According to the “Historical Record Index View” at the Colorado State Archives website, a man named Christopher Troutfetter was involved in a legal dispute with the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway in the 1890s. The index does not indicate which party is the defendant and which party is the plaintiff. The index does not indicate what the case was about either.

The court case is dated 16 November 1898. There is no indication if this was the date the court action was initiated or completed. It’s a typical index entry–it’s meant to lead one to the actual record. It’s not meant to replace it.

Christopher Troutfetter is a new name to me. The only Troutfetter I was aware of being in Colorado during this time period was Philip and perhaps one of his brothers who lived in nearby Kansas. None of them were named Christopher. This was the time period when Philip was having legal difficulties of his own, but they involved his wife, his mother-in-law, and the United States Postal Inspector–not the railroad.

I’ve got to do a little more research to see who this Christopher is. That’s the problem with uncommon names–when we find a “new person,” we try and see where they fit into the ones we are already aware of.

 

 

 

 

 

Note: The Colorado State Archives is a part of the Colorado Department of Personnel & Adminstration.