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GARFIELD
COUNTY, COGENWEB PROJECT
John Samuel Sutherland (1860-1942)
Lot 395 / Plot 2
New Castle, Garfield County Colorado
Born May, 1860 - Scotch Grove, Iowa
Died July 31, 1942 - New Castle, CO (East Elk Creek)
Wife - Laura (Stout)
Sutherland (Married Nov. 26, 1886)
Children - Linnie, Nina, Doris, Harold,
John Samuel Jr.
Parents - William W. & Mary E. Sutherland
Siblings - Mary
Ellen (Sutherland) McIntyre, James, David
John Sutherland was a well known and
respected leader in New Castle during it's early years as well as the Rifle
community. Little is known about John as a child or his family, between 1860 and
1880. The family is identified in the 1880 census living in Davis County,
Liberty Township, Kansas. John's mother, Mary, died at a young age and John's
father remarried. Family members indicate John may have left home at the age of
13 shortly after his father remarried, but he must have returned home as he is
identified in the 1880 census as living at home.
He and Laura married in
1886, their first child, Linnie was born in Junction City, Kansas in August of
1887. John and family moved to Point Arena, California, where John was employed
as a lumberman working in the Redwood forest. Their second child, Nina, was born
there in September of 1889. They moved to Colorado between 1889 and 1891 as
their son, Harold, was born in Meeker in October of 1891. There is no
information about their time in Meeker.
The family moved to Garfield County
in 1897 where they homesteaded on Grass Mesa near Rifle. During this time they
also acquired the property on East Elk Creek where the road splits with one road
leading up East Elk Creek and the other road leading to Main Elk Creek. During
the summer months the family would live on Grass Mesa, during the growing
season, to raise crops. They would live at the Elk Creek property during the
rest of the year and wife, Laura, would teach school at New Castle. In 1903 a
second son, John Samuel Jr.,was born prematurely but lived only a week. The
infant was buried on a hill overlooking the family ranch on East Elk Creek.
In addition to farming on Grass Mesa John worked as an outfitter and guide
providing fishing and hunting trips on the Flattops. John would also return,
nearly every year, to the forests of California to work the dangerous task of
tree-topping. He continued to do this into his 70's. Sadly, at the age of 82 and
in his retirement, John, who had been so active and hard working felt he had
outlived his usefulness and committed suicide by a self-inflicted gun shot.
Great appreciation to Carol Herwick Crawford McManus for the information and
wonderful photos.
John Sutherland
Circa 1900 - Posting this great photo provided by Carol
Herwick Crawford McManus. John Sutherland and his wife, Laura, homesteaded on
Grass Mesa in 1897. They worked this property until selling it in 1912 along
with raising their children here during the growing season and spending winters
at their property on East Elk Creek near New Castle.
Circa 1902 - Laura with husband John, daughters,
Linnie, Nina, Doris and son, Harold
Laura Villette Sutherland (1866-1957)
Lot 395 / Plot 3
Highland Cemetery New Castle, Garfield County Colorado
Born December 24, 1866
- Peoria, Illinois
Died November 27 - Clifton, Colorado
Husband - John S.
Sutherland (Married Nov. 25, 1886 - Junction City, Kansas)
Children -
Linnie (Sutherland) Reckzeh, Nina (Sutherland)
Llewellyn, Doris (Sutherland) Crawford-Kerlee, Harold, John Samuel Jr.
Parents - Samuel W. & Josephine Judy Stout
Born in Peoria, IL, Laura's
family moved to Nemaha County, KS by the time she was 2, they later moved to
Junction City, KS in 1876 when Laura was 10. A couple years after Laura and John
were married her parents and some of her siblings moved to New Castle, Co in
approximately 1888.
Laura and John's first child, Linnie, was born in
Junction City, KS in 1887. By 1889 they were living in Point Arena, CA, where
their 2nd child, Nina was born. Sometime during the next two years they moved to
Meeker, CO, where their son Harold was born in 1891. They stayed in the Meeker
area until 1897 when they moved to Garfield County and homesteaded on Grass
Mesa, south of Rifle, CO.
During the agricultural growing season they lived
on Grass Mesa and during the winters they would live on property they had
acquired on East Elk Creek, north of New Castle. In 1900 their 4th child, Doris,
was born at New Castle. A 5th child, John Samuel Jr., was born in 1903. Little
John was born prematurely and only lived for a week. He was buried on a hill
overlooking the Sutherland property on East Elk Creek. John and Laura sold the
Grass Mesa homestead in 1912 and lived full-time on East Elk Creek.
Laura was
a school teacher and taught school in Garfield County for 35 years. During those
years she taught at both the upper and lower schools at Parachute. She also
taught at the Peach Valley School House and the New Castle school on New
Castle's main street. After John's death in 1942, Laura continued to live at
East Elk until she reached the age that she could no longer continue to care for
the property. In approximately 1954 she moved to Grand Valley (Parachute) to be
closer to her daughter Doris. Laura spent the last part of her life living in a
rest-home in Clifton, CO, where she passed in 1957.
Thanks to Carol Herwick
Crawford McManus for the information and wonderful photos.
Laura (Stout) Sutherland prior to her marriage to John
Laura Sutherland, approximately 1902
1940's - Laura and John Sutherland at the East Elk
property
1940's - Laura and John Sutherland with their daughter
Linnie, at the East Elk property
1940's - Laura Sutherland at the East Elk property
Highland Cemetery New Castle, Garfield County, Colorado
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