The next morning it snowed again, and we visited Sanford, Colorado.
An early brick home.
Large trees remain without early homes and farms.
A couple of old San Luis Railroad Cars were retired to this field.
These Sanford horses reminded me of John Morgan.
From John Hamilton Morgan's journal, Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
1888
May 23 – [Salt Lake City, Utah] Looked around to buy
some horses.
May 29 – [Springville,
Utah] Used Jno. G’s buggy in driving around and bought four mares during the
day.
May 30 – Bought another mare this a.m. and in the afternoon,
carried all five of them over to Spanish Fork Station where I found Peter
Rasmussen and William Jackson with eight more.
June 6 – [Salt Lake City] ... Paid freight on horses. Met with LeGrand Young and
A. F. McDonald about organization of company in Mexico. Attended the Theatre in
the evening with Mellie, “The Old Homestead,” by Denman Thompson.
June 7 – Drove out with wife [Mellie] and accompanied her to the
dentists and got an impression of her mouth for a new set of teeth. About home
during the afternoon.
June 8 – Arranged with Hyrum G. [Groesbeck] for some means
to aid in paying for horses.
June 9 – Obtained $300.00 from Hyrumn, paid some freight and
sent the remainder due Crandall and Royland on horses. Busy arranging to start
to Colorado. Bid the folks goodbye and left on 4 p.m. U. C. train for Utah
County and Juab.
June 10 – Returned to Provo and had breakfast. At 10 a.m.
came to Springville and had dinner at Rhodas [Groesbeck]. As the train was
late, went to meeting and spoke to the folks. At 4:20 p.m. train passed, bid
the folks goodbye and left for Colorado. Obtained an upper berth. All there was
left in the car.
June 11 – Had breakfast at Cimmaron and passed through Black
Canyon in an open car. Had a pleasant day and made snowballs on top of Marshall
Pass. Dinner at Salida and arrived in Pueblo at 6 p.m.
June 12 – Woke up at 2 a.m. Dressed and at 2:45 a.m. left
for Manassa. Walked over from the railroad. Home, and found all well. Remained
at home during the rest of the day. Tired.
June 13 – Attended a Sunday School Jubilee held in the
bowery. Well attended and fairly carried through. In the evening drove to
LaJara with brother Jackson. A heavy wind and some sleet during the trip.
June 14 – Bought wagon from William Christensen for $1110.00
and a set of harnesses from Co-op at $40.00. Hitched up and drove about town a
while.
June 15 – Brother J. H. [John Henry] Smith and wife
[Josephine], myself and wife [Annie], drove across the river to the ranch.
Sanford looked very much to me like Manassa.
An abandoned adobe building in Sanford.
LaJara is on the railroad tracks that run south through the San Luis Valley
from Alamosa, Colorado to Antonito, Colorado. This is their train station.
Numerous Morgans settled in Conejos County, Colorado
George Morgan (unknown to me), from Utah, and his five sons lived in Sanford, Colorado
1910 Sanford, Colorado Census.
John and Annie Morgan's son, John Albemarle Morgan, lived in Sanford, Colorado
1920 Sanford, Colorado Census.
The Amateur Mormon Historian led me to a great picture
collection housed in the
Alamosa Library, and
on-line here. There are some great early Manassa and
Sanford pictures in it. Most of them are identified. On a few of the
photographs there is a notice that reads:
This photograph cannot be identified. It is
one of 21 photographs found in the bottom of a trunk belonging to Joseph Morgan
Valentine, grandfather of Raymond Valentine, who is the husband of Roberta
Valentine of Alamosa, Colorado. This photograph may have been taken in
Mississippi. Joseph Morgan Valentine migrated to Manassa, Colorado, in the
1890’s.
A couple of favorite pictures from this collection are
here and
here and
here.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 4
(To be concluded.)
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