Weld County, History of Colorado, BIOS: IRONS, Henry August (published 1918) *********************************************************************** 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. *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00015.html#0003643 September 18, 1999 *********************************************************************** "History of Colorado", edited by Wilbur Fisk Stone, published by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. (1918) Vol. II P 223-224 HENRY AUGUST IRONS. With many phases of the pioneer development of Weld county the name of Henry August Irons is closely associated and the story of his life if told in detail would present a very Interesting picture of pioneer experiences when this section of the country was the wild western frontier. Mr. Irons was born at Gloucester, Rhode Island, June 14, 1850, and traces his ancestry back to some of the oldest and most prominent colonial families. Matthew Irons, who came originally from Scotland, settled at Boston in 1630. Another ancestor was Roger Williams, who came from London, although originally from Wales, and who arrived in Boston in 1631, while in 1636 he founded Providence, Rhode Island. Another ancestor was Joshua Windsor, who settled at Providence about 1638, and still another was Resolve Waterman Belcher, who located there as early as 1660, while the Whipple family was represented as early as 1700. Matthew Irons married Annie Brown, of Boston, and died in 1661. Their son, Samuel Irons, was baptized November 25, 1650, and died September 25, 1691. On the 13th of September, 1677, he married Sarah Belcher and they were the parents of Samuel Irons, who was born March 17, 1680, and died December 30. 1720. His wife was Sarah Whipple, of Braintree, Massachusetts. whom he wedded May 3, 1709. They became parents of Samuel Irons III, who was born October 10, 1718, and died November 27, 1793. His wife was Hannah Waterman, a granddaughter of Roger Williams, through the first marriage of Marcy or Mercy Williams, the youngest daughter of Roger Williams, to Resolve Waterman. Their son, Samuel Irons IV, was therefore a great-grandson of Roger Williams. He was born February 16, 1757, and died November 21, 1815. He married Huldah Colwell, who was a great-great-granddaughter of Roger Williams through the second marriage of his youngest daughter, Marcy, to Joshua Windsor. Samuel Irons and Huldah Colwell were own cousins. Their son, James Irons, was born July 16. 1793, and died in 1877. He married Huldah Steer and they were the grandparents of Mr. Irons of this review. Their family numbered six children: Will Henry, who was born in 1825 and died December 31, 1889; Salem. who was born in 1826 and became the father of Henry August Irons; Sarah, who died in 1910; John; Leander, who died October 24. 1906; and James. Of this family Salem Irons married Harriet Yeaw and they had a son, Henry August Irons of this review. The father died June 14, 1904. The name Irons probably comes from the French de Arns and it is probable that religious persecution drove representatives of that name as French refugees to Scotland, for practically all of the name of Irons came from Scotland, although there is little of the characteristic Scotch in their appearance, while many traces of French features and complexion are to be found among them. Roger Williams was undoubtedly a native of Wales, although he early became a resident of England. With the exception of French and Welsh traits the ancestors have on the whole been of English blood and descent. In the fall of 1852 Salem Irons removed with his family to Chicago, Illinois, which at that time contained a population of forty- five thousand. Later he established his home at Wheaton and there assisted in building the Wheaton Seminary. In 1854 he removed to Morris, Illinois, and Mr. Irons of this review accompanied him and there resided until 1873, when he became a resident of Denver. After a few weeks, however, he removed to Greeley, where he remained for about eleven months, after which he returned to Illinois. Two years later, however, he again came to Greeley, where he has since made his home. When eleven years of age he began attending the rural schools near Morris, Illinois, and was reared amid pioneer conditions and can remember seeing deer going about in flocks of fifty or seventy-five. His educational opportunities were limited to three months' attendances at school in the winter seasons and between the ages of twelve and twenty-one years he worked upon the home farm seven miles south of Morris, Illinois. After reaching the age of fourteen he had charge of the farm, for his father was away much of the time operating a threshing machine through the country and Henry A. Irons had the management of the home place and much hard labor fell to him in consequence thereof. He worked with his father until he reached the age of twenty-three years and then began farming on his own account and also took up carpentering and bridge building near Morris. On coming to Colorado in 1873 he purchased a homestead below Hardin but afterward sold that property and returned to Illinois in the spring of 1874. He then worked in the hardware business for an uncle and afterward did contract work on bridges. He remained through the winter but in 1875 returned to Greeley and began riding the range. He also cooked on the roundup and in the fall he bought a little bunch of cattle, with a partner. They conducted their interests together until 1878, when Mr. Irons left the cattle with his partner and began farming a tract of land north of Greeley. In the spring of 1879 he walked to Leadville from Colorado Springs, a distance of one hundred and forty miles, a man of the name of Kempton carrying their bags and blankets. Mr. Irons saw Leadville grow from a town of twenty-four hundred to twenty thousand that fall. He worked on getting out timbers for the Evening Star mine of Leadville, after which he returned to Greeley for the winter. He then again went to Leadville in the spring and prospected on Brush creek, a tributary of the Grand. Miners had previously been in the country, for there were still evidences of old sluice boxes that were put there in 1859. Returning to Greeley, Mr. Irons purchased land east of the city, becoming owner of one hundred and sixty acres, which is still in his possession. He acquired that property in the spring of 1882 and resided thereon until 1893, when he was elected county commissioner and rented the farm, which he has since leased. Through the intervening period, covering twenty-five years, there have only been four renters upon it and he has always had a verbal contract with them, a fact indicative of the straightforward business methods which Mr. Irons has always pursued. In the fall of 1881 Mr. Irons was married in Morris, Illinois, to Miss May Keith, whose father was a farmer and a soldier of the Civil war, living at that time in northeastern Iowa. She saw the burning buildings to which the Sioux Indians had set fire at the time of the Sioux massacre in 1863. Mrs. Irons was engaged in the millinery business in Morris, Illinois, prior to her marriage. She died in October, 1912, and her remains were interred at Morris, Illinois, she being then fifty-three years of age. They had a daughter, Blanche, who became the wife of J. O. Custer, a distant relative of General Custer, and now engaged in banking with the First National Bank of Greeley. Mr. Irons joined the Masonic lodge at Gardner, Illinois, at the same time at which his father became a representative of the craft. He was then twenty-one years of age and he afterward became a member of the chapter. His political allegiance is given to the republican party. For three years he has been a director and vice president of the Farmers Mercantile Company, and this, with his other interests, claims his time and attention. His daughter, Mrs. Custer, is quite active in Red Cross work. Mr. Irons has for a quarter of a century, or since 1893, been a member of the Greeley Club. He has always taken an active part in interests for the public good and his work has been of signal benefit along many lines.