Irving Howbert

author

Irving Howbert

1846–1934

A pioneer of the Pikes Peak region, he helped shape early Colorado Springs through business, public service, and philanthropy. His memoirs and historical writing preserve a firsthand view of frontier life in Colorado.

1 Audiobook

The Indians of the Pike's Peak Region Including an Account of the Battle of Sand Creek, and of Occurrences in El Paso County, Colorado, during the War with the Cheyennes and Arapahoes, in 1864 and 1868

The Indians of the Pike's Peak Region Including an Account of the Battle of Sand Creek, and of Occurrences in El Paso County, Colorado, during the War with the Cheyennes and Arapahoes, in 1864 and 1868

by Irving Howbert

About the author

Born in Columbus, Indiana, in 1846, Irving Howbert moved west with his family as a boy and reached Colorado Territory in 1860. He later became one of the notable early figures of the Pikes Peak region and worked closely with William Jackson Palmer in the development of Colorado Springs.

Howbert built his reputation through a mix of public service and business ventures. He served as county clerk and recorder, worked in real estate, invested in mining and railroads, and was also active in politics and civic life. Accounts of his career consistently describe him as a businessman, investor, politician, and philanthropist.

He is also remembered as a writer who left valuable recollections of early Colorado. His books and memoirs, including work on the Pike's Peak region and its Native peoples, offer readers a window into the ambitions, conflicts, and rapid growth of the American West. He died in 1934.