A long time Oak Creek resident; John Mathews Jr. was born in Silver Plume, Clear Creek, Colorado, USA July 4, 1895. John died September 5, 1977 in Steamboat Springs, Routt Co., Colorado, USA, at 82 years of age. John was the son of John Mathews Sr. and Mary Ann Morton.
John's mother divorced John Senior in 1902. She remarried to Alfred Evans passing away of meningitis a week after her second marriage. John and his sister Martha were the only two of six kids to live to adulthood. John lived with foster parents Maria C. and Robert H. Pollock for a number of his younger years. John did not have a middlename, out of respect for the Pollock's John at times used the unofficial middle name of Pollock.
One of John's first jobs was delivering on bicycle telegraph messages for Western Union Telegraph; later he joined his father working on the railroad construction crews. John's father was a foreman of one of the crews that built the first historic Georgetown loop. John Junior having been born in the Silver Plume train roundhouse was most likely too young to have worked on construction of the loop himself. John did at times when his father got drunk took over for his father directing the railroad crews. John spent one winter on top of Boreas Pass working on rail crews that kept the rails clear of snow. They were snowed in for ten days without food, the rails got buried in snow too deep to get a supply train to them.
John and his father grew tired of the railroad life and took the train to the end of line to Craig, Colorado and proceeded to walk back to Oak Creek, Colorado. They spent one night camping in a small valley along twenty mile road. They looked for homestead areas on the way to Oak Creek. John Senior eventually homesteaded up Little Trout Creek above where the Mule Gulch creek joins Little Trout Creek.
John's future mother in law Emma Brannick purchased a homestead in Little Trout Creek and Mule Gulch canyons. John Junior passed through the Brannick homestead on his way to the John Senior homestead. John at times lived with his father on the homestead. John's uncle Anthony Mathews also had a homestead directly adjoining the John Mathews Sr. homestead. John at one time had a home in the Phippsburg, Colorado area that burned down the fire was "started by a sheep herder." John lost all his family photos from his youth and family records to the fire.
John served as Private 1st Class in the U. S. Army. He served in the military during WWI. He was inducted into the military in Steamboat Springs, Routt Co., Colorado, USA, Sept. 18, 1917. He served in France 8-8-1918 to 6-20-1919. John had appendicitis shortly before deployment to France and his papers shipped out without him. He later joined another battery shipping out to France until he could catch up with his battery. Unfortunately without his papers he saw little of France except for battle. He was basically not allowed to leave base without money and his pay was delivered to his papers in his original battery. He was Honorably Discharged from active duty in Wyoming July 11, 1919. He served in Battery "B" 18th Field Artillery. At the time of his discharge his paperwork and finances caught up with him; receiving his back pay.
John Mathews Jr. married Myrtle Viola Brannick in Meeker, Colorado, July 24, 1925.
John Senior passed in 1931 and John Junior and his sister Martha Fryar inherited the homestead.
John's occupation: Coal Miner; John owned his own coal mine "Johnnie's Mine" and worked at the Victor American, Mount Harris and other Routt County mines. After closing his mine in 1972 he continued delivering coal until his death. John Junior had opened "Johnnies mine" on John Senior's homestead during World War II. John operated the mine at most times as a single person mine or with his brother in law Myron Brannick on rare occasions. He was extremely disappointed in the United Mine workers when they threatened him at gunpoint because he would not unionize his one person mine. What was he supposed to do strike against himself for better working conditions?
Chuck Mack made this comment: "I recall the time Johnny Mathews, owner of Johnny's Mine near Oak Creek, bought a cutting machine and other items.He brought his old Chevy dump truck to haul it away. When the truck was loaded, the load pushed the dump bed down onto the truck tires. Johnny had them unload the truck. Then he shoved a railroad tie between the truck springs and frame and had the load put back on. That kept the box away from the tires. Johnny headed for his mine, and he must have made it. Leastwise, I saw both him and his truck many times after that."
John was an easy going individual who could make anyone laugh. He was respected when members of the US Bureau of Mines came into Routt County it was almost as they had a directive to visit John. He provided them sometimes all the information they needed to find old mines in the county and do their reports.
John became the father of Melvin Gurden Mathews April 30, 1926; Vincent John Mathews January 5, 1929; LeRoy Wayne Mathews February 25, 1931; and Lois Marie Mathews in Oak Creek, Routt, Colorado, USA, July 11, 1933. All of John's sons preceded him in death.
Grandparents:
Bathis Mathis who died during the civil war in Louisiana, interment unknown. After Bathis' death the last name was Americanized to Mathews.
Catherine Mathews (1828 - 1902)
James Morton (1832 - 1883)
Mary A. Morton (1851 - 1905)
It is not known where John's Mother or stepmother are interred.
JOHN MATHEWS PASSES AWAY
John Mathews, a Routt County resident since 1915, passed away on Sept. 5 in the Routt County Memorial HospitaL He had been there for two weeks, prior to his death.
Mr. Mathers was born July 4. 1895 in Silver Plume. He was a World War I veteran and was in France at the time the Armistice was signed. He was a 50 year member of the American Legion and was buried with military honors on Saturday Sept. 10.
Mr Mathews worked in various mines around Oak Creek and operated his own mine for the past 30 years. The Steamboat Pilot, Number 7, September 15, 1977.
John's mother divorced John Senior in 1902. She remarried to Alfred Evans passing away of meningitis a week after her second marriage. John and his sister Martha were the only two of six kids to live to adulthood. John lived with foster parents Maria C. and Robert H. Pollock for a number of his younger years. John did not have a middlename, out of respect for the Pollock's John at times used the unofficial middle name of Pollock.
One of John's first jobs was delivering on bicycle telegraph messages for Western Union Telegraph; later he joined his father working on the railroad construction crews. John's father was a foreman of one of the crews that built the first historic Georgetown loop. John Junior having been born in the Silver Plume train roundhouse was most likely too young to have worked on construction of the loop himself. John did at times when his father got drunk took over for his father directing the railroad crews. John spent one winter on top of Boreas Pass working on rail crews that kept the rails clear of snow. They were snowed in for ten days without food, the rails got buried in snow too deep to get a supply train to them.
John and his father grew tired of the railroad life and took the train to the end of line to Craig, Colorado and proceeded to walk back to Oak Creek, Colorado. They spent one night camping in a small valley along twenty mile road. They looked for homestead areas on the way to Oak Creek. John Senior eventually homesteaded up Little Trout Creek above where the Mule Gulch creek joins Little Trout Creek.
John's future mother in law Emma Brannick purchased a homestead in Little Trout Creek and Mule Gulch canyons. John Junior passed through the Brannick homestead on his way to the John Senior homestead. John at times lived with his father on the homestead. John's uncle Anthony Mathews also had a homestead directly adjoining the John Mathews Sr. homestead. John at one time had a home in the Phippsburg, Colorado area that burned down the fire was "started by a sheep herder." John lost all his family photos from his youth and family records to the fire.
John served as Private 1st Class in the U. S. Army. He served in the military during WWI. He was inducted into the military in Steamboat Springs, Routt Co., Colorado, USA, Sept. 18, 1917. He served in France 8-8-1918 to 6-20-1919. John had appendicitis shortly before deployment to France and his papers shipped out without him. He later joined another battery shipping out to France until he could catch up with his battery. Unfortunately without his papers he saw little of France except for battle. He was basically not allowed to leave base without money and his pay was delivered to his papers in his original battery. He was Honorably Discharged from active duty in Wyoming July 11, 1919. He served in Battery "B" 18th Field Artillery. At the time of his discharge his paperwork and finances caught up with him; receiving his back pay.
John Mathews Jr. married Myrtle Viola Brannick in Meeker, Colorado, July 24, 1925.
John Senior passed in 1931 and John Junior and his sister Martha Fryar inherited the homestead.
John's occupation: Coal Miner; John owned his own coal mine "Johnnie's Mine" and worked at the Victor American, Mount Harris and other Routt County mines. After closing his mine in 1972 he continued delivering coal until his death. John Junior had opened "Johnnies mine" on John Senior's homestead during World War II. John operated the mine at most times as a single person mine or with his brother in law Myron Brannick on rare occasions. He was extremely disappointed in the United Mine workers when they threatened him at gunpoint because he would not unionize his one person mine. What was he supposed to do strike against himself for better working conditions?
Chuck Mack made this comment: "I recall the time Johnny Mathews, owner of Johnny's Mine near Oak Creek, bought a cutting machine and other items.He brought his old Chevy dump truck to haul it away. When the truck was loaded, the load pushed the dump bed down onto the truck tires. Johnny had them unload the truck. Then he shoved a railroad tie between the truck springs and frame and had the load put back on. That kept the box away from the tires. Johnny headed for his mine, and he must have made it. Leastwise, I saw both him and his truck many times after that."
John was an easy going individual who could make anyone laugh. He was respected when members of the US Bureau of Mines came into Routt County it was almost as they had a directive to visit John. He provided them sometimes all the information they needed to find old mines in the county and do their reports.
John became the father of Melvin Gurden Mathews April 30, 1926; Vincent John Mathews January 5, 1929; LeRoy Wayne Mathews February 25, 1931; and Lois Marie Mathews in Oak Creek, Routt, Colorado, USA, July 11, 1933. All of John's sons preceded him in death.
Grandparents:
Bathis Mathis who died during the civil war in Louisiana, interment unknown. After Bathis' death the last name was Americanized to Mathews.
Catherine Mathews (1828 - 1902)
James Morton (1832 - 1883)
Mary A. Morton (1851 - 1905)
It is not known where John's Mother or stepmother are interred.
JOHN MATHEWS PASSES AWAY
John Mathews, a Routt County resident since 1915, passed away on Sept. 5 in the Routt County Memorial HospitaL He had been there for two weeks, prior to his death.
Mr. Mathers was born July 4. 1895 in Silver Plume. He was a World War I veteran and was in France at the time the Armistice was signed. He was a 50 year member of the American Legion and was buried with military honors on Saturday Sept. 10.
Mr Mathews worked in various mines around Oak Creek and operated his own mine for the past 30 years. The Steamboat Pilot, Number 7, September 15, 1977.
A long time Oak Creek resident; John Mathews Jr. was born in Silver Plume, Clear Creek, Colorado, USA July 4, 1895. John died September 5, 1977 in Steamboat Springs, Routt Co., Colorado, USA, at 82 years of age. John was the son of John Mathews Sr. and Mary Ann Morton.
John's mother divorced John Senior in 1902. She remarried to Alfred Evans passing away of meningitis a week after her second marriage. John and his sister Martha were the only two of six kids to live to adulthood. John lived with foster parents Maria C. and Robert H. Pollock for a number of his younger years. John did not have a middlename, out of respect for the Pollock's John at times used the unofficial middle name of Pollock.
One of John's first jobs was delivering on bicycle telegraph messages for Western Union Telegraph; later he joined his father working on the railroad construction crews. John's father was a foreman of one of the crews that built the first historic Georgetown loop. John Junior having been born in the Silver Plume train roundhouse was most likely too young to have worked on construction of the loop himself. John did at times when his father got drunk took over for his father directing the railroad crews. John spent one winter on top of Boreas Pass working on rail crews that kept the rails clear of snow. They were snowed in for ten days without food, the rails got buried in snow too deep to get a supply train to them.
John and his father grew tired of the railroad life and took the train to the end of line to Craig, Colorado and proceeded to walk back to Oak Creek, Colorado. They spent one night camping in a small valley along twenty mile road. They looked for homestead areas on the way to Oak Creek. John Senior eventually homesteaded up Little Trout Creek above where the Mule Gulch creek joins Little Trout Creek.
John's future mother in law Emma Brannick purchased a homestead in Little Trout Creek and Mule Gulch canyons. John Junior passed through the Brannick homestead on his way to the John Senior homestead. John at times lived with his father on the homestead. John's uncle Anthony Mathews also had a homestead directly adjoining the John Mathews Sr. homestead. John at one time had a home in the Phippsburg, Colorado area that burned down the fire was "started by a sheep herder." John lost all his family photos from his youth and family records to the fire.
John served as Private 1st Class in the U. S. Army. He served in the military during WWI. He was inducted into the military in Steamboat Springs, Routt Co., Colorado, USA, Sept. 18, 1917. He served in France 8-8-1918 to 6-20-1919. John had appendicitis shortly before deployment to France and his papers shipped out without him. He later joined another battery shipping out to France until he could catch up with his battery. Unfortunately without his papers he saw little of France except for battle. He was basically not allowed to leave base without money and his pay was delivered to his papers in his original battery. He was Honorably Discharged from active duty in Wyoming July 11, 1919. He served in Battery "B" 18th Field Artillery. At the time of his discharge his paperwork and finances caught up with him; receiving his back pay.
John Mathews Jr. married Myrtle Viola Brannick in Meeker, Colorado, July 24, 1925.
John Senior passed in 1931 and John Junior and his sister Martha Fryar inherited the homestead.
John's occupation: Coal Miner; John owned his own coal mine "Johnnie's Mine" and worked at the Victor American, Mount Harris and other Routt County mines. After closing his mine in 1972 he continued delivering coal until his death. John Junior had opened "Johnnies mine" on John Senior's homestead during World War II. John operated the mine at most times as a single person mine or with his brother in law Myron Brannick on rare occasions. He was extremely disappointed in the United Mine workers when they threatened him at gunpoint because he would not unionize his one person mine. What was he supposed to do strike against himself for better working conditions?
Chuck Mack made this comment: "I recall the time Johnny Mathews, owner of Johnny's Mine near Oak Creek, bought a cutting machine and other items.He brought his old Chevy dump truck to haul it away. When the truck was loaded, the load pushed the dump bed down onto the truck tires. Johnny had them unload the truck. Then he shoved a railroad tie between the truck springs and frame and had the load put back on. That kept the box away from the tires. Johnny headed for his mine, and he must have made it. Leastwise, I saw both him and his truck many times after that."
John was an easy going individual who could make anyone laugh. He was respected when members of the US Bureau of Mines came into Routt County it was almost as they had a directive to visit John. He provided them sometimes all the information they needed to find old mines in the county and do their reports.
John became the father of Melvin Gurden Mathews April 30, 1926; Vincent John Mathews January 5, 1929; LeRoy Wayne Mathews February 25, 1931; and Lois Marie Mathews in Oak Creek, Routt, Colorado, USA, July 11, 1933. All of John's sons preceded him in death.
Grandparents:
Bathis Mathis who died during the civil war in Louisiana, interment unknown. After Bathis' death the last name was Americanized to Mathews.
Catherine Mathews (1828 - 1902)
James Morton (1832 - 1883)
Mary A. Morton (1851 - 1905)
It is not known where John's Mother or stepmother are interred.
JOHN MATHEWS PASSES AWAY
John Mathews, a Routt County resident since 1915, passed away on Sept. 5 in the Routt County Memorial HospitaL He had been there for two weeks, prior to his death.
Mr. Mathers was born July 4. 1895 in Silver Plume. He was a World War I veteran and was in France at the time the Armistice was signed. He was a 50 year member of the American Legion and was buried with military honors on Saturday Sept. 10.
Mr Mathews worked in various mines around Oak Creek and operated his own mine for the past 30 years. The Steamboat Pilot, Number 7, September 15, 1977.
John's mother divorced John Senior in 1902. She remarried to Alfred Evans passing away of meningitis a week after her second marriage. John and his sister Martha were the only two of six kids to live to adulthood. John lived with foster parents Maria C. and Robert H. Pollock for a number of his younger years. John did not have a middlename, out of respect for the Pollock's John at times used the unofficial middle name of Pollock.
One of John's first jobs was delivering on bicycle telegraph messages for Western Union Telegraph; later he joined his father working on the railroad construction crews. John's father was a foreman of one of the crews that built the first historic Georgetown loop. John Junior having been born in the Silver Plume train roundhouse was most likely too young to have worked on construction of the loop himself. John did at times when his father got drunk took over for his father directing the railroad crews. John spent one winter on top of Boreas Pass working on rail crews that kept the rails clear of snow. They were snowed in for ten days without food, the rails got buried in snow too deep to get a supply train to them.
John and his father grew tired of the railroad life and took the train to the end of line to Craig, Colorado and proceeded to walk back to Oak Creek, Colorado. They spent one night camping in a small valley along twenty mile road. They looked for homestead areas on the way to Oak Creek. John Senior eventually homesteaded up Little Trout Creek above where the Mule Gulch creek joins Little Trout Creek.
John's future mother in law Emma Brannick purchased a homestead in Little Trout Creek and Mule Gulch canyons. John Junior passed through the Brannick homestead on his way to the John Senior homestead. John at times lived with his father on the homestead. John's uncle Anthony Mathews also had a homestead directly adjoining the John Mathews Sr. homestead. John at one time had a home in the Phippsburg, Colorado area that burned down the fire was "started by a sheep herder." John lost all his family photos from his youth and family records to the fire.
John served as Private 1st Class in the U. S. Army. He served in the military during WWI. He was inducted into the military in Steamboat Springs, Routt Co., Colorado, USA, Sept. 18, 1917. He served in France 8-8-1918 to 6-20-1919. John had appendicitis shortly before deployment to France and his papers shipped out without him. He later joined another battery shipping out to France until he could catch up with his battery. Unfortunately without his papers he saw little of France except for battle. He was basically not allowed to leave base without money and his pay was delivered to his papers in his original battery. He was Honorably Discharged from active duty in Wyoming July 11, 1919. He served in Battery "B" 18th Field Artillery. At the time of his discharge his paperwork and finances caught up with him; receiving his back pay.
John Mathews Jr. married Myrtle Viola Brannick in Meeker, Colorado, July 24, 1925.
John Senior passed in 1931 and John Junior and his sister Martha Fryar inherited the homestead.
John's occupation: Coal Miner; John owned his own coal mine "Johnnie's Mine" and worked at the Victor American, Mount Harris and other Routt County mines. After closing his mine in 1972 he continued delivering coal until his death. John Junior had opened "Johnnies mine" on John Senior's homestead during World War II. John operated the mine at most times as a single person mine or with his brother in law Myron Brannick on rare occasions. He was extremely disappointed in the United Mine workers when they threatened him at gunpoint because he would not unionize his one person mine. What was he supposed to do strike against himself for better working conditions?
Chuck Mack made this comment: "I recall the time Johnny Mathews, owner of Johnny's Mine near Oak Creek, bought a cutting machine and other items.He brought his old Chevy dump truck to haul it away. When the truck was loaded, the load pushed the dump bed down onto the truck tires. Johnny had them unload the truck. Then he shoved a railroad tie between the truck springs and frame and had the load put back on. That kept the box away from the tires. Johnny headed for his mine, and he must have made it. Leastwise, I saw both him and his truck many times after that."
John was an easy going individual who could make anyone laugh. He was respected when members of the US Bureau of Mines came into Routt County it was almost as they had a directive to visit John. He provided them sometimes all the information they needed to find old mines in the county and do their reports.
John became the father of Melvin Gurden Mathews April 30, 1926; Vincent John Mathews January 5, 1929; LeRoy Wayne Mathews February 25, 1931; and Lois Marie Mathews in Oak Creek, Routt, Colorado, USA, July 11, 1933. All of John's sons preceded him in death.
Grandparents:
Bathis Mathis who died during the civil war in Louisiana, interment unknown. After Bathis' death the last name was Americanized to Mathews.
Catherine Mathews (1828 - 1902)
James Morton (1832 - 1883)
Mary A. Morton (1851 - 1905)
It is not known where John's Mother or stepmother are interred.
JOHN MATHEWS PASSES AWAY
John Mathews, a Routt County resident since 1915, passed away on Sept. 5 in the Routt County Memorial HospitaL He had been there for two weeks, prior to his death.
Mr. Mathers was born July 4. 1895 in Silver Plume. He was a World War I veteran and was in France at the time the Armistice was signed. He was a 50 year member of the American Legion and was buried with military honors on Saturday Sept. 10.
Mr Mathews worked in various mines around Oak Creek and operated his own mine for the past 30 years. The Steamboat Pilot, Number 7, September 15, 1977.
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