Fort Lewis Indian School federal records (Collection M 211), Series 1:

Fort Lewis Indian School (Colo.) employees list, 1892-1913

Scope and contents: This is a descriptive listing of 832 records of employment at the Fort Lewis Indian School that functioned near Hesperus (Colo.) prior to the U.S. government giving the property to the State of Colorado for use as a school.  Some individuals are listed more than once, due to different positions they held or different times of employment at the School.  This listing is an attempt to display all of the data that was handwritten in the original two ledger book volumes; the only category of data that we have omitted is the U.S. Congressional District (because it was seldom noted; those that were noted, were Congressional Districts 2 (for 63 entries), 5 (4 entries), and 7 (for 8 entries).  References to Folder refer to the Center of Southwest Studies' two file folders of photocopies from those two ledgers.  References to Page refer to the page number that was stamped on the upper right corner of every two-page form displaying the data in the original ledger books.

This prints out as an estimated 343 pages; we do not recommend printing it out, due to the length and because the printout is not likely to retain the formatting of the web page view.  The Center of Southwest Studies has the same document in Word format, 198 pages (use the online photoduplication request form to order a copy for purposes of personal research).

Data contained in this list: These records have historical, sociological, and genealogical research value.  For instance...

• The ages noted in these records (where listed; 103 entries in the original ledger books gave no age) ranged from 12 to 61. 

• The compensation (where listed; 34 entries provided no figure) ranged from $1.50 to $1,800. 

• 759 were listed as regular employees, 37 were listed as irregular employees, and 10 as temporary; no notation was given for the employment type of 26 of the listed individuals.  A few ceased working at Fort Lewis because the altitude of the school was dangerous to their health.

• Positions listed include Baker, Blacksmith, Carpenter, Clerk, Cook, Dairyman, Disciplinarian, Engineer, Farmer, Harnessmaker, Hayer, Indian Assistant, Industrial Teacher, Instructor, Labor, Laundress, Matron, Nightwatchman, Physician and Nurse, Police Private, Seamstress, Shoemaker, Superintendent, Tailor, and Teacher.  71 had been pupils or students previously.

• 507 of the employees were described as White, 271 as Indian, and 32 as Hispanic; the race of the remaining 22 was not noted.

• The marital status was not stated for 18 of the entries; 506 were listed as single, 278 as married, 23 as widows, and 9 as widowers (no mention of any divorces).

Arrangement: This list is presented in alphabetical arrangement by name of employee, whereas the original records in the two ledger books at the National Archives in Lakewood (Colo.) were recorded chronologically by date of employment.

Note: You may find this file slow to load because it is large--it contains information on hundreds of employees.  We have stored this inventory on this single file, arranged alphabetically by the individual's surname.  You can search for a person's name using the Edit-> Find in Page (Ctrl+F) feature on your Web browser.

Click on one of these entry points to access this long list (arrangement is alphabetical by name of employee):

Fort Lewis Indian School (Colo.) employees, 1892-1913

  Name:   A. [full surname not stated], John          Position: [Police] Private

    Age:  [not stated]     Marital status:  Married           Gender:  M        Race:  Indian       Folder/Page

    Birthplace: [not given]                 Residence:  Colorado                                 1      34

    Where employed: Navajo Springs                   Type of employment:  Regular

    Compensation per year:  $10.00                  Previous position:  [not stated]

    Date nominated: 7 /1 /1905              Began work:  7 /1 /1905               Ended: [not noted]

    Reason for leaving: [not noted]

   --------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Name:   Adams, John                                                       Position: [Police] Private

    Age:  [not stated]        Marital status:  Married           Gender:  M             Race:  Indian              Folder/Page

    Birthplace: [not given]                            Residence:  Colorado                                    1      34

    Where employed: Navajo Springs                   Type of employment:  Regular

    Compensation per year:  $10.00                  Previous position:  [not stated]

    Date nominated: 7 /1 /1905              Began work:  7 /1 /1905               Ended: 2 /28/1906

    Reason for leaving: Discharged

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Name:   Adams, John                                                       Position: [Police] Private

    Age:  57         Marital status:  Married           Gender:  M             Race:  Indian              Folder/Page

    Birthplace: [not given]                            Residence:  [not given]                                2      2

    Where employed: Navajo Springs                   Type of employment:  Regular

    Compensation per year:  $20.00                  Previous position:  [not stated]

    Date nominated: [not noted]                     Began work:  5 /1 /1907               Ended: [not noted]

    Reason for leaving: [not noted]

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Name:   Addy, [given names not stated]                             Position: Clerk

    Age:  [not stated]         Marital status:  Married           Gender:  F       Race:  [not stated]      Folder/Page

    Birthplace: [not given]                            Residence:  [not given]                        1      39

    Where employed: Fort Lewis Indian School       Type of employment:

    Compensation per year: [not noted]                Previous position:  [not stated]

    Date nominated: [not noted]                  Began work: [not noted]                Ended: [not noted]

    Reason for leaving: [not noted]

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Name:   Addy, C. F.                                                         Position: Dairyman

    Age:  [not stated]       Marital status:  Married           Gender:  M       Race:  [not stated]        Folder/Page

    Birthplace: [not given]                            Residence:  [not given]                         1      39

    Where employed: Fort Lewis Indian School       Type of employment: [not noted]

    Compensation per year:  [not noted]                 Previous position:  [not stated]

    Date nominated: [not noted]             Began work: [not noted]                 Ended: [not noted]

    Reason for leaving: [not noted]

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Name:    Allen, James     Position:           [Police] Private

    Age:  48         Marital status:  Single             Gender:  M             Race:  Indian              Folder/Page

    Birthplace: Colorado                              Residence:  [not given]                                2      2

    Where employed: Navajo Springs                   Type of employment:  Regular

    Compensation per year:  $20.00                  Previous position:  [not stated]

    Date nominated:  [not noted]                Began work:  7 /1 /1906               Ended: 12/15/1907

    Reason for leaving:  Discharged

    Notes: Compensation $20.00 per month.

  --------------------------------------------------------------------

Name:   Amos, Arthur                                                      Position: Engineer

    Age:  45         Marital status:  Single             Gender:  M             Race:  White              Folder/Page

    Birthplace: Colorado                              Residence:  Colorado                                1      26

    Where employed: Fort Lewis Indian School       Type of employment:  Regular

    Compensation per year:  $720.00                Previous position:  Engineer

    Date nominated: 1 /13/1902             Began work:  10/3 /1901              Ended: [not noted]

    Reason for leaving:  [not noted]

    Notes: Colorado.

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Name:   Anderson, Anabel                                                      Position: Instructor

    Age:  [not stated]       Marital status:  Single             Gender:  F             Race:  [not stated]        Folder/Page

    Birthplace: [not given]                            Residence:  [not given]                                  1      39

    Where employed: Fort Lewis Indian School       Type of employment: [not noted]

    Compensation per year:  [not noted]               Previous position:  [not stated]

    Date nominated:  [not noted]               Began work: [not noted]                  Ended: [not noted]

    Reason for leaving: [not noted]

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Name:   Anglea, Alice S.                                                        Position: Principal Teacher

    Age:  30         Marital status:  Married           Gender:  F             Race:  White             Folder/Page

    Birthplace: Oregon                                Residence:  Washington                           1      14

    Where employed: Fort Lewis Indian School       Type of employment:  Regular

    Compensation per year:  $720.00                Previous position:  Principal Teacher

    Date nominated: 11/13/1897            Began work:  11/1 /1897              Ended: [not noted]

    Reason for leaving:  Married

    Notes: Married J. S. Anglea

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Name:    Anglea, Alice S.                                                        Position: Principal Teacher

    Age:  31         Marital status:  Married           Gender:  F             Race:  White             Folder/Page

    Birthplace: Oregon                                Residence:  Washington                          1      16

    Where employed: Fort Lewis Indian School       Type of employment:  Regular

    Compensation per year:  $840.00                Previous position:  Principal Teacher

    Date nominated: 8 /1 /1898              Began work:  7 /1 /1898               Ended: 8 /6 /1898

    Reason for leaving:  Resigned

    Notes: Resigned and moved to Washington state.

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Name:   Anglea, J. S.                                                       Position: Carpenter

    Age:  26         Marital status:  Single             Gender:  M             Race:  White             Folder/Page

    Birthplace: Tennessee                           Residence:  Colorado                              1      7

    Where employed: Fort Lewis Indian School       Type of employment:  Regular

    Compensation per year:  $720.00                Previous position:  Carpenter

    Date nominated: 9 /7 /1894              Began work:  9 /1 /1894               Ended: [not noted]

    Reason for leaving:  [not noted]

  --------------------------------------------------------------------

Name:   Anglea, J. S.                                                       Position: Carpenter

    Age:  27         Marital status:  Single             Gender:  M             Race:  White             Folder/Page

    Birthplace: Tennessee                           Residence:  Colorado                              1      9

    Where employed: Fort Lewis Indian School       Type of employment:  Regular

    Compensation per year:  $720.00                Previous position:  Carpenter

    Date nominated: 6 /6 /1895              Began work:  7 /1 /1895               Ended: [not noted]

    Reason for leaving: [not noted]

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Name:   Anglea, J. S.                                                       Position: Carpenter

    Age:  28         Marital status:  Single             Gender:  M             Race:  White             Folder/Page

    Birthplace: Tennessee                           Residence:  Colorado                              1      11

    Where employed: Fort Lewis Indian School       Type of employment:  Regular

    Compensation per year:  $720.00                Previous position:  Carpenter

    Date nominated: 7 /2 /1896              Began work:  7 /1 /1896               Ended: [not noted]

    Reason for leaving: [not noted]

  --------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Anglea, J. S.     Position:           Carpenter

    Age:  29         Marital status:  Single             Gender:  M             Race:  White             Folder/Page

    Birthplace: Tennessee                           Residence:  Tennessee                           1      14

    Where employed: Fort Lewis Indian School       Type of employment:  Regular

    Compensation per year:  $720.00                Previous position:  Carpenter

    Date nominated: 7 /30/1897             Began work:  7 /1 /1897               Ended: 5 /23/1898

    Reason for leaving:  Transferred

    Notes: Transferred to Indian School in Tacoma.

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Name:   Anglea, James S.                                                      Position: Carpenter

    Age:  26         Marital status:  Single             Gender:  M             Race:  White             Folder/Page

    Birthplace: Tennessee                           Residence:  Colorado                              1      6

    Where employed: Fort Lewis Indian School       Type of employment:  Regular

    Compensation per year:  $720.00                Previous position:  Carpenter

    Date nominated: 6 /16/1894             Began work:  7 /14/1894              Ended: [not noted]

    Reason for leaving: [not noted]

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Name:   Areen, Thomas                                                    Position: Superintendent

    Age:              Marital status:  Married           Gender:  M             Race:  White              Folder/Page

    Birthplace: Ireland                                 Residence:  Colorado                              1      6

    Where employed: Fort Lewis Indian School       Type of employment:  Regular

    Compensation per year:  $1,500.00              Previous position:  Physician

    Date nominated: [not noted]                           Began work:  4 /10/1894              Ended: [not noted]

    Reason for leaving:  [not noted]

    Notes: Under bond approved Mar. 28, 1894.

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Name:   Armstrong, Job                                                    Position: Captain

    Age:  46         Marital status:  Married           Gender:  M             Race:  Indian              Folder/Page

    Birthplace: Colorado                              Residence:  [not given]                              2      2 

    Where employed: Navajo Springs                   Type of employment:  Regular

    Compensation per year:  $20.00                  Previous position:  [not stated]

    Date nominated:  [not noted]                Began work:  7 /1 /1906               Ended: [not noted]

    Reason for leaving:  [not noted]

    Notes: Reduced to Private 10/30/1906.

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Name:   Armstrong, John                                                        Position: Police Private

    Age:              Marital status:  Single             Gender:  M             Race:  Indian            Folder/Page

    Birthplace: Colorado                              Residence:  Colorado                              2