John Hildreth
Contributed by Karen Mitchell and Jean Griesan. Photo by Floyd Kelling.
John Hildreth
John Hildreth, a Kentuckian by birth, spent the last 25 years of his colorful life as a Pueblo County resident.� He died of a short illness on February 18, 1894, a few days before he would have been 70 years old. Hildreth, with his father and brother, participated in the California Gold Rush in 1849.� He and his brother purchased a ranch near Fresno and entered into the cattle business.� In 1858 Hildreth returned to his old home in Missouri and married Miss Angeline Simms.� Hildreth took his bride to California where they lived for several years before going to Texas. They lived in San Antonio for a year.� They purchased 5,000 head of cattle and started for California in 1869.� The party came through Pueblo and at Canon City one of the children became seriously ill. The Hildreths returned to Pueblo where they remained.� Hildreth operated a horse ranch on Turkey Creek.� A traveler noted that Hildreth lived in a log house worth $31 and carried a $500 gold watch. Hildreth sold the ranch and went to California in 1876.� His family had given him up for dead when he returned a year later with a herd of 2,000 broncos. This venture didn't turn out well.� In 1881 Hildreth was appointed to the Pueblo Police Department where he was employed as a policeman or jailer until his death. Hildreth spoke the Mexican language and was conversant in several Indian dialects.� He was the father of eight children.� Reportedly, on one of his early jaunts to California he traded a knife for a small Digger Indian boy.� The child grew to manhood and remained under Hildreth's care until he died in 1890.
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