Genealogy find:
Milton A Evans is my 3rd great grandfather. For you Selks it goes: Bonnie->Stella->Milton Jr->Milton.
For years I have been working on this puzzle:
1870 Iowa census lists Milton with his family (Miltion Jr is 4)
1880 Iowa census Milton is not listed. Milton Jr is 14. Head of household is Sadie listed as Jr's sister. Aunt Susan and her children are listed in the household, but her husband Walter (Milton Sr's bro) is not listed.
1890 most census records were destroyed in a fire.
1900 CO census we find Milton has been widowed twice.
So, I wondered... What happened to those two brothers in 1880? Was there a war? Did they follow a gold rush? I searched and searched unsuccessfully.
Today, I found the following (digging takes a long time!) Some of you will find this very interesting.
MILTON EVANS
A pioneer of 1876 in Colorado, and one of the first miners in what is now San Miguel county, where he has ever since been an active and prominent man deeply interested in all public affairs, and giving his time and attention freely to their proper management, Milton Evans, of Placerville, has witnessed the growth of the region from a wilderness practically unbroken save for the numerous mining camps which were opened in it from time to time, to its present prosperous and progressive condition blessed with all the elements and fruitful with the products of civilized and cultivated life. He was born in Ohio on May 13, 1834, and is the son of James and Mary O. Evans. He remained at home until he reached the age of twenty-one and received his education in the schools of his native county. Then in 1856 he turned eagerly from the associations and scenes of his childhood, youth and early manhood to the inviting fields for enterprise in the farther West and moved to Iowa where he remained ten years engaged in farming. In 1866 he crossed the plains with his own ox teams to Salt Lake city, and from there made a trip northward through Idaho and Montana, stopping for a time at Fort Benton. He there took passage on a steamboat down the Missouri river to his former home in Iowa, an during the next eight or nine years was occupied in the grain and stock business. In 1876 he came to Colorado and located in what is now San Miguel county, which later he helped to organize. Here in the neighborhood of the present town of Telluride he engaged mining, being the first man to follow the industry in that section. He was also an early prospector and miner where Ophir now stands, and was actively concerned in opening up the whole region to the hopes and the employments of men. In 1877 he bought an interest in the Nevada Mining Company, soon after selling a part of his stock for seven thousand, five hundred dollars. He has since been offered forty thousand dollars for the rest of his stock in this company, but has refused to sell and still owns it and has charge of the property. He also has interests in other mines in this locality, and has shipped ore from ten of them. In 1890 he settled at Placerville, and here he has charge of the Copper Basin Mining Company and the Placerville Gold and Copper Mining Company. At the same time, while looking out for his own interests and building up his own fortunes, he has been active and zealous in promoting the welfare of the section and aiding in its progress and development. He was influential in organizing the county and served as one of its first county commissioners, holding the office eight years. For many years he has belonged to the order of Odd Fellows and has been active and influential in its work and history. He was married in 1856 before leaving Ohio, to Miss Eliza Brown, a native of Virginia, who died in 1878 in Iowa, leaving four children, James W., Herbert C., Milton A. and Sarah. The sons live in San Miguel county, Colorado, and the daughter is a resident of Minneapolis. He was married a second time in 1884, being united on this occasion to Miss Nellie Steele, a native of New York, the wedding occurring at Durango, this state. She died in 1887, leaving no children. [Source: Progressive Men of Western Colorado, Publ 1905. Transcribed by Nancy Overlander]
Here is the link for this source http://genealogytrails.com/colo/sanmiguel/bios.html
So, here is what I figure. While Milton went off setting up mining businesses starting 1876, his family stayed in Iowa. This says in '77 he was buying into Nevada Mining Co, whether or not that is actually in Nevada I don't know yet. But, his wife Eliza dies in 1878. Perhaps he was not even home when it happened? If not, I imagine that was hard on him, as well as the rest of his family. Five years after she dies he marries Nellie in Colorado. He is widowed again after three years with her. By 1890 he has settled with all the children in Placerville, CO. This leads to more questions, but at least it gives a strong possibility as to why neither Milton or Eliza were with their children in the 1880 census. Milton was off conquering the west and Eliza had passed on.
So, next puzzle. U.S. Find a Grave has a note saying that in 1971 the Girl Scouts made a list of burials by looking at headstones in what is now the abandoned (sad!) Bloomington cemetery in Milton's former home town in Ames, Story County, Iowa. (There are no photos.) They list Eliza as well as two not formerly recognized short-lived babies and our good old Milton. Did he really go back to Iowa to die? And the babies... do they really belong to this couple? Here's one clue. In the above narrative, Milton spent time in Fort Benton. One of the babies was named Benton Evans 1863-1864. What do you think?
My brain is hurting.
One more interesting thing about the page where I found this narrative. Directly after Milton's was the following. I have no idea if he's related to our Galloways:
JOHN R. GALLOWAY.
John R. Galloway, a member of the mercantile firm of Galloway Brothers, of Norwood, San Miguel county, one of the largest and most successful establishments of its kind in this part of the state, was born in Hancock county, Illinois, on March 16, 1865, and is the son of the late Hon. James P. and Minerva C. [Wade] Galloway, the former a native of St. Louis, Missouri, and the latter of Hancock county, Illinois. The father was reared in Iowa, and after he grew to manhood engaged in business in Illinois and Missouri until 1873, when he moved with his family to Colorado, and turned his attention to raising stock on an expansive scale. Later he moved to Hinsdale county, and in 1883 came to Paradox valley, where he remained until his death, in February, 1897. He was one of the pioneer stock men in this part of the country, and one of the leaders of thought and action in public affairs, being always at the front of every good enterprise for the improvement of the county, and serving it people with fidelity and ability in the state senate for a time. His widow now resides at Pueblo. Their offspring number seven: L. Wood Galloway, the other member of the firm of Galloway Brothers; John R., the subject of this sketch; Gordon, a prominent stock man living one mile west of Norwood; Nino, the wife of Albert Neal, of Montrose; Jessie, the wife of A. Herendon, two miles from Norwood; and James P. and Eugene, residents of Norwood. John R. Galloway came with his parents and the rest of the family as it was then to Colorado in 1873, when he was eight years old. Here he grew to man’s estate and received the greater part of his education. After leaving school he engaged in the stock industry until 1899, when he came to Norwood and, in partnership with his brother, L. Wood Galloway, started the business which they are now conducting. They have a fine two-story business block equipped with every modern device for the convenient and successful management of their business, and carry a large and varied stock of general merchandise which is selected with special reference to the needs of the community and kept up-to-date in every particular. It includes all kinds of farm machinery, along with other commodities, and the establishment is one of the leading ones in the county, laying under tribute to its trade a large extent of the surrounding country. Mr. Galloway is active and progressive in public affairs, and is now rendering the county excellent service as a member of the board of county commissioners. He is a valued and energetic member of the Masonic fraternity, the Odd Fellows and the order of the Elks. At Centralia, Illinois, on May 8, 1888, he married Miss Hettie Warren, a native of that place. They have four children, John W., Minerva, James B. and Enon. Accurate and successful in all the elements of his extensive business operations, elevated in the character of his citizenship, stern and unyielding in his integrity, and endowed with rare social qualities, Mr. Galloway is well worthy of the esteem in which he is held and the place he has won by his merit as one of the most prominent and representative men in the county.[Source: Progressive Men of Western Colorado, Publ 1905. Transcribed by Marilyn Clore]
Interesting coincidence, eh???
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