PETER BARTH
Marriages
Katharine Straundt Barth - September 1884
Burial Details
Obituaries
Eagle Valley Enterprise page 1 - May 12, 1905
MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF PETER BARTH.
Tuesday morning, Peter BARTH was found dead near a gate on his ranch about four miles south of Gypsum. He had just left the house for the field where he was working with a team and marker. A short time after Mrs. BARTH saw the team standing out in the field. Thinking this strange, she proceeded to investigate and discovered her husband's body lying under the marker with an ugly gash four inches long and two inches wide in his temple.
No one saw how Mr. BARTH met with his death but it is supposed that in some unaccountable manner he was thrown forward from the marker by the horses jumping and struck his head on the double-trees, rendering him unconscious.
O.W. DAGGETT and L. C. PACKARD who were notified of the accident went over the field and found where he had been dragged under the marker about a quarter of a mile.
Mr. BARTH was born in Germany in 1858 [actually 1847]. There he received a common school education. In addition to this he learned the blacksmith's trade. When 17 years old he came to this country and followed his trade until 1886 when he located on a ranch below Gypsum.
He was a man well liked by a host of friends--a good kind-hearted citizen, respected by all.
Mr. BARTH is survived by a number of relatives, the only ones to attend his funeral being a sister, Mrs. Louise STEIN of Eagle, a daughter Mrs. George MULLEN of Gypsum and a brother from Butte, Montana, arrived in time for the funeral.
The funeral was held from the home yesterday afternoon, Rev. J. G. BONNELL preaching the sermon. Interment was made at the Gypsum cemetery.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 1 - May 10, 1905
Progressive Men of Western Colorado - 1905
PETER BARTH. Coming into the world on the banks of the historic Rhine, in a region so beautiful that in its midst one can almost feel the celestial soul that lights the smile on nature's lips, Peter BARTH was yet born to a destiny of toil and poverty in his early life, and obliged to take upon himself at the early age of fifteen the task of making his own way in the world. This he has done so successfully that he is now one of the most prosperous and respected citizens of Eagle County, with a comfortable estate in worldly wealth and an influential voice in all the affairs of the section in which he lives.
He was born on March 14, 1847 [Ancestry.com says May 14, 1847], and after a short and irregular attendance at the common schools, was apprenticed to a blacksmith and learned his trade with such care and attention to its every detail that he is now considered by many persons the best blacksmith in Colorado. He is the son of Peter and Katharine (Barth) Barth, natives and life-long residents of Germany, where the mother died in 1888 and the father in 1897. They were farmers and members of the Evangelical church, lived useful and upright lives and at their close were laid to rest with every demonstration of public esteem.
The son worked at his trade in his native land until 1871, then hearing responsively the call from this country for volunteers in her great army of industrial progress which was clearing her unoccupied lands, draining her marshes, developing her farms and building her marts of business and highways of travel, he emigrated to the United States and after a residence of five months in New York, found a more congenial field for his enterprise in Colorado, location at the corner of Larimer and Thirty-fourth streets in Denver in 1872, and there doing railroad blacksmith five months and after that general blacksmithing until 1874. In that year he moved to Hall's Gulch, and for a short time smithed for the smelter, then moved on to Middle Boulder, where he worked as a journeyman in a shop of his craft until the spring of 1875. At that time he took up his residence at Montezuma and opened a general blacksmith shop of is own, also building the second hotel in the town. He remained there until April 1, 1880, succeeding well, then moved to Breckenridge, at that time a new and busy camp so overcrowded with seekers for wealth that he was obliged to sleep on the floor in a shoemaker's shop owing to the scarcity of beds. Here he made some money speculating and working at his trade and remained until 1886,when he came to his present location, being the third settler in the Gypsum valley and purchasing a tract of land rocky and covered with wild sage. This he has improved and cultivated until it is one of the most fruitful and attractive ranches in the valley. It comprises one hundred and fifty-seven acres and yields good crops. In politics he is a Republican and in fraternal life a member of the order of Red Men. He was married in October, 1884, to Miss Katharine Straundt, a native of Hanover, Germany. They have had four children, of whom three are living, Charles, Willie and Mrs. George MULLEN. A son named Peter was removed by death some years ago.
