Rio Grande County CO Archives Biographies.....Ahrens, John October 11, 1860 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Judy Crook jlcrook@rof.net November 5, 2005, 10:42 am

Author: Progressive Men of Western Colorado

Graves & Ahrens

   This enterprising and far-seeing real estate firm, the leading one in the San

Luis valley, which has sold more land and other real estate than any other

agency for the same purpose in the region in which it operates, is composed of

Arthur Graves and John M. Ahrens, two of the most active, energetic and

progressive business men in the Rocky Mountain region.

     John W. Ahrens, the junior member of the firm to which these paragraphs are

dedicated, was born on October 11, 1860, at Attica, Fountain county, Indiana,

and is the son of Hein and August (Kemper) Ahrens, both natives of Germany.  The

father was a stone-cutter and contractor.  The son obtained his education at the

high school in his native town, but grew weary of school life and did not

complete the course.  He was a lover of nature and preferred hunting, fishing

and outdoor occupations to confinement in the school room, and as he lived on

the “banks of the Wabash far away” from his present abode, he had abundant

opportunity for the gratification of his taste.  At the same time, he lived no

idle, loafing life, and was not devoid of teachers in the great school of

Nature; and besides, he was fond of reading, and by these means became a

well-informed man.  After leaving school he entered mercantile life at Hedrick

in his native state, being then twenty years of age.  He began his mercantile

career in 1880 and through the dishonesty of his partner failed in 1884.  The

year before he began manufacturing tiles at Hedrick, but this enterprise was

swept away with the mercantile business.  He then returned to Attica, Indiana,

and there went into the milling business in partnership with his brothers.  This

industry was sold in 1888, and Mr. Ahrens turned his attention to farming.  Not

finding this pursuit congenial, he quit at the end of a year and started a fire

insurance business at Attica, afterward adding dealing in chattel mortgages,

farm loans and real estate to his line, and carrying on the business fourteen

years in partnership with J. Shannon Vave.  During this period Mr. Ahrens took

on as side lines dealing in fast horses and backing a friend who had a patent

right, which he still thinks has merit, but neither venture was profitable.  In

August, 1903, he came to Colorado and located at Monte Vista, and first engaged

in the real estate business in partnership with Mr. Graves and Richard Blakey. 

After nine months Mr. Blakey retired from the firm and it has since been known

as Graves & Ahrens.  Having a great many friends in his native home, many of

whom had their eyes turned toward the setting sun for better prospects, it was

not difficult for Mr. Ahrens to induce them to come to the favored location in

which he was operating, and the business of the firm has been excellent in

volume and value.  Since he entered the firm it has sold 21,319 acres of land

for $395,500, and the prospects for trade in future are exceptionally bright. 

In political faith Mr. Ahrens is a stanch and active Democrat, and in fraternal

life a Mason, an Odd Fellow, a Modern Woodman and a Knight of Pythias.  He is as

yet a bachelor, but if indications can be credited the flowery yoke of Eros is

not far before him.  He is one of the brightest men and best citizens of the
valley.

[See Arthur Graves biography for other part of essay]



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

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