Researching the history of D&RG(W) agent-telegrapher Charles Russell Lively (1888-1954) can be as much a study in how the United States Census was taken as it was finding out about him. Cnsus precinct names and numbers don't always match railroad names.
In 1910 lively, his wife Ida and stepson George Cowan were in Census Chromo precinct 3 even though Cumbres, where they actually were, was a long way from Chromo.
There was a small community at Cumbres. Carman Charlie Trower and his wife Lettie were there when the census was taken on April 25, 1910 as well as brother-in-law Virgil Legan, who also worked for the railroad (There is no truth to the rumor that everyone had good pensmanship in 1910).
Also present were section forman Clemente Valdez and his wife and six children as well section gang memebers Celestine Romero, 17, Jose Rendon, 21, and Candelerio Martinez, 19.
Also present was Mr. Lively's brother-in-law, engineer John A. Peterson. Engineer Peterson must have been cut off and living with family since the crew base was in Chama.
In 1920, Mr. Lively was in Los Pinos Precinct 4, which may or may not been Los Pinos. There was a large population of section gang members listed on that page.
Ida Lively was not listed on this census but she and Charles Russell were listed together in lateer censuses. The census taker put CRL down as a telegrapher along with Loyd Flechter. Luther Maynard, 25, and Frank McBehane, 27, (possible misspelling) were carmen. Idon't believe the Rio Grande stationed carmen at every station but that is just a guess.
There were two section formen listed. Narciso Rendon and Eduardo Archuleta. Narciso Rendan's gang was a family affair. Insaido (?) Rendan and Fredrico Rendan.
Other section men were Augustine Viarail (sp?) Venito Vigil, Lascaro Baroz, Manuel Trujillo Max Archuleta, Rosendo and Juan Maez.
C.R. Lively was at Cumbres in the 1920s as he handed orders to engineer R.L. Smith and fireman Ralph McGuire prior to the Toltec wreck in 1922. The agent said the crewmen read the orders back correctly. Later it was proven that there was a disconnect between what the orders said and what the crew thought.
In 1930 Lively and Ida were together in Magote Precinct 3. He is listed as a telegrapher operator.
Ida died in 1970. The couple is buried in Durango's Greenmount Cemetary.
