History: From seagoing to farming — here's the story of William Post
Historian Ansel Watrous described William Post as “one of the most entertaining men to visit and chat with. He has always been an omnivorous reader and is familiar with a wide range of subjects with which to enliven conversation.”
And no wonder — a sea captain before, during and after the Civil War, Post sailed the seven seas, so to speak. Coming as he did from a seagoing family originating in the Netherlands who settled in Connecticut early in its history, he no doubt had seafaring in his blood. He must have had, for he became a cabin boy on a merchant ship at the age of 13, in 1836.
Soon enough, he had his own ship and made many trips back and forth to England and mainland Europe carrying merchandise. When the Civil War began, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and the ships he captained played an integral part in the war; he was the executive officer of Relief, a ship that delivered supplies to the Army, and then a gunboat, Sonoma, in the North Atlantic. After spending several months in the West Indies chasing down privateers, he took part in the eight-month blockade of Charleston, South Carolina, off the East Coast.
During his service, he captured two Confederate ships, the Virginia and the Ida, both of which he delivered to New York. After the war, he commanded the John R. Plater for four years, engaging in trade with West India. His life on the high seas ended in 1869.
Just what brought him inland, as far west as Pleasant Valley, near Fort Collins, the following year is unclear. But come he did, soon joined by his family, and the sea captain became a farmer, apparently quite content with his changed circumstances and able to make a success of his farm.
But he had not entirely given up his love of being on the water, for he acquired a pleasure boat, the Maude Belle, which he delighted in sailing on Lindenmeier Lake. A friendly, garrulous man, he liked to speak to groups and to tell stories; in 1893 he shared his knowledge of instruments, demonstrating use of the quadrant and the chronometer, with the Woman’s Club. He also reviewed for them the history of astronomy, going as far back as Galileo. Civic-minded, he served a term as an alderman in the 1880s.
According to Evadene Swanson, this versatile man even once assisted Dr. Timothy Smith during surgical removal of a patient’s tumor, administering anesthesia. In his memoir about his life, remembering the early years, Wesley Swan describes the captain as a man known for “his love of country, family and friends, his strict integrity and his benevolent spirit.” Up until his death in 1915, at 91, the venerable pioneer remained mentally alert, able to live in his own home, where he loved to entertain guests. Those guests were fortunate indeed.
Contact history writer Barbara Fleming at email@example.com.