The Greeley tribune., 1908-12-02
GREELEY PIONEER
DIES ON SATURDAY
CAPTAIN DAVID BOYD Is DEAD
Succuml,s After Long Illness in Boul'
der Sanitarium.

Captain David Boyd. we'll known
Greeley pioneer, died in the Place
sanitarium in Boulder, Saturday af
ternoon, November %, 1908.
/ The funeral was held from the
family residence at 1880 m, Tues
day, December l.
He is survived by wife and two
daughters, Psyche and Sela, sister
Mrs. William Hastings OF Albion,
Mich, and two brothers, John Boyd
o. Tecumseh, Mich. and William
Boyd of Albion, Mich.
David Boyd was born in Antrim
county, Ireland, May 80, 1888, OF
Scotch-Irish parents. and emigrated
with the family to the United States
in 1851. He entered Ann Arbor uni
versity, the classical course, taking
one of the two scholarships then
awarded the best prepared students
entering for that course But before
it was we'll entered upon. the din of
battle sounded over the land, arous-
ing the ardent and patriotic young
men. who were everywhere leaving
college halls for the scene of action.
He entered the 18th Michigan in
fantry July 8, 1862, remaining with
it some months. when he sought and
obtained a captaincy in the 4Oth U.
S. colored troops. He was mustered
out of service April 25. 1866. and at
once returned to his studies at Ann
Arbor. He graduated with the class
of that year.
/ On October 16, 1866. he was mar
ried to Miss Sarah Motheral OF New
| Brighton, Pa He bought . farm in
I.enawee county, Michigan. and cul'
tivated it until the spring of 1870
when he sold out and Joined the Tn.
/ ion Colony OF Colorado. A year later
he was elected one Of the Colony
trustees, which position he retained
some ten years. and then was elect
ed succeed Mr. N. c. Meeker as 1T
second president. He served 81,
years very. effectively as a membe
of the state board Of agriculture, ant
was its president four years.
The teachers Of the state, In l 49,
elected him president of the Stat
Teachers association, as a compli
ment to the deep interest he has al
ways manifested in the cause of ed
ucation Prior to this he had bee
president Of the Greeley school boar
and superintendent OF schools O
Weld county.
In the winter of 1SS9.l900 h
wrote and published book of abou
$50 pages, Boyds History of Creole
and Union Colony. giving ful
and complete account of the in
ception and progress Of tn
great enterprise. at once the mot
remarkable and successful colonies
tion project ever achieved in tn
west. Thoroughly familiar with a
its phases. internal and external,
wrote from intimate knowledge an
also with great intellectual force an
manifestly without artificial colorinl
He also wrote many articles O
irrigation, some OF which are foun
in government reports. He ais
possessed considerable poetical abb
ity. Two of his poems are found
the volume Evenings with Colorad
: Poets. His biography is anon
, those contained in Halls history
Colorado for which he wrote a chay
ter on Union Colony.
He was member of the state sci
ate In 1892 and 1894. serving wit
marked ability.
In recent years he spent muc
time in travelling and had investe
in property in Michigan whic
claimed most of his attention lat
ly. He returned to Greeley in Jul
seemingly in good health. but W;
taken seriously i'll after a sho
time with what proved to be a
internal abcess. On September
he went to the Place sanitariur
For some time he improved after 8
operation, but WITHIN the past fe
days serious trouble develope
which proved to be another absces
beyond the reach of the surgeons. +
died suddenly on November 2s.