David Howarth Colfax County, New Mexico

David Howarth, a rancher of Raton, Colfax County, was born in Meigs County, Ohio, January 27, 1846 and after acquiring a public school education was engaged in coal mining in Illinois until 1864, when he went to Colorado on a prospecting tour. He engaged in mining in that state until 1876, when he went to the Flack Hills just after the Custer massacre. There he was engaged in mining gold for a time, but returned later to Colorado and in 1880 came to New Mexico, settling first at Blossburg. After three weeks there passed, however, he continued southward in the Territory to Silver City on a prospecting trip. In 1882 he returned to Blossburg and was employed in the coal mines until he returned to the east. After a summer passed elsewhere, however, he again came to New Mexico in 1886 and worked through the four succeeding- years in the mines. He then established a merchandise business in Blossburg which he conducted ten years, after which he sold out to the Maxwell Land Grant Company, and purchased a ranch two and a half miles southeast of Raton comprising six hundred and thirty-eight acres. He has eighty acres under irrigation and finds that the soil is very productive. He also raises some cattle and horses.

Mr. Howarth was married in Blossburg in 1888 to Miss Annie Pieper, of Kentucky, and their children are: Fred. Barbara. Anna, Emma, Evelyn and a baby. Mr. Howarth is a Mason, belonging to Cassville (Kentucky) Lodge No. 168, A. F. & A. M., and his military experience covers a service with Company K of the Eighth Missouri Infantry of the Confederate army in the Civil war.

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