The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1915-11-25

Mr.. Rockafellow
Buffalo on Kansas Plains.
On December 2.. 1866. thre cor four
months after coming here, Capt.
Rockafellow left Canon City for
visit to his old home in Michigan,
where he was married April 30th of
the following year to Miss Katherine
NJ. King. The trip east was made by
wagon to Junction City, Kansas,
which was then the western terminus
of the Western Pacific railroad. On
the way to Junction City, which was
cold. toilsome journey. Capt.
Rockafellow and party saw immense
herds of buffalo and killed several OF
the huge animals for meat.
Immediately after their wedding
Capt. and Mrs. Rockafellow started
for Colorado. making the trip by rail
as far west as North Platte. Neb.,
thence to Denver by stage and from
Denve rto Canon City wit ha freighter.
Capt Rockafellow was postmaster
here from 1869 TO 1879. having re-
lceived his commission from General
Grant, who wa sthen president OF the
United States. During all of the
time OF Capt Rockafellow's admins
tration of its affairs of the postoffice
was kept in the building at 223 Main
street. There was but little postof-
fee business here during the first few
years of his term, but with the rise
OF Leadvilie. Silver Cliff. Querida. Sill
verton and other towns in the San
Juan valley to prominence as mining
camps, all of the mail for which came
10 Canon City, It grew by leaps and
bounds.
Uncle Sam Still Debtor.
In fact It became SO big as 20 be-
come burdensome. There was no con
gressional appropriation available TO
meet the additional expense connected
with the running OF the postoffice here
and Capt. Rockafeliow was compelled
TO pay out every year a sum largely
In excess OF his salary for clerk hire.
The amount due Capt. Rockafellow
from the government on expense ac-
count soon grew to quite large sum
and a part OF the Indebtedness is
still unpaid.
Congressman Hosea Townsend, fif.
teen years after Capt. Rockafeilow's
resignation of his commission as post
master. got special appropriation OF
$500 from the government to reim-
burse Capt. Rockafellow for his ex-
penditures while in office. a part of
the debt. however. was never liqui.
dated.
Big Drum Used for Mail.
master big wheel. or drum. was used
for displaying the mail and 1t was
placed in the window next to the
street where everybody could see IT,
When the mail came in from Pueblo.
which was the primary destination for
all of the postal matter for southern
western and central Colorado at that
time. it was put into specially con-
oNf attIa PAOlitlAy AttlCINu uuu
numbered on the drum, which was
made to revolye on its axis by a me
chanical process so that people out.
side OF the building could see whether
there were any letters or parcels for
them without making personal in.
quiry.
Mail Received semi-Weskiy.
This drum was operated for many
years and was one OF the distinctive
features OF the Canon City postoffce.
Mail was brought here at first semi.
weekly and then tri-weekiy service
was established.
II was carried for long time on
horseback. but later a blackboard was
used az a conveyance and continued
in use until the coming OF the railroad.
John Werkheiser, at present cashier
OF the Thatcher bank ut Silverton,
was for many years a clerk in the
Dostoffice unier Capt. Rockafellos.
Another OF his assistants was Hiss
Luna Bierce, now living in Denveh,
but for the last fifteen years or more
employed in aconfidential capacity by
a bank at Sioux City. Iowa. Capt.
Rcckafellow's predecessor as postmas-
ter was Samuel Cox and A. d. Cooper,
fatner of Judge Jas. L. Cooper of the
COUNT court. his successor.
RocksfeIiow Pioneer orehardist.
Next to Uncle Jesse Frazier OF Flor.
eaco who set out the lrst fruit trees
1 nthe upper Arkansas valley, Capt.
Rookafellow was the pioneer orchard.
tat Of Fremont couptv No h.. ho..,