Geo & Eva Booco Bio's
Biographies
George G. Booco
Eva Myra (Slaughter) Booco
George G. Booco
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL
RECORD
George G. Booco, the owner
of real estate and ranching interests in Minturn, Eagle Co.,,
was born in Indianapolis, Ind., and reared in Anderson, that state.
In early manhood he was for a short time at West Lancaster, Ohio.
At twenty-two years of age he came to Colorado and settled in
Leadville, in 1879, durning the boom days of that town. For several
years he engaged in the mining business, leasing and bonding many
well-known mines in that district, and he still owns shares in
a number of mines there. Before the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad
had extended its track to Eagle County he located a ranch at what
is now Minturn, and it is upon his land that the town is built.
It is situated in a small valley between the mountains, with a
beautiful stream, Eagle River, running through its entire extent.
There are rich mines of gold and silver in the vicinity and many
mines waiting for capital to develop their valuable resources.
The prospects for the growth of the town are bright. Mr. Booco
has realized a considerable amount from the sale of his lots and
still owns other lots that are advatageously located, besides
which he has a fine ranch and a comfortable home.
The father of our subject, William Booco, come west in 1879 and
is now a well-to-do ranchman at Wolcott, Eagle County. He is the
grandson of the founder of the family in this country, a frenchman
who accompanied Lafayette to this country and aided that famous
general in liberating the colonies from their bondage to England.
The mother of our subject was Margaret G. Gwinnup, who had three
brothers that enlisted in the Union army during the Civil war
and two died while fighting for the government. The paternal grandmother
of George G. Booco was a sister of General Sherman.
In matters of politics Mr. Booco was a Democrat until the People's
party was organized, since which time he has voted with the Populists
and worked in their interests. He is deeply interested in educational
affairs and has rendered able service as a member of the Minturn
school board.
'Portrait & Biographical
Record of the State of Colo. 1899'
Eva Myra (Slaughter)
Booco
PORTRAIT OF BIOGRAPHICAL
RECORD
MRS. EVA MYRA BOOCO, superintendent
of the public schools of Eagle County, and wife of George G. Booco,
was born in Keokuk, Iowa, a member of a southern family that owned
a large number of slaves, besides valuable plantations. Her father,
Henry Holloway Slaughter, was born in Virginia, to which commonwealth
his ancestors had emigrated with the colonists of Jamestown. He
was related to Governor Slaughter, at one time chief executive
of New York state. In spite of the fact tht his family were mostly
southerners and slave-owners, he took his stand on the side of
the Union. Receiving a number of slaves as his share in the family
estate, he took them to Iowa and set them free. For this act he
was severely censured by other members of the family. The freeing
of the slaves left him a poor man, and when he started in business
it was without capital. He opened a dry-goods store in Farmington,
Iowa, and by industry and good management accumulated a competence.
The marriage of H.H. Slaughter united him with Mary Denny, whose
ancestors crossed the ocean from Ireland in the "Mayflower,"
and some of the name, in after years, became large slave holders,
but she was a strong believer in the Union cause. One of her brothers
was killed in the Civil war. She is still living and makes her
home in Keokuk, Iowa. Of her children, Charles Henry is a wealthy
man and lives in Iowa, where for years he has been connected with
a hardware business; Mrs. C.L. Becker, of Keokuk, is the wife
of a wholesale dealer in hardware; Mrs. E.V. Nixon is the wife
of a wealthy stockman of Areata, Cal.; Mrs. W.F. Dwight lives
in Kansas City; Mrs. William Coombs is a resident of Lynn, Mass.;
and Mrs. H.A. Becker is the wife of a hardware merchant of Keokuk.
Upon completing her education, the subject of this sketch taught
for five years, after which she traveled in California and the
west for two years, and then taught in the schools of Topeka,
Kan., for two years. About 1885 she came to Colorado, where she
began to teach in Chaffee County, and for a time was employed
at Poncho Springs. She came to Minturn to accept a position in
the school here, and in this town met Mr. Booco, who was a member
of the school board. Thery were married in 1891, an are the parents
of a daughter, Florence Irene. Mrs. Booco is idnetified with the
People's party and it was upon that ticket she was elected superintendent
of schools of Eagle County in 1897, a position that her previous
experience in teaching admirably qualifies her to fill. She has
given educational work considerable thought and attention and
is not only gifted intellectually, but is also a logical reasoner
and acute observer, and labors constantlly to improve the conditions
of the schools under her charge. She is a sincere Christian and
in religioous belief in a Congregationalist.
'Portrait & Biographical
Record of the State of Colo. 1899'
Copyright ©
1999 Shelley Booco-Barnes
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