History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 82

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080

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the very center of this amphitheater is Canon City, set as in a frame, and the eminences rise undulating now into cones, now into broad rotundity broken here and there by jagged cliffs and abrupt descents.

" Canon City is well-named, for from it radi- ate many of the most remarkable of Colorado's canons-Grape Creek, by many pronounced the most beautiful, and the Arkansas, unhesi- tatingly accorded to be the grandest of all. It is a clean and scrupulously neat place, much frequented by tourists and invalids, the center of the greatest coal regions in the State, the location of several important min- ing interests, and outfitting headquarters. Her vegetable, horticultural and floral gar- dens 'are a joy forever.'"*

Canon City is a remarkably well-built town; buildings mainly of brick, the newer ones- court house, schoolhouse, Masonic Temple, stores and residences-being fine specimens of architectural taste. The solid standing of her business firms, with their established reputation for honorable dealing, is attracting to them a large and growing wholesale trade with the dealers in the mountain towns throughout Southwestern Colorado. At the present time there are twenty-five stores car- rying quite heavy stocks, some of which have a trade of one-third of a million dollars annually, besides a large number of shops, representing most branches of trade, together with boot and shoe manufactory, one reduc- tion works and flouring-mill.

CHURCHES IN CANON CITY.

During the year 1864, there came a colony of perhaps twenty families from Iowa. They were all industrious and religious people, and members of the "Missionary Baptist" denom- ination. Divine worship was again revived with vigor. People of other denominations also came and settled with them. It was now the settled custom of the place to be religious .. Intemperance or profanity were seldom seen or heard on the street. No pub- lic saloons were to be found, and whatever of alcoholic drinking was done, must have been done in a private way, for the effects could not be seen on the streets. Pistols and bowie *By Maj. Pangborn.

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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.

knives were laid aside. Returning prosper- ity now began to dawn upon us. Farming began to be revived. Attention was directed to cattle raising, and the foundations were laid for fortunes, which so many have realized in that business, and the whole country was dotted with growing herds. The town and county were fast recovering from the four or five years of paralysis occasioned by the desertion of the southern mines and the "southern route," and the consequent deser- tion of Cañon.

About this time a great revival of religion broke out in the town and spread through the county. Revival meetings were held daily and every evening, until all the old professors were revived greatly, and the converts reached nearly to the number of one hundred. This was a delightful season. Christians met together with much cordiality and unity of feeling. It would have done the soul of almost any one good to have witnessed the handshakings that took place at some of those meetings. Christians of all denominations joined heartily in these exercises.

This condition of things was hopeful for the county. It was making a good commence- ment upon which to base the moral well- being of a community. Canon had already had a population that had mostly deserted her, and were scattered, as it were, "to the four winds of the earth." This was a second beginning. Some of the more substantial of the old settlers still remained and used their best efforts to establish a good condition of things. For years Canon was tauntingly called by her somewhat unrestrained neigh- boring towns, " a town of Christians" -a name which we would have been only too glad to have been worthy of. It is to be hoped that the influence of these times will never cease to be felt. The fact must never be forgotten, that a town or community is likely to con- tinue, as they commence, either in the line of good or the line of evil.

The first church formed in Canon City was the Methodist Episcopal, by Rev. Mr. John- son, of Kansas, in the winter of 1860-61. Its membership consisted of from eight or ten persons. Mining and military interests took away the entire membership and left the town

without a church until the year 1864, when Rev. George Murray, whose memory will ever be revered by Canon City, and we might say by all Southern Colorado, engaged here in active church labor, and re-organized this church, placing it upon a solid basis. Through his efforts, a stone building was pur- chased and fitted up for a church. He was especially active in the great revival men- tioned elsewhere.

Membership 108, September 1, 1881. Rev. E. C. Dodge, Pastor; Stewards-E. B. Alling, W. R. Fowler, A. W. Lucas, E. R. Copps, F. L. Smith, W. M. Andrus, A. T. Richardson; Trustees-E. T. Alling, Thomas Prescott, A. T. Richardson, J. S. Bowlby, W. R. Fowler, Henry Sartor, S. T. Ferrier; District Steward, E. B. Alling; Recording Steward, W. M. Andrus.

The present Pastor has served them faith- fully and well during the past two years, and under him the society completed and paid for, in 1880, a fine gothic church edifice, costing $4,500. Is built of brick with stone trim- mings, and considered the finest church in this portion of the country. At the recent conference, August, 1881, Rev. Dodge has been returned to his work in Canon-this the third time, much to the joy of his con- gregation and the people. The Baptist Church was the next church organized in 1865 by Rev. B. M. Adams, who has organ- ized more churches in this State than any other Pastor in this denomination. He caused the erection of a church and purchase of a bell. A portion of his five years' pastorate, he received very light compensation, but on his farm the earth yielded bountifully her increase to his support, and his devoted Christian wife sustained his hand heroically in the church work, as well as in her matronly duties. Present membership, sixty.

Pastor, Rev. E. H. Sawyer; Deacons- Samuel Bradbury, Joseph J. Phelps, George O. Baldwin; Trustees-Dr. J. L. Prentiss, J. J. Phelps, George O. Baldwin; Treasurer, J. L. Prentiss, M. D .; Clerk, H. Clay Webster; Superintendent Sunday School, George O. Baldwin. Through the pastorate of the ener- getic and talented Dr. Sawyer, a period of great success is predicted for the Baptist Church.

yours Truly

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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church at Canon City was organized by Rev. B. F. Moore, in 1867, with Stephen Frazier and Dr. J. Blanchard as Ruling Elders. They built the largest church in Southern Colorado at that time, the means being mainly furnished by Hon. Lewis Jones and Rev. B. F. Moore. They have had one hundred members enrolled at different times, some of whom have died, the lamented Stephen Frazier being one of the number; others have changed their resi- dence. They have at present sixty mem- bers.

Officers, September 1, 1881: Pastor, Rev. W. W. M. Barber; Elders-Gideon B. Fra- zier, Ira Lucas, Benjamin Curtis, George Kelso; Trustees-George Phillips, Jesse Rader, J. B. Frazier; Clerk, Gideon B. Fra- zier.

Christ Church, Protestant Episcopal, was organized in 1872, through the instrumental- ity of Rt. Rev. George M. Randall, D. D., Missionary Bishop of Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, etc. He was thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the Master he served. Some of the towns that were favored by his visitations, were unable to furnish a suitable room in which to hold service; as an alterna- tive, he preached in bar-rooms, dining-rooms, or wherever he could gather a congregation. The democratic spirit displayed by him, always attracted the people, and gave him good congregations wherever he went, and he was the means of accomplishing much good. His thorough acquaintance with the country impressed him with the advantages of Canon City for location of schools of learning, and he arranged for the building of a church and school in one large building in Canon City, furnishing the plans, authorizing the work and subscribing liberally himself, as also the noble Rector, Rev. Samuel Edwards, and the citizens. The firm foundations and walls of a building one hundred feet long, with cut stone water table, sills and caps were mainly completed above the first story, door and window casings in, and joice for floors laid, when the calamity to the Diocese, in the death of the good Bishop came and the work was suspended. The avenues in the East through which Bishop Randall had been fort-

unate in raising money for the work of the churches and schools in Colorado, being thus abruptly closed, resulted disastrously for the completion of the church-school in Southern Colorado, as his successor, Rt. Rev. John F. Spaulding, determined upon abandoning the work, and instead of comprehending the necessity for such a high school and appreciat- ing the sacrifices and efforts of the citizens, he attributed the wish for a church-school to mercenary motives, and in an article to the home and abroad Missionary paper of the church, of September 15, 1875, said: "A Bishop must deal with some sharp people in the West. He is very popular if he acts upon their views, and gives money to enhance the value of their lands. He is sure to incur their ill-will if he is independent of such influences." A portion of the church and school building was taken to build a neat gothic structure on lots they secured in a cen- tral locality for a church. They have a rec- tory attached, together valued at $4,500. The present membership of the church is thirty- five.

Rector, Rev. D. C. Pattee. Vestry-David Caird, Senior Warden; Eugene Weston, Junior Warden; James H. Peabody, Treas- urer; Capt. Ramsden, Secretary; Thomas S. Wells.

The First Presbyterian Church was organ- ized by Rev. Sheldon Jackson, D. D., in 1872, assisted by the faithful, earnest-hearted worker, J. K. Brewster, Esq., as Ruling Elder. Rev. Christian Vanderveen, from Grand Ha- ven, Mich., who located here for a time with his interesting family for his health, though of a different branch of the church, preached acceptably to them, and labored unceasingly to secure the completion of a comfortable church before leaving, to which is attached a large fine-toned bell. The church has been extremely fortunate in growth and in securing talented clergymen. Their present number is eighty-six members.

Pastor, Rev. George W. Partridge; Elders -- John K. Brewster, John W. Mack, Adam D. Cooper; Trustees-Anson Rudd, Charles E. Waldo, O. B. Myers, Henry Mack, Henry N. Beecher, J. M. Bradbury; Superintendent of Sunday School, Charles E. Waldo.

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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.

In the fall of 1862, Rev. R. M. Slaughter, a Presiding Elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church, from Colorado City, came to Canon for the purpose of organizing a church. He made an appointment to preach at night, thinking that all classes would have more leisure to attend at that hour. In this he was correct, for his congregation embraced the entire population of Canon. After looking it over, and being assured that all were present, he uttered a deep sigh, for the sum total con- sisted of six persons, viz .: his son, who came with him, F. J. Burdette, A. Rudd, wife and son, and "Queen Adelaide," better known as the " old crazy woman." The reverend gentle- man concluded the foundation was too frail for the contemplated superstructure, and started for home the next day, discouraged and dis- heartened-leaving the six faithful ones to their fate, and liable, at any time, to be gob- bled up by " ould Clootie," if they should die unshriven.

Rev. B. M. Adams and family settled on Oil Creek in the spring of 1865, and Col. Ebenezer Johnson made his permanent resi- dence there in June of the same year. They organized a Baptist Church and held regular Divine service, bringing in the settlers from long distances. Owing to the success of this church, the fame of which had reached the States, a large party of Baptist settlers, under the lead of the Warfords, located there. They were from Appanoose County, Iowa, and were called by Judge Hawkins and Mr. Bradley, and the Eastern settlers, "The Arapahoes." They were a company of

" Kindred hearts, firmly knit By electric bands of Holy Writ."

They remained but two seasons, when, for various reasons, they returned. The reason given by one of their number, Mrs. Davis, was, that she "wanted to get back to the States, where she could get hard-wood ashes to make soap!" Before the band left, the church had a farewell meeting, and many feeling speeches were made by the brethren. Col. Johnson, in his characteristic manner, told them he " expected they would go back and become vagabonds on the face of the earth! "

MASONIC.

Mount Moriah Lodge, No. 15, A., F. & A. M., was instituted under a dispensation granted by Henry M. Teller, M. W. G. Mas- ter of Colorado, dated November 8, 1867, naming G. B. Frazier, W. M .; B. F. Smith, S. W., and Stephen Frazier, J. W. A "char- ter" as a regular constituted lodge of Masons was granted by the Grand Lodge of the Ter- itory, held at Central City, Colo., on Octo- ber 7, 1868. Henry M. Teller, M. W. G. M., and E. C. Parmelee, G. Secretary. The char- ter members were G. B. Frazier, B. F. Smith, Stephen Frazier, W. H. McClure, W. R. Fowler, C. Pauls, R. J. Frazier, H. H. Marsh, B. F. Rockafellow, G. W. Depp, H. M. Bur- roughs, S. M. Cox, M. M. Craig. J. H. Depp, George T. Phillips, and W. H. Thompson. The first officers elected were: G. B. Frazier, W. M .; B. F. Smith, S. W .; S. Frazier, J. W .; W. H. McClure, Treasurer; S. M. Cox, Sec- retary; R. J. Frazier. S. D .; Charles Pauls, J. D .; S. D. Webster, S. S .: W. H. Thomp- son, J. S., and G. W. Depp, Tiler. Of the charter members two have died, three have moved from the State, two have been dropped from membership, and the others all maintain their relations to the Lodge.

From the report of September 1, 1881, we have the number of members, seventy-two; Initiated during year, five; passed during year, four; raised during year, two; admitted during year, six; re-instated during year, two; suspended during year, one; removed from jurisdiction during year, three.

The officers for 1881 are: James H. Pea- body (Past Master), W. M .; Benjamin F. Shaffer (Past Master), S. W .; A. E. Rudolph (Past Master), J. W .; James Clelland, Treas- urer; H. Clay Webster, Secretary; Gideon B. Frazier (Past Master), S. D .; John W. John- son, J. D .; J. M. Bradbury, S. S .; R. J. Fra- zier, J. S .; John Gravestock, Tiler.

The utmost harmony prevails, and fraternal feeling abounds. Stated communications, first and third Saturdays each month. They are now, September, 1881, building a Ma- sonic Temple.

ODD FELLOWS.

Canon City Lodge, No. 7, I. O. O. F., was the first lodge of the I. O. O. F. that was

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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.

instituted south of the Divide. Of the older lodges in Colorado, two were in Denver, three in Gilpin County, at Central, Black Hawk, and Nevadaville, and one was in Georgetown. Canon City Lodge was instituted November 10, 1868, with R. J. Frazier, G. B. Frazier, S. D. Webster, B. F. Smith and B. F. Moore as charter members, by B. F. Gloyd, P. G., from Indiana. On the night of institution W. A. Helm, John M. Espy and Ambrose Flourney were admitted as members, thus giving the new lodge eight members. R. J. Frazier and W. A. Helm are the only ones of the eight that are now in active membership. The first elective officers of the lodge were: B. F. Smith, N. G .; B. F. Moore, V. G .; W. A. Helm, Secretary; A. Flournoy, Treasurer. In March, 1869, O. H. P. Baxter, Eugene Weston, Henry Hiney, Jacob Wildeboor and E. P. Graves were admitted to membership and granted cards for the purpose of starting a lodge in Pueblo. Including these, Cañon City Lodge has had 108 different members. Its present membership, forty-six, is the larg- est it has ever had. The present officers are: Charles W. Sharp, N. G .; Ernst Sell, V. G .; Charles E. Waldo, Secretary, and R. Jeske, Treasurer.

The Past Grands now in membership are : S. H. Boyd, James Clelland, M. M. Engleman, R. J. Frazier, W. A. Helm, R. Jeske, R. A. Johnson, B. F. Montgomery, George T. Phillips, L. C. Thompson, S. V. Turner, Charles E. Waldo and Albert Walter, the last named of whom is representative elect to the Grand Lodge of Colorado. R. J. Fra- zier, W. A. Helm and Charles E. Waldo have held office in the Grand Lodge, and the latter is now a prominent candidate for the office of Grand Master of the State.

Grand Canon Encampment, No. 18, was instituted on July 29, 1881, by Charles E. Waldo, M. W. Grand Patriarch of the Grand Encampment of Colorado, in person. The charter members and first officers were: R. Jeske, C. P .; L. C. Thompson, H. P .; C. W. Sharp, S. W .; W. A. Helm, Treasurer; S. A. Boyd, J. W .; R. A. Johnson, G .; R. J. Fra- zier, 1st W., and E. H. Downer, I. S. A. Page, Ernst Sell and A. Walter were received into membership on the night of institution and

two members have since been received, giving a membership of thirteen at present.

UNITED WORKMEN.

Royal Gorge Lodge, No. 7. A. O. U. W., was instituted June 25, A. D., 1881. The lodge numbers twenty-four members. The officers of the present term and elected at the institution are as follows: T. M. Robinson, P. M. W .; Fred Bandholt, M. W .; C. D. Sut- liff, F .; Charles W. Sharp, Recorder; J. A. Sterling, Overseer; John Bandholt, Finan- cier; G. O. Dewoody, G .; Julius Ruf, Re- ceiver; F. Hess, I. G .; E. W. Hively, O. G; Trustees-S. R. McKesseck, Julius Ruf, Fred Bandholt.

CITY OFFICERS.

Cañon City was incorporated April 1, 1872. Its present officers are:

Mayor, J. F. Campbell; Recorder and Treasurer, Fred H. Skeele; Board of Trustees, R. S. Lewis, S. T. Ferrier, T. M. Harding and J. T. Ashby; Marshal, R. J. Frazier; Justices of the Peace, J. J. Miner and George W. Clelland.

The town is clear of debt. Warrants have risen from 60 cents to 98 in the last four years.

BOARD OF TRADE.

Canon City organized a Board of Trade in 1879, which is found to be an excellent medium for working up schemes for the public good. In July and August, 1879, the confi dence men, gamblers and prostitutes were carrying matters with a high hand here, when the law and order element held secret, sessions and resolved on a course of the most effective nature. Their perfect organization and determination became known, and it did not become necessary to carry their plans into execution, neither has it been since. The better element holds control in Cañion, and proposes to for the future.

The people of Canon are proud of their churches, their schools, their press, their so- sieties, the management of their ' town and county officials, and their town itself, in its past success and promising future.

SCHOOL BOARD.

The Canon City School Board for the years 1879, 1880 and 1881 are as follows:

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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.

Charles E. Waldo, President; Mrs. M. M. Sheets, Secretary; John Wilson, Treasurer. Principal of Canon City Graded School, W. M. Andrus, with four assistants.

The present School Board are entitled to a perpetual record, of rememberance by this people for the work in the cause of education they have accomplished for them.

They labored successfully to secure the nec- essary bonds for the purpose of building the commodious schoolhouse since erected. They negotiated the bonds favorably for the time, selected a very perfect plan, carried it out honestly and economically when labor and material were cheap. The gentlemen on the board honorably and frankly ascribe to Mrs. M. M. Sheets' advice and judgment, in a great degree, the favorable results arrived at. The history of this district is given in its order, with other districts in the county. The Prin- cipal, Prof. Andrus, is a polished scholar of experience in the exalted profession of teach- ing, and fully deserves the success his efforts are met with. Canon City has a building and school that is her constant pride and boast.

WATER WORKS.

On the 17th day of December, 1879, a joint stock company was organized in Canon City for the purpose of constructing water works in this city, representing a capital of $50,000.

The following gentlemen composed the stockholders:

James Clelland, James H. Peabody, George R. Shaeffer, Ira Mulock, August_ Heckscher, Willbur K. Johnson, David Caird and O. G. Stanley.

Immediately after the organization of the company, the stock was put upon the market and advertised for sale.

Messrs. Caird and Heckscher were not original stockholders, but were the only pur- chasers of stock, and there seemed to be no interest or confidence manifested in the enter- prise, and, after offering the stock, the origina- tors of the scheme issued bonds and put them upon the market, but the effort to sell bonds proved as fruitless as the effort to sell the stocks, $2,000 being the total amount sold, Gould & Ostrander, of St. Louis, being the purchasers. The company, failing in their

efforts to sell bonds or stock, determined to push the enterprise forward, and went down into their own pockets, and the result of their enterprise is an evidence of their judgment and foresight, as the stock to-day finds bidders at $2 for $1, but holders refuse to sell them at these figures. The citizens of Canon City are under lasting obligations to the gentle- men who originated and carried forward an enterprise, the value and benefit of which can- not be estimated. The company's indebted- ness is less than $10,000. After thorough investigation of the merits of the different pumps and machinery, the Knowel pump and Stowell turbine wheel were adopted, and ex- periments have proven them to be eminently successful and satisfactory. The company sent W. K. Johnson to Boston with Jesse Peabody, of the Stowell Turbine Wheel Company, and the draftsman of the Knowel Pump Company, who got up the drafts and plans for the ma- chinery and gearing connecting the Knowel pumps with two of the Stowel wheels. The pumps and wheels came, Mr. Jesse Peabody accompanying them, and superintending the setting of them up. Mr. David Caird has acted as Superintendent for the company from the first to the present time, with entire satisfac- tion to all persons concerned. The wheels, pump and machinery weigh about thirty tons, and occupy a space of but twelve by twenty- four feet. The company has excavated a ditch for the water 1,250 feet long by 6 feet wide at the bottom and 9 at the top, which carries water from the Arkansas River to the wheels; a tail ditch from the wheels back to the river, one-fourth of a mile along, seven feet wide and ten feet deep. The well to furnish the supply of water is 25 feet wide by 100 feet long, and is 10 feet below the water in the river. It will be walled up and roofed over when completed. The water percolates through the ground from the river into the well. It is thence drawn from the well by the pumps and forced through an eight-inch main a dis- tance of about 2,600 feet upon the "hog-back," where the company propose to excavate a reservoir 39 feet wide by 6 feet deep, and 1,000 feet long, which will also be roofed over. The reservoir is 150 feet higher than the surface of the ground at the McClure

PUBLIC SCHOO

. PUBLIC SCHOOL, CANON CITY, COLO.

FREMONT COUNTY COURT HOUSE, CANON CITY, COLO.

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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.

House. The company will furnish water for fifteen hydrants for the town at $75 each per year; also a public fountain on Main street, and water for the public schoolhouse, free of charge; also water for the penitentiary for $400 per year. Water rates are about the same as is charged in Denver. The company has bought the Fickes property on the bar south of town, comprising about twenty acres. The expense of running the works, including everything, will be about $1,200 per year. In most of the towns in Colorado that have con- structed water works, bonds have been issued by the town, and a large bonded indebtedness burdens the corporations, upon which the citi- zens must pay an annuity for a long series of years. This is purely a private enterprise, and the people have not saddled an indebted- ness upon themselves that will be a burden for years to come. Everybody can enjoy the blessings and benefits of an abundance of pure water within their household, for a small consideration, or continue to get their supply as of yore. "You pay your money and take your choice." In any event, property owners have been largely benefited by the enterprise, as real estate has advanced, within the limits of the mains, fully 25 per cent. There will be an extension of mains at an early date, the present length of which is five miles. The expense of running the water works of Pueblo and Colorado Springs is nearly twenty times as great in each city as is incurred in our city. The citizens of our flourishing and beautiful city have great reason to rejoice over the suc- cess of one of their great enterprises.

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History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 82

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 1080

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080