Pueblo County, Colorado
Joseph B. Wight

Contributed by Jean Griesan.

Wight, Joseph B. (arrived in Colorado in 1859)

Joseph B. Wight was born in Andover, Ashtabula County, Ohio, September 17, 1832, where he remained until 23 years of age. He received a common school education and attended the Kingsville Academy three or four terms. After teaching school for a time, he moved to Lawrence, Kansas, and from there to St. Louis, Missouri, where he was employed in finishing cars at the car works. He then worked at the carpenter trade for 3 years in Wisconsin.

In 1859 he taught school in Minnesota. He then came to Colorado in 1859 and spent 3 years merchandising and working at his trade in South Park. The next 3 years following were passed in Fontaine qui Bouille,* keeping stage station and post office. Here he lost the most of his property by the flood of 1864.

He then moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, and, in company with his brother, conducted a freight line between Salt Lake and Virginia City, M. T. [Montana?], transferring passengers and fruits. In 1867 he returned to Colorado and worked at his trade in Denver until 1872. He then moved to the farm on the South Golden Road, about 4 miles from Denver, where he is engaged in the dairy business.

He married July 4, 1859, Samantha Robinson.

*Noel and others, 1994, section 2, Major Rivers: “Fountain Creek joins the Arkansas at Pueblo, where attempts at settlement began in 1842. Fountain Creek was originally named Fountaine-qui-bouille (“boiling spring”) by French fur trappers, for the mineral hot springs around its headwaters at Manitou Springs.

Extracted from "The Real Pioneers of Colorado," by Maria Davies McGrath, published in 1934 by The Denver Museum, retyped with added notes by Jane P. Ohl, in October 2001.



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