Carroll, Miles; b.1848 Bio, Pitkin County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/pitkin/bios/carrollm.txt --------------------------------------- Donated August 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- Miles Carroll Miles Carroll, one of Pitkin county's most prosperous and progressive ranch and cattle men, who lives not far from Aspen, is a native of Ireland born in 1848, and the son of Miles and Anna (Christian) Carroll, of the Emerald Isle, who were prosperous farmers, devout Catholics and highly respected citizens. They had a family of eleven children, all now deceased but Miles and his brother John. The father died in 1860 and the mother a few years later. Their son Miles was not allowed much in the way of educational advantages. His father was a stern and unyielding believer in work as a preparation for life's duties and put his theories into practical operation with all his children as soon as they were able to do anything of value. But their mother had more liberal views, and after the death of the father she hired a teacher to come to the house three evenings in each week for a time to teach the children. Miles remained at home until he was sixteen, then began to earn his own living, later conducting the farm at home for a period of two years. In 1865 he came to the United States and, locating at New Entry on Long Island, farmed for wages three months, then went to Philadelphia, and from there a short time later to Marine Square, Pennsylvania, where he quarried stone for two years. From there he changed his base to the coal regions and passed some time digging soft coal, living also and doing similar work near Pittsburg and Allegheny a portion of the time. In the summer of 1868 he moved to Kentucky, and after a short residence in that state went to Point of Rocks in Maryland and assisted in the construction of the tunnel there for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. In the latter part of that year he located at Lemont, Illinois, and there wrought in the stone quarries, getting out gray marble for large buildings in Chicago, remaining until 1871. The winter of 1873 was passed at Streator, Illinois, in coal mining, and there he met with an accident in the mines which laid him up for a number of months. In 1878 he came to Colorado and settled near Canon City, where he was employed in railroad work. He next appeared at Leadville and devoted his time to burning brick, of which he made a great success for his employer, being a first-rate hand at the work of burning and pressing the product of the yards. He also passed some time in that vicinity working in the mines for wages. In company with James McKinney, Edward and John Ward, James McEvoy and Frank Kelley, he started mining and prospecting, continuing this until 1882, when he located a part of his present ranch of five hundred acres in the vicinity of Aspen. Of this tract two hundred acres yield gracefully to tillage without artificial aid, and produce excellent crops of hay and grain, and he raises in addition horses and cattle in goodly numbers. In all the lines of his activity he is successful and prosperous, and as his work is to his taste, he finds great enjoyment in life. He is independent in politics, a member of the Order of Wolf Tones in fraternal relations and a Catholic in religious affiliation. In 1871 he was married to Miss Maria Larkin, a native of Cook county, Illinois, daughter of William and Bridget Larkin, who were born and reared in Ireland and came to the country soon after their marriage, locating in Illinois, where they farmed successfully. The father was a Democrat politically and both were members of the Catholic church. They were the parents of six children, only two of whom are living, William and Margaret. Mrs. Carroll died in 1889, leaving six of her fourteen children to survive her, Mary, Miles, James, Charles, Martha and Nellie. In June, 1893, Mr. Carroll married a second wife, Miss Maggie Askins, who was born at Streator, Illinois. She is the daughter of Michael and Katherine (O'Garra) Askins, a sketch of whom will be found elsewhere in this work. Three children have been born of the second marriage, Margaret, Bessie and John E., all still at home. =================================================== 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.