One of the best ranches in Laramie County, Wyoming, is that belonging to William Atchison and situated on the Laramie river eleven miles west of the Fort, where he has been living since 1898. He was born in Williamstown, Indiana, on February 21, 1850, a son of Walter and Margaret (Craigmyle) Atchison, natives of Kentucky. The Atchison family is an ancient English one, representatives of which came to America in early Colonial days, the descendants later making their home in Ohio, whence they scattered to various parts of the country. Atchison, Kansas, receiving its name from David Atchison, a relative of William. The Craigmyle family is of Irish extraction, and the immediate maternal ancestors of William Atchison were also early settlers in America. Walter Atchison, father of William, was a merchant in Zionsville, Boone County, Indiana where he was quite prominent and lived until 1868, when he went to Minnesota and shortly afterwards to Iowa, where he settled on a farm six mile from Des Moines, where he followed agricultural pursuits until his lamented death in August 1881, his remains being interred in Polk County. His widow still resides in Des Moines and makes her home with a daughter. William Atchison received his education in Indiana and at the age of seventeen years went to Minneapolis, Minn., and there worked at the carpenter’s trade for two years, becoming and expert in this handicraft. In the fall of 1868 he went with his father to Iowa and assisted him on the farm until the latter’s death in 1881. In December 1881, he came west with his wife and took up residence in Colorado to recuperate his health, which had become impaired. Here he purchased a ranch about five miles from Fort Collins and embarked in the cattle business in combination with farming, in which he continued until March 1887, when he sold out and came to Wyoming, and here was employed on the T. V. ranch with the people on Chugwater until 1898, in the fall of which year he purchased his present ranch, where he has since been most successfully engaged in cattle raising. This ranch is one of the best managed in the county and his dwelling of the most modern construction. William Atchison was united in marriage at Des Moines, Iowa, on September 15, 1875, with Miss Esther E. Kitchel, a native of Indiana, and the accomplished daughter of John and Esther (Peck) Kitchel, natives of New Jersey and New York. Mr. Kitchel, a farmer in Indiana, removed to Iowa, becoming a pioneer of Warren County, and was there engaged in farming until his death on March 3, 1860, his remains being interred in Warren County. His widow, now eighty-eight years of age, lives with a daughter in Page County, Iowa. The marriage of Mr. And Mrs. Atchison has been blessed with three children, Nellie L., now Mrs.. Roach, Clara M., now Mrs. Clouser, and Walter K. The family worship at the Methodist church and are classed with the best people of Laramie county and the state, being foremost in moral and religious work. As a citizen, Mr. Atchison is recognized as a Republican and a most useful citizen, inasmuch as he is ever among the foremost to contribute toward public improvements and to advocate their introduction when their necessity becomes apparent. Recognition of the ability of Mrs. Atchison to successfully administer public affairs has been made by the United States gov-ernment in her appointment as postmaster of Grey Rocks post-office, the duties of this office being discharged with great acceptability and the satisfaction of the post-office department and the patrons of the office, with whom she is distinctively popular.
