Mesa County CO Archives Biographies.....Putney, Joseph J.  1837 - ?
************************************************

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 January 9, 2006, 6:18 pm

Author: Progressive Men of Western Colorado

     The restless spirit of New England, which will never rest while there is

opportunity for work, and is always seeking new worlds to conquer, has not only

filled our land with industrial enterprise in multiform variety but has

overspread it with emigration and hardy pioneers, has been potential in settling

and civilizing the Mississippi valley, and has also aided in colonizing the

farther West and redeeming it from barbarism and making it fruitful with the

blessings of cultivation.  It is from this people that Joseph J. Putney, of

Collbran, in the Plateau valley, Mesa, sprang, and he is a good type of the

section from which he hails.  He was born in Merrimac county, New Hampshire, in

1837, and is the son of Benjamin and Lydia (Page) Putney, of that state, where

both were born and reared, where they were married and labored through life, and

where, when their labors were ended, they were laid to rest.  The mother died in

1853, and the father ten years previous, in February, 1843.  Their offspring

numbered nine, of whom Joseph was the seventh.  At an early period of his life

he was obliged to provide for himself, and during a portion of his youth he

lived with a cousin.  In March, 1855, he moved to northern Illinois, where for

three years he was occupied in farming.  He then went into southern Wisconsin,

and there followed the same vocation until September, 1861.  Then, in loyal

devotion to the Union, he enlisted in its defense in Company K, Eighth Wisconsin

Infantry, in which he served until November 8, 1863.  At that time he was

detached for recruiting duty and helped to raise the Third United States Colored

Cavalry, and in that regiment was a second lieutenant until January 24, 1866. 

After his discharge he settled at St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked at

various occupations for a year, after which he was on the city police force from

1868 to 1873.  At the close of his term he moved to Hamilton, Minnesota, and a

year later to Spring Valley, in the same county.  Here he was employed as a

carpenter until 1879, then came to Colorado, and worked at his trade at

Leadville for some time.  From there he moved to Summit county, then to Gunnison

county, engaged in mining until 1883, and during the next three years worked at

day labor in Delta county.  From Delta he went to the mining district of Aspen,

where he remained until he took up his residence at Collbran in Mesa county. 

Here he was variously employed from the time of his arrival in 1887 until he was

appointed postmaster in 1889, and since then he has continuously occupied this

office.  He was married in 1870 to Miss Adelaide Gehrs, a native of Illinois. 

They have had two children, Charles H. and Frederick, both of whom died when

about five months old.  Mrs. Putney died when she was twenty-two years of age,

and since then he has lived alone.  Mr. Putney is respected by the entire

community for his upright life and sterling worth, and in official relations he

is giving satisfaction to the people without regard to party or class.

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



File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/mesa/bios/putney111gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cofiles/

File size: 3.7 Kb