Montrose County CO Archives Biographies.....Waggoner, James Q. April 2, 1837 - ?
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Judy Crook jlcrook@rof.net March 26, 2006, 1:03 am

Author: Progressive Men of Western Colorado

     James Q. Waggoner, one of the prominent and progressive farmers and stock

men of the Paradox valley in Montrose county, and an important factor in the

public life and system of improvements in this section, is a native of Norwalk,

Ohio, where he was born on April 2, 1837, and is the son of Cyrus and Lorilla

(Osier) Waggoner, who were born and reared in New York, and came to Ohio when

young.  When their son James was eight years old the family moved to Michigan

and five years later the father was accidentally killed by a horse.  Mr.

Waggoner then went back to Norwalk and there served a three-years apprenticeship

to a wagon and carriage maker.  After learning his trade he worked at it for a

number of years in various places, among them Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans

and Detroit.  In 1870 he settled in Kansas and located land in the Osage Nation

reservation.  From there he moved soon afterward to Independence, that state,

and in the vicinity of that city engaged in farming and fruit-growing.  He came

to Colorado in 1880, and took up his residence at Leadville, but moved a little

later to Cebola, and from there not long afterward to where he now lives in

Paradox valley, settling here in 1883.  He located land here and has since

bought additions to it, and at once began the stock and farming industry which

he is now conducting.  He served four years as mail contractor and is now water

commissioner of all the water of the Dolores river and its tributaries, having

been appointed to this important position by Governor Peabody in June, 1903.  He

has one hundred and sixty acres of the best valley land in his farm, and has it

thoroughly irrigated, having procured the water and provided for the continuance

of the supply by tunneling into the mountain.  He runs a small herd of cattle of

grade and high standard.  He also has a thrifty and fruitful orchard of choice

varieties of fruit on his place which yields abundantly every year and is a

source of considerable profit.  Mr. Waggoner has been particularly active and

resourceful in procuring the advantages of thorough irrigation for this section

of the county, and his efforts in this behalf have been highly appreciated, so

much so in fact that in June, 1903, as has been noted, he was appointed water

commissioner for a large extent of country which is watered by the Dolores and

its affluents, and his appointment met with general approval.  He was a member

of the jury before whom the famous Packer case was tried. On March 23, 1877, at

Independence, Kansas, he was married to Mrs. Carrie M. Eastman, a native of

Indianapolis, Indiana.  They have one child, a son named Louis H.  Mrs. Waggoner

had a daughter by her former marriage who died a few years ago leaving two

daughters, Myrtle and Fernie Good, who live with their grandmother.  

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

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/montrose/bios/waggoner458gbs.txt

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