Saguache County CO Archives Biographies.....Monteith, William Robert February 12, 1851 - ?
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Judy Crook jlcrook@rof.net March 8, 2006, 8:52 am

Author: Progressive Men of Western Colorado

     From his childhood to a recent period the life of this subject was one of

toil and tempest, difficulty and danger, arduous effort and thrilling adventure.

 The death of his father when the son was but five years old left the family in

very moderate circumstances, and laid each of its members under tribute for aid

in making the living for the household as soon as strength and ability were

available for the purpose, and so from the age of nine he has been working for

himself and others. The destiny seemed a hard one as he passed through it, but

he can now realize its beneficial features in the preparation it gave for the

more stirring and exacting duties ahead of him, when the cold blasts of poverty

and adversity assailed him in youth, and can contemplate with satisfaction the

impediments then in his way, which he converted into instruments of service, and

the enemies of circumstance which he fashioned into power for his advance. 

Mature life brought him face to face with duties of a stern and unrelenting

character, in the performance of which the element of personal danger was ever

present, but his early training had armed him to meet them.  It brought him

trials and privations of unexpected magnitude, but his long habit of self-denial

and self-reliance robbed them of terrors and shrunk them into littleness in the

presence of his resolute and determined spirit.  Meanwhile, he made steady

progress in bettering his condition, using every advantage gained as a stepping

stone to higher results.  He is now one of the most generally relied on and

esteemed citizens of Saguache county, as well as one of the most substantial in

the way of worldly possessions.  His fellow citizens gave a striking proof of

their confidence in him and their regard for him on November 8, 1904, by

electing him sheriff of his county on the Democratic ticket, at a time when

almost every other candidate on that ticket there was overwhelmingly defeated,

and his party was awfully beaten in more than two-thirds of the county. Mr.

Monteith is a native of Illinois, born in Pike county, at the town of New

Canton, on February 12, 1851.  His parents were James and Mary J. (Gallagher)

Monteith, the former born in Scotland and the latter in Ireland. After their

marriage they emigrated to the United States and located in Illinois. There the

father was engaged in farming and raising live stock until his death in

November, 1856.  Of the three children in the family James died in 1899, and

Mrs. John Lewis and William R. are living.  Some time after the husband’s death

the mother brought her children to Colorado and located in Denver, where she is

now living.  Here she married a second husband, Thomas Campbell, who died in

1899.  By the early death of his father William R. Monteith was deprived almost

wholly of school advantages.  At the age of nine he went to work to earn a

little money for the aid of his mother in supporting the family, going to Iowa

in 1860 and passing two years in that state in different employments.  His next

engagement was driving bull teams across the plains, and in this he four times

made the long and perilous trip through the wilderness, in 1862, 1863, 1865 and

1867, starting from Nebraska City, Atchinson and Leavenworth, Kansas, in turn. 

Each trip was fraught with danger and had its share of hardship and adventure. 

On the last one, in 1867, the number of persons in the train was thirteen, and

when they reached the little Blue river in Kansas, they encountered hostile

Indians, and were in great danger as they had only three guns in the party. But

they succeed in defeating the attack and killing the Indian chief, although the

savages stole nine of their horses.  Moving on, they reached Fort Kearney in

safety, and here they were detained three days for re-enforcements.  In this

they were fortunate, for when they reached Plumb creek a band of five hundred

Indians attacked them, firing three volleys into the train.  Two of the party

were killed and Mr. Monteith received an arrow wound in the thigh.  Along their

further progress they found the remains of many white men who had been slain by

Indians, but they reached Denver without additional mishap.  Here Mr. Monteith

remained from July 3, 1867, just one year, and was employed in ranch work and

range-riding.  In 1868 he went to New Mexico in the service of Andy Slain, and

later made another trip there for the same gentleman.  In 1869 he was sent to

Texas by John Hitson, the cattle king of that day, and in the fall of the same

year moved into the San Luis valley of this state, where he managed the

interests of the Gilpin-Grant Stock Company from 1870 until 1872.  He next

entered the employ of Samuel Kelley and took one thousand, five hundred cattle

to Nevada for him.  Returning to Colorado in 1873, he located near Salida, and

until November, 1874, made ties under contract for the Denver & Rio Grande

Railroad.  On the completion of his contract he moved into Saguache county, and

here he has since had his home except at intervals when his duty or interest

called him elsewhere.  In 1875 and 1876 he served as deputy sheriff and town

marshal at Lake City, and also engaged in mining there.  On August 18, 1879, he

joined the police force at Leadville on which he served through the troublous

times to 1881, then left with the credit of having been the only man on the

force who was fearless in the discharge of his duty.  In this service he had a

hazardous encounter with the noted desperado, George Connors, who had the whole

town stood off until arrested by Mr. Monteith, and in effecting the arrest he

received an ugly wound in his breast.  From 1876 to 1879 he freighted out of

Colorado Springs, but since 1881 he has given his attention almost wholly to his

ranch and stock interests in Saguache county, carrying them on extensively and

vigorously, improving his property and cultivating it to the best advantage.  He

owns six hundred and forty acres of good land in three ranches three miles east

of the county seat, and it is all under cultivation, being well watered from

independent ditches, and produces enormous crops of excellent hay.  His cattle

industry is also large and profitable.  Since he came to Colorado he has not

been wholly immune from the fever universally epidemic among its people, but has

taken his turn at prospecting now and then.  He is a third-degree Mason, and a

highly respected, progressive and prominent citizen. For the office of sheriff,

to which he was elected in 1904, as noted above, he has special fitness by

nature and experience, and he discharged the duties of the position with unusual

credit and benefit to the county.  He was married on November 24, 1876, to Miss

Julinette Joy, a native of Ohio, Morgan county.  They had two children, both

deceased, Mary J. and Hattie.   

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

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