USA > Colorado > History of Colorado; Volume III > Part 59
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In 1897 he came to Limon and has since made this city his home. He turned his attention to the hotel business in a small wooden building which served more or less as a makeshift for a hotel until 1900, in which year he built the present hotel, which is in every respect modern and up-to-date. He makes it a point to provide for his guests all the comforts obtainable and the utmost cleanliness is maintained in the hostelry. There are many modern conveniences and the cuisine is also first class, so that many of the travelers in Colorado go out of their way in order to seek shelter under his hospitable roof even if only for a night. It is but natural that his patronage has increased from year to year and that this enterprise has made him one of the prosperous citizens of his community. Moreover, he has served as president of the
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Farmers & Merchants Bank of Limon since its organization, hut outside of attending the directors' meetings and laying down a general policy to be pursued has not taken an active part in the actual operation of the institution. This bank was organized about two years ago and has progressed very satisfactorily in a financial way. More- over, Mr. Tompkins is interested in some ranch properties, having made investments along this line during the last few years, and while he has attained a very gratifying degree of prosperity has never lost sight of general improvement and has ever given his support to those measures which have been projected in order to benefit his town and county. He is ever ready to give of his time and means in support of such enter- prises and by his own labors has greatly contributed toward development and upbuilding.
In 1893 Mr. Tompkins was united in marriage to Miss Mary McClaughlin, a native of Indiana and reared in Leavenworth, Kansas. To this union were born four children: Margaret; Lawrence R., who received his education in military schools in Wentworth, Missouri, and in Kansas and who has shown decided talent and inclination toward mechanical pursuits and since June, 1917, has been in the service of the United States navy; and Nellie, and Cornelia. Mrs. Tompkins and the children have been reared in the faith of the Catholic church, in which they are devout communicants.
As stated above, Mr. Tompkins is deeply interested in the community welfare but is not a politician. In casting his ballot he considers the character and ability of the candidate and gives his support to the man whom he considers of the greatest value to community, county or commonwealth, irrespective of party affiliation. Not only in Limon and Lincoln county but throughout the state and in fact all over the country Mr. Tompkins is well and favorably known, having made many friends among the traveling public and among his neighbors and fellow citizens. All. however, from the slight acquaintance to the most loyal and intimate friend, are agreed as to his hon- orable principles and high qualities of character, which have guided him in all of his business dealings and in his private life.
DANIEL REAGAN.
Daniel Reagan, a real estate and land agent of Sterling, whose knowledge of prop- erty values is comprehensive and whose business interests have been wisely and care- fully conducted, has through these channels won a substantial measure of success. He has been a resident of Sterling since 1906. California claims him as a native son, his birth having occurred in Sierra county in 1866. His parents were Daniel and Catherine (Fitzgerald) Reagan. The father, who was a miner in early life, afterward turned his attention to the stock business. He was born in the state of New York, while his wife is a native of Boston, Massachusetts. Removing to the far west, he engaged in mining in California and Idaho, his wife going to live in New York state while her husband sought wealth in the mining regions of the Pacific coast. Later, how- ever, he purchased a farm in Idaho and in 1897 became a resident of Colorado, settling at Cedar Creek in Weld county. He died in the year 1904, while his widow is still living, making her home in Sterling with one of her sons. There were five children in the family, of whom Daniel was the third in order of birth, but two of his sisters have passed away.
Daniel Reagan had but limited educational opportunities, confined to three months' attendance at the district school in the winter season, and at the age of thirteen he was obliged to leave school. He then engaged in the stock business with his father and brothers and for many years continued actively in that business, purchasing a farm at Cedar Creek of twenty-four hundred acres. His time and energies were con- centrated upon the further development and improvement of this property until 1906, when he removed to Sterling and opened an office for the conduct of a land agency, handling Colorado and Nebraska farm lands. He is still interested in farms in Weld and Logan counties and since 1916 he has dealt not only in farm lands but also in real estate in Sterling and at points in Nebraska. For eight years he has been the vice president and one of the directors of the First National Bank of Sterling, and so continues.
Mr. Reagan was married on the 29th of December, 1910, to Miss Clara J. Loomis, a daughter of Jackson and Johanna (Daily) Loomis. Her father was in the elevator and grain business and also was proprietor of a drug store in early life but has now passed away. His widow is still living in Sterling. Mrs. Reagan was born in Iowa and afterward engaged in teaching school in Idaho and Kansas. By her marriage
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she has become the mother of two children: Eulalia, eleven years of age; and Francis, nine years of age.
The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and Mrs. Reagan is very active in the work of the Sunday school and also in Red Cross work, doing everything in her power along this line to promote the war activities. Mr. Reagan belongs to the Knights of Columbus and for two years was grand knight. His political allegiance is given to the democratic party and from 1910 until 1916 he was a member of the city council of Sterling, exercising his official prerogatives in support of many well defined plans and measures for the general good. His memory goes back to early pioneer times in the west. He has a slight recollection of the Indians when they were on the warpath in Idaho. The government furnished the guns for the white men and several of both parties were killed. Most of the fighting took place in the northern section of Idaho, while Mr. Reagan was living in the central part. He has witnessed many changes in various sections of the west as the work of progress and development has been carried steadily forward and has borne his part in the transformation that has been wrought as the customs of modern civilization have been introduced and business interests developed. He is now well known as a successful land agent and real estate dealer and Sterling classes him among her representative residents.
FRED J. GREEN.
Fred J. Green, president of the Green Brothers Fruit & Produce Company, 1541 to 1547 Market street, having the largest house of the kind in Denver, was born at Griggsville, Illinois, June 7, 1878, and is the eldest of the four children who were born to C. O. and Anna (Carey) Green, the former a native of the state of New York, while the latter was born in Illinois. They came to Colorado from Griggsville, Illinois. The father was engaged in the drug business in Oskaloosa, Iowa, for several years but afterward came to Denver, where he established a wholesale and retail grocery house, continuing active in the mercantile circles of Denver in that connection for many years. At the present time he is living practically retired. There are two sons and two daughters in the family, the younger son being Charles C. Green, who is vice president and secretary of the Green Brothers Fruit & Produce Company, while the daughters are: Mary F., at home with her parents; and Mrs. Helen (Green) Ripley, living at Great Falls, Montana.
In his boyhood days Fred J. Green attended the graded and high schools of Denver and was graduated with the class of 1899. He then secured a position with the Colorado Midland Railroad Company as an office boy at a salary of twenty-five dollars per month. He remained in that position for ten months, after which he resigned to enter the employ of the Liebhardt Fruit Company at a salary of forty dollars per month. As he mastered the business and increased his efficiency his salary was advanced from time to time and he remained with the Liebhardt Fruit Company for five years. During that period he carefully saved his earnings until his industry and economy had brought to him sufficient capital to enable him to purchase an interest in a commission business. He then became one of the organizers of the Proudfit-Ormsby Commission Company, holding one-third of the stock. This business was conducted mostly as a small poultry dressing concern, but Mr. Green immediately saw the possibilities for enlarging the business and extending its scope by handling fruit and produce and his forethought ultimately saw its fulfillment in the development of the house to large proportions. After a year Mr. Green associated with a Mr. Adams purchased the interest of Mr. Proudfit and when another season had passed bought out the interest of Mr. Ormsby. In 1917 he acquired the interest of the remaining partner, Mr. Adams. A short time afterwards the business was reorganized and the name changed to the Green Brothers Fruit & Produce Company. Several departments were added and immediately installed. including a large sanitary milk feeding department for poultry and a sanitary dressing station, in which all the poultry needed for market is killed and dressed. They have the largest and finest banana ripening and storage rooms in the entire west, this being installed under the direction of Mr. Green. There are likewise cold storage rooms for storage of fruits and vegetables. Without doubt the house has the most modern and best equipment for the handling of edibles in the west. At first, when the banana department was added, but fifty car loads of the fruit were handled in a year. The second year one hundred car loads were handled and the third year one hundred and fifty. The business policy of the house is thoroughly reliable. The brothers early rec- ognized the worth of the old maxim that honesty is the best policy and have adopted
FRED J. GREEN
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as their motto. "The Truth About Everything," and in all dealings have been thor- oughly straightforward, so that hundreds of satisfied customers speak of them in terms of highest regard-and each word of praise proves a valuable advertisement. The com- pany utilizes seven up-to-date trucks for the delivery of its products and employs fifty experienced commission produce handlers, together with an adequate force of office people and salesmen. The wagons of the firm are the most up-to-date and artistically unique in the country, combining beauty and usefulness. They are all painted in green and white. fitted with stake bodies, and the sides are decorated with oil-painted pictures of ducks, geese, turkeys, etc., also fruit of various kinds, including bananas, these still- lifes being in the form of panels. The milk feeding station for poultry is most modern, as is their dressing and dry-picking establishment, and connected with the building for poultry dressing is the egg candling room, which is not only spacious but thoroughly modern in every particular. The brothers bought out the Arnett Fruit Company in 1916 and the interests thus acquired have since been consolidated with the business of the Green Brothers Fruit & Produce Company, of which Fred J. Green is president and Charles C. Green vice president and treasurer. In the firm's building the green and white color scheme is again successfully followed out, the front also being set with large panels representing ducks. turkeys, etc., while the circular spaces above the windows are decorated in oil with varieties of fruits. The signs on the ground floor also contain oil paintings and are different from anything of the kind in the country. The architecture of the building is thoroughly original in its conception yet appropriate, combining the practical with the artistic, and it is unique, pleasing and fully serves its purpose this originality largely coming from the owners, being a feature in every- thing that the firm has undertaken and brought to a successful end. It has been
through this kind of bold, decisive enterprise and through close application and earnest effort that the Green brothers have become the largest dressers and handlers of poultry and foremost wholesale fruit dealers in the entire west, their fruit commission business including the handling of oranges, lemons, grape fruit, apples, bananas, pears, plums, grapes, cranberries, berries of various kinds, prunes, figs and dates, together with cantaloupes, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, tomatoes and cabbage. They like- wise handle Christmas decorations, including holly and evergreen, wreaths and mistletoe.
Fred J. Green is a member of the Denver Athletic Club, also of the Lakewood Country Club, the Denver Country Club and the Motor Club. He is connected with the Denver Civic and Commercial Association, belongs to the Masonic fraternity both in the York and Scottish Rites and has reached the Mystic Shrine. The interests and activities of bis life are well balanced, making his an evenly rounded character.
EDWARD F. VINCENT.
Edward F. Vincent, chief engineer of the Colorado & Southern Railway, has come to his present position through the steps of an orderly progression, resulting from the thoroughness of his training and his mastery of every task assigned him. From the faithful performance of each day's duties he has gained courage, strength and in- spiration for the labors of the succeeding day. He was born in Maquoketa, Jackson county, Iowa, on the 11th of July, 1863, a son of Charles H. and Hannah ( Reyner) Vincent, the former a native of New York. while the latter was born in Maryland. Both became residents of Iowa in early life. The father arrived in 1852 and after- ward engaged in surveying and farming, while later he turned his attention to general mercantile pursuits and likewise filled the office of postmaster at Strawberry Point, Iowa. He continued his residence in that state to the time of his demise, which occurred in Mason City, Iowa, in 1904. He had removed to Mason City in 1869 and was classed with its most honored. representative and valued residents. He served a number of terms as county surveyor of Cerro Gordo county. After losing her husband Mrs. Vincent became a resident of Denver, where she passed away in 1917, at the age of more than eighty years. They were the parents of three children but two of the number died in infancy.
Edward F. Vincent was a little lad of but six summers when the family home was established in Mason City, where he attended the public schools until 1880. Following his graduation there he became a student in the State University of Iowa and won the Civil Engineer degree at his graduation as a member of the class of 1884. In the spring of 1886 he entered the employ of the Union Pacific Railroad Company as a civil engineer at Laramie. Wyoming, and continued with that corporation until 1889, being engaged in survey work for the road in Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California.
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With his removal to Denver in 1889 he took charge of a party of the United States geological survey in connection with the establishment of reservoir sites on the head waters of the Arkansas river. In December, 1889, he became connected with the engin- eering department of the city of Denver, having charge of paving and other public work. He continued in the city service until 1900 and then became connected with the Fort Worth & Denver City Railway as resident engineer, occupying that position from 1900 until 1903. In the spring of 1904, he removed to Casper, Wyoming, in charge of railway surveys between Orin Junction and Lander in connection with T. J. Milner. At a later period he returned to his old home in Mason City, Iowa, and in 1905 he entered the employ of the Missouri Pacific Railway Company on survey work and later was made assistant engineer at St. Louis, continuing in that position until December, 1906. Returning to Denver, he entered the service of the Colorado & Southern Railway as assistant chief engineer and later was appointed chief engineer of the road following the death of H. W. Cowan in May, 1915, his appointment coming to him in July. Through the intervening period of three years he has occupied the position, making a most creditable record through his marked efficiency and the expert skill which he displays in handling the duties of this important position.
In June, 1892, Mr. Vincent was united in marriage to Miss Myrtie A. Gregory, of Mason City, Iowa, a daughter of Captain Francis M. Gregory, who commanded a cavalry company during the period of the Civil war, connected with the Army of the Potomac. Mr. and Mrs. Vincent have one son, Gregory, who was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1905.
Mr. Vincent has always supported the republican party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise but has never been an aspirant for office. He is well known in Masonic circles, belonging to Oriental Lodge, No. 87, A. F. & A. M., and he has also taken the degrees of chapter and council. In his life he exemplifies the beneficent spirit of the craft and is ever a loyal follower of its teachings.
FRANK B. SPRINGER.
Frank B. Springer is identified with farming interests in Weld county not far from Windsor. He was born August 6, 1872, in Windsor and his entire life has been passed in this section of the state, his labors contributing to its material development, while his activities have also been a feature in matters of civic progress. He is a son of Lewis S. and Margaret Springer. His father was horn in Pennsylvania and his mother was a native of Maine. In his young manhood the father was connected with the lumber business and following his marriage he removed westward to Greeley, Colorado, making the trip with the colony that settled in this section of the state in 1871. He took up a homestead a mile east of the present site of Windsor and lived thereon for twelve years, after which he purchased land a half mile south of his first farm and occupied that place for twenty- two years. He there cultivated eighty acres of land. His homestead embraced one hun- dred and sixty acres and he did his full share of pioneer work. He hauled from the moun- tains the posts used by the colonists in the establishment of their homes on the frontier and he built several bridges, being employed in that way in various parts of the state. In 1907 he disposed of his land holdings and returned to Maine with the purpose of resid- ing in that state. In 1915 he again came to Colorado in order to visit his children and later he went to the Panama-Pacific Exposition and passed away in California. His re- mains were brought back to Windsor for interment. He was a good Christian man, interested in the Methodist church, and did much to advance its welfare. He was also devoted to his family and to his home and found his greatest happiness at his own fireside. His wife endured all of the hardships and vicissitudes of pioneer life and she, too, was most devoted to the members of her household, counting no personal effort or sacrifice on her part too great if it would promote their happiness and welfare. Mrs. Springer came to Colorado with her husband to visit their children and later returned to her home town in Maine. She passed away July 2, 1918, at the age of seventy-five years. To Mr. and Mrs. Lewis S. Springer were born the following named: John H., who is married and lives in Los Angeles, California; Frank B., of this review; George W., who is married and makes his home in Ault, Colorado; Ella May, the wife of Wesley Zinn, of Windsor; Clara B., the wife of Rudolph Sharp, of Kersey, Colorado; Susie M., the wife of Ralph Runyon, of Taylorville, Illinois; and Eva L., the wife of Jasper Norwood, a resident of Maine.
Frank B. Springer was educated in the public schools, completing his studies when a youth of fifteen. Later in life he assisted his father in the work of the home farm and
FRANK B. SPRINGER AND FAMILY
MR. AND MRS. LEWIS S. SPRINGER
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continued to aid in the further cultivation and development of the fields until the time of his marriage, in 1896. He was left in charge of his father's farm for two years and later turned his attention to the furniture business, which he conducted for a year and a half. On the expiration of that period he disposed of his stock of furniture and removed to Boulder, where for four years he was identified with mining interests. He returned to Windsor in 1907 and rented his present place, upon which he has now lived for eleven years, devoting his attention largely to the raising of beets, potatoes and beans. He has been very successful in his farming interests and his capable management of the work has been evidenced in his growing prosperity. He closely studies the nature of the soil and plants his crops accordingly and everything about his place is indicative of his careful supervision and practical methods.
In 1896, in Windsor, Mr. Springer was united in marriage to Miss Augusta M. Frazier, a daughter of David and Mary Frazier. Her father, who was a miller by occupation, is now deceased, but her mother is still living. Mr. Frazier was laid to rest in Boulder, having departed this life at the age of seventy-four years. To Mr. and Mrs. Springer have been born three children-I. L., Frank D. and Roberta Arleen.
Mr. Springer is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, with which he has been identified for a quarter of a century, and lie has attained the highest rank in that organization. His political belief is that of the democratic party and his religious faith is that of the Methodist church. His life has been actuated by high and honorable principles and the sterling traits of his character are attested by the good will and confidence which his fellow townsmen entertain for him. The greater part of his life has been spent in Weld county and his record is as an open book which all may read.
WILLIAM NICHOLSON.
William Nicholson, mayor of Erie, is now living retired from business, although in former years he was prominently and actively identified with mining development and banking in his town. He is a most active factor in the promotion of public progress here and as chief executive of his town is giving to it a businesslike and progressive administration. He was born in England in July, 1850, a son of Henry and Jane (Atkinson) Nicholson, who were also natives of that country. The father was a coal miner and worked along that line throughout his entire life in England, where he passed away in 1873, while his wife died in 1870.
William Nicholson was reared and educated in England, but his opportunities to attend school were very limited, so that his education has been largely acquired in the school of experience. He was but eight years of age when he went to work in the coal mines and was thus employed until 1881, when he bade adieu to friends and native country and sailed for America. He made his way first to Steubenville, Ohio, where he was employed in the mines until 1883. He then came to Colorado, settling at Erie, Weld county, where he became superintendent of coal mines. He later invested in coal bearing property and operated Long's Peak coal mine for ten years, being president of the Long's Peak Coal Company. In this undertaking he met with substantial success and after a decade disposed of his interest in the mine to the Rocky Mountain Coal Company. He then turned his attention to the banking business, establishing the Erie Bank, which he conducted for seven years, at the end of which time he retired from active business but is still a stockholder and one of the directors of the bank. He is now enjoying a rest which he has truly earned and richly merits, for his prosperity is the direct and legitimate result of his own labors. His life has been one of untiring diligence and determination and his course has at all times measured up to the highest standards of business integrity and enterprise. In his vocabulary there has been no such word as fail. He has never stopped short of the successful accomplishment of his purpose and his life record should serve to inspire and encourage others, showing what may be achieved through individual effort.
In December, 1882, Mr. Nicholson was married to Miss Alice Pallatt, who was born in Philadelphia in September, 1846, and in social circles in their part of Weld county they occupy an enviable position. Mr. Nicholson was in England on a visit to his old home when the present war broke out and returned to America on the Lusitania with lights out. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he is making a most excellent record as mayor of his town. He .belongs to the Masonic fraternity. ' in which he has attained high rank, being now a Knight Templar Mason and member of the Mystic Shrine, and for fourteen years he served as secretary of the lodge. He is also connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. His religious faith is
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