History of Colorado; Volume II, Part 30

Author: Stone, Wilbur Fiske, 1833-1920, ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 944

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On the 5th of December, 1910, Mr. Bliss was united in marriage to Miss Artie M. Sterling, a daughter of Charles C. Sterling, of Toledo, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Bliss have become parents of three children: Valla H., who was born April 11, 1912; Charlotte E., born February 13, 1916; and Walter Sterling, born May 3, 1918. Mrs. Bliss is a member of the United Presbyterian church.

Mr. Bliss gives his political endorsement to the democratic party but has never desired or sought office outside the strict path of his profession. He belongs to the Weld County Bar Association and that he enjoys the goodwill and confidence of his professional colleagues and contemporaries is indicated in the fact that he has been honored with the office of president of the bar association, in which capacity he is now serving. He has never regretted leaving the farm, for he has found his professional interests entirely congenial and his efforts in this field have brought him considerable prominence and well deserved success.

GEORGE L. REED.

George L. Reed is the president of The Boulder Creamery Company, a developing enterprise which has long since taken its place among the dividend paying commercial interests of Denver. Its management is based upon sound business principles and a spirit of progressiveness and initiative marks the conduct of its interests. Mr. Reed established the business by taking over an enterprise of the kind that had failed. He had had some previous experience along this line and his keen insight enabled him to recognize opportunities, while his unfaltering energy has enabled him to overcome all difficulties and obstacles in his path toward the goal of success.

Mr. Reed is a native of Cedar county, Iowa. He was born November 25, 1869, and is the eldest in a family of four sons and five daughters whose parents are William S. and Amanda (La Rue) Reed, who are also natives of Cedar county, Iowa. The Reed family was established in that state in early pioneer times. The ancestral line is traced back to England and the family was founded in the new world by Leonard Reed, who came to the United States about 1824. He took up his abode in Cedar county, Iowa, at an early date and devoted his life to the occupation of farming, spend- ing his remaining days in the Hawkeye state where he died aged about sixty-two years. William S. Reed was reared and educated in Cedar county, Iowa, and there took up the occupation of farming. In 1881 he removed to Fillmore county, Nebraska, and in 1907 he became a resident of Morgan county, Colorado, where he followed farming until a few years ago but is now living retired in that county, making his home in Wiggins. His wife is a daughter of George La Rue, who was a native of France and became the founder of the American branch of the family. He, too, cast in his lot with the early settlers of Iowa. Mrs. Reed is also living and they are well known people of Wiggins.

George L. Reed pursued his early education in the schools of Cedar county, Iowa, and afterward continued his studies in the high school in Fairmont, Nebraska. His

GEORGE L. REED

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early life to the age of seventeen years was spent upon the home farm and then he started out to provide for his own support. He was first employed by the Fairmont Creamery Company of Fairmont, Nebraska, his work being to collect cream through- out the country, through which he traveled with a wagon. He received as remunera- tion for his own labors and the use of his team a dollar and ninety-two cents per day. He was thus employed for three years or until he reached the age of twenty. In 1890 be removed to Crete, Nebraska, to become superintendent there, representing the Fairmont Creamery Company at that place. He occupied the position for five years and was then transferred to Fairbury, Nebraska, and became general manager for the company at that point. He continued in the latter position for six years and was with the Fairmont Company altogether for fourteen years. On removing to Boulder, Colorado in 1901, he became a butter sales agent for the Fairmont Company, Boulder being the company's distributing point in this state. He had been in Colorado for but a brief period when he learned that the Boulder Dairy Supply Company was about to go out of business. In fact it had failed. Thereupon Mr. Reed leased the plant and with a cash capital of one hundred dollars founded his present business, which has since developed and grown until it is the second largest in the state. After conducting the business for three months Mr. Reed had made such a success of the undertaking that his capital was increased to two thousand dollars and in 1911 the business was incorporated with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars. In 1909 the main business was removed to Denver in order to secure better shipping facilities and today the firm employs on an average of one hundred people, while the output for 1917 was in excess of one million pounds of butter. Something of the growth of the business is indicated in the fact that during the first year at Boulder the output was thirty-six thousand pounds. Today the trade extends to all parts of the country from coast to coast and the products of The Boulder Creamery Company are unsurpassed for excellence, while the development of the business stands as an indication of the marked enterprise, initiative and discernment of George L. Reed. In addition to his connection with The Boulder Creamery Company, of which he has always been the president, Mr. Reed owns five sections of land and farms three sections near Greeley but makes the creamery business his chief interest, and at a recent date the capital stock has been increased to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. It is his plan to gradually increase this to a half million or more as needed for the development of the business and it is hoped and believed that the business will become one of the largest of the character in the west.

On the 15th of September, 1898, in Fairbury, Nebraska, Mr. Reed was married to Miss Genevra M. Curtis, a native of that state and a daughter of Sidney and Mary A. (Wiley) Curtis, the former now deceased, while the latter makes her home with Mr. and Mrs. Reed. To their marriage have been born two children: Donald La Rue, who was born in Boulder, Colorado, August 27, 1903; and Virginia, born June 28, 1911.

Politically Mr. Reed is a republican but not an office seeker. He recognizes, how- ever, the duties and obligations of citizenship and always loyally supports the principles in which he believes. He belongs to Elks Lodge. No. 566, of Boulder, has been identified with the Modern Woodmen of America since 1892 and belongs to the Fraternal Union and the Royal Arcanum. He also has membership in the Denver Civic and Commercial Association, the Denver Manufacturers Association and the Denver Motor Club and he is interested in all of those things which are a matter of civic virtue and of civic pride. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church. He is truly a self-made man and as the architect of his own fortunes has builded wisely and well. He began work on the farm, milking cows, when but ten years of age and from early youth has been dependent entirely upon his own resources, so that his life record illustrates what can be accomplished through individual effort and such a record should serve as an inspiration and encouragement to others, for he is today at the head of an extensive and growing business and one which is having much to do with advancing standards of creamery production in the country.

ABRAHAM E. LIVERMAN.

Abraham E. Liverman. manager at Denver for the Home Life Insurance Company of New York, in which connection he has built up a business of extensive proportions, comes to the west from La Crosse. Wisconsin, where he was born on the 1st of June, 1864. his parents being Benjamin and Theresa ( Marks) Liverman, both of whom were

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natives of Poland. The father came to America when a youth of eleven years, settling first in New York city, and in young manhood he traveled for the firm of Lord & Taylor, which at that time was one of the largest jewelry houses of New York city. This was prior to the era of railroad building and Mr. Liverman had to make his trips with teams. He traveled throughout New York covering the period that included the second decade of the nineteenth century. In 1855 he removed westward to Wisconsin, becoming a pioneer settler of La Crosse, where for years he was engaged in the ice business. In 1883 he brought his family to Colorado, settling in Denver, where he resided until his death, which occurred in 1896, when he had reached the advanced age of ninety-five years. He came of a family noted for longevity, his father having lived to the venerable age of one hundred and four years, at which time he suffered a sunstroke while plowing in the fields, his death resulting. The mother of Abraham E. Liverman was also a native of Poland and in girlhood came to the new world in company with two brothers about the year 1830. She settled in St. Louis, Missouri, and was there married. To Mr. and Mrs. Liverman were born four sons and a daughter and three of the number are yet living, but the daughter has passed away. Those who survive are: Tobias B., a resident of Denver; Harry, who makes his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Abraham E., of this review. The wife and mother passed away in Denver in 1902 at the age of ninety-five years.

Abraham E. Liverman began his education in the public schools of his native city and when a youth of thirteen years started out to provide for his own support, his first employment being that of a messenger at La Crosse with the Western Union Telegraph Company. He later took up the study of telegraphy and engaged in work of that char- acter and in railroading for a period of twelve years. On coming to Colorado he entered the employ of the Union Pacific Railroad Company as general agent and was so engaged until 1895, when he accepted the general agency of the Home Life Insurance Company, which had recently been established. Through all the intervening period, covering twenty-three years, Mr. Liverman has been actively, continuously and successfully engaged in the insurance business and has contributed much to the success of the company, building up a large agency in Denver. When he took control this district had but a few policies and today the company is carrying insurance in force that approximates five million dollars. Not a little of the development of the business is due to the efforts and ability of Mr. Liverman, who has concentrated his attention and energies upon insurance interests, has carefully systematized the work in his district and has won a clientage of large and extensive proportions. He is also a director of the Denver Morris Plan Company.

On the 23d of December. 1908, Mr. Liverman was united in marriage to Miss Helen McPhail, a native of Toronto, Canada, and a daughter of Richard and Rose (Montgomery) McPhail. The latter is still living and makes her home in Denver. To Mr. and Mrs. Liverman have been born two children. Helen and Ruth, both of whom are natives of Denver, the former born January 22, 1912, and the latter on the 22d of February, 1914.

In politics Mr. Liverman maintains an independent course. Fraternally he is associ- ated with the Masons as a member of Oriental Lodge, No. 87, A. F. & A. M., of Denver, having taken the initial degree in 1893. He is also a member of the Civic and Commercial Association and he is deeply interested in all that has to do with the progress and improvement of his city and its upbuilding along substantial lines.

ALBERT MCCOLLUM.

Albert McCollum is engaged in general agricultural pursuits in Weld county, near Evans. He was born in Polk county, Iowa, August 22, 1858. His father, James McCollum, was born in Virginia, devoted his life to the occupation of farming and after living for a time in Polk county, Iowa, removed to the west, both he and his wife spending their last days in Evans, Colorado. Mrs. McCollum had a brother, Valerius Young, who was one of the early builders and promoters of Denver aiding largely in laying out the city. To Mr. and Mrs. James McCollum were born six children. namely: Caroline; Mary J .; Benjamin F .; Isaac N .; Barbara, who passed away in infancy; and Albert, of this review. The mother was twice married and by her first husband had two children, Florinda and John Addison Kimler.

Albert McCollum spent ten years of his youth as a public school pupil and afterward went to Kansas, where he remained upon his father's farm of one hundred and forty acres for four years. On the expiration of that period he arrived in Colorado with Evans as his destination. For fourteen years he rode the range and then concentrated

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his attention upon the production of crops. He is now the owner of sixty acres of land, devoted to the raising of beets, alfalfa and wheat.

On the 20th of March, 1890, Mr. McCollum was united in marriage to Miss Angeline Pulliam, of Fort Collins, a daughter of Henry A. and Nancy E. (Crain) Pulliam, both of whom passed away in Missouri. The father was born in Callaway county, Missouri, while the mother was a native of Macon county. During the Civil war Mr. Pulliam enlisted for active service and did duty as a teamster. He was taken prisoner while at the front. During much of his business career he followed farming, milling and carpentering. At different periods the family has been prominently connected with the pioneer development of various sections of the country. The grandfather of Mrs. McCollum went to Missouri when there were only three families in Macon county. Her grandfather was a Virginian by birth and at one time was a large landowner there, as were also other members of the family. A great-great-granduncle and aunt of Mrs. McCollum were scalped by the Indians in North Carolina. The ancestral line is traced back to the Belleau family of England.

To Mr. and Mrs. McCollum were born four children: Agnes, the wife of C. C. Prunty, town clerk of Evans, by whom she has two children, Barney Robert and Helen Arlene; Jessie, who is the wife of J. Edgar Rabb, of Butler, Pennsylvania; Elwood, who is engaged in the drug business at Evans; and Edith, who attends the State Normal School and is still under the parental roof.

In his political views Mr. McCollum is a democrat and his religious faith is that of the Christian church. He finds his greatest happiness in promoting the welfare of his wife and children and takes no active interest in clubs or fraternal organizations. His business interests are concentrated upon farming and throughout his entire life he has carried on agricultural pursuits, always following the occupation to which he was reared.

THOMAS J. EHRHART.

Thomas J. Ehrhart, who for many years has figured prominently in political circles, holding many important positions, the duties of which he has discharged with marked promptness and fidelity, was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, January 28, 1859, a son of Jacob G. Ehrhart, who was born in Pennsylvania, as was his father. Jacob G. Ehrhart became one of Colorado's pioneer settlers, arriving in this state in 1860. He was a representative to the first state legislature and had quite a prominent part in molding public thought and opinion in Lake county, where he made his home. His political allegiance was always given to the democratic party. He died in the year 1878, while his wife, who bore the maiden name of Lovina Miller and was a native of Ohio, has also passed away.

Thomas J. Ehrhart was their only child. He acquired a public school education, pursuing his studies to the age of seventeen years, after which he devoted his atten- tion to farming and to the cattle business at Centerville, Chaffee county, Colorado, for a few years. Whatever he has undertaken he has done with thoroughness and his care and persistency of purpose have been substantial elements in the attainment of his success. From early manhood he has been a stanch advocate and earnest sup- porter of the democratic party and on attaining his majority he was nominated for the office of county assessor, but was defeated at the election. When twenty-seven years of age he was chosen for the office of county commissioner. The capability which he displayed in the discharge of his duties led to his selection for more impor- tant ones and in 1896 he was elected to the house of representatives of the Colorado legislature. In 1898 he was chosen to represent his district in the state senate and was again elected to that position in 1906. He served as chairman of the finance com- mittee of the senate through two sessions and did very important work as a committee member, closely studying the vital questions which came up for settlement and seeking ever the welfare and advancement of the commonwealth. His present position is that of state highway commissioner. He was appointed by Governor Ammons on March 24, 1913, and served for four years, when he was appointed by Governor Gunter to succeed himself for another term of four years, ending 1921.

In 1882 Mr. Ehrhart was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Evans, a native of Illinois and a daughter of Griffith Evans, who was born in Wales. The children of this marriage are as follows. Pauline is the wife of Brett Grey and has one child. Earl is married and lives on the old Ehrhart homestead, in Chaffee county, Colorado, where his grandfather, Jacob G. Ehrhart, settled in 1868, and which land now is owned

THOMAS J. EHRHART

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by Thomas J. Ehrhart, and has never been out of the family. Earl Ehrhart married Mary Higgs, and has two sons, Thomas J., Jr., horn March 21, 1911, and Ward, born December 15, 1916. Jean, the third member of the family, is the wife of Frank Walker, of Fort Morgan, Colorado.

Mr. Ehrhart is a member of the Elks lodge at Salida, Colorado, and of the Knights of Pythias lodge there. He also belongs to the Denver Athletic Club and is appreciative of the social amenities of life, possessing a genial nature that results in warm friend- ships.

JAMES G. NOLL.

Prominent among the most enterprising, progressive and prosperous business men of Denver stands James G. Noll, who has long occupied a central place on the stage of business activity, controlling most important interests in the lumber trade, being at the head of the James G. Noll Lumber Company. Kansas numbers him among her native sons. He was born in Kirwin, Kansas, on the 28th of January, 1880, a son of William H. and Charlotte (Prince) Noll. The father is a native of Illinois and, removing to Kansas, hecame identified with the lumber trade. For many years he concentrated his efforts and attention upon business of that character and developed his interests to extensive proportions but is now living retired. At the time of the Civil war he responded to the country's call for troops as an Illinois volunteer and rendered active aid in the preservation of the Union. His wife, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, is with her husband in Los Angeles, California, where they now occupy an attractive home. They have two living children, James G. and Lyell M. Noll.

James G. Noll acquired his education in the public schools of Atchison and of Greenleaf, Kansas, passing through consecutive grades to the high schoool, from which he was graduated with the class of 1899. He turned to the lumber business, in which his father had long been active, becoming identified with a retail lumberyard, with which he remained for a year. He bent every energy to acquainting himself with the business in principle and detail and at the end of that time was given charge of a lumberyard at Barnes, Kansas. He afterward assumed the management of the lumberyard of the Central Lumber Company at Greenleaf and later when his father went to California, he assumed charge of his business at Greenleaf, Kansas. He came to Denver in 1907 and established a general office for the Central Lumber Company. He afterward pur- chased a large interest in the business and incorporated the James G. Noll Lumber Company, of which he has since remained the head. This is today one of the extensive lumber corporations of the state, paying quarterly dividends through the Colorado Na- tional Bank and long since recognized as one of the most prosperous corporations of the city. The capitalization of the company is one hundred and fifty thousand dollars authorized preferred stock and three hundred and fifty thousand dollars authorized common stock. While the principal office is in Denver, branch offices are also main- tained at Spokane and Seattle, Washington, and at Clarksfork, Idaho. Mr. Noll brought to the development of this husiness large experience. There is no phase of the lumber trade with which he is not thoroughly familiar and his initiative and enterprise have enabled him to put forth various progressive methods which have been most resultant in the upbuilding of the trade. Today the company handles a most extensive volume of business, its ramifying trade interests covering a very broad territory, while the thorough organization of each department of the business has made this one of the most pros- perous commercial concerns of Denver.

In 1902 Mr. Noll was united in marriage to Miss Fannie Maude Davison, of Green- leaf, Kansas, and to them have been born three children: Lila Marie, who is fifteen years of age; Violet Prince, thirteen years of age; and Mildred Alice, who is three years old.

Mr. Noll is an exemplary representative of the Masonic fraternity. belonging to Park Hill Lodge, No. 148, A. F. & A. M. While residing in Greenleaf, Kansas, he served as junior warden of his lodge. He has attained to the Knight Templar degree in Coronal Commandery, No. 36, and has reached the thirty-second degree of Scottish Rite Masonry in Topeka Consistory, No. 1. He is also a member of El Jebel Temple of the Mystic Shrine and he has membership in the Elks lodge. He belongs to the Mountview Boulevard Preshyterian church, of which he is one of the trustees, and in the work of the church he takes a most active and helpful interest. He turns to golf and tennis for recreation, and that he is appreciative of the social amenities of life is indicated in his membership in the Denver Athletic Club and the Lakewood Country Club. He is likewise a member

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of the Givic and Commercial Association, which is ever looking to the further upbuilding and development of the city, and he heartily cooperates in all of its well defined plans and measures for Denver's improvement. The subjective and objective forces of life are in him well balanced, making him cognizant of his own capabilities and powers, while at the same time he thoroughly understands his opportunities and his obligations. To make his native talents subserve the demands which conditions of society impose at the present time is the purpose of his life, and by reason of the mature judgment which characterizes his efforts at all times, he stands today as a splendid representative of the prominent manufacturer and capitalist to whom business is but one phase of life and does not exclude his active participation in and support of the other vital interests which go to make up human existence.

JAMES HUNTER WILSON.

A notable career of successful achievement, guided by most sound business principles, is that of J. H. Wilson, the president of the J. H. Wilson Saddlery Company. He has continued as the active head of the business for forty-one years and in all that time has practically sustained no reverses, his business having enjoyed a steady growth. Back of this continued success are principles which should receive the attention and inspire the efforts of all who wish to progress in business life. One of the principles which has ever guided him in his relations is that of meeting his every obligation. He has seen many of his competitors retire from business for one reason or another, some- times through failure, and yet the name of the J. H. Wilson Saddlery Company stands as a synonym for enterprise, progress and the most substantial qualities of business. Today Mr. Wilson ranks as a pioneer harness manufacturer in the state of Colorado, with an unassailable reputation for honesty in business, and in reviewing his career one cannot but feel that it is an exemplification of the old adage: "An honest man is the noblest work of God."

J. H. Wilson was born in Liberty, Union county, Indiana, March 13, 1848, and is a son of J. D. and Elizabeth (Hunter) Wilson, both of whom were natives of that state. The mother died when her son was but nine months old and he was reared by his father, who removed to Paxton, Illinois. The father was also a harness and saddlery manufac- turer and engaged in that line of business in Paxton, but when war was declared between the north and the south he volunteered in defense of the Union cause, joining the Sec- ond Illinois Cavalry as saddler for his regiment. He was employed in that work for the entire period of the Civil war. On taking up his duties with the government he was accompanied to his place of service by his young son, J. H. Wilson of this review, who became a general favorite with all the officers and men of the command and earned more money than the fighting men through selling papers, fruit and other handy things. On the day that General Grant went into Vicksburg, Mississippi, Mr. Wilson made a clear profit of sixty dollars by selling fruit to the soldiers. At the close of the war father and son returned to Paxton, where business was resumed, and the son learned the trade of making harness and saddlery under his father's direction and continued with him until he decided to follow the advice of Horace Greeley and go west. During this period young Wilson attended school at Bloomington, Illinois, for about eleven months, this being all the schooling he ever received. In 1876 he arrived in Denver, where he worked at his trade for a year, and then established a small harness and saddlery shop, which throughout the intervening years has developed into one of the foremost establishments of this kind in Colorado. He has displayed most able manage- ment in his business affairs. At the outset he had one assistant and they were perfectly able to take care of the trade, but today he employs a large number of expert work- men and has an office force to care for the correspondence and other like features of the business. His interests have always heen most carefully, systematically and wisely conducted and for many years Mr. Wilson was the sole head of the undertaking, so that the business stands as a monument to his skill, his sagacity and his thorough reliability. In 1900, however, he admitted his son-in-law to a partnership but the business is still under the direct supervision and active management of Mr. Wilson. As the years have passed he has embraced his opportunity for judicious investment and has acquired some valuable property in Denver, where he also owns a fine residence.

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History of Colorado; Volume II, Part 30

Author: Stone, Wilbur Fiske, 1833-1920, ed Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Number of Pages: 944

Author: Stone, Wilbur Fiske, 1833-1920, ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 944