Flora Maxfield

The book “Rifle Shots,” by the Rifle Reading Club, has this excerpt written by Maxfield’s wife, Flora: “About the 27th day of July, 1882, Abram W. Maxfield and Charles Marshall left the mining camp on Battle Mountain in Eagle County, Colorado, riding two horses and leading two extra horses, packed with bedding, compass, axes and provisions. They wended their way over hill and dale, through gorge and stream, down into the valley of the Grand River. Fifteen or 20 miles a day was good traveling. However, on the first night of August, they camped with George Ferguson on his ranch, now known as Silt.

The morning of the second day of August, the two men saddled their horses and headed westward, keeping close to the river and down the valley. About noon, they reached the Rifle valley and after looking over the position, Mr. Maxfield concluded to drive his location stakes.Mr. Marshall, however, remonstrated gently, saying, “Maxfield, you are surely not going to stop here. I’m sure there must be something better further down. Come on with me to Roan Creek.”

“No,” replied Mr. Maxfield. “This is good enough for me. I see where I can get water out of Rifle Creek, and have it right on the ranch. No sir, I’ll stop right now and here I’ll raise my Ebenezer.”

And forthwith he began to drive his location stakes into the soil that is now covered by the busy town of Rifle.

The next day, Mr. Maxfield turned his face homeward toward Battle Mountain. A few weeks later, he returned to the Rifle valley, bringing his son, Clinton, with him. Together they got out a set of house logs and built the first log cabin in Rifle. Two years later, they built an adobe addition. By the time the cabin was built, the snow was getting deep on the mountain ranges and they concluded to return to their mountain home.

The following July, Mr. Maxfield moved his family down the valley and camped in Glenwood Springs for two months. There being no highways except Indian trails over mountains and through valleys, it was with considerable difficulty that he got his family moved. At one point on the route, he had to take his wagon to piece and pack it over the top of the mountain and put it together where he could hitch his horses to it. It was the first wagon to come west of Glenwood Springs.

Thus, obstacle after obstacle was met with and overcome, and finally the family and household goods were deposited in the little log cabin with a joy and satisfaction that only a pioneer can know.

Flora and Abram Maxfield were married in 1880 and had 9 children together. They moved to their Rifle homestead in late September 1883 and their 3rd child, Roy aka Bud was born 10 days after arrival. Their 1st child Rolf aka Ralph was born Nov 19, 1880, passed away at 14 months old Feb 3, 1882, and is buried in Rifle. Their 2nd child Clara Louise was born 20 June 1882 and would have been just 15 months old when they came to Rifle. She lived 21 years and is also buried in Rifle.

There were step children as well. Abram had at least 4 from a previous marriage, Clinton is in the literature as accompanying the family, he would have been 16. He and a sister Effie are also buried in Rifle, she would have been 11 when the family arrived, I find no other mention. Sister Mary would have been 13, and bother Richard 10, but there is no mention of them ever being in Rifle. Edit. Found an obituary for Mary Maxfield, born 1870 who was a stepdaughter and who did move to Rifle with them. See it attached here. And BTW Maryhad 14 children thoogh 3 died at childbirth.

More children came rapidly. An unamed child was born and then buried in Rosehill in 1885. Son Merrit was born in 1887, then another son Leslie in 1888. Leslie passed away at age 5.and is also at Rosehill.

Daughter Gail was born in 1889, then two more sons, Janius in 1893 and Bennett in 1896.

Flora's husband Abram passed away June 28, 1897 and so she had no more children. When Abram died, Flora had six living children, ages 1, 3, 6, 12, 13, and 14. And her son Leslie had died two months before his dad.

So Flora must have been a very busy lady. She had moved into a new brick home at 5th and Railroad sometime in 1892 or 1893. And in 1893, Flora had been elected President of the school board serving a 3 year term. She was also a notary public. And was running what amounted to be the Maxfield real estate company. Another source says her and son Roy aka Bud were running the stockyards. Have read she was a Republican political organizer as well.

The 1900 census lists Flora in Rifle with the youngest five children. Then, she left Rifle. She is listed in the 1910 census as living in Salt Lake City, and had a home with a mortgage. They collect the strangest information on the census. She had a new name, had remarried to become Mrs.Alvin Phillips, but he had also died so she was now twice a widow. Her two youngest sons were living with her, that is Janius who was 16, and Bennett who was 14. Janius is listed as a foundry worker I think.

And then June 13, 1917, Flora passed away from a sudden internal hemorrhage, it says on her death certificate.

She was 63 years old, and her youngest was 21 years old. She and Abram and four of their children are buried at Rosehill. Another is at Rosebud in Glenwood. The others are at Pueblo, Oregon, Michigan, and Idaho. Two from Abram's first family are also at Rosehill. And a grandson and two daughter in laws are there.