Montezuma County CO Archives Biographies.....Lewy, Adam December 31, 1848 - ?
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Judy Crook jlcrook@rof.net February 25, 2006, 11:19 am

Author: Progressive Men of Western Colorado

     The genial and gracious proprietor of the Clifton House at Cortez,

Montezuma county, who is a Colorado pioneer of 1849, was born on December 31,

1848, in the state of Missouri, and is the son of Henderson and Mary Lewy, the

former a native of North Carolina and the latter of Ohio.  In 1849 the family,

with a number of others, started across the plains and when they reached Elk

river nearly the whole party was massacred by hostile Indians, all of Mr. Lewy’s

immediate family except himself and one sister being slain.  He was taken

prisoner, but his sister hid and made her escape.  He was then an infant, and

soon after he was rescued and brought to Huerfano county, this state, where he

was reared to the age of ten by an aunt with whom he lived except during a

second short captivity among the Indians when he was two years old.  At the age

of ten he returned to Missouri where he remained three years, then came west

again in the employ of the Kelchum & Pugsley Cattle Company, with which he

remained a number of years.  He then moved to San Antonio, Texas, and engaged in

herding stock.  From 1872 to 1874 he was inspector of live stock at Medicine

Lodge, and in the year last named he joined the command of Captain Hull in his

chase after and [sic] James and Younger brothers.  He was present when Captain

Hull was killed.  At the close of this engagement he returned to Huerfano

county, Colorado, and in 1876 moved to Silverton, and until 1879 ran a pack

train of his own between that place and Del Norte.  After a short residence at

Animas and at Durango, he settled in the Montezuma valley in 1881, entering the

employ of the L.C. Cattle Company, for which he was foreman five years.  In 1889

he was elected sheriff of the county and at the end of his term was re-elected.

 He is widely known for his resolution, persistency and courage, and is a terror

to evil doers.  He has also served a number of years as deputy United States

marshal.  Twenty-five miles below Cortez Mr. Lewy has a fine ranch and a large

band of excellent and well bred horses.  In June, 1903, he engaged in the hotel

business as proprietor of the Clifton House at Cortez, and since then he has

devoted himself strictly to this enterprise, making the house a popular resort

and winning for himself a host of friends among the traveling public.  At

Durango, on November 18, 1889, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Johnson,

a native of Leadville, this state, and the daughter of Joseph and Mary A.

Johnson, who were very early settlers in Colorado.  Mr. and Mrs. Lewy have six

children, Vivian, Ernest, Charles, Helen, Marcella and Grace.  The head of the

house has seen the horrors of Indian warfare, having served from time to time in

various subduing parties, and has had many a hair-breadth escape from violent

death at the hands of the savages. 

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

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/montezuma/bios/lewy185gbs.txt

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