William Prideham Bates
Marriages
Jennie Burpee Herrick Bates - June 26, 1884
at Gunnison, Colorado
Burial Details
Obituaries
Eagle Valley Enterprise page 8 - January 18, 1924
William Prideham BATES was born on a farm in Cavan county Province of Ontario, Canada, April 8, 1856. In 1873, at the age of 17, he entered the service of the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railway as a fireman, and he was engaged in railroad work thereafter for a period of forty-five years. In 1874 he went to work for the Grand Trunk Railway and was employed by that company until 1881 when he came West to Denver, and was employed by the Denver & Rio Grande company as an engineer. He worked on several divisions of the Rio Grande and was the engineer on the construction train when the road was built from Gunnison to Montrose.
In February, 1887, he left the Denver & Rio Grande and entered the service of the Colorado Midland when it started to operate, he being the second engineer employed by that road. He pulled the first passenger train on the Midland when it opened for business and pulled the last passenger train into Grand Junction on August 5, 1918, when the Midland ceased operations.
On June 26, 1884, he was married to Miss Jennie Burpee HERRICK at Gunnison. Mrs. Bates survives him. To this union three children were born, Arthur L. BATES of Long Beach, Calif., Ralph L. BATES of Colorado Springs, and Mrs. Irene Bates WILSON of Grand Junction. All of his children are married and he had six grandchildren.
Mr. BATES lived at Basalt from 1890 until 1909, when he moved to Grand Junction. In 1919, after the Colorado Midland ceased operation, he moved back to Basalt where he purchased a home and settled down to spend the remainder of his days among old friends and associations he had loved so well.
He had been in failing health for several months before his death which occurred in Glenwood Springs on January 11, 1924, where he and Mrs. BATES had gone so that he could be under the care of a doctor.
He united with the Presbyterian church at Belleville, Ontario, when a young man.
He was a Mason and had been a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers for forty two years, in which organization he took a very active interest. He became a citizen of the United States in 1888.
Mr. BATES was a splendid family man. He was unusually thoughtful and considerate of others and was loved and respected by all who knew him. It can truly be said of him that he never had an enemy.
The funeral services were held in Basalt, whee the remains of the beloved man were laid to rest, the last sad rites being attended by a large concourse of sorrowing friends and relatives. Rev. Mr. ROSE of Carbondale preached the funeral sermon.
