Pueblo County, Colorado
Autobees, Charles (1812 – 1882)

Contributed by Jean Griesan.

A fur trapper and mountain man, Charles Autobees fought under Ceran St. Vrain during the Mexican uprising of 1847. In 1853 Autobees started a small settlement at the confluence of the Arkansas and Huerfano Rivers, just east of present day Pueblo. There, he and his wife Sycamore, built a trading post. Guests included Kit Carson, John C. Freemont, and Autobees’ famous step-brother, Tom Tobin.

Autobees fought and eventually made peace with the Indians of the area. He is largely responsible for the agricultural development of southern Colorado.

He died in 1882 and was buried in the St. Vrain Cemetery, later washed away by floods. There is a monument at the north end of the cemetery, although his actual burial site is unknown. Several descendants are also buried there.

From "From the Grave, A Roadside Guide to Colorado's Pioneer Cemeteries," by Linda Wommack, published by Caxton Press, Caldwell, Idaho in 1998



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