Charles Autobees facts for kids
Charles Autobees (1812–1882) was an important fur trader and pioneer in the American Old West. His last name was sometimes spelled Urtebise or Ortivis. He is known for starting the town of Autobees, Colorado.
Growing Up
Charles Autobees was born in St. Louis in 1812. His father, Francis Autobees, was French-Canadian and might have had Native American family too. His mother was Sarah T. Tate. Sadly, Francis drowned while logging. Later, Sarah married Bartholomew Tobin, and they had another son, Thomas Tate Tobin, who was Charles's half-brother.
Life as a Fur Trader
By the time he was 16, Charles Autobees was already a fur trader. He worked out of St. Louis. Many details about his early trading days are not fully clear. However, he worked with many famous people from the Old West. These included well-known figures like Jim Bridger and Kit Carson.
In the early 1830s, Charles was part of the American Fur Company. Life as a fur trader was often dangerous. He may have been involved in some conflicts with Native American groups, like the Blackfeet. These events were part of the challenging life of traders in those times.
There are different stories about Charles's personal life during this period. One story says he had a daughter named Eliza with a Flathead woman. Another account suggests he spent many years with an Arapaho woman named Sycamore.
In 1834, Charles left the American Fur Company. He then worked for Nathaniel Wyeth and Robert Evans at Fort Hall on the Salmon River. In 1835, he joined a group of trappers from the Hudson's Bay Company.
Moving to Taos
In 1836, Charles settled in Taos, New Mexico. He found work with Simeon Turley, who ran a flour mill and a distillery. Charles also started a family with Serafina Avila. They had two sons, Mariano (born in 1837) and Jose Tomas, who was known as Tom (born in 1842). Serafina stayed with Tom until she passed away in the 1870s.
Charles worked for Simeon Turley for eleven years. During this time, he traveled quite a bit. He spent some winters at Fort Lancaster and also went with Turley's trade wagons to New Mexico. In 1847, Turley's business was attacked by local groups. Charles's half-brother, Tom Tobin, managed to escape. Charles was on a mule train to Santa Fe, New Mexico at the time. Sadly, Turley and many of his men died in the attack.
After this, in 1847, Charles Autobees and Tom Tobin were living and farming near Pueblo, Colorado. In 1849, Charles worked as a guide and scout. He helped Lieutenant J. H. Whittlesey in an action against the Utes.
Autobees Settlement
In 1853, Charles Autobees, along with Richens Lacy Wootton, Levin Mitchell, and William Kroenig, built a new village. This village was called Huerfano village, which later became Autobees, Colorado. It was located on the south side of the Arkansas River, close to where the Huerfano River joins it.
