Clinton Monroe Tyler - biography
Clinton Monroe Tyler, born January 16, 1834 in Livingston County, New York, came from a family of ten children. His parents were George W. Tyler and Lodoiski Norton, natives of Vermont, who married in 1829 in Livonia, Livingston County, New York. Lodoiski Norton, b. ca. 1808, was the daughter of Luther Norton and Margaret Halstead. George W. Tyler's grandfather was a Revolutionary War Soldier. One of his ancestors, on the maternal side, was one of the Americans who captured Major John Andre as he was returning to the British lines after his conference with the traitor, Benedict Arnold, in Westchester County, New York.
In 1844 the family of George W. Tyler, moved to Pulaski Township, Jackson County, Michigan.
Clinton Monroe Tyler attended Michigan Central College, Oberlin College, and Gregory's Commercial College in Detroit, where he graduated in 1856. Clinton then moved to Baraboo, Sauk County, Wisconsin, where he engaged in the hardware business in company with Nelson K. Smith, b. ca 1811, a native of New York. Clinton married on the 24th of December 1857, Nelson Smiths' daughter Sarah Emma Smith, born 1835, Cortland, New York
In February 1860 Clinton, wife Sarah, and first born child Lillian, born 1858,
moved to Colorado,
along with Mr. Nelson K. Smith and his wife Helen M. Campbell, b. ca.
1813, New York, and six
children: Lucian K, Smith, Francelia Smith, Rodolphus N. Smith, Medora A. Smith,
Nina M. Smith, and Jennie A. Smith.
"The party had seven wagons, drawn by oxen and horses, and seven weeks were passed in crossing the plains. They rested every Sunday, and with a cast-iron stove, which they had brought with them, baked what food they desired. The also had a six-stamp mill among their merchandise, and this was put up and operated after their arrival at Blackhawk. "
In the following spring Mr. Tyler was obliged to return east for provisions, etc., and brought back a sawmill, which he managed in partnership with Mr. Smith.
Clinton recruited a company of one-hundred-day men in 1864 and was commissioned their captain by Governor Evans. They were a part of the Third Colorado Regiment of Cavalry, which put down the Indians who were making trouble for the pioneers, on account of the absence of the regulars at the front in the Civil War. Captain Tyler furnished many of the horses ridden by the men of his company.
Captain Tyler headed the military unit on the South Platte, providing protection for the wagon trains on the Eastern Plains. Old Fort Morgan, a military post establish in 1864, a mile from the South Platte River on the Overland Trail was originally called Camp Tyler, in honor of Captain Clinton M. Tyler. The name was eventually changed to Morgan.
Three yeas later, Tyler, and his brother-in-law, James P. Maxwell erected a sawmill on South Boulder Creek, below Rollinsville, and operated this until 1867. In the meantime he and N. K. and E. B. Smith built the Central City toll wagon road, which was in use until the railroad was put through. He also, in company with N. K. Smith, made the Boulder Valley wagon road and controlled the same until the Union Pacific bought it.
Gradually his possessions accumulated, by his judicious investments, and he was a very successful as a raiser of live stock. He owned land in Boulder, Weld, Larimer, Arapahoe, Logan, Morgan, Jefferson and Gilpin Counties, as well as some in Wyoming. The total land holdings amounted to 13,000 acres.
In 1874 Clinton bought Judge Decker's ranch near Boulder. The town of Merino, Logan County, was named for his enterprise in bringing the first fine Merino sheep here in 1876.
Mr. Tyler was a member of the first city government of Blackhawk and was elected to the territorial legislature from Gilpin County. Clinton at one time owned all the land from Tyler Hill east to Alpine Street in Boulder. He donated a portion of his holdings for the future sight of the University of Colorado. Clinton was elected regent of the University of Colorado."
The 1880 Federal Census for Clinton M. Tyler shows a household of 14. Clinton, a farmer and stock raiser, wife Sarah Emma, and seven children, five boys and two girls, who were all attending school. (See next paragraph for names of children) There were five people employed by Mr. Tyler, including Matilda Johnson, a housework-servant, Charles E. Huggins, a Bookkeeper, Wiley and James Dumm, both laborers, and William Doyle, a gardener.
Clinton Monroe Tyler died March 18, 1886. His wife, Sarah Emma Smith died in 1928.
Their seven children: 1. Lillian E. Tyler, 2. Ella F. Tyler, wife of Richard Whiteley, 3. Burt Tyler, 4. Frank Tyler, 5. Frederick Tyler of Montana; 6. Dolph Smith, of Philadelphia, and 8. Lee or Lu Clinton (male).The Tyler family is buried in the Boulder Pioneer Columbia Cemetery. Nelson Smith and wife Helen Campbell are buried directly across the isle.
The following Tyler family members have headstones placed in the Tyler family plot::
Luther M. Tyler
May 25, 1832
Oct. 28, 1898
Brother of Clinton
Tyler family plot
Boulder's Historic
Columbia Cemetery
NORTON
Clinton Monroe Tyler's mothers maiden name.1. Emma Smith Tyler, 1835-1928 Wife of of Clinton.
2. Clinton Monroe Tyler, 1834-1886
3. Lillian Tyler, Ward, 1858-1903. Wife of Samuel Ward, Boston, MA.
4. Burt Tyler, 1863-1885
5. Frank Tyler, 1865-1940
6. Rowena Whaley Tyler, 1865-1926
7. Fred Tyler, 1867-1928. Of Montana.
8. L. U. C. Tyler, 1876-1928
9. May R. Tyler, 1878-1949
10. Cora Tyler Williams, 1884-1976
11. Clinton P. Tyler 1910-1956
12. Luther N. Tyler May 25-1832 - October 28, 1898
"Portrait and Biographical Record of Denver and Vicinity, Colorado. By Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago, 1898. pp 718-719. Biographical sketch of Clinton Monroe Tyler. Boulder Carnegie Library.