Chris Studer was born in Zurich Switzerland in 1839. While farming in Illinois in 1859, he made the acquaintance of Jacob Dellenbach, and, at the breaking out of the Pike's Peak excitement, they struck out for that place, crossing the plains with an ox team. Meeting with disappointment in Colorado, they continued on to California where they engaged in placer mining. In 1865, together they came to Silver City, and took up a wood ranch until the summer of 1868, when, in partnership with Joseph Gross and Frank Schuster, they became the owners of the Blue Gulch gravel claim on Florida Mountain. According to the local newspaper, at the "Indian outbreak" in June, 1878, Mr. Studer was one of the first to volunteer his services, and at the disastrous engagement at South Mountain, on June 8, 1878, gave up his life at age 39 in defense of the hearths and homes of Owyhee County. His funeral, which took place under the auspices of the Odd Fellows, was one of the largest witnessed in this locality, citizens and strangers numbering several hundred participating in the sad demonstration.
Mr. Studer was a plain, unassuming man, and held in high esteem by all his acquaintances. His wooden gravemarker was stolen many years ago and replaced recently where the brackets marked the site of his grave.
