Laserfiche WebLink
During his lifetime, William Austin worked in farming and mining, had a store in downtown Louisville, <br />and served as mayor. <br />William Austin was born in New York in 1864, then moved to Missouri before coming out to Colorado. <br />According to the 1956 article for which Jessie was interviewed, he was initially a farmer who worked on <br />the Miller farm in the Lafayette, Colorado area not far from Louisville. He then helped sink the shaft for <br />the Simpson Mine, which was the first mine in Lafayette that was started in 1888. According to a 1976 <br />interview with William's granddaughter, Lois Mall, he would walk to the Simpson Mine in Lafayette to <br />work ten hours a day for $1.50. He also helped sink the Acme Mine shaft in downtown Louisville; the <br />Acme Mine is also believed to have been started in 1888. <br />Jessie and William's daughter, Mae, was born in 1891. Their son, Roy, was born in 1896. It is believed <br />that both were born in the house at 717 Main, which was the home of Jessie's parents, Charles and <br />Amelia Niehoff. The Austin family had a part of the house, then Jessie and her husband and two <br />children moved to another home in Louisville. This home was at 500 Spruce St. <br />This photo shows the Austin family circa 1904-1905: <br />It is not known how long they lived at 500 Spruce, but following the death of Charles Niehoff in 1909 and <br />Amelia Niehoff in 1915, Jessie and her husband and children then returned to 717 Main and it became <br />their home for several more decades. Jessie became the legal owner by a deed recorded in 1925, her <br />9 <br />