Biography of Thomas Waters

Left an orphan in boyhood by the death of both his parents, and compelled from that time to make his own living, Thomas Waters, a prosperous rancher living on a good ranch in the neighborhood of Glenwood Springs, has come from poverty and obscurity to a condition of substantial comfort and consequence in his community through arduous effort, continued frugality and a willingness to do as well as he could anything he found to do. He was born in county Wicklow, Ireland, and is the son of Patrick and Anna (McDonald) Waters, also natives of the Emerald Isle, where their forefathers lived from immemorial times. The parents were devout Catholics, and had a family of four children. Of these Henry and Phillips are deceased and Thomas and John are living, both being residents of Garfield county, near Glenwood Springs. The parents died when Thomas was a boy, as has been stated, and he therefore had almost no opportunity for education in the schools. As a mere boy he went to work on a farm at meager wage, continuing this occupation in his native land until 1880, when he came to the United States and made his way to Leadville, this state. Here he worked four years in the mines for a wage of three dollars a day. In 1886 he located his present ranch, a pre-emption of one hundred and sixty acres, and since then he has been diligent and faithful in his efforts to improve and develop his property. Sixty acres yield gratefully to intelligent tillage and produce fine crops of the usual farm products in this section. Hay, grain, potatoes and other vegetables are raised, also cattle and horses. Mr. Waters has thriven in his industry and is now a well-to-do and prominent ranchman, and as a citizen he is held in high esteem by the whole community. On May 1, 1864, he was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Kennedy, like himself a native of Ireland but reared and educated in England. She is the daughter of Dennis and Ann Kennedy, who were born in Ireland and soon after their marriage moved to Cumberland county, England, where the father engaged in mining with moderate success until his death in 1871. The mother died at Leadville, this state, on February 5, 1899. They were Catholics and attentive through life to their church duties. Of their ten children, five died in infancy. The five living are Mrs. Waters, Mary, Patrick, John and Annie. Mr. and Mrs. Waters have had eight children, and six of them are living, Patrick Henry, Ann, Mary Katharine, Andrew, Thomas and Bridget. Dennis and Anna are deceased. The parents are Catholics, and the father supports the Democratic party.

Source: Bowen, A. W. Progressive Men of Western Colorado. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1905.