The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1910-12-02
The HISTORY OF
AN AGED PIONEER
FAMOUS COLORADO PIONEER
DECIDES TO LOCATE IN
CALDWELL PERMANENTLY.

Great Man and Famous Pioneer In
The West.
Saturdays Statesman contained al
interesting sketch of the life and
work. of Henry T. West, who recently
moved to Caldwell, as follows;
In Henry T. West of Greeley, Colo.
vho arrived in Caldwell couple O.
laws ago. Idaho has taken from thu
Centennial state one of her most ia
nous characters and man who ha
probably played a greater part in the
lpbuilding of northern Colorado thar
nv other now living.
Mr.. West, who is approaching the
,pe of 81, is now making his home
With his son-in-law, A. E. Gipson, o.
Caldwell having left Greeley after =
ears continuous residence IN ina
;tv and who, with N. c. Meeker an
General Robert Cameron, was dc
allied on the locating committee
Union colony by Horace Greeley, VINO
Trough his paper, the New YORK
tribune. aided the efforts of the col
nv which adopted Greeley's name.
Mr.. Vests departure from Greeley
as made necessary by the leaving o.
lis son George and family for the Pa
.ifc coast. Mr.. West and his agG6
life. who shared the trials of the pic
,eer life with her husband. were with
out other kin in Greeley and hence
anne on to Idaho.
Helped Build First Ditch.
Upland irrigation in northern Colo
ado. now recognized as the garden
spot of the state, was brought about
largely through the efforts OF Mr.
West, who aided in the construction
9f.the first irrigation ditch which con
-erted a desert land into rich agri-
cultural district.
Mr.. West was the central figure in
one of the largest celebrations which
northern Colorado has seen, but few
months ago, when Greeley celebrated
her 4Oth anniversary and Mr.. West, "a
he sole surviving member of the To-
eating committee, was the honored
parsonage of the day.
Land which Mr.. West and his com
panions first cultivated about Greeley
and to which they were instrumental
n bringing the first water is roughly
timated to be worth $20,000,0O0, while
40 years ago it afforded but poor graz
ing for wild game.
The history of Colorado particularly
those chapters in which Mr.. Yves
figured, is among the most interest
ing of the entire state The Location
of Union colony was primarily
scheme of N. c. Meeker, who, accord
ing to his own statement. would ban
together with other men for the pur
pose of founding colony, whic
should be devoted to the interests G
good society,"
The New York Tribune, of whic
Meeker was at that time agricultur;
editor, took up the matter, and Hol
ace Greeley himself gave it impetu
with his various editorials, wherei
the predominant note was, GO ives
Young man, go west"
Chose Greeley Townsite.
Meeker, Cameron, and West wei
: appointed the committee to pick OF
the site for the new colony which W;
dedicated to such a lofty ideal, ar
, they chose the spot where the town I
Greeley now stands, early in 1870.
Not long afterward N. c. Meek
was killed while trying to propaga
his teachings among the Utes, Il
place of the massacre being known
I Meeker.
5 Meeker's wife and daughter WEI
d taken into captivity, and were only r
! leased through the efforts of II
chief, Ouray.
The burden of the work of the &C
ony fell on the shoulders of West al
/, Cameron. West himself establisht
the first bank in Greeley.
His home, in which he lived at II
, time of leaving Greeley, was one
the first to be built, and with Il
passing of the pioneer himself, W
torn down.
, Last week the people of Greel'
= presented Mr. West with fitting toxic
of their esteem, and when he resign,
from the Office of president of Il
Union colony pioneers, which he hi
!, held for the past score of years, mai
- were the tributes sent to him by Il
= old-timers who are still left fro
= those who followed close upon t
= footsteps of the locating committee
= Union colony.
:, At meeting of the Caldwell Coz