Watkins, Erwin C., 1839-1911.

Erwin Watkins and Simeon Whiteley worked for the Office of Indian Affairs in the 1870's and 1860's, respectively.

Following military service as an officer in the Civil War, Watkins was appointed an Indian Inspector in 1875. In that capacity he visited various tribes throughout the western states and territories reporting on their conditions to the Office of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. Following his resignation in 1878, he returned to Michigan and pursued several different lines of work. Simeon Whiteley, on the advise of Gov. John Evans, was commissioned as an Indian agent to the Colorado Middle Park Indian Agency in 1862, later named the White River Agency. He resided in Denver until 1865 serving both as Indian agent and as editor of a daily newspaper called the Commonwealth. Returning to Racine, Wisc. he established the Whiteley Insurance Agency.