Every town has its representative, and emphatically Mr. Denny is La Junta's prominent citizen. He came to Bent County in 1878 and located where the city of La Junta is now situated. At that time there were only two or three buildings in the place, and the first night after his arrival he slept on a counter in the railroad station. There was at this time no town nor city organization, no voting precinct, no school district, and not much to indicate there ever would be. But through Mr. Denny's indefatigable perseverance, and with the assistance of the railroad company, La Junta has now a city organization, with Mr. D. as its first Mayor. He was elected to this office May 1 1881, receiving a majority of fifty votes over all competitors. He is President of the School Board: was instrumental in building a fine schoolhouse, and furnishing it more completely than any other school building in the county. January 15, 1880, Mr. Denny was admitted to practice in all the courts of Colorado. Was appointed Postmaster in 1879, but in July, 1881, resigned in favor of R. B. Hollingsworth. He has charge of the station at La Junta of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad; has fifteen men as clerks under him. In 1868, he was married, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Miss Emma Brundage. They have one daughter living, having buried two boys in Iowa. Mr. Denny was born in Geneva, Harrison Co., Penn., November 4, 1846. There he lived four years before moving with his parents to Ohio. In l852, they moved to Mount Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa. He worked on a farm during his boyhood and attended school only one summer and two winters. In 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company K, Ninth Iowa Cavalry, J. J. Lambert, of the Colorado Chieftain, as First Lieutenant. He served in the Seventh Corps of the Army of the Southwest under Gen. Steele, and afterward Gen. J. J. Reynolds. He was noticed by Gen. R. in Special Order 144 for bravery, having carried important dispatches from Searcy, Arkansas, to Little Rock, same State, notifying of Gen. Price's last raid. He was wounded at the battle of Hickory Station. He was promoted to the Telegraph Corps and detailed in the Military Telegraph Office at Duvall's Bluff. He was discharged from the army April, 1866, having served nearly four years. Mr. D. remained in Madison, Arkansas, for one year after the close of the war. He then returned hone and was employed by the Chicago & North-Western Railroad for a time at Mount Vernon, and afterward at Mechanicsville, Iowa, where he resided five years, three years with the railroad and two years he was engaged in mercantile life. La Junta, Bent County, owes much to Mr. Denny's enterprise for its present prosperity.
Every town has its representative, and emphatically Mr. Denny is La Junta's prominent citizen. He came to Bent County in 1878 and located where the city of La Junta is now situated. At that time there were only two or three buildings in the place, and the first night after his arrival he slept on a counter in the railroad station. There was at this time no town nor city organization, no voting precinct, no school district, and not much to indicate there ever would be. But through Mr. Denny's indefatigable perseverance, and with the assistance of the railroad company, La Junta has now a city organization, with Mr. D. as its first Mayor. He was elected to this office May 1 1881, receiving a majority of fifty votes over all competitors. He is President of the School Board: was instrumental in building a fine schoolhouse, and furnishing it more completely than any other school building in the county. January 15, 1880, Mr. Denny was admitted to practice in all the courts of Colorado. Was appointed Postmaster in 1879, but in July, 1881, resigned in favor of R. B. Hollingsworth. He has charge of the station at La Junta of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad; has fifteen men as clerks under him. In 1868, he was married, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Miss Emma Brundage. They have one daughter living, having buried two boys in Iowa. Mr. Denny was born in Geneva, Harrison Co., Penn., November 4, 1846. There he lived four years before moving with his parents to Ohio. In l852, they moved to Mount Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa. He worked on a farm during his boyhood and attended school only one summer and two winters. In 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company K, Ninth Iowa Cavalry, J. J. Lambert, of the Colorado Chieftain, as First Lieutenant. He served in the Seventh Corps of the Army of the Southwest under Gen. Steele, and afterward Gen. J. J. Reynolds. He was noticed by Gen. R. in Special Order 144 for bravery, having carried important dispatches from Searcy, Arkansas, to Little Rock, same State, notifying of Gen. Price's last raid. He was wounded at the battle of Hickory Station. He was promoted to the Telegraph Corps and detailed in the Military Telegraph Office at Duvall's Bluff. He was discharged from the army April, 1866, having served nearly four years. Mr. D. remained in Madison, Arkansas, for one year after the close of the war. He then returned hone and was employed by the Chicago & North-Western Railroad for a time at Mount Vernon, and afterward at Mechanicsville, Iowa, where he resided five years, three years with the railroad and two years he was engaged in mercantile life. La Junta, Bent County, owes much to Mr. Denny's enterprise for its present prosperity.
