The
Plested Family has been active in the business, cultural,
and civic life in Trinidad since Rev. William Plested
of New York City brought his family to Trinidad in 1882.
Rev. Plested suffering from consumption hoped to regain
his health in the west.
The
family consisted of his wife, Alice Gordon Plested, seven
year old Alice, six year old Edith, four year old William
and three year old Howard. They lived in a three-room
house on what now is West Kansas while building their
home at 816 Pine St. (still standing). Later Rev. Plested
homesteaded a tract of land above Victoria Square.
Rev.
Plested served as deputy clerk of the County Court of
Las Animas County and U.S. Land Attorney. Just before
his death in 1893, he built and operated the Sunflower
Creamery near Hoehne.
Rev.
and Mrs. Plested were very active in the First Methodist
Episcopal Church, then located on the present site of
the Court House. The parsonage there was their gift to
the church. When their youngest son, Howard died at the
age of twelve, Mrs. Plested, (who had inherited some
money from her father) gave $10,000 to the Methodist Missions
in his memory. The sum helped to found the Howard Plested
Memorial Secondary school in Meerut, India, which has
grown into an outstanding educational institute.
William
Gordon Plested and his sisters attended Tillotson Academy
and after his fathers death, they moved to attend Denver
University.
Edith
and Alice married and never returned to live in Trinidad
but William came back in 1899 to manage his mother’s
business affairs and remained in Trinidad the rest of
his life. He was Clerk of the District Court from 1903
to 1907, and later was cashier of the International State
Bank from 1911 to 1926.
He
became interested in the coal mining as early as 1905,
and was associated with Charles Beuchat Sr. in acquiring
controlling interest in the Bear Canyon Coal Company in
1925 which they built into a successful independent operation.
Plested
married Nellie Bernice Nicholls, sister of Mrs. Jesse
Norhtcutt and had five children, Bernice, William, Evelyn,
Dolores and Alice. Each grew up in Trinidad and graduated
from Trinidad High School.
Mr.
and Mrs. Plested were very active in the musical life
of Trinidad. Mrs. Plested was an accomplished pianist
and organist and Mr. Plested as a vocalist. Mr. Plested
was active the community and civic organizations and was
a member of various regional and national coal mining
associations, as well as director of the Colorado Chamber
of Commerce. He died January 11, 1958 and Mrs. Plested,
June 28, 1964.
Bernice
Plested made a career of teaching at Thatcher, Sopris
and Trinidad. She was married to Glen Hancock, and after
a divorce, to John J. Herring, both are now deceased.
William
Gorden Plested Jr. entered law and was president and
general counsel of the Federal Land Bank of Wichita, until
his retirement in 1973. He married Elora Lonergran, who
died in 1980, they had two children, Judith Neher of Boulder,
Co., and Dr. William Gorden Plested III of Los Angeles,
Ca.
Evelyn
Plested who died October 7, 1978 married Thomas Delbert
East Jr. of Trinidad who died October 23, 1950. They had
two sons, Thomas and Gorden. She was a leader in civic
affairs in Trinidad receiving many honors and awards for
her work. She worked for the Chronicle News and for twenty
years for the Selective Service Board.
Dolores
Plested made a career of journalism, working on the Chronicle
News in Trinidad, The New York Times, KMYR Radio Station,
then Bureau Chief in Denver for Fairchild Publications
of New York City. Through the years she kept active ties
with Trinidad, spearheading the drive to acquire Bloom
House Museum, and established the 700-member Friends of
Historical Trinidad: and was a key figure in establishing
the Arthur Mitchell Gallery.
Alice
Plested went into stenography working on Time Magazine
and at Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital, New York; and on
the Navajo Reservation in Window Rock, N.M.
(Note:
if you have Photos of this family or know of anyone that
does, please have them get in touch with us so that we
might share some photos of the family here)