city of Loveland. The major portion of the population of this ancient stage station in 1866 were Indians and Mexicans. Parish and his parents occupied a log cabin on the banks of the Big Thompson at this point during the years of 1866-1867, and young Parish and Miss Katie Clark, a maiden of six years, whose father was the proprietor of the livery barn, were the only white papooses in the camp. Mariana Medina, a Mexican, was the principal citizen and leading light of the community in those days, being the proprietor of the principal store, vending flour at $10 per hundred, whisky at .25 cents per drink and other necessaries in proportion. He also constructed the first wagon bridge across the Big Thompson, with old fashioned piers, cribs built of logs and filled with stone, at each end of which bridge Mariana had a gate, kept locked and during stages of high water charged the gay and festive emigrant $1.00 toll for every team and wagon crossing the bridge. Mariana’s wife, a squaw, cost him a good bunch of ponies, some years prior to 1866, with whom Mariana also got two girls papooses thrown in for good measure. Mrs. Mariana was a leading society belle of the “400” of the place, a tailoress, making well-fitting buckskin pantaloons at $16 a pair, moccasins and other ornamental articles. Her two daughters, aged four and six years, were among the first playmates of Parish in the territory of Colorado. These two Indian girls, their mother and step- father Mariana now sleep in the silent grave a short distance northeast of what is now known as the Mariana Lake. During the year 1867 Parish’s father located on a quarter section of land, now part of what is known as the Buckingham Ranch, whereon he built a log cabin which is still standing at the present time. He with others, constructed one of the first ditches taking water from the Big Thompson, the work being done with shovels. Two years later Parish’s parents moved about seven miles east to where Loveland now stands, locating on a farm now owned by George Little. On this farm Parish spent three years of his early life, during which time the Indian scares were of frequent occurrence. On one occasion when Parish and his mother were alone in the little log cabin, one dark autumn night, there came a rap at the door. It proved to be a neighbor, who in a trembling voice informed Mrs. Parish that the country was full of Indians and that he desired to borrow a rifle. His request was granted, and there being no other shooting irons about the premises Parish with his mother took refuge in a tall bunch of weeds and waited the dawn of day. On the following day it was learned that three men had been killed by the Indians a few miles east of where Greeley now stands, one of the unlucky men being William Brush, a brother of ex-Lieutenant Governor Brush. The other two were cattlemen in Mr. Brush’s employ. The Indians were pursued by never captured. From this place Parish’s parents moved two miles further east on the Big Thompson, where he resided with them until he became of age. Parish became quite expert with the rifle, and at the early age of eleven years shot and killed his first antelope on the indetical spot now occupied by the private reservoir of Adolph Koeig on the north side of the big Thompson. As a cow puncher in his boyhood days Parish rode over every foot of ground between Big and Little Thompson. Time and again he has stood on what is commonly known as the twin mounds and with spy glass in hand viewed the scene when there was nothing to mar or spot the brown prairie save herds of cattle and horses and numerous bands of antelope. From this point the rolling prairie could be seen to the horizon line for miles and miles in either direction; no Berthoud; no Loveland; no De France farm with its sheaves of golden grain and verdant fields of alfalfa; nothing to break the view of rolling, dry, desolate and thirsty prairie as far as the eye could see; all waste-that which now is all tilled and by countless ditches is made to bloom and blossom as the rose. At eighteen years of age parish took charge of and successfully operated a steam threshing outfit for five seasons. In 1883 ambitious to secure a home he could call his own, no matter how humble, he pitched his tent on a piece of land on the north half of the northeast quarter of section eight, township four north, range sixty-seven west. In Weld County, where he still resides. Finding the bachelor’s life a hard one, on February 5, 1884, he was married to Miss Mary Wygal, since which time five children have been born to him: Albert aged sixteen; Lottie Belle, fourteen; Raymond aged eleven; Ruthford, aged nine; and John, aged seven, all living, the two older of which have graduated from the common schools. Parish has been a successful farmer, owning at the present time 400 acres of fine farming land under ditch in Weld County, Colorado, has assisted in the construction and operation of many ditch and irrigation enterprises, having been president of the Hillsborough Irrigation Company for several years and one of the promoters of the Big Cut Lateral Reservoir Ditch Company. In January, 1900, he engaged in the lumber business in partnership with Andrew Fairbairn at Berthoud under the firm name of Fairbairn & Parish has been engaged in the lumber and hardware business at the point continuously since the time. In 1893 Mr. Parish was elected County Commissioner of Weld County, in 1896 re-elected to the same office, and in 1899 elected for the third time. In politics he is a Democrat, though he deviated and worked with the Populist Party during Cleveland’s gold bug administration. He has attended many county and state conventions and was an ardent supporter of W.J. Bryan for President. Mr. Parish is an active Freemason, a charter member and part master of Berthoud Lodge No. 83, A.F. & A. M. and a member of the Woodman of the World. =================================================== 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. 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