OURAY COUNTY, COGENWEB PROJECT

      BIOGRAPHIES

       
      Please submit your Ouray County Colorado Biographies!
      NUTTER FAMILY
      Charles ("Charlie") Polk Nutter was born October 22, 1844 in Alton, Madison Co, Illinois.  He married Emma Frances Lidey in 1870 in Watson, Effingham Co, Illinois.  Together, with two children, they came to Pueblo, Colorado in April of 1876.  In 1877 they traveled by covered wagon from Pueblo to Ouray, leaving April 18th and arriving May 19th.

      Charlie Nutter and several other men "grubstaked" a prospector who found a promising silver mine near Rico, Colorado.  Because of "claim jumpers", Charlie and several of the men had to often stay in Rico to prevent them from taking over the mine.  Although Rico (in Ouray County at this time) was tamer than most mining camps, it still had its troubles and Charlie made mention in one of his letters to Emma of only one man killed this time.  He later sold his interest in the mine to some investors from New York for $1,200.  With these proceeds he opened a cured and fresh meats store and livery and feed stables business in partnership with a man named William ("Billy") Clark, the firm being known as "Nutter & Clark". This was in late 1879 or early 1880.

      The meat business was right next door to the grocery store owned and operated by Charlie's good friend Miles Standish Corbett, who was at that time the mayor of Ouray.  (The Nutters had met the Corbetts while staying in Pueblo and they traveled together from Pueblo to Ouray.)  The livery stables were located on Third Street (now Main Street) on the southwest corner of Third St. and 7th Avenue, where the Fox Building, Buckskin Trading Post, and the north half of Cecilia's are today (lots 256, 257, & 258).  All of this is shown on the 1886 Sanborn map of Ouray.

      Charlie was a Mason for 70 years and a charter member of the Ouray Masonic Lodge.  In 1888 he sold his businesses in Ouray and moved to Delta, Colorado where he died on 28 November 1941, 97 years old.

      Charles and Emma had the following children:
      1. Stella Maude Nutter was born on 9 Jun 1873 in Watson, Effingham Co, Illinois.  She died on 2 November 1968 in Delta, Delta Co, Colorado.  She sat on Chief Ouray's knee when she was a youngster.
      2. Anna Rose Nutter was born on 4 February 1876 in Watson, Effingham Co, Illinois.  She died on 31 May 1944 in Delta, Delta Co, Colorado.
      3. Charles William Nutter was born on 19 September 1880 in Ouray, Ouray Co, Colorado.  He died ca 20 September 1881 in Ouray, Ouray Co, Colorado and was buried in the Cedar Hill Cemetery.  An obituary reads as follows:
          Nutter, Charlie    Ouray Times, Sept. 24, 1881:  only son of C. P. and E. F. Nutter; 1 yr; burial from Methodist church. [Date is probably that of newspaper.] *
      4. Eveline Pearl Nutter was born on 25 Jul 1882 in Ouray, Ouray Co, Colorado.  She died unmarried on 9 May 1976 in Delta, Delta Co, CO.
      5. Bertha Irene Nutter was born on 8 November 1884 in Ouray, Ouray Co, Colorado.  She died of a stroke on 10 Apr 1973 in Pequannock, Morris Co, New Jersey.
      6. Samuel Nutter was born ca late 1885 in Ouray, Ouray Co, Colorado.  Date is an estimate; he must have been born and died before 17 Oct 1888, since the Nutters left Ouray about then and moved to Delta, Colorado.  He died in infancy ca 1885.  His grave was in the Cedar Hill Cemetery near Ouray until it was washed away by a flash flood.  Dr. Gregory * states "My records show Charles Nutter, Child, 1885, listed in the Funeral Register for Cedar Hill Cemetery".  But we know Charles died in 1881, so the date listed may be that of Samuel Nutter's burial.
      7. Nell Marie Nutter was born 17 February 1890 in Delta, Delta Co, Colorado.  She died 13 June 1981 in Littleton, Arapahoe Co, Colorado.  Nell requested her ashes be spread over Ouray, and they were.
      8. Kathleen ("Kate") Lidey Nutter was born on 2 June 1892 in Delta, Delta Co, Colorado. She died on 9 January 1989 in Gilroy, Santa Clara Co, California. Kathleen was a talented writer; among other works she published a book on Turkey titled Bur Sien.
      For further information about this family contact G. David Thayer
        * Collected by Dr. Doris H. Gregory, historian, of Ouray, CO

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