Life and Career of John Wesley Iliff Free Essay Example, 1250 words

Though Iliff was a prominent and successful rancher, the King of Cattle does not fit a stereotypic cowboy character as the other of ranchers. This is because he did not he befriended American Indians instead of fighting them as other people. Moreover, when he saw starving Indians feeding on one of his many cattle, he looked the other way and let them continue feeding. In addition, he is also different because, while the cowboys of Colorado made about a dollar a day, he was one of Colorado s first self-made millionaire (Noel). Despite being a teetotaler and a Christian, John Wesley Iliff, Sr. donated his first Curtis and 18th Streets mansion to the Keely Institute, which was a treatment center for alcoholics. During his death, fellow cattlemen eulogized him as the squarest man who ever rode over these plains (Noel 13). On his burial, rather than a typical cowboy wooden tomb, Iliff was buried at Denver s Riverside cemetery under an enormous obelisk, which became the centerpiece of t he cemetery. However, in 1820 his daughter moved his remains together with the monument to a more fashionable Fairmount Cemetery. We will write a custom essay sample on Life and Career of John Wesley Iliff or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page The two met in Denver and consequently got married in Chicago on March 3, 1870. Following the marriage, they had a brief honeymoon and then returned to live in Cheyenne. However, Elizabeth did not like Cheyenne and thus persuaded her husband, and they moved to Denver. This is because; the equal-rights agenda in Wyoming did not appeal to Elizabeth because of the newly won women rights.