{{Short description|American newspaper editor and historian}} {{use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{infobox officeholder | name = Ansel Watrous | office = County Clerk of Calumet County, Wisconsin | term_start = January 1, 1865 | term_end = January 1, 1867 | predecessor = J. Urmhoefer | successor = J. H. Cook | office1 = Sheriff of Calumet County, Wisconsin | term_start1 = January 1, 1861 | term_end1 = January 1, 1863 | predecessor1 = Norman Breed | successor1 = Daniel Lee | birth_date = {{birth date|1835|11|1}} | birth_place = Conklin, New York, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1927|8|5|1835|11|1}} | death_place = Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S. | resting_place = Grandview Cemetery, {{nowrap|Fort Collins}} | spouse = {{unbulleted list | {{marriage|Florelle Thompson||1916|end=died}} | {{marriage|Helen L. Thompson|1917|1927}} }} | children = | relatives = {{unbulleted list | Jerome A. Watrous (brother) | William F. Watrous (uncle) }} | profession = newspaper editor, historian }} '''Ansel Watrous''' (November 1, 1835{{spaced ndash}}August 5, 1927) was an American newspaper publisher of the ''Fort Collins Courier'' and a historian.<ref name="Jessen">{{Cite news |last=Jessen |first=Kenneth |date=2019-03-02 |title=Ansel Watrous served as a pioneer newspaperman and Larimer County historian |url=https://www.reporterherald.com/ci_32487900/ansel-watrous-served-pioneer-newspaper-man-and-larimer/ |access-date=2024-03-17 |language=en-US}}</ref> Born in New York, nine-year old Watrous moved with his family to Wisconsin and lived there six years until his father died of cholera. The family moved back east and Watrous was an apprentice carpenter, before returning to Wisconsin where he married and worked in construction, retail, and politics until he settled in Colorado in 1878.
A longtime resident of Fort Collins, Colorado, Watrous was a newspaper publisher, editor, and journalist. He is noted for ''History of Larimer County, Colorado'' (1911), the first comprehensive published history of the county.<ref name="Jessen" /> In retirement, he worked as a justice of the peace and continued to write articles for the newspaper.
A Forest Service campground in the Poudre Canyon in the Roosevelt National Forest northwest of Fort Collins is named for him.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1967-06-25 |title=Coloradoan: Features and Classifieds - Ansel Watrous Campground |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-collins-coloradoan-coloradoan-feat/143595411/ |access-date=2024-03-18 |work=Fort Collins Coloradoan |pages=15}}</ref>
==Early life== Ansel, named for his paternal grandfather, was born November 1, 1835, in Conklin, Broome County, New York,<ref name="RMN obit" /><ref name="Miller" /> was the son of Jane E. (née Smith) and Orrin J. Watrous.<ref name="1850 census" /><ref>{{citation|title=Orrin J. Watrous married Jane E. Smith in 1834 | publisher=Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line] |location=Provo, Utah | via= ancestry.com }}</ref><ref name="Stone">{{Cite book |last=Stone |first=Wilbur Fiske |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x-JYAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA27 |title=History of Colorado |date=1918 |publisher=S.J. Clarke |pages=27–28 |language=en}}</ref> His siblings were Henry O., Jerome Anthony, Dennis L., Eliza J., and Catharine M. Watrous.<ref name="1850 census">{{citation|title=Orrin J. Watrous, District 36, Calumet, Wisconsin | year=1850 |work=Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29 |publisher=National Archives |location= Washington, D.C. | via=ancestry.com}}</ref><ref name="Stone" /> Ansel's uncle William Watrous settled in Fort Collins in 1871.
The Watrous family moved to Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin in 1844 and four years later moved to Brothertown, Wisconsin, where Orrin ran a stage stop and hotel.<ref name="Stone" /> After a year, he established a mill on the Manitowoc River in Charlestown, Wisconsin. Orrin died of cholera on September 10, 1850 and the family moved back to Broome County, New York.<ref name="Stone" /> He was apprenticed to a carpenter in Brooklyn, Pennsylvania.<ref name="FCC obit 2" />
==Wisconsin== In 1855, Watrous returned to Wisconsin<ref name="RMN obit" /> and worked as a carpenter.<ref name="FCC obit 2" /> From 1861 to 1863, he was the elected Sheriff of Calumet County, Wisconsin.<ref name="RMN obit" /><ref name="Stone" /> On July 1, 1863, Watrous registered for the draft in the Union Army in Charlestown, Calumet County, Wisconsin.<ref>{{citation| title=Ansel Watrous | publisher=The National Archives |location=Washington, DC | work=Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registration Records (Provost Marshal General's Bureau; Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865); Record Group: 110; Collection Name: Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865 (Civil War Union Draft Records) |via=ancestry.com}}</ref> From 1863 to 1866, he was the county clerk.<ref name="Stone" /><ref name="FCC obit 2" /> He returned to contracting and building.<ref name="Stone" />
Watrous was a dry goods merchant in Charlestown in 1870. Living with them were two children: Florilla (8) and Sarah (16) Oldenbufrg.<ref>{{citation|title=Ansel Watrous, Charlestown, Calumet, Wisconsin | year=1870 |work=Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29 |publisher=National Archives |location= Washington, D.C. | via=ancestry.com}}</ref> Watrous continued to work in contracting and building in Wisconsin until December 26, 1877 when he left for Colorado.<ref name="Stone" /> His wife stayed in Wisconsion temporarily because her father was seriously ill.<ref name="Fl obit" />
==Fort Collins pioneer== On December 30, 1877, Watrous arrived in Fort Collins on the Colorado Central Railroad.<ref name="FCC obit 2" /> At that time, Fort Collins was a frontier town with dirt roads and sidewalks.<ref name="Jessen" /> He worked as a clerk,<ref name="Miller" /> at W.C. Stover's store until June 1878.<ref name="Stone" />
===Newspaper editor and publisher=== Watrous and his partner, E.M. Pelton, co-founded the ''Fort Collins Courier''. Watrous was the editor of the paper, that issued its first edition on June 29, 1878.<ref name="Jessen" /> His partner had newspaper experience.<ref name="Jessen" /> Some people made death threats and threatened to dynamite the newspaper.<ref name="RMN obit" />
The ''Fort Collins Courier'' was printed on an old, unreliable Washington Hand Press without enough type, which was resolved by printing two pages in Chicago and two pages printed with local news in Fort Collins. The pages printed in Chicago were shipped on the railroad.<ref name="Jessen" /> Watrous was a founder of the Courier Publishing Company that had enough type to print the whole paper locally. Watrous continued as the editor of what became a daily eight-column newspaper in 1880.<ref name="Jessen" />
In 1889, new owners became major shareholders of the Courier Printing and Publishing Company.<ref name="Jessen" /> Formerly a Democraticadd paper, it became Republican with the new owners.<ref name="Miller">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-collins-coloradoan-ansel-watrous-c/143572047/ |title=Ansel Watrous' Courier Was Established in 1878 |last=Miller|first=James (Jim)|date=21 October 1965|work=Fort Collins Coloradoan|page=15}}</ref> He stayed on as president and editor.<ref name="Jessen" /> The paper, a weekly for a period of time, grew from eight to twelve pages as the town of Fort Collins grew substantially with the turn of the century.<ref name="Jessen" />
On March 24, 1902, the first issue of the renamed newspaper ''Evening Courier'' was published. In 1920 the newspaper was purchased by and merged with the ''Fort Collins Express'',<ref name="Jessen" /> becoming the ''Express Courier''.<ref name="RMN obit" /> Watrous took a leave in 1910 to write his book about the history of Larimer County.<ref name="FCC obit 2" /> He retired in 1918<ref name="FCC obit 2" /> or 1920.<ref name="RMN obit" /> He continued to write articles in his retirement, including contribution to "Pioneer Corner" of the ''Sunday Express-Courier''.<ref name="FCC obit 2" />
===Politician and activist=== In 1881, Watrous was appointed to the town board of trustees.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1881-04-07 |title=The town election |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fort-collins-express-and-the-fort-co/143595101/ |access-date=2024-03-18 |work=The Fort Collins Express and The Fort Collins Review |pages=2}}</ref> He tried politics in 1882 and 1884 as a candidate for state auditor but was defeated both times.<ref name="FCC obit 2" />
In the early 1880s, Fort Collins was a vice-ridden town of gambling halls. Watrous is credited with making the town safer when he "waged a vigorous campaign against the underworld, and the better element backed him".<ref name="RMN obit" /> He was appointed Postmaster from 1885 to 1889, during the Grover Cleveland administration.<ref name="RMN obit" /> After retiring from the newspaper in 1920, Watrous served as a justice of peace for several years.<ref name="RMN obit" />
===Historian and author=== In 1910, Watrous completed the book ''History of Larimer County, Colorado'', which was published in 1911.<ref name="Jessen" /><ref name="Stone" /> He expressed his appreciation of the area with the article "My first close up view of the Rocky Mountains".<ref>{{Cite news |date=1923-05-20 |title=My first close up view of the Rocky Mountains |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fort-collins-express-my-first-close/143595695/ |access-date=2024-03-18 |work=The Fort Collins Express |pages=62}}</ref>
==Personal life== Watrous married Florilla Thompson on December 25, 1856, in Calumet, Wisconsin.<ref>{{citation|title=Ansel Watrous married Florella Thompson, December 25, 1856 |work=Pre-1907 Vital Records Collection |publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society |location= Madison, Wisconsin | via=ancestry.com}}</ref> Florilla (as known as Florelle) followed Watrous to Fort Collins by 1880.<ref>{{citation|title=Ansel Watrous, Fort Collins, Larimer, Colorado | year=1880 |work=Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29 |publisher=National Archives |location= Washington, D.C. | via=ancestry.com}}</ref> They did not bear any children.<ref name="RMN obit" /> Watrous and his wife had an adopted daughter, Bertha M. Pegg, who spent her childhood with them.<ref name="RMN obit" /><ref name="Marriage">{{Cite news |date=1900-02-17 |title=Marriage of Pegg / Robbins |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fort-collins-express-and-the-fort-co/95730907/ |access-date=2024-03-18 |work=The Fort Collins Express and The Fort Collins Review |pages=8}}</ref> Bertha taught school in Boulder<ref name="LCI marriage" /> and Fort Morgan by 1900.<ref name="Marriage" /> Pegg married Fred C. Robbins at Watrous's house in Fort Collins on February 14, 1900.<ref name="LCI marriage">{{Cite news |date=1900-02-22 |title=Bertha M. Pegg married Fred C. Robbins |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-larimer-county-independent-bertha-m/143609293/ |access-date=2024-03-18 |work=The Larimer County Independent |pages=3}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Bertha M. Pegg married Fred C. Robbins, February 14, 1900, Fort Collins |work=Marriage Records. Colorado Marriages |place=Denver, Colorado |publisher=State Archives | via=ancestry.com}}</ref> Florelle was active in the pioneer society, women's clubs, and the Baptist church. Watrous and his wife were involved in local charities.<ref name="Fl obit" /> Florelle died in Fort Collins on May 26, 1916.<ref name="Fl obit">{{Cite news |date=1916-05-26 |title=Mrs. Watrous, editor's wife died today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-larimer-county-independent-mrs-watr/143594427/ |access-date=2024-03-18 |work=The Larimer County Independent |pages=3}}</ref> Watrous married Florelle's half-sister,<ref name="RMN obit" /><ref name="FCC obit 2" /> Helen L. Brose on August 13, 1917.<ref>{{citation|title=Ansel Watrous married Helen L. Brose | work=Marriage Records. Colorado Marriages |publisher=State Archives |location= Denver, Colorado | via=ancestry.com }}</ref>{{efn|Another source stated that Florelle died in 1918 and Watrous then married Mrs. Clara Brose when he was 85 (about 1920).<ref name="RMN obit" />}}
Watrous was a mason.<ref name="Stone" /> He lived his last years and died on August 5, 1927<ref name="FCC obit 2" /> at the Larimer county home<ref name="FCC obit">{{Cite news |date=1927-08-14 |title=Pioneer Corner: Tributes of Colorado Press to memory of Ansel Watrous |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-collins-coloradoan-pioneer-corner/143566840/ |access-date=2024-03-17 |work=Fort Collins Coloradoan |pages=5}}</ref> or at the Larimer county hospital.<ref name="RMN obit" /><ref name="FCC obit 2">{{Cite news |date=1927-08-05 |title=Obituary for Ansel Watrous |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-collins-coloradoan-obituary-for-ans/143569704/ |access-date=2024-03-17 |work=Fort Collins Coloradoan |pages=1}}</ref> He had a Knights Templar funeral service<ref name="FCC obit 2" /> and a masonic burial in the Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins.<ref name="RMN obit">{{Cite news |date= August 6, 1927 |title=Ansel Watrous, Dean of Colorado Journalists, Dies |via= Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection |url=https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=RMD19270806-01.2.193&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%257ctxCO%257ctxTA--------0------ |access-date=2024-03-17 |work=The Rocky Mountain News (Daily)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Fleming |first=Barbara |title=History: Fort Collins cemeteries have storied history |url=https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/local/fort-collins/2018/10/28/history-fort-collins-cemeteries-have-storied-history/1756237002/ |access-date=2024-03-18 |work=Coloradoan |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Watrous, Ansel}} Category:1835 births Category:1927 deaths Category:19th-century American journalists Category:20th-century American journalists Category:American historians Category:Editors of Colorado newspapers Category:Journalists from Colorado Category:Writers from Fort Collins, Colorado Category:Colorado local politicians Category:Colorado postmasters Category:Larimer County, Colorado Category:Colorado pioneers