A man who was universally respected and esteemed by his neighbors and associates. About thirty-five years ago he settled on a farm, two miles southwest of Longmont, Boulder County, and here he passed the remainder of his busy useful life. He was successful as a general farmer and each year reaped abundant harvests of hay and grain; nor was he less fortunate as a dairyman and cattleman, for to each of these various lines he gave much time and labor. In a business point of view he won prosperity, providing well for his large family, and at the same time was never neglectful of his duty to the public and his responsibility as a citizen of his adopted country.
Mr. Affolter was a native of Switzerland, and possessed the exalted sense of liberty, love of peace and regard for the rights of his brothermen, that are characteristic of the sons of the mountain-land. He was one of the nine children of Jacob and Elizabeth (Bombagger) Affolter, of whom but one, Jacob, now survives. He is a prosperous farmer of Phelps County, Mo.
The father, also of Swiss birth, was a stone-mason by trade and died when the subject of this sketch was a child. The latter, who was born June 10, 1832, grew up at home and under the roof of an uncle. The relative mentioned was the owner of a large hotel and of a distillery, besides having considerable farm land in his possession.
When he was in his twentieth year Mr. Affolter and a brother set sail for the United States, and reached these hospitable shores after a voyage of six weeks' duration. Going thence to Ohio they found employment with farmers, but, ere a year had rolled away, our subject suffered so greatly with chills and fever, that the brothers decided to go elsewhere.
Accordingly, they went to Highland, Ill., and in that vicinity worked for farmers some three years. Then, going to Missouri, they settled upon rented land. near St. Joseph, and commenced farming for themselves. The: country was not exactly to their fancy, and later they went to Kansas, with a view to locating there permanently, but they liked it even less than Missouri, to which state they returned, after a short time.
Having acquired something of the Pike's Peak' excitement our subject and his brother started across the plains in 1861, with the usual accompaniments of wagons drawn by yokes of oxen, etc. After numerous adventures and hardships they reached Denver at the end of six weeks, and a few days later continued their journey towards the mountains. They met numbers of dissatisfied men, and, acting upon their advice, turned back, also.
Instead, they went to Boulder and tried gulch mining in Left Hand Canon, but without very gratifying success. Soon they took up a claim on Left Hand, just below Haystack Mountain and the following year cut hay and hauled it to Blackhawk. In the winter of 1862 our subject again crossed the plains to Missouri, and returned in the spring with a large drove of milch cows and cattle, Near Longmont he pre-empted a claim of eighty acres, the land now owned and cultivated by his family. With energy an well-applied effort he set to work to improve the property, which, in time, became very valuable.
In 1868 Mr. Affolter formed the project of returning to Switzerland, in order to learn the process of making Swiss cheese, for which he was convinced that he could find a ready market in Colorado. He went as far as Ohio, where, on stopping for a visit with an aunt's family, he was persuaded to abandon his plan of going to Europe, and he learned the business in Ohio.
When on the way back to this state he visited some cousins in Greenville, Ill., and there met the lady who became his wife March 21, 1870. She was Miss Elizabeth Ruch, a native of Switzerland, who, as both her parents were dead, had come to Illinois with some friends in the spring of 1869.
The young couple returned to Colorado after their marriage and began housekeeping on the farm which Mr. Affolter had pre-empted before he went east. They were industrious and enterprising and within a few years were enabled to buy other property adjoining, until their farm comprised two hundred acres.
Mr. Affolter was a quiet, unassuming man, fond of his family and caring little for public life, but in 1893 the People's party made him their nominee for county commissioner, and, though he was defeated by a small majority, his popularity as a neighbor and a citizen was abundantly proven. The whole community mourned his loss when death took him from their midst, June 17, 1895.
He left eight children, two having preceded him to the better land. They were named respectively, Frederick and Frank. The others, all unmarried and living at home, are named as follows: Emil, Mary, Edward, John, Anna, Rosa, Paul and Lena.
Mr. Affolter was a native of Switzerland, and possessed the exalted sense of liberty, love of peace and regard for the rights of his brothermen, that are characteristic of the sons of the mountain-land. He was one of the nine children of Jacob and Elizabeth (Bombagger) Affolter, of whom but one, Jacob, now survives. He is a prosperous farmer of Phelps County, Mo.
The father, also of Swiss birth, was a stone-mason by trade and died when the subject of this sketch was a child. The latter, who was born June 10, 1832, grew up at home and under the roof of an uncle. The relative mentioned was the owner of a large hotel and of a distillery, besides having considerable farm land in his possession.
When he was in his twentieth year Mr. Affolter and a brother set sail for the United States, and reached these hospitable shores after a voyage of six weeks' duration. Going thence to Ohio they found employment with farmers, but, ere a year had rolled away, our subject suffered so greatly with chills and fever, that the brothers decided to go elsewhere.
Accordingly, they went to Highland, Ill., and in that vicinity worked for farmers some three years. Then, going to Missouri, they settled upon rented land. near St. Joseph, and commenced farming for themselves. The: country was not exactly to their fancy, and later they went to Kansas, with a view to locating there permanently, but they liked it even less than Missouri, to which state they returned, after a short time.
Having acquired something of the Pike's Peak' excitement our subject and his brother started across the plains in 1861, with the usual accompaniments of wagons drawn by yokes of oxen, etc. After numerous adventures and hardships they reached Denver at the end of six weeks, and a few days later continued their journey towards the mountains. They met numbers of dissatisfied men, and, acting upon their advice, turned back, also.
Instead, they went to Boulder and tried gulch mining in Left Hand Canon, but without very gratifying success. Soon they took up a claim on Left Hand, just below Haystack Mountain and the following year cut hay and hauled it to Blackhawk. In the winter of 1862 our subject again crossed the plains to Missouri, and returned in the spring with a large drove of milch cows and cattle, Near Longmont he pre-empted a claim of eighty acres, the land now owned and cultivated by his family. With energy an well-applied effort he set to work to improve the property, which, in time, became very valuable.
In 1868 Mr. Affolter formed the project of returning to Switzerland, in order to learn the process of making Swiss cheese, for which he was convinced that he could find a ready market in Colorado. He went as far as Ohio, where, on stopping for a visit with an aunt's family, he was persuaded to abandon his plan of going to Europe, and he learned the business in Ohio.
When on the way back to this state he visited some cousins in Greenville, Ill., and there met the lady who became his wife March 21, 1870. She was Miss Elizabeth Ruch, a native of Switzerland, who, as both her parents were dead, had come to Illinois with some friends in the spring of 1869.
The young couple returned to Colorado after their marriage and began housekeeping on the farm which Mr. Affolter had pre-empted before he went east. They were industrious and enterprising and within a few years were enabled to buy other property adjoining, until their farm comprised two hundred acres.
Mr. Affolter was a quiet, unassuming man, fond of his family and caring little for public life, but in 1893 the People's party made him their nominee for county commissioner, and, though he was defeated by a small majority, his popularity as a neighbor and a citizen was abundantly proven. The whole community mourned his loss when death took him from their midst, June 17, 1895.
He left eight children, two having preceded him to the better land. They were named respectively, Frederick and Frank. The others, all unmarried and living at home, are named as follows: Emil, Mary, Edward, John, Anna, Rosa, Paul and Lena.
A man who was universally respected and esteemed by his neighbors and associates. About thirty-five years ago he settled on a farm, two miles southwest of Longmont, Boulder County, and here he passed the remainder of his busy useful life. He was successful as a general farmer and each year reaped abundant harvests of hay and grain; nor was he less fortunate as a dairyman and cattleman, for to each of these various lines he gave much time and labor. In a business point of view he won prosperity, providing well for his large family, and at the same time was never neglectful of his duty to the public and his responsibility as a citizen of his adopted country.
Mr. Affolter was a native of Switzerland, and possessed the exalted sense of liberty, love of peace and regard for the rights of his brothermen, that are characteristic of the sons of the mountain-land. He was one of the nine children of Jacob and Elizabeth (Bombagger) Affolter, of whom but one, Jacob, now survives. He is a prosperous farmer of Phelps County, Mo.
The father, also of Swiss birth, was a stone-mason by trade and died when the subject of this sketch was a child. The latter, who was born June 10, 1832, grew up at home and under the roof of an uncle. The relative mentioned was the owner of a large hotel and of a distillery, besides having considerable farm land in his possession.
When he was in his twentieth year Mr. Affolter and a brother set sail for the United States, and reached these hospitable shores after a voyage of six weeks' duration. Going thence to Ohio they found employment with farmers, but, ere a year had rolled away, our subject suffered so greatly with chills and fever, that the brothers decided to go elsewhere.
Accordingly, they went to Highland, Ill., and in that vicinity worked for farmers some three years. Then, going to Missouri, they settled upon rented land. near St. Joseph, and commenced farming for themselves. The: country was not exactly to their fancy, and later they went to Kansas, with a view to locating there permanently, but they liked it even less than Missouri, to which state they returned, after a short time.
Having acquired something of the Pike's Peak' excitement our subject and his brother started across the plains in 1861, with the usual accompaniments of wagons drawn by yokes of oxen, etc. After numerous adventures and hardships they reached Denver at the end of six weeks, and a few days later continued their journey towards the mountains. They met numbers of dissatisfied men, and, acting upon their advice, turned back, also.
Instead, they went to Boulder and tried gulch mining in Left Hand Canon, but without very gratifying success. Soon they took up a claim on Left Hand, just below Haystack Mountain and the following year cut hay and hauled it to Blackhawk. In the winter of 1862 our subject again crossed the plains to Missouri, and returned in the spring with a large drove of milch cows and cattle, Near Longmont he pre-empted a claim of eighty acres, the land now owned and cultivated by his family. With energy an well-applied effort he set to work to improve the property, which, in time, became very valuable.
In 1868 Mr. Affolter formed the project of returning to Switzerland, in order to learn the process of making Swiss cheese, for which he was convinced that he could find a ready market in Colorado. He went as far as Ohio, where, on stopping for a visit with an aunt's family, he was persuaded to abandon his plan of going to Europe, and he learned the business in Ohio.
When on the way back to this state he visited some cousins in Greenville, Ill., and there met the lady who became his wife March 21, 1870. She was Miss Elizabeth Ruch, a native of Switzerland, who, as both her parents were dead, had come to Illinois with some friends in the spring of 1869.
The young couple returned to Colorado after their marriage and began housekeeping on the farm which Mr. Affolter had pre-empted before he went east. They were industrious and enterprising and within a few years were enabled to buy other property adjoining, until their farm comprised two hundred acres.
Mr. Affolter was a quiet, unassuming man, fond of his family and caring little for public life, but in 1893 the People's party made him their nominee for county commissioner, and, though he was defeated by a small majority, his popularity as a neighbor and a citizen was abundantly proven. The whole community mourned his loss when death took him from their midst, June 17, 1895.
He left eight children, two having preceded him to the better land. They were named respectively, Frederick and Frank. The others, all unmarried and living at home, are named as follows: Emil, Mary, Edward, John, Anna, Rosa, Paul and Lena.
Mr. Affolter was a native of Switzerland, and possessed the exalted sense of liberty, love of peace and regard for the rights of his brothermen, that are characteristic of the sons of the mountain-land. He was one of the nine children of Jacob and Elizabeth (Bombagger) Affolter, of whom but one, Jacob, now survives. He is a prosperous farmer of Phelps County, Mo.
The father, also of Swiss birth, was a stone-mason by trade and died when the subject of this sketch was a child. The latter, who was born June 10, 1832, grew up at home and under the roof of an uncle. The relative mentioned was the owner of a large hotel and of a distillery, besides having considerable farm land in his possession.
When he was in his twentieth year Mr. Affolter and a brother set sail for the United States, and reached these hospitable shores after a voyage of six weeks' duration. Going thence to Ohio they found employment with farmers, but, ere a year had rolled away, our subject suffered so greatly with chills and fever, that the brothers decided to go elsewhere.
Accordingly, they went to Highland, Ill., and in that vicinity worked for farmers some three years. Then, going to Missouri, they settled upon rented land. near St. Joseph, and commenced farming for themselves. The: country was not exactly to their fancy, and later they went to Kansas, with a view to locating there permanently, but they liked it even less than Missouri, to which state they returned, after a short time.
Having acquired something of the Pike's Peak' excitement our subject and his brother started across the plains in 1861, with the usual accompaniments of wagons drawn by yokes of oxen, etc. After numerous adventures and hardships they reached Denver at the end of six weeks, and a few days later continued their journey towards the mountains. They met numbers of dissatisfied men, and, acting upon their advice, turned back, also.
Instead, they went to Boulder and tried gulch mining in Left Hand Canon, but without very gratifying success. Soon they took up a claim on Left Hand, just below Haystack Mountain and the following year cut hay and hauled it to Blackhawk. In the winter of 1862 our subject again crossed the plains to Missouri, and returned in the spring with a large drove of milch cows and cattle, Near Longmont he pre-empted a claim of eighty acres, the land now owned and cultivated by his family. With energy an well-applied effort he set to work to improve the property, which, in time, became very valuable.
In 1868 Mr. Affolter formed the project of returning to Switzerland, in order to learn the process of making Swiss cheese, for which he was convinced that he could find a ready market in Colorado. He went as far as Ohio, where, on stopping for a visit with an aunt's family, he was persuaded to abandon his plan of going to Europe, and he learned the business in Ohio.
When on the way back to this state he visited some cousins in Greenville, Ill., and there met the lady who became his wife March 21, 1870. She was Miss Elizabeth Ruch, a native of Switzerland, who, as both her parents were dead, had come to Illinois with some friends in the spring of 1869.
The young couple returned to Colorado after their marriage and began housekeeping on the farm which Mr. Affolter had pre-empted before he went east. They were industrious and enterprising and within a few years were enabled to buy other property adjoining, until their farm comprised two hundred acres.
Mr. Affolter was a quiet, unassuming man, fond of his family and caring little for public life, but in 1893 the People's party made him their nominee for county commissioner, and, though he was defeated by a small majority, his popularity as a neighbor and a citizen was abundantly proven. The whole community mourned his loss when death took him from their midst, June 17, 1895.
He left eight children, two having preceded him to the better land. They were named respectively, Frederick and Frank. The others, all unmarried and living at home, are named as follows: Emil, Mary, Edward, John, Anna, Rosa, Paul and Lena.
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