Hurlbert Family

Back row: Winifred Silvery Hurlburt Christensen, My grandma Minnie Hester Hurlburt Clarke, cousin Lizzie Burnside (I think), Jesse Evelyn(?) Hurlburt Middle row: Alli Hurlburt- wife of Fred Fisher Hurlburt , Daisy June Hurlburt Green, Martha “ Mae” Hurlburt Burnside. Front: My Great Grandparents Martha Ann Rock and John Breeden Hurlburt.

JOHN B. HURLBURT
A pioneer in raising sheep and cattle in Garfield County, the first man in his neighborhood to plant and cultivate fruit trees, one of the founders of the Christian church at Parachute, and a leading man in the public life of this portion of the state, John B. Hurlburt of Parachute has lived to good purpose in his community, and rendered signal and appreciated service to its people. He was born on October 4, 1839, in Scott County, Iowa, and is the third of seven children of his parents, Isaiah and Rebecca (Breeden) Hurlburt. His father’s parents were citizens of the United States, but he was born in Canada. His youth and early manhood were passed on the Great Lakes where for six years he was captain on a steamboat. He afterward lived in Michigan, Iowa and Missouri, and in 1854 moved his family to California where he was engaged in farming until his death in 1891, when he was eighty-two years old.
Mr. Hurlburt’s grandfather, John Hurlburt, a native of Connecticut, was a soldier in the Revolution, and lost his brother Consider in one of the decisive battles of that war. The mother of Mr. Hurlburt was a native of Kentucky and died in 1846. Her son, John B., passed his boyhood in Iowa and California, and at the age of sixteen began to make his own way in the world by mining in Placer County, California. In 1859 he moved to Oregon, where he was employed for a short time splitting rails. He then returned to California and, locating in Butte County, gave his attention to farming until 1869, and from then until 1882 lived in Lawson County, that state.
In 1882 he came overland to Parachute, Garfield County, this state, and during the first two years of his residence here he was occupied in raising sheep, but was obliged to abandon that enterprise because of the shameful killing of all of the sheep in the neighborhood by cowboys. In 1894 he turned his attention to dealing in real estate, and since then he has been actively prosecuting and building up his business in this line. He has been devoted to the development of his section and the promotion of all its interests, helping to organize the Christian church at Parachute, starting the planting of orchards in this vicinity, serving two years as president of the Farmers’ Club, which embraces Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin counties in its membership and operations, and in many other ways aiding in pushing forward the general welfare.
He has given special attention to school matters, serving as secretary of the local board and bringing to the management of educational matters in his district a breadth of view and enterprising spirit which have been of great benefit to the cause in which they have been employed. In 1871 he was married to Miss Martha A. Rock, and they have twelve children: Francis E., Luther L., Mark P., Minnie L., Rebecca L., Alice (deceased), Martha M., Lottie B., Jessie, Frederick, Winifred S. and Daisy J.
(Source: “Progressive Men of Western Colorado”, Publ. 1905. Tr. by Kim Mohler)

The Avalanche - Echo, Volume VII, Number 43, September 21, 1894
THE STRAIGHT OF IT.
PARACHUTE, Sept. 10, 1894.
Editor Avalanche – On Monday, Sept. 10, all the sheep herders were off the Mesa, except two. As the sun was glistening o’er the mountain peaks, a band of mounted men, closely masked, made their appearance upon the scene of the outrage committed against Hurlburt and Miller. One man was out herding the sheep. Two of the intruders rode up and ordered him to be quick, and he replied that he would not run. When they arrived at camp this man was blind-folded and ordered to walk with them; he replied that he could not see to walk. He was then put on a horse and taken to where the sheep were slaughtered. This party says he could hear the sheep falling over the cliff where they were thrown by the outlaws.
After they had completed this job of butchering, they took the herder to the Brown camp. A posse of men went ahead, and on arriving at the camp commenced shooting in the tent door. The first shot was without effect. The second, however, struck Carl Brown, inflicting a flesh wound in the back. After being shot he came out with hands up, whereupon some of the parties present dressed the wound in a professional manner, and informed Brown he need not be alarmed as it was a doctor who was attending to his injuries.
After doing all necessary for the wounded, they left him in charge of the Starkey, Hurlburt and Miller sheep men to care for him, telling them not to come outside the tent.
The masked men drove Mr. Brown's sheep into a corral and there killed them with hand-spikes and knives. The number killed in this place was 2,100 head. The men then left the mesa on the Roan Creek side. There were fully one hundred of them.
Mr. Starkey came to the mesa to give the alarm. Five men were detailed to bring the wounded man down to Parachute, where they arrived Monday night, and he was left at the Dymond ranch.
My dear readers, there must be something done, and that soon. It will not do to allow such outlaws to continue. The number of sheep killed at this time was 3,923 head.
Which has the most right to the mesa, the cattle or sheep men?
Every one knows that Mr. Hurlburt had sheep on the mesa previous to any other stock outfit.
Very respectfully,
M.H.S.

The First Lady of Grand Valley, Martha Rock Hurlburt
Mattie's Story
Martha Ann Rock was born on September 1, 1852. As a young girl of ten, she crossed the country on the Old Immigrant Trail with her family from Iowa to California.
J.B. Hurlburt had come from Iowa to the same area of California five years prior. The two met, and were married on July 11, 1871. J.B. called Martha "Mattie" and the nickname stuck with her from that time forward .J.B. was 32 years old and Mattie was 19 years old at this time.
Eleven years later J.B. and Mattie had five children...Frances, Luther, Mark, Minnie and Rebecca. J.B. decided it was time to strike out on their own to homestead in a new area, the prospective states were Arizona, New Mexico or Colorado.
J.B. and his friend Doby Evans arrived in Meeker, Co. in October, 1882. J.B. was driving a small herd of sheep and sought directions to Arizona or New Mexico from a group of Ute Indians. The Ute's suggested that they winter the sheep at "The Grand", as the weather would be milder there. (In those days the Colorado River was know as "The Grand"). He and his friend Doby spent the winter in a grove of cottonwood trees which was later to become the Hurlburt domain at the edge of Parachute, on Parachute Creek.
In the spring he went back to get his family.
A journey with 5 children, even today, is quite a chore....can you imagine doing this same trip in 1883? The family traveled by train from California to Rawlins, Wyoming, and then by wagon South, to Parachute, Co.
In 1884, J.B. built 2 cabins, each 16x20'. It was this year that the sixth child was born, and her name was Martha Mae.
The next year, 1885, Parachute received it's first Post Office. J.B. was assigned the position of Post Master with Mattie as his assistant. With J.B. herding sheep, guess who sorted the mail, fed the mailmen and took care of the children? Later, when the stagecoach came, she fed the stage driver and the passengers as well.
Around 1910, Mattie used her homestead rights and chose land in the Cottonwood Creek area, five miles North of Parachute. A homestead consisted of 10-12 acres and all grazing areas behind it. Mattie's new house was large and the ranch was a place of pride.
As the town grew, so did the Hurlburt family. More children were born to J.B. and Mattie...Lottie Bell, Fred Fisher, Jessie Evelyn, Winifred Silvia and Daisy June.
In the flu epidemic of 1919, Mattie lost her daughter Lottie, Lottie's baby and her husband as well. They left a daughter Daisy, age 5, and a son Oscar, age 3. Mattie took these children into the fold and raised them as her own as well, she loved them dearly...and Mattie was 60 years old at this time.
Mattie lived to be 88 years old, the year she died was 1940. Imagine if you will the changes that this woman witnessed and was a part of, from being the only white woman in Parachute to living through two World Wars and seeing new inventions and modern conveniences come about that many of us take for granted. The cabin built in 1884 still stands on the old home place, a tribute to a remarkable woman. We are proud to be able to have named our store for this woman of character.
Excerpts from this post were obtained from a paper found in the Societies archives. There is no Author name, but based on the paper saying "We are proud to be able to have named our store for this woman of character, we believe it is tied to Mattie's Mercantile, an antique shop located in downtown Parachute in the mid 1990's.
We would love the communities input on who wrote Mattie's Story.
Photos courtesy the Carol Herwick McManus Collection

        

 

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