Saguache County CO Archives Biographies.....Dappen, Louis C. June 15, 1867 - ? ************************************************ 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 December 22, 2005, 8:46 pm Author: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Honorable in all his dealings with his fellow men and in all the relations of life, popular among the people of his county, progressive and public-spirited in his activities, and generous in his disposition, Louis C. Dappen, of Saguache county, with a fine ranch of valuable land comprising six hundred and forty acres, located five miles northwest of Center, and two others aggregating six hundred and forty acres additional, one located near Hooper and the other near Center, Louis C. Dappen is easily one of the leading and most substantial citizens of Saguache county. And his possessions are all the more creditable to him in that they are the results of his own unassisted thrift and enterprise, and have been won through difficulties and over many obstacles. Mr. Dappen was born on June 15, 1867, in Atchison county, Missouri, and is the son of Benjamin and Mary Dappen, the former a native of Switzerland and the latter of Germany. During the early days of his residence in this country the father followed stage driving, but the latter part of it was devoted to farming. Nebraska was his final earthly home, and there he died in 1892, having by twenty-three years survived his wife, who passed away in 1869. Three of their children are living, Benjamin, Henry W. and Louis C. The last named received only a common-school education, and that of a limited extent, as he was early obliged to make his own living by working on the farm. He remained in his native state until 1888, when he came overland to Colorado with all that he possessed, two teams, two sets of harness, one wagon and eighteen dollars in money. The time required for the trip was twenty-eight days, and on his arrival in the San Luis valley he at once secured one hundred and sixty acres of land on a pre-emption claim. After improving this he sold it in 1890 at a loss, but in the meantime, with a view to other purchases in the neighborhood, he helped to build the Farmers’ Union ditch, in which he still has an interest. After selling his first ranch he located another, and being unsuccessful in improving this in four years’ effort, he gave it up, and in 1896 bought one of four hundred and eighty acres, which he sold in 1898 to J. M. Warden, a sketch of whom will be found on another page. He then, for a year, rented a ranch of one hundred and sixty acres, and in 1899 bought his present home ranch of six hundred and forty acres, which is superior land and very valuable. The place is well supplied with water, all substantially fenced, and improved with a good dwelling and other necessary buildings. In addition to this, as has been noted, he owns a ranch of four hundred and eighty acres near Hooper and one of one hundred and sixty near Center, making one thousand two hundred and eighty acres in all, all the tracts lying within convenient distances of one another. He raises excellent crops of peas, hay, wheat and oats, and carries on an extensive stock industry especially in hogs and cattle. His start in life was next to nothing, and all he has he has made himself, and his holdings rank him among the large landholders of the county, while his prosperity demonstrates that he possesses first-rate business qualifications. Fraternally he belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and the Woodmen of the World. His first marriage occurred on November 22, 1888, and was with Miss Mattie Warren, a native of Iowa. They had two children who died in infancy. He married a second wife on June 3, 1896, Miss Ella Hayes, who was born in Kansas. They have three children, Cora E., Perry L. and Ina L. His first wife died on March 4, 1892, and the second on December 17, 1900. Mr. Dappen is, in the matter of public improvements, interested in the Farmers’ Union Ditch Company and the Rio Grande Land & Water Company. Additional Comments: From Progressive Men of Western Colorado. Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1905 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/saguache/bios/dappen89gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cofiles/ File size: 4.5 Kb