Weld County, History of Colorado, BIOS: DARNELL, William O. (published 1918)
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"History of Colorado", edited by Wilbur Fisk Stone, published by The S. J. 
Clarke Publishing Co. (1918)  Vol. II

p. 142-143


WILLIAM O. DARNELL.

	William O. Darnell is proprietor of a meat market in Windsor, 
Weld county, in which connection he has built up a substantial 
business. He was born near Des Moines, Iowa, April 6, 1866, and is a 
son of Thomas Darnell, who was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1829. 
The father was a farmer by occupation. On coming to Colorado in 1882 he 
settled at Fort Collins and in 1901 removed to Windsor. The latter's 
grandfather was a native of France, from which country he was driven at 
the time of stress and persecution during the last half of the 
eighteenth century. He crossed the Atlantic, becoming a resident of 
South Carolina about 1800, and later went to Indianapolis and was 
instrumental in freeing a number of slaves whom he had brought from the 
south. The great-grandmother of William O. Darnell on the maternal side 
was born in Germany and came to the United States in early life, 
settling in Ohio, near Columbus. Later representatives of the family 
removed to Illinois and subsequently to Iowa. The family was 
represented in the Black Hawk war. In the year 1861 Thomas Darnell and 
his family removed to Iowa. establishing their home near Des Moines, 
and it was in that locality that William O. Darnell was born five years 
later. He acquired his early education in the public schools of Des 
Moines and was graduated therefrom at the age of nineteen years. After 
leaving school he carried on farming for a few years on his father's 
land and then purchased a farm, of which he became owner about 1891. 
This comprised one hundred and sixty acres of land in Larimer county, 
Colorado, upon which he engaged in feeding stock. He afterward sold 
that property to the Fossil Creek Reservoir Company in 1901 and it was 
made the site of a large reservoir. Later he removed to Windsor, 
purchasing a tract of land a half mile west of the town. This he 
occupied until 1907, when he sold the property and purchased his 
present meat market, since which time he has conducted a successful and 
growing business.

	In Iowa, in 1887, William O. Darnell was united in marriage to 
Miss Ella E. Williams, a daughter of John and Kathryn Williams, the 
former a farmer who died many years ago. Mrs. Williams is still living 
in Fort Collins and is now eighty-four years of age. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Darnell have been born two sons. Otis L., born in 1888, became a 
mechanical engineer and was employed by the Great Western Sugar Company 
at Windsor, where he met with an accident in 1915, losing his right 
arm. He is now associated with his father in business. He was married 
in March, 1917, to Evangeline Roberts. Lawrence Charles Darnell, the 
second son, was born in 1907 and is attending the public schools.

	In politics Mr. Darnell is a stalwart republican but not an 
office seeker. He belongs to the Methodist church and also has 
membership in the. Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a 
conservative and dependable business man, pleasant in manner, kindly in 
disposition and thoroughly reliable in all of his transactions. He has 
never sought to figure prominently in any public connection, preferring 
to devote his leisure hours to the enjoyment of the society of his 
family at his own fireside.