Pitkin County CO Archives Biographies.....Hughes, Dennis February 22, 1853 - ? ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/co/cofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Judy Crook jlcrook@rof.net March 15, 2006, 10:06 pm Author: Progressive Men of Western Colorado A skillful mechanic and during the greater part of his life working diligently at his trade of blacksmithing under a great variety of circumstances and in many different places, Dennis Hughes, of Aspen, the leading blacksmith of the town and an active dealer in farming implements, has seen life through his toil in many phases and from even the hardest conditions has wrung by his energy and well-applied industry a substantial success financially, acquiring at the same time a store of that worldly wisdom which comes only from experience. He was born at Port Henry, Essex county, New York, on February 22, 1853, and is the son of John and Mary (Nathan) Hughes, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Vermont. On his arrival in this country, the father located at Sherrington in the province of Quebec. There he learned his trade as a blacksmith and also acquired a good practical knowledge of farming. When he was about twenty-one he moved to Albany, New York, and there wrought at his trade about eight years. He then went to Westport in the same state, and during the next two years worked in the blast furnace there, at the end of that time removing to Port Henry, where he was employed in the same line of work for eight years longer, starting in business for himself in 1861. The next year he enlisted in the Union army as a blacksmith in the Twenty-fifth New York Regiment, under command of Gen. Phil Sheridan, in which he served to the close of the war. He then returned to his former home at Port Henry and resumed work at his trade, continuing until his death in 1901. His wife died in 1857. He was an active Democrat in politics and a Catholic in religion; and belonged to the Grand Army of the Republic in fraternal relations. There were eight children in the family, three of whom, James, Michael and May, have died. Those still living are John, William, Elizabeth, Mary and Dennis. The last named, who is the immediate subject of this writing, had but little educational advantages, being obliged to look out for himself at an early age. When he was ten he hired out to work on a farm at two dollars and fifty cents a month during the summer and in the winter worked of his board so that he could attend school. The next year he received ten dollars a month for farm work in the summer and in the winter spent his time in his father’s blacksmith shop learning his trade. This sort of occupation was continued until he reached the age of sixteen. After completing his apprenticeship in 1870, when he was seventeen, he started in business for himself, locating at Maria Center, New York, where he remained until 1876, when he moved to Missouri, and after living a year at Kansas City, took up his residence at Gosneville, Clay county. Two years later he returned to his native state and there he carried on a shop one year. In 1879 he came to Leadville, Colorado, and until April 1, 1880, worked there for wages in the Andy Johnson mine. From there he moved to Kokomo and did blacksmithing for the stage company, then after spending two weeks at Denver, went to Conjoes, New Mexico, and worked six months for wages. At the end of that time he bought at twenty-two inch bellows and opened a shop of his own at Boydsville. His next location was at Bear creek, where he took in a partner, Robert Shaw, and three months afterward moved to Charma river, where he carried on independently. From there he changed to Almargo and then to Aberlease. The soldiers and Indians drove out everybody in the village, and he opened a shop at Durango, this state, remaining until the end of 1881. During the next three years he was employed at his craft in various places in his native state and Colorado, and settled at Aspen in 1885, early in the year. He bought Joe Cole’s shop and conducted it a year and a half, then sold out and bought ranches on Capitol creek, where he turned his attention to raising cattle, in 1887 and 1888 owning more stock than any other person in the neighborhood. In 1889 he returned to Aspen and purchased the shop where he is still engaged. In 1895 he disposed of his ranch and added to his enterprise a business in farming implements of all kinds. He has been steadily successful in all his wanderings, and is now well established in business to his taste and in accordance with his best capabilities. In political faith and alliance he is an ardent Democrat, and in fraternal circles is connected with the order of Odd Fellows. In November, 1879, he was married to Miss Katharine Coyne, a native of Clinton county, New York, daughter of Patrick and Eliza (Conners) Coyne, the former a native of England and the latter of Canada. They settled in New York in early life, and there they ended their days, both devout members of the Catholic church. The father was an accomplished railroad man and an accepted authority on all subjects connected with the business. He was a Democrat in politics and zealous in the service of his party. They had eight children, six of whom are living. The father died in 1884 and the mother in 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Hughes have had four children. One son named Harry died in New York state in 1880, aged four, and another named Frank R., at Lake City, this state, on September 8, 1902, after a short illness. He was out looking up a suitable location for establishing a profitable blacksmith shop, which he found at Lake City, but died after living there only five weeks. He had been active in business and public life in Pitkin county, carrying on for a number of years a profitable grocery store and later a blacksmith shop. The two children living are Edward F. and Mae. Additional Comments: From Progressive Men of Western Colorado. Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1905 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/pitkin/bios/hughes289gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cofiles/ File size: 6.3 Kb