PURDY, Samuel L., b 1843; 1905 Bio, Mesa County, Colorado

http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/mesa/bios/purdysl.txt



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Donated August 2001

Transcribed by Judy Crook <jlcrook@rof.net> from the book:

Progressive Men of Western Colorado 

Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill.



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Samuel L. Purdy

	Samuel L. Purdy, manager of the Mt. Lincoln water-power house near Palisades,

Mesa county, is a native of Pennsylvania and was born there in 1843.  He is a

son of Eli and Marantha (Haveland) Purdy.  His father was a native of New York

and a stone mason by trade.  He invented the first screw propellor for boats,

and applied his device to a small boat on the canal, which was washed away at

the time of the great break.  And he, being poor and not knowing the value of

his discovery, made no effort to recover the boat or equip another, and so the

credit for the invention went to another, although there was doubtless no

connection between the two, as Mr. Ericsson never heard of this case.  The

father died in Pennsylvania and the mother, who was a native of Ohio, died in

that state in 1879, when she was seventy-five years old.  Their son Samuel

passed his boyhood and youth in his native state, and about the beginning of the

Civil war he enlisted in the One Hundred and Tenth Pennsylvania Volunteer

Infantry and was later transferred to the Sixth United States Cavalry, regular

army, and he saw three years of the memorable contest, being in active service

all of that time and participating in several of the noted engagements between

the opposing armies.   After the war he came west to Iowa and in 1878 removed to

Kansas.  From there he came to Colorado and settled at Grand Junction.  He is a

carpenter and mason by trade, and for a time wrought at these crafts in this

section; but he is now superintendent of the Mt. Lincoln water-power house,

which controls the flow of water into the irrigation canal of the High Line

Mutual Irrigation Company, that has done so much for the improvement of this

section of Mesa county.  In 1865 Mr. Purdy was married to Miss Eliza Sheeder, a

native of Pennsylvania.  They have had nine children, Mary, Elmer, Lottie,

Carrie, Pearl, Willie, Effie (deceased), May and Harry.  Mr. Purdy has been

active and industrious through life, living acceptably among his fellow men and

winning on his merit their respect, which he enjoys in a marked degree.



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