Montezuma County CO Archives Biographies.....May, William 1835 - January 5, 1905
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Judy Crook jlcrook@rof.net February 25, 2006, 11:11 am

Author: Progressive Men of Western Colorado

     William May, of Dolores, late county surveyor of Montezuma county, was the

offspring of pioneers on both sides of the family line, and in his career well

exemplified the characteristics of his ancestors.  He came to Colorado in 1869

and located in Huerfano county at a time when the country was just waking up to

its possibilities as a home for civilization and its possible place in the

onward march of American enterprise; and taking fast hold of the opportunities

it presented for energy and systematic industry and thrift, did his best to make

them available for his own advancement and use them for the general welfare.  He

was born in 1835, and is the son of John B. and Delia (Boone) May, the latter a

native of Kentucky.  His grandfather, Henry May, settled in Missouri in 1810,

and his mother was a grand niece of Daniel Boone. His parents dwelt on the

frontier at different places during the whole of their lives, dying in Oregon,

whither they moved in the early days of the section in which they settled.  His

boyhood and youth were passed in his native state, amid its scenes of

uncultivated life and strenuous effort for supremacy made by the forces of

civilization with those of barbarism.  In 1858, when he was twenty-three years

old, he moved to Kansas, and he lived there during the troublous times just

preceding the war, when human safety, and often human life was the cost of

opinion, and peace and security were matters of only momentary continuance.  In

1860 he drove an ox team across the plains and over the mountains to California,

where he engaged in farming for two years and then moved to Nevada.  He was in

that state during the excitement over the Comstock lodge [sic].  In 1866 he, in

company with two other persons, drove a band of horses to Iowa and sold them

there.  In 1869 he came to Colorado, and locating in Huerfano county, engaged in

farming and the stock industry, and also did surveying for the government.  Six

years later he moved to La Platte [sic] county, and in 1877 changed his base of

operations to Montezuma county, taking his cattle with him.  He located on the

Dolores river one mile and a half below the village of the same name, making the

first settlement in the township for the government, and while doing so he was

also busily occupied in improving his ranch and getting it into condition for

cultivation.  It comprises three hundred and forty acres of good land, and on it

he raised fine horses and high grade cattle.  He also owned town property of

value at Dolores.  He was an enterprising man and active all along the line of

public improvements and private conveniences.  He built the flour mill at

Dolores which was burned down after a few years of usefulness to the community.

 He served six years as county commissioner, and was nearly that long in the

office of county surveyor.  Fraternally he was prominent in the order of

Freemasonry and the Knights of Pythias, and in civil life was energetic and

zealous in behalf of every good enterprise for the lasting welfare of the

community.  Coming here in the early days, he had many sharp contests with the

Indians, and was called upon to mourn the death of a brother killed by them.  He

was generally regarded as one of the leading men of the county, and was widely

respected as a most useful and representative citizen, deep and sincere regret

being expressed on very side upon the occasion of his death, which occurred on

January 5, 1905.  

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

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/montezuma/bios/may183gbs.txt

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