Geil, John; 1905 Bio, Routt County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/routt/bios/geilj.txt --------------------------------------- Donated April 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- John Geil Born at Pfalze, on the banks of the historic Rhine, and reared there to the age of eleven, and now one of the well settled and enterprising ranchmen of Routt county, John Geil has wandered far from the home of his childhood, and in his wanderings has covered many miles of travel and engaged in many occupations at different places widely separated. But endowed with an energy and willingness to work that is characteristic of his race, he has found in every place something to do and has well and cheerfully performed his task, uninviting and unprofitable as it has sometimes been. But though reverses come in the life of an industrious and resourceful man, they cannot keep him down, or very long or materially retard his progress. Mr. Geil first saw the light of this world on March 24, 1831, the son of Francis J. and Katherine B. (Keller) Geil, who were also natives of Germany, and who, when he was eleven years old, left the picturesque and progressive but somewhat over-crowded fatherland and sought a new home where their hopes might have more room to expand and flourish in this country, coming hither in 1842 and settling near Waverly, Ohio, which was their final location. The father was an industrious and well-to-do farmer and both parents belonged to the Catholic church. The mother died in 1863 and the father in 1869. Of their five children John and Christina are living, and of the three who are dead Michael C., who was a member of the Fourth (or Fifth) Ohio Cavalry, was wounded by a piece of shell while in Sherman's march to the sea during the Civil war, and finally died from the effects in 1877; one died in infancy; and Anna M. passed away at a more advanced age. John attended school two or three years in his native land, but after reaching this country was soon obliged to go to work, and from that time until he reached his legal majority had almost no opportunity to pursue his studies; and since he has been a man life has been too exacting in labor for him to renew them except in the form of desultory reading, so that he is practically a self-made man. In Ohio, where he remained until 1856, he worked on farms and at clearing land six years, then became a hand in a brick yard and a clerk in a store successively. In 1856 he moved to Keokuk, Iowa, where he engaged in the manufacture of brick in partnership with Thomas Flood. They prospered in their enterprise until the panic of 1857 destroyed their market and they were obliged to suspend operations. He then went to St. Louis, Missouri, and again became a brick yard hand for a few months, at the end of which he made a trip south and passed sometime in Louisiana and Mississippi cutting wood, and also served as watchman on a steamboat on the Mississippi and Red rivers. In the spring of 1859 he returned to Missouri and located at St. Joseph, where he followed brick making for a year. In the spring of 1860 he came to Colorado and during the next two years was variously occupied in this state, prospecting and mining, making brick and doing other things as occasion required and opportunity offered, among them hunting and trapping, and in all meeting with ups and downs. In the fall of 1862 he enlisted in Company D, Second Colorado Cavalry, in defense of the Union, and in that command he served to the end of the war, being discharged at Leavenworth, Kansas, in October, 1865. Returning then to Colorado, he mined and served as salesman in a store until 1867, when he went to Cheyenne, Wyoming, then the center of industry in the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad. Here he engaged in making adobe for houses for the workmen and new settlers until winter. Then going to the headwaters near Sherman Summit, he passed the time until the spring of 1869 making ties for the Union Pacific under contract. At the time last mentioned he again came to Colorado, and from then until the summer of 1888 he wrought at making brick as a hand on the yard, as overseer for Loveland, who had the contract for this work for the Colorado Central Railroad, and on his own account, and also cut cord wood and mined at intervals. In the summer of 1888 he located his present ranch, becoming thereby one of the early settlers of the county, especially in the vicinity of Steamboat Springs. His ranch comprises one hundred and sixty acres and of the tract one hundred and fifty acres can be cultivated, and Mr. Geil has omitted no effort required on his part to make the most of it. His principal crop is hay, which he raises in large quantities of excellent quality. The improvements on the place have all been made by him and they are worthy of his effort. The ranch is six miles south of Steamboat Springs, in a locality well favored by nature and making rapid progress under the industry of a very enterprising people. In the politics of this country Mr. Geil sides with the Democratic party, and in its fraternal life is connected with the order of Odd Fellows. He was married on February 17, 1857, to Miss Mary Miller, a native of Chillicothe, Ohio. She died in the autumn of 1857. =================================================== 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.