Frederick Roth Colfax County, New Mexico

Frederick Roth, one of the wealthiest ranchers of northern New Mexico, was born in Wismar, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, October 23, 1838, and there spent his boyhood. At the age of sixteen he accompanied his father, George Roth, to America, and located in Ohio. His father, a tanner, Frederick learned the tanner's trade, at which he first worked for wages in Ohio. Later he owned a tannery and carried on an extensive business for a number of years, employing many men. For several years he did a $100,000 business annually, and in nine years he cleared $54,000. He made his home in Ohio thirty-one years, the last four years of that time being engaged in farming. In 1885 he came to New Mexico, bringing with him $85,000, which lie has increased many fold since he came to the Territory. First he bought a small bunch of cattle, which he ranged upon 160 acres of land he pre-empted in the eastern part of Colfax county, near Johnson's mesa, and where he made his home for seven or eight years, Then he moved further west, and since 1900 has resided on his present ranch, twelve miles southeast of Raton. Here he has 40,000 acres of land, one of the finest cattle ranches in the county.

Also, he owns valuable property in Raton, including a handsome business block on Front street, three other buildings on that street, and a two-story brick block on Park avenue, between First and Second streets, the last named erected in 1905, to be used for stores and offices. Mr. Roth has made it the rule of his life to attend strictly to his own business, and to this may be attributed the success he has won.

In 1867 Mr. Roth married Miss Margaret Coons, who died in 1892. They had no children. He was reared a Lutheran, but is not now actively identified with the church. He is Republican in politics. Peter Larsen is known throughout Colfax County and, indeed, all over the Territory of New Mexico, as a scientific and successful farmer, there being few ranches in New Mexico that can compare with the Larsen farm near Springer.

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

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