Blewitt, Christopher; 1905 Bio, Routt County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/routt/bios/blewitc.txt --------------------------------------- Donated April 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- Christopher Blewitt With a decided bent for the line of usefulness to which he was born, and which his father successfully followed before him, Christopher Blewitt, the active, capable and popular treasurer of Routt county, was engaged in it for many years in his native land and in various parts of this country to which he came from his native Cornwall, England, in 1867 at the age of nineteen. He was born on February 26, 1848, the son of Henry and Jane Blewitt, also natives of England, where the father was a successful and prosperous miner, and where both parents and one of their three children died, leaving Christopher and Henry the only survivors of the family. The section in which he lived, the nature of his surroundings and the early death of his parents deprived him of almost all educational advantages, but he had a native force of mental endowment and a spirit of inquiry and investigation which in large part supplied the deficiency, and made him what he is now, a man of extensive and accurate general information. After the death of his parents, which occurred during his childhood, he found a home with other relatives and worked in the mines of county Cornwall, England, until he reached the age of nineteen. He then, in 1867, emigrated to the United States, and soon after his arrival found congenial and profitable employment in the copper mines of the Lake Superior region in Michigan. He remained there until the autumn of 1868, then became a resident of Colorado, locating in Gilpin county, where he prospected, worked leased mining properties and worked in the mines for wages until 1872. In that year he sold his Colorado interests and moved to California, engaging in mining at North Bloomfield, Nevada county. After six months of successful operations there he changed his residence to the state of Nevada, and until the fall of 1874 worked in the old Comstock camp at Virginia City with profitable returns, then returned to California and until July, 1875, followed mining with energy and success. By this time his long residence in mining camps and his arduous labors in various kinds of mining atmospheres began to seriously impair his health and, going to San Francisco, he was laid up seven months with a serious illness. After his recovery he again turned to mining and followed for eight years longer the voice of gold excitements, now in Eureka county, Nevada, then at Tuscarora in the same state, afterward at Silver City, Idaho, then in Lemhi county, that state, and finally on the East Fork of the Salmon and Wood rivers, seeking always good opportunities for his favorite vocation and seldom failing to find them. In the fall of 1883 he moved to Routt county, this state, and took up a homestead in the canyon between Hayden and Steamboat Springs. This was known as the Blewitt ranch and here he actively and prosperously engaged in ranching and raising stock until 1901. He made all the improvements on his ranch and built up there an extensive business in ranching and the stock industry which marked him as one o f the most enterprising and progressive men in the trade, as he had been one of the most resourceful and successful mining men prior to that time. In 1901 he sold his ranch and cattle to Adair & Solant, of Hayden, and was elected to the office of county treasurer, which he is still holding. He is a pronounced Republican in politics and belongs to the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias in fraternal life. In September, 1871, he was married to Miss Anna E. Jones, who died on the 22d of September, 1879, and on July 2, 1891, he contracted a second marriage, being united on this occasion with Miss Kate Harrington, a native of Plymouth, Devonshire, England. Mr. Blewitt is universally popular, prominent in the public life of his county, recognized as a man of great usefulness in promoting every interest of value, and held in the highest esteem as a citizen. =================================================== 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.