Laramie County WY Archives Biographies.....Atchison, William 1850 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 July 21, 2008, 10:56 pm

Author: Bowen & Co. (1903)

WILLIAM ATCHISON.

   One of the best ranches in Laramie county, Wyoming, is that belonging to
William Atchison and situated on the Laramie River eleven miles west of the
Fort, where he has been living since 1898. He was born in Williamstown, Indiana,
on February 21, 1850, a son of Walter and Margaret (Craigmyle) Atchison, natives
of Kentucky. The Atchison family is an ancient English one, representatives of
which came to America in early Colonial days, the descendants later making their
home in Ohio, whence they scattered to various parts of the country— Atchison,
Kansas, receiving its name from David Atchison, a relative of William. The
Craigmyle family is of Irish extraction, and the immediate maternal ancestors of
William Atchison were also early settlers in America. Walter Atchison, father of
 William, was a merchant in Zionsville, Boone county, Ind., where he was quite
prominent and lived until 1868, when he went to Minnesota and shortly afterwards
to Iowa, where he settled on a farm six miles from Des Moines, where he followed
agricultural pursuits until his lamented death in August, 1881, his remains
being interred in Polk county. His widow still resides in Des Moines and makes
her home with a daughter. William Atchison received his education in Indiana and
at the age of seventeen years went to Minneapolis, Minn., and there worked at
the carpenter's trade for two years, becoming an expert in this handicraft. In
the fall of 1868 he went with his father to Iowa and assisted him on the farm
until the latter's death in 1881. In December, 1881, he came west with his wife
and took up his residence in Colorado to recuperate his health, which had become
impaired. Here he purchased a ranch about five miles from Fort Collins and
embarked in the cattle business in combination with farming, in which he
continued until March, 1887, when he sold out and came to Wyoming, and here was
employed on the T V ranch with the people on Chugwater until 1898, in the fall
of which year he purchased his present ranch, where he has since been most
successfully engaged in cattle raising. This ranch is one of the best managed in
the county and his dwelling of the most modern construction. William Atchison
was united in marriage at Des Moines, Iowa, on September 15, 1875, with Miss
Esther E. Kitchel, a native of Indiana, and the accomplished daughter of John
and Esther (Peck) Kitchel, natives of New Jersey and New York. Mr. Kitchel, a
farmer in Indiana, removed to Iowa, becoming a pioneer of Warren county, and was
there engaged in farming until his death on March 3, 1860, his remains being
interred in Warren county. His widow, now eighty-eight years of age, lives with
a daughter in Page county, Iowa. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Atchison has been
blessed with three children, Nellie L., now Mrs. Roach; Clara M., now Mrs.
Clouser, and Walter K. The family worship at the Methodist church and are
classed with the best people of Laramie county and of the state, being foremost
in moral and religious work. As a citizen, Mr. Atchison is recognized as a
Republican and a most useful citizen, inasmuch as he is ever among the foremost
to contribute toward public improvements and to advocate their introduction when
their necessity becomes apparent. Recognition of the ability of Mrs. Atchison to
successfully administer public affairs has been made by the United States
government in her appointment as postmaster of Grey Rocks postoffice, the duties
of this office being discharged with great acceptability and the satisfaction of
the postoffice department and the patrons of the office, with whom she is
distinctively popular.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF THE STATE OF WYOMING

ILLUSTRATED

A people who take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors, will
never achieve anything worthy to he remembered with pride by remote
generations.—.MACAULAY.

CHICAGO, ILL.
A. W. BOWEN &CO.
PUBLISHERS AND ENGRAVERS
1903


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