Nathaniel C. Alford was born in Maine on November 29, 1834, and came to Colorado during the Pikes Peak gold rush in 1859. He became involved in mining, farming, ranching and other business ventures in Colorado and other western states. Alford finally settled in Fort Collins in 1880. He continued to be involved in agricultural pursuits, such as a bee business in 1881, but also turned to water and irrigation. In 1881, he started construction of the Larimer County Ditch as a Larimer County Ditch Company enterprise, and eventually became president of the Water Supply and Storage Company. In this capacity, he oversaw the reconstruction of the Chambers Lake dam in 1910.

He remained involved in farming and business ventures for the rest of his life. In 1893, he became stockholder and directorate member of the Poudre Valley Bank, and served as bank president between 1905 and 1909. The Poudre Valley Bank was a stockholder of Water Supply and Storage Company in 1911.

 

Citations:

-Ansel Watrous. History of Larimer County Colorado. The Old Army Press, 1911. pp. 348-349.