BEVINS, Emeline, b 1838; 1905 Bio, Montrose County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/montrose/bios/bevinse.txt --------------------------------------- Donated September 6, 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- Emeline Bivans While in recent times public sentiment, particularly in this western country, has opened almost every door of enterprise to women and made them man's equal in nearly every field of labor in opportunity, it has not waited for this change of view to develop the character and capacity of some of the sex. In every age of the world there have been resolute and forceful women who were able to take their own part and occupy if necessary a man's place to advantage in the battle of life and make good their title to it. In this number clearly belongs Emeline Bivans, the interesting subject of this review. She was born in Franklin county, Ohio, on July 22, 1838, and is the daughter of Josiah and Pauline D. (Neff) Bivans. The family moved to Marion county, Iowa, in 1855, where the father bought a farm of one hundred and thirty acres on which he passed the residue of his life, dying there in 1864 after years of pronounced success in his business. The daughter Emeline lived at home until 1856, and was educated at the public schools. On August 28th, in the year last named, she was married to Pius Flohr, and in the ensuing fall they settled on a farm in Marion county, where they remained thirteen years. In the fall of 1868 they moved to near Independence, Missouri, and after nine years of successful farming and stock-raising there they sold out and changed their residence to the vicinity of Fort Scott, Kansas. Here they engaged in the stock business on a large scale and found it very profitable. In 1881 domestic disagreements induced the husband and wife to separate and secure a divorce. They divided the property equally between them, and Mrs. Flohr remained in the neighborhood until she could dispose of her stock and other property, which she did in a short time for the sum of seven thousand dollars. There were ten children born of the marriage, George A., Josiah, Louisa, Charles G., Michael, Caroline, Samuel, Ida, Harvey, and Pius Benno. They are all living and five of them are residents of Colorado. After selling her property in Kansas the mother came to Colorado, arriving in 1883. Some time afterward she was married to Christopher Allbush. Then she and her new husband went back to Kansas, but a little later they returned to this state and located at Crawford, Delta county, where she bought a herd of cattle and renewed her operations in the stock industry, continuing in the business six years. Once more the domestic cloud lowered upon her house, and she was again divorced, at which time she resumed her maiden name. After this she sold her cattle, and in 1891 moved to Montrose county where she bought a ranch and began farming on her own account. She has continued the business since then, and has added to the ranch until she now has three hundred and twenty acres, all in one body. On this she has three houses, in one of which she lives, renting the other two out to tenants. She carries on a general farming enterprise under her own personal management and also conducts a small stock industry, having some thirty good cattle. During the greater part of her residence here she has managed the ranch herself, and her success in the business is a high tribute to her ability, shrewdness and good judgment, as well as to her vigor and industry. Her children are all grown and away from home, and she is therefore sole mistress of the ranch and all its operations. She is accounted one of the progressive ranchers of the county. Her sympathies are with the Democratic party in political affairs, and she takes a great interest in its success, as she does in all worthy and beneficent movements. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.