John C. Abbott was born on January 20, 1841 in Lockport, Illinois. In 1870, Abbott came to Greeley, Colorado as part of the Union colony, and then moved to Larimer County in 1872, where he farmed until moving to Fort Collins in 1881. Abbott was a promoter of agricultural resources and construction of irrigation canals and ditches. He worked with Benjamin H. Eaton to build the Lake Canal Ditch and Larimer County No. 2 Canal in 1873-1874, and was an associate contractor on the Pleasant Valley and Lake Canal in 1879 and 1880. He was a founding member of the North Fork Ditch Company in 1878. In 1882, he served a two-year term as state auditor, and then was involved in real estate, insurance, and loan businesses. He passed away on January 22, 1909.

Citations:

-Ansel Watrous. History of Larimer County Colorado. The Old Army Press, 1911. pp. 353-354.