Mesa County CO Archives Biographies.....Smith, James Hulme June 30, 1858 - ?
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Author: Progressive Men of Western Colorado

    Founder and head of the firm of Smith Brothers, who carry on one of the most

extensive cattle industries in the western part of the state, and who are also

connected in a leading way with other enterprises of magnitude and great service

to their section, James Hulme Smith, of Grand Junction, has been one of the

forceful factors in the development and progress of Colorado, scarcely any form

of its multitudinous commercial and industrial activities having lacked stimulus

from his wide and versatile mind and direction from his skillful hand  He was

born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 30, 1858, and is the son of George

A. and Eliza (Hulme) Smith, the former a native of Bucks county, Pennsylvania,

and the latter of Mount Holly, New Jersey, and both belonging to old English

Quaker families whose American progenitors came to this country with William

Penn. The father was engaged in mercantile life in Philadelphia as a member of

the firm of James, Kent, Santee & Company, with which he was connected from its

organization to its dissolution, a period of over forty years.  He died in

Philadelphia in 1884, and the mother in 1886.  In the public affairs of the city

he was active and prominent, serving as president of the select council for a

number of years, and was energetic and potential in promoting the centennial,

the construction of Pyramid park, the organization of the great fire department

and many other works of great importance and value in that section of the

country.   He was captain of the Home Guards during the Civil war, being

incapacitated for active field service by the fact that he had but one arm; but

he was called into engagement at the head of his company at the battle of

Gettysburg.  The son, James Hulme Smith, was reared in his native city and was

educated at private schools.  In 1875 he entered the University of Pennsylvania,

and was graduated from that institution four years later.  He then came to

Colorado and located at Lake City where he bought an interest in the Palmetto

mine, which he helped to develop.  This was one of the best mines in Hinsdale

county, but as it is a silver property no work has been done on it for several

years owing to the low price of silver.  While living at Lake City, Mr. Smith

was a member of Company A, Second Battalion of the Pitkin Guards, in which he

served three years, during the greater part of the time as sergeant.  In 1882 he

was married and for two years thereafter lived in Denver.  He then settled in

Mesa county and, in partnership with his brother, George Peyton Smith, began an

industry in breeding and handling cattle which by energy and capacity they soon

expanded into one of the largest and most successful of its kind.  For a number

of years they were leading breeders of range Herefords, now they buy and fatten

steers for market.  For a period they had regularly two thousand head of more on

the range, but owing to the shortening of the range in recent years they do not

run so many.  One of their ranches, which contains one hundred and sixty acres,

is high up in the mountains, and the home place of four hundred and eighty acres

is two miles southeast of Grand Junction.  Both are in a high state of

cultivation, the latter being beautifully located on the high Orchard mesa,

overlooking Grand valley.  This ranch was purchased in 1889, and since then

James H. Smith has devoted the greater part of his attention to it, while his

brother has looked after the ranch and stock in the mountains.  They soon found

it necessary to install a pumping plant to get water high enough to irrigate

their land, and this they did on a large scale at a cost of over fifteen

thousand dollars.  The plant is a mile and a half up the river above the

residence, and comprises two water wheels working under ten feet head,

generating one hundred horse-power, with a large rotary pump and a sixteen-inch

pipe.  The amount of water raised is four thousand gallons a minute, which is

raised to a height of eighty-two feet.  The machinery is kept running night and

day, and has capacity for irrigating the entire ranch of four hundred and eighty

acres.  At present one hundred and sixty acres are irrigated for alfalfa and one

hundred acres for fruit, with some additions for grain.  Here they feed five

hundred to six hundred cattle every winter, using large quantities of hay which

they produce themselves.  They also have a fine modern residence on this ranch

which is equipped with every convenience and is artistically furnished.  Mr.

Smith was one of the originators and early directors of the Grand Junction

Fruit-Growers’ Association, which has done much for the development of the

valley, and for a number of years has been its president.  He has also served as

county commissioner several terms, and is now a member of the board. At

different times he has been its efficient and vigilant chairman.  In this

position he took special interest in the erection of good bridges in the county

which now stand as a monument to his enterprise and public-spirit.  One of these

of unusual magnitude and utility is the steel bridge over the Gunnison at

Whitewater.  In addition he originated plans for remodeling the bridge at

Debeque, and secured the erection of numerous smaller structures of a similar

character in various parts of the county.  He and his brother helped to

establish the Mesa County State Bank, and both have been actively connected with

its management since its organization.  In politics Mr. Smith is a Republican,

and while not desirous of public office is always zealous and energetic in the

service of his party.  On January 25, 1882, he was married at Denver to Miss

Mary V. Fortune, a native of Louisiana, Missouri, who came to Colorado in her

girlhood and in this state was reared and educated.  Her father was a captain in

the Confederate army during the Civil war, and was killed in battle.  Mr. and

Mrs. Smith have had five children, George Albert; James Fortune, who died at the

age of six years; Edwin Edgar, who died at the age of six months; Alice Paxon

and Roger Stewart.  The head of the house belongs to the order of Elks with

membership in the lodge at Grand Junction.  

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

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/mesa/bios/smith330gbs.txt

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