Pueblo County, Colorado
Robert A. Gilmore

Contributed by Jean Griesan.

Robert A. Gilmore, a prosperous farmer and stock-raiser of Nepesta, Pueblo County, has been identified with this section of the Union for almost forty years, and has contributed to its material progress and development in no small degree. He early had the sagacity to discern the eminence which the future had in store for this country, and acting in accordance with the dictates of his judgment he has reaped, in the fullness of time, the generous benefits which are the just recompense of indomitable industry, spotless integrity and marvelous enterprise.

The boyhood and youth of our subject were passed in Canada and Illinois, having located in that state in 1855, and in the schools of Chicago he obtained a limited education. He is, however, almost wholly self educated, studying at night and during his leisure hours, and thus improving every spare minute of his time. In 1860 he came to Colorado and located at Central City, where he was engaged in mining and ranching for eight years. At one time he owned a farm where the city of Evans now stands, and for several years was connected with the Phelps & Gilmore Gold Mining Company, on Trail Run. In 1868 he settled upon his present ranch in Pueblo County, to the improvement and cultivation of which he has since devoted his energies with marked success. He has a fine orchard, which contains fruits of all kinds, and in 1898 he sold over two thousand boxes of apples and over two hundred bushels of peaches from his place.

Mr. Gilmore has met with many adventures since coming to this state, some of which were very unpleasant. When within a day's journey of Denver he met a train of seven hundred wagons loaded with white people who were returning to the east. They told him all kinds of discouraging stories of how the settlers in Colorado were suffering from hunger, but these reports did not deter him from locating here. The country at that time was all wild and unimproved, very few settlements had been made and no railroads built. The Indians were hostile and on the war-path much of the time. The Utes were engaged in war with the Cheyennes and several white settlers near Mr. Gilmore's place lost their lives at the hands of the redmen, and these he assisted in burying. Droves of sometimes five hundred with their war-paint on would stop at his home and devour everything eatable upon the place. In 1870 a music teacher came running to his house with the report that five hundred Indians were approaching, and the chief of these had the scalps of the many Cheyennes which he had killed. Several times before his marriage Mr. Gilmore was compelled to take his two nieces, who were living with him, to the forts for protection. He has probably had as much experience with the Indians as any other man in the state. Several times he crossed the plains from Iowa City to Colorado. He was just behind the wagon train when a Missourian shot a squaw and the Indians demanded the man who committed the deed, threatening to kill all the white men if he was not delivered to them. He was finally taken and skinned alive. This seemed to appease their wrath and the remainder of the company were unmolested. That time Mr. Gilmore witnessed one of their war dances. He was several times driven from his ranch by the redmen, and experienced many other hardships and privations incident to pioneer life, being at times nearly frozen to death in crossing the plains.

In 1870 Mr. Gilmore was united in marriage with Miss Flora Turner, a daughter of Maj. Luther Turner, who belonged to an old Maine family, and was a Tory during the threatened war with France in 1836. Mrs. Gilmore came to Colorado on account of her health, weighing at that time only one hundred and thirteen pounds, but so beneficial has the climate proved that she now weighs nearly two hundred. To our subject and his wife have been born three sons and two daughters. Adrian A., who attends to the raising of fruit on the home farm, is married and has one child; George Henry and Walter Frank are both at home; Margaret Viola is the wife of E. B. Clark, the present county clerk of Dolores County, Colo.; and Ellen is at home. All were born on the old homestead in Pueblo County, and were educated in the same school. In his political affiliations Mr. Gilmore is a Republican, and for several years has most creditably and satisfactorily filled the office of justice of the peace. He has also been the government correspondent on the condition of crops, etc., in this region. Both he and his wife are faithful and active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with which they have been officially connected, and they have the respect and esteem of all who know them.

Extracted from "Portrait and Biographical Record of the State of Colorado," published by Chapman Publishing Company in Chicago in 1899.


Contributed by Jean Griesan.

Gilmore, Robert A. (arrived in Colorado in 1860)

Robert A. Gilmore passed his early boyhood in Canada and Illinois, locating in that State in 1855. He received a limited school education in Chicago.

In 1860 he came to Colorado, locating at Central City where he engaged in mining and ranching for 8 years. When within a day's journey of Denver he met a train of 700 wagons loaded with white people who were returning to the East. They told him all kinds of discouraging stories of how the settlers in Colorado were suffering from hunger, but these reports did not deter him from locating here.

The country at that time was all wild and unimproved. The Indians were hostile and on the war path much of the time. The Utes were engaged in war with the Cheyenne and the several white settlers near his place lost their lives at the hands of the Red men, these he assisted in buying (burying). In 1870 a music teacher came running to his house with the report that 500 Indians were approaching, and the chief of these had the scalps of the many Cheyenne he had killed.

Several times before his marriage Mr. Gilmore was compelled to take his two nieces who were living with him to the forts for protection.

Several times he crossed the plains from Iowa City to Colorado. He was just behind the wagon train when a Missourian shot a squaw and the Indians demanded the man who had committed the deed, threatening to kill all the white men if he was not delivered to them. He was finally taken and skinned alive. This seemed to appease their wrath and the remainder of the company were unmolested. That time he witnessed one of their war dances. He was several times driven from his ranch by the Red man, and experienced may hardships and privations incident to pioneer life, being at times nearly frozen to death in crossing the plains.

In 1868 he settled on a ranch at Nepesta, Pueblo County. He has a fine orchard, which contains fruits of all kinds. In 1870 he was united in marriage with Miss Flora Turner, a daughter of Maj. Luther Turner who belonged to an old Maine family. Mrs. Gilmore came to Colorado on account of her health, weighing at that time only 113 pounds. So beneficial the climate proved that she weighed nearly 200 pounds.

To Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore were born three sons and two daughters: Adrian A. is married and has one child; George Henry; Walter Frank; Margaret Viola is the wife of E. B. Clark who was county clerk of Dolores County, Colorado; and Ellen. All were born on the old homestead in Pueblo County and were educated in the same school.

Mr. Gilmore filled the office of justice of the peace. He has also been the government correspondent on the condition of crops, etc., in his district.

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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