Oscar Troy Colfax County, New Mexico

Oscar Troy, a rancher in Blosser Gap, Colfax County, New Mexico, was born near Petaluma, in Sonoma County, California. April 7, 1853, son of the late Daniel Troy. Daniel Troy was a native of Illinois, who went from that state to California during the gold excitement of 1849. He was engaged in mining and hotel keeping in the Golden state until 1872, when he came to New Mexico and turned his attention to the sheep industry, which he followed for several years. Oscar, at the age of twenty-two years, joined his father on the sheep ranch here, and later they added cattle to the business. From 1878 to 1898 the subject of our sketch was on a ranch south of the present place in Blosser Gap, where, since the latter date, he has carried on his ranching operations. This place, with a cabin on it, at one time sold for a pony worth from $50 to $75. Here Mr. Troy now has 7,000 acres of land, patented, and also at times ranges his stock on government land as well as his own. At this writing he has about 5,000 sheep and 300 cattle. So successful has he been with the former that he has come to be an expert in this line, and is recognized locally as an authority on sheep.

Mr. Troy's family divide their time between the ranch and their home in Raton, preferring, however, to spend the most of the year in town. Mrs. Troy, formerly Miss Louise Pieper, is a native of Clinton, Iowa. They were married in New Mexico December 28. 1878, and are the parents of six children: Edith Edna, wife of M. R. Grindle, of Raton; Eva Louise, deceased; Earl, Rene, Marie and Myrtle, twins.

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Source: History of New Mexico, Its Resources and People, Volume II, Pacific States Publishing Co., 1907.