Sigafus, James Monroe, Sgt., 8th Battery, WI Vol. Light Art. G.A.R. Lysander Cutler Post #55, Wausau, WI
James M. Sigafus Civil War Veteran, James Monroe Sigafus, a native of Wayne County, Pennsylvania was born to Michael Sigafus, Sr. and Katherine Ann Spinner on February 21,1837. After receiving a limited education, in 1854, at age 16, he traveled to Marathon County, Wisconsin where he worked in lumbering and in1860 married Miss Augusta Schwartz.
In November, 1861, shortly after the Civil war broke out and the first call for volunteers was issued, Sigafus enlisted in the 8th Wisconsin Light Artillery as a private. He was almost 24, 5’11” in height with green eyes. The battery was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland and bore a conspicuous part in many memorable engagements, including the battles of Stone River, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Dalton, and Resaca, as well as various skirmishes and battles during the campaign to Atlanta. The latter battle fought at Nashville. The battery was under the leadership successively of Rosecrans, Thomas, and Sherman. Sigafus was wounded slightly in the battle of Stone River but with that exception, escaped unhurt. On Jan. 20, 1865, after almost 4 years at the front Sgt. Sigafus received an honorable discharge and began the next exciting chapter of his life.
After spending a short time in Illinois, on April 20, 1865, Sigafus went west to Colorado with his wife and an ox team to seek his fortune. Proceeding from Denver to the mining regions of the Georgetown district, he gained his first practical knowledge of mining and he loved it. But, after one year of prospecting on Bear and Clear Creeks in Jefferson County and not meeting much success, he purchased a cattle ranch of 160 acres on Bear Creek, 28 miles west of Denver. There in 1867, their daughter and only child Effie was born. They resided here until 1871, with Sigafus engaging in farming, gardening, and stock-raising. They then moved to South Park, bought a 920 acre hay ranch, raised stock and hauled hay to the mountain mining camps for another five years. In 1876, the family moved to Colorado Springs and for the next two years he engaged in freighting between Colorado Springs and Leadville.
The saying back then, “Once a miner, always a miner,” proved true for Sigafus. In 1878, he sold his ranch in South Park, and during the winter of that year “grub-staked” George W. Belt, who the following April discovered the famous Robert E. Lee Mine near Leadville, which yielded nearly $13,000,000. Sigafus sold his 1/3 interest in February 1881 for $1,000,000 which today would amount to an amazing $23,255,813!!!.
Even so, he remained connected with mining interests in Leadville and Southwestern Colorado. He served as a Director of the First National Bank and the Gas Company in Colorado Springs while also sponsoring the J.M.Sigafus Hose Co. #3 for the Fire Department.
Now a multi-millionaire, Sigafus retired from active business to enjoy his accumulated wealth. He took his wife and Effie on a 4-month pleasure trip through Florida and the West India Islands.
In 1882, wanting to find a suitable husband for his beautiful daughter, Sigafus disposed of his various holdings in the wild west of Leadville and moved his family to dignified Tarrytown, New York. This tiny area in New York was know as “Millionaire’s Colony” since it was home to 61 multimillionaires including John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould and my Sigafus. Tarrytown was the wealthiest place of its size in the world. This was the Gilded Age and the many castles-mansions built in the Hudson River Valley by these tycoons and self-made millionaires reflected their abundant wealth. Daughter Effie married James E. Bird, the only child of James and Elizabeth Olmsted Bird. Effie’s father-in-law, James Bird was a successful architect/builder who had designed the Tarrytown (NY) Christ Episcopal Church – often called Washington Irving’s church – which of course, was where his son and Effie were married. Although he did not serve in the Civil War, I feel he made a significant contribution to the cause by designing the Foster Memorial AME Zion Church. Probably the oldest Negro church in New York, it also served as a stop on the Underground Railroad for slaves on their way to Canada. Both churches still play an active role in the community and are on the National Registry of Historic Places and Landmarks. So, it was only fitting that after acquiring 45 acres of property with one of the finest views of the Hudson River, Sigafus called on Bird to design and build his new residence. The 4-story castle, completed in 1884, was built to resemble a French chateau with piazzas 12 feet wide around the entire building. There was said to be more terra-cotta in this house than in any other in the United States. For years, Sigafus delighted in providing the residents of Tarrytown with spectacular fireworks displays every 4th of July.
Despite living a now privileged life, mining was still in his blood and just 4 years later he acquired his first holdings in New Mexico. Sigafus’s good fortune continued with the North Homestake Mine at White Oak proving a source of considerable revenue. After selling the property in 1895 at a good figure,
Press Image for Full Story
he focused on the Good Hope Mine in San Bernardino, California that he had purchased in 1889. He was familiar with the area since the family had frequently wintered in San Diego County. In addition to the gold mine, he erected a substantial residence on the 600 acre property. He worked the mine till the mid-1890’s taking out $5,000 – $10,000 gross monthly during peak periods. His eventual sale of this property resulted in a landmark court battle that made it all the way to the Supreme Court. Sigafus prevailed in court and his case set the precedent for mining law.
The Sigafus castle in Tarrytown was sold in 1902 when the family made the permanent move to California. Although castles had once been commonplace in Tarrytown, by 1971 it was one of the very few that had survived the passage of time. That’s why when it was totally destroyed by fire, it was viewed by the community as a tragic loss.
James Monroe Sigafus passed away on July 13, 1910 doing what he loved. As he was visiting his mine, Sigafus was overcome by the summer heat of the San Bernardino County desert and died right there. His obituary appeared in many newspapers throughout the country and highlighted the passing of one of the last great miners. He is buried in the GAR Memorial at Historic Evergreen Cemetery in Riverside, CA.
His wife, daughter and son-in-law rest nearby. James Monroe Sigafus proudly served his country in the Civil War. He followed his dreams, made and lost several fortunes and clearly lived quite an exciting life. There are many more interesting stories about my amazing Civil War Veteran, but I’ll leave that for another day.