S. E. Tipton Mora County, New Mexico

S. E. Tipton resides at Watrous, New Mexico, his native city. He was born August 5, 1850, and pursued his education in the Brothers' College, and at the Presbyterian school of Dr. MacFarland at Santa Fe from November, 1864, to 1869. He entered the ranching business with his father, W. B. Tipton, who had come to the Territory in 1847 from! Boone County, Missouri, having- traveled with an ox team across the plains. He located first at Santa Fe, where he engaged in placer mining. Becoming acquainted with S. B. Watrous, he removed from Santa Fe and entered into partnership with Mr. Watrous, they locating on the Scully grant, in which they purchased an interest. Mr. Tipton was from that time until his death, engaged in the stock business and farming, and was a representative pioneer and ranchman of New Mexico. He wedded Mary M. Watrous, daughter of S. B. Watrous, the wedding being celebrated in 1849. His death occurred February 17, 1888, at Tiptonville, New Mexico.

In partnership with his father, S. E. Tipton secured contracts for supplying Fort Union with beef in 1870 to 1873. The fort was garrisoned with between five and six hundred men and was manned for government service until about May 1891, when it was abandoned. During the period when he supplied the fort Mr. Tipton was engaged in running twelve or fifteen hundred head of cattle. He continued in cattle raising and ranching until about 1885, having a ranch in Cinta Canyon, two miles wide and seven miles long. After disposing of his cattle business, he turned his attention to farming and merchandising, conducting a store at Tiptonville, which place was named for his father. There he remained until November, 1888, when he sold his farm and lands to Hadley & Hallett for $25,000, having previously disposed of his store. He subsequently devoted two or three years to freighting, and on June 13, 1892, came to Watrous, where he began work for H. D. Reinkin.

On the 15th of October. 1871, at Sapello, New Mexico. Mr. Tipton was married to Miss Sallie Elizabeth Hern, of that place. Their children are: Jessie E., W. B., Albert A., Herbert A., Mary S. and Bessie E. Tipton.

He was united in marriage to Miss Jennie A. Hogsett, his present wife, formerly from Clay County, Missouri, at East Las Vegas, October 11, 1893. No children have blessed this marriage.

He has lived in Mora County all his life, and has no fault to find as yet to cause him to remove from his present pleasant and happy home at Watrous.

In politics Mr. Tipton has always been a stalwart Democrat. He was elected justice of the peace at Tiptonville in 1873 and in November, 1882, was elected county commissioner, and was chairman of the board of county commissioners and at the same time was chairman of the school board. He was also elected probate judge of Mora County for one term, in November, 1888 and was a member of the lower house of the territorial legislature in 1887. He served as postmaster of Tiptonville for several years, first appointment dated April 3, 1883. He was elected justice of the peace of Watrous, precinct No. 20, Mora County, January 12, 1903 and is now serving for the second term of two years. During his term as chairman of the board of county commissioners the county debt was all paid, and county warrants were worth par value, dollar for dollar, for the first time, to his knowledge, in the history of the county. He was appointed postmaster of Watrous February 20, 1895, and served as such for a term of four years.

Jesse E. Tipton, son of S. E. Tipton, was born in Tiptonville, November 7, 1872, and was educated in Jesuit College at Las Vegas, New Mexico. Later he entered the employ of H. D. Reinkin, with whom he remained for eleven years, and in April, 1901, he formed a partnership with Otto Lange under the firm name of Lange & Tipton, dealers in general merchandise, in Watrous. In October, 1893, he married Miss Maude Bowmer, of Mora County, and their children are: Eugene, Thelma, Elmo and Angeline.

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

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