This page contains names found on the federal censuses, and in business directories that mention Fountain. There are also photographs of the businesses. It's possible to see how the town grew, and how businesses changed hands over the decades.
- Federal Census 1870-1900
- Colorado Business Directories 1880, 1881, 1888, 1892, 1909-11, 1915, 1920, 1923
- Sanborn Fire Insurance Map 1914
- 1937 list of residents and property owners. 1947 El Paso County Directory - some Fountain entries
1870 Federal Census
Settlement in the area was still very rural, and people’s addresses were not recorded on the census. This is a list of people who got their mail in Fountain, or at the Post Office called
Anea, Jose b 1844 NM farm laborer
Badger, Amos b 1811 NY machinist
Bates, James b 1818 PA farmer
Beeson, William b 1848 IO farmer
(Mrs. V Beeson of Fountain sold eggs in 1900, advertising in the Gazette)
(Mrs. V Beeson of Fountain sold eggs in 1900, advertising in the Gazette)
Bell, James F b 1824 VA millwright
Benedict, Albert b 1821 OH farm laborer
Benning, Sylvester b 1818 MA farmer
Bill, John b 1838 VA farm laborer
Birge, Charles b 1835 CT farmer
Blancett, Josiah b 1801 KY farmer
Bowlby, Samuel b 1827 OH farmer
Bowman, Wm b 1845 OH stock dealer
Brush, Taylor
Burson, Wm b 1848 IO farmer
Castle, Ephraim b 1845 OH farm laborer
Clay, Theodore b 1844 Wurttm. laborer
Copeland, David b 1829 NC farm laborer
Davis, Lewis b 1828 OH carpenter
Desbro, Charles b 1837 NY farm laborer
Dickson, William b 1822 England
Ellington, Alpheus b 1830 KY farmer
Ensworth, Anthony b 1840 PA millwright
Feling, Wm b1840 Wurttm. stock dealer
Foster, Michael b 1849 NY herder
Gaines, Richard b 1811 DC stock dealer
Gale, Robert b 1839 England
Geago?, Alfreto b 1838 NM farm laborer
Geago, Juan b 1846 NM farm laborer
Given, John b 1808 Ireland
Gleim, Charles b 1833 IN none
Green, Marmaduke b 1829 OH stock dealer
Gulchel, Pat b 1840 Baden stock dealer
Hall, Beny b 1830 PA farmer
Holt, Beny b 1830 England
Hugitt, George b 1816 England
Hecks, Thomas b 1837? herder
Hutchins, Henry b 1825 OH stock raising
Hutchins, Isaac b 1824 OH stock raising
Indeini?, Johan b 1851 MN herder
Irion, Robert b 1842 OH farm laborer
Irwin, John b 1808 Ireland [said to have built the first ranch house 10 miles south of Fountain near Wigwam in 1860]
James, Thomas b 1843 TN carpenter
Jones, George b 1841 IN laborer
Jones, Robert b 1818 Scotland stock raiser
Killgore, John b 1840 OH farmer
Lerchin, JC b 1840 Saxony saddler
Lincoln, Andrew b 1830 Sweden
Liston, Samuel b 1843 OH farmer
Lock, Mathias b 1831 Prussia
Love, John b 1837 IL stock dealer
Mandiero, Antonio b 1847 NM farm laborer
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| Lock Family |
Mandiero, Antonio b 1847 NM farm laborer
Martin, Samuel b 1840 England
Martine, Juan b 1845 NM farm laborer
Milton, John b 1841 IL stock herder
Moody, Derius b 1843 OH farm laborer
Muks, Samuel b 1841 NY blacksmith
Murphy, Pat b 1838 Ireland
Murray, Edwin b 1804 NC farmer
Myer, Lewis b 1832 France beer brewer
Owen, Thomas b 1836 RI farmer
Pastors, Adam b 1820 IN stock raiser
Phillips, Archibald b 1847 NJ herder
Priest, Lewis b 1824 OH farm laborer
Redman, Ed b 1830 NY herder
Replogle, Josh b 1848 IN stock dealer
Rhoads, George b 1827 TN stock raising
Ring, Harvey b 1824 NY stock raiser
Ring, Joseph b 1808 NY millwright
Ripley, John b 1828 PA farm laborer
Roberts, Samuel b 1816 KY farmer
Rodgers, Alfrey b 1830 England
Rule, Gabriel b 1842 Mo stock raiser
Rule, Thomas R b 1810 KY stock raiser
Russel, John b 1806 OH farm laborer
Sanderson, Wm b 1838 Norway
Smith, Emery b 1830 KY farmer
Squires, Reuben b 1828 NY teamster
Squires, William b 1826 NY saw mill
Stan, Joseph b 1838 IN herder
Stratton, Henry b 1840 IN teamster
Stubbs, Benj b 1841 OH farmer
Stubbs, Robert b 1820 OH farmer
Swartz, Chas b 1837 Hesse farm laborer
Sweatland, Wm b 1832 VT farmer
Templeton, Andrew b 1836 TN farmer
Terrell, Amos b 1829 OH farmer
Todd, John b 1840 IL farm laborer
Tribleholey, Andrew b 1848 WI RR agent
Tweedle, Wm b1818 Scotland auctioneer
Watson, Cyrus b 1888 MO teamster
Weir, John b 1841 NJ manuf. lumber
Wood, Richard b 1832? NY stock dealer
Woodbury, James b 1838 MA farmer
Woods, Phillip b 1838 TN carpenter
Worden, Ira b 1838 NY blacksmith
Ames
The 1900 census for Fountain
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City and Business Directories
The 1880 Colorado Business Directory listed these sheep growers, all with a Fountain PO address, which stretched for miles in each direction, including east to Hwy 115. In town, JW Ross sold general merchandise.
Cattle Growers listed include:
In the 1881 Directory they have added these wool growers: JH Ames, Brown and Jones, J Cameron, HH Cookes, DM Howard, Bond and Parmer. Additional cattle growers were MB Corbin, CJ Croft and G Rhodes. In the 1883 directory, Hutchin and Irvine were grocers.
A listing from about 1888 showed these merchants in town: AE Ames, real estate, Ames and son, merchandise, AJ Benedict, postmaster, EB Grosskreutz, dry goods, OS Loomis, livery, Robert McCune, lumber, Mrs Mitchell - boarding house, EE Reynolds, physician, FB Ross, merchant, GS Thompson, blacksmith. Most of these businesses were on Main Street, south of Ohio, or just off of it. McCune's lumber yard was east on Ohio, and and AL Zeiser's City Drug Store sat at the northwest corner of Main and Ohio (Advertiser & News, Cobweb Express Sep 1 1999). A Gazette article from Jan 1, 1889 boasts of two churches that served a population of about 250 people. About 15 new buildings had been erected, and a new church, town hall and store were planned, as were stock yards.
1892-93 Fountain [with notes from 1880 and 1900 censuses]
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| Durans |
1880 Census
These individuals headed households in the village of Fountain. From their occupations, we can see that there were now a few stores in town.
These individuals headed households in the village of Fountain. From their occupations, we can see that there were now a few stores in town.
Butler, Mary Jane b 1846 OH widow
Cameron, Julius b 1854 NC stock grower
Clark, Joseph b 1852 CT dry goods clerk
Ellington, LC b 1847 MO teamster
Ellington, Alpheus b 1824 KY retired farmer
Howard, Daniel b 1853 PEI sheep
Hutchin, Isaac b 1825 Oh farmer
Hutchin, Henry b 1826 OH grocer
[killed in the train explosion of 1888.]
Jarvis, William b 1846 NY blacksmith
McKenna, Henry b 1850 PEI laborer
Mitchell, Thomas B b 1830 OH miner
Nelson, George b 1845 Mi teamster
Newby, William C b1838 NC farmer
Perkins, Wm b 1827 New Brunswick
[His grain store was destroyed in the 1888 explosion.]
Sage, John b 1847 IN blacksmith
Wilmot, Acile b 1848 WI shoemaker
Other people who got their mail in Fountain and lived out of town included:
Benedict, Albert J b 1821 OH farmer
Bosworth, HP b 1841 OH farmer
Cell, DW b 1833 PA farmer
[his blacksmith shop was destroyed in 1888.]
Corbin, Marcus b 1830 MA stock dealer
Cotton, Oliver M b1827 IN farmer
Ellsworth, Oliver b 1859 WI
Hall, Benjamin b 1828 PA farmer
Lock, Mathias b 1830 Prussia farmer
Lock, Uhland b 1863 CO
Lockheart, Georgia b 1846 VA widow, teacher
Loomis, OS b NY 1831 farmer
Love, James E b 1836 KY farmer
Magee, Mary b 1838 KY widow
Neff, James b 1840 VA farmer
Overton, Gildon b 1824 Eng farmer
Sweetland, Wm b 1849 VT stock
Townsend, John b 1846 DE herds cattle
Uber, CC b 1851 PA servant
Wallace WH b 1819 PA farmer
Warren, Margaret b 1840 NY widow
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| Denver Evening Post Sep 22, 1899 |
The 1900 census for Fountain
Precinct 8
Childs, CC b 1856 IO farmer
Eichel, Ippo b 1872 IO blacksmith
Ellington, Harry L [census taker, owned Fountain Herald News 1899.]
Fugit, Ellis P b 1847 IN farmer
Hinch, John C b 1863 IL farmer
Hinch, William b 1861 IL farmer
Kinder, Isaiah b 1853 IL
Klinger, John A b 1855 OH physician
Link, John b 1873 MO hotel keeper
Pettingill, Wesley b 1877 CO laborer
Riddock, William b 1854 Scotland architect
Sublette, SB b 1863 KY telegraph operator
Thompson, Geo S b 1863 MO blacksmith
Toothman, Louis A b 1868 CO RR labor, Town Marshall
Torbit, Fernando b 1862 IL, merchant, Fountain Trading Co.
Vandenburg, Isabella b 1833 IN
Zeiser, Antoine b 1856 OH Druggist
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| Ippo Eichel Rancher and deputy sheriff, died at 31 |
Precinct 9
Christian, Lee b 1870 TN RR foreman
Christian, Lee b 1870 TN RR foreman
Frazier, Charles b 1863 IO
Link, Henry b 1850 MO farmer
City and Business Directories
Similar to the current phone book yellow pages, or business listings, city directories listed the businesses operating in towns and cities, and sometimes also regional landowners. The Colorado Business Directories list towns, rail stops, populations, shopkeepers, and sometimes ranchers and land owners.
The 1880 Colorado Business Directory listed these sheep growers, all with a Fountain PO address, which stretched for miles in each direction, including east to Hwy 115. In town, JW Ross sold general merchandise.
HH Cooker
DM Howard
Capt Given
William O’Donahue
WW Perkins
FH Price
Edward Raymond
H Cells
C Ellington
FM Gustin
Gregory and Varnsdale
OS Loomis
EA Smith
In the 1881 Directory they have added these wool growers: JH Ames, Brown and Jones, J Cameron, HH Cookes, DM Howard, Bond and Parmer. Additional cattle growers were MB Corbin, CJ Croft and G Rhodes. In the 1883 directory, Hutchin and Irvine were grocers.
A listing from about 1888 showed these merchants in town: AE Ames, real estate, Ames and son, merchandise, AJ Benedict, postmaster, EB Grosskreutz, dry goods, OS Loomis, livery, Robert McCune, lumber, Mrs Mitchell - boarding house, EE Reynolds, physician, FB Ross, merchant, GS Thompson, blacksmith. Most of these businesses were on Main Street, south of Ohio, or just off of it. McCune's lumber yard was east on Ohio, and and AL Zeiser's City Drug Store sat at the northwest corner of Main and Ohio (Advertiser & News, Cobweb Express Sep 1 1999). A Gazette article from Jan 1, 1889 boasts of two churches that served a population of about 250 people. About 15 new buildings had been erected, and a new church, town hall and store were planned, as were stock yards.
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| Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Benedict |
1892-93 Fountain [with notes from 1880 and 1900 censuses]
Ames, AE Notary [b1818 NY T15S R66W landowner 1872-1892]
Ames, Alvin (AE’s son) Merchant [b1860 NY]
Benedict, Albert J Postmaster [b1821 OH, landlord in town 1900]
Klinger, John A [Owned Brunswick Hotel, town physician in 1900]
Lock, Uhland Merchant [b1862 CO RR labor in 1900, lived in town]
Mitchell, Mrs. MT lodging house [husband Thomas b1830, miner]
Zeiser, Antoine Druggist [b 1856 OH, druggist in town 1900]
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| UH Lock Store, Main Street |
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| Brunswick Hotel, W Missouri |
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In 1909, PV Brawner was the ATSF and Wells Fargo agent. The Fountain Free Library was operated by BO Corp [probably in the school]. CW Keys was a physician, and proprietor of the Link Hotel and the livery. In this year, Miss H Handyside was the pastor of the Free Methodist Episcopal Church on Ohio, the Opera House was run by ML Rhinhart, and FE Torbit managed the Fountain Trading Company. Arthur Wolf was Mayor.-----------------------------------------------------------------
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| 1910 CO Bus Directory |
Baptist Church, Rev J F Hardy pastor
Boers & White, civil engineers
Brunswick Hotel, Dr C W Keys proprietor, physician
Evans S J, R R & Express agent
Child C C, carpenter and constable
Clarke George, painter
Colgrove F, barber
Colorado Tel Co, Mrs Lucy Eichel exchange manager
Congregational Church, Rev R C Boss pastor
First National Bank, Wm Holmes pres, Hugh Conlogue vice-pres, R G Robinson vice-pres. Sam Frasier cashier
Fountain Herald, T B & Nellie E Pyles proprietors
Fountain Lumber & Supply Co, W P Riddoch mgr
Fountain Merchantile co., Marc Jacobson prop; genl mdse
Fountain Suburban Homes Corp, W G Riddoch treasurer
Fountain Trading Co, E J Barnes mgr; genl mdse
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| Fountain Mercantile Company, undated Note from architecture that these are the same building! |
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| Fountain Trading Company, circa 1911 |
Fountain Valley Land & Irrigation Co, W G Riddoch agent
Frasier, Sam, cashier First Nat Bank; mayor
Gore Mercantile Co, C A Gore mgr; genl mdse
Holmes Wm, pres First Nat Bank
Hotel Fountain, L P O'Reilly prop
Hutchins Grace A, postmaster; stationery
Isely Lumber Co Charles C, J W Isely local mgr
Methodist Church (Free), Rev W W Jellison pastor
Phillips Geo I, real estate, justice peace and town treasurer
Pennington J L, physician
Riddoch W G, real estate and insurance; notary public
Sublette S B, R R and Exp agt
Virden L R, blacksmith
Warner Geo E, hardware
Witter R V, physician and drugs
Wolf Arthur, restaurant
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1910 CO Bus Dir Fountain p2 Isely Lumber & Lorig's Clothing Store, Main Street at Ohio. Note the river cobbles used in the construction. JW Isely was a Justice of the Peace in Fountain in 1912 (Gazette). This block was built in about 1906-07 by Warner. |
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| West side of Main Street circa 1940s |
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| 1914 Sanborn Map. CLICK on any of the images in the blog to enlarge them. |
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| Main and Ohio, southeast corner |
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| Square Deal Garage, east side of Main Street |
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| Fountain Garage, south of Square Deal Garage Note Ladies Restroom upstairs, and Mountain Water drinking fountain |
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| Main and Ohio, southwest corner |
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| Trading Company, paint shop, Warner Block and City Drug |
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| Main and Ohio, northeast corner |
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| Woodman Hall, northeast Main and Ohio |
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| Main and Ohio, northwest corner |
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| City Drug at northwest corner of Main and Ohio, Congregational Church in back |
The 1915 Colorado Directory also included these names for Fountain: physicians JA Clinger and HL Richardson, ATSF agent SJ Evans, D&RG agent SB Sublett, Torbit and Slife's Fountain Trading Company, Edwin Houghton - insurance, Grace Hutchins - postmistress, CC Child of the Link Hotel, OS Loomis livery, George Phillips - notary and Justice of the Peace, and Thompson and Eichel, blacksmiths.
In 1920, Johnny Aldridge and SJ Evans were railroad agents. Doctors RO Broadway and PJ Hilgendorf had moved into town. LA Toothman had taken over management of the Brunswick Hotel and Joseph Collins ran the livery. With the spread of the automobile, Continental Oil had storage in town, and the Orcutt Brothers ran the Fountain Garage on Main Street, and Virden's Garage was opposite the High School. Loren Gore was postmaster and RL Hunt was the school principal. For entertainment we find A Wolf selling ice cream and candy, several restaurants and GR Johnson's billiards and cigars.
By 1923 the changes included the Electric Light Plant, managed by LR Templeton. Rev CS Thomas was at the Baptist Church and Rev GS Upton at the Methodist Episcopal Church. Johnson was now managing the Fountain Theatre.
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| 1923 |
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| Orcutt's Park Filing Station 1923 |
This partial list of Fountain residents and property owners dates from 1937. It was copied from a directory housed at Special Collections, but the title of the source is not known. Individuals with the same surname are lumped together. The original page gives some land descriptions, but is difficult to read. My thanks to Patrice for tirelessly searching these Archives for Fountain facts.
Christian, Ernest, Lee railroad section foreman, Martin Arapahoe food store,
Robert merchant manager
Colbert, DC farmer
Collins, JO sales
Colorado, Angel laborer, Jose laborer
Conlogue, Mattie railroad
Cordova, JB laborer
Cortez, AM
Cossel, Olen gas and oil dealer
Croak, Albert
Cunningham, H service station, OA oil station
Davis, WL railroad
Dean, Jack laborer
Denguero, Juan J laborer
Dewey, EG railroad operator
Diltz, AK retired, RG laborer
Dissier, FL
Duran, Mrs J, Joe laborer, John railroad section, Lucas laborer, Mary Jane
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| 1937 directory |
school teacher
Fox, Essie, Marvin laborer
Frankenstein, Sallie
Galdin, WR Justice of peace
Gaut, Isaac
Gearhart, AL, Edgar
Gilliland, MA feed mill
Gladin, Quentin airport employee
Gleck, Charles, Herman, William
Grubb, Elmer E
Gulaar, Rev Jose pastor
Harnes, AS trucking business
Hudson, JW physician, drug company
Huff, Mrs HT
Jackson, J Roy, Roy, WS
Janson, CP auctioneer
Jaramilo, Faustin farmer
Johnson, AC carpenter, Ernest, JK, JO, Mary, Oscar J
Jones, Mary E
Josephs, Roswell asst head master, Fountain Valley School
Kerr, George oil station, James
Keys, Mrs Jesse
Lacy, George
Lawless, Charles, CT
Louer, George laborer
Love, AL, RE
McAuliff, Pat F retail operator, Miss P
McClure, AT
McCombs, Sarah
McDowell, HA, OB
McGee, Thomas
Mcowan, PC ditch rider
Miller, Delila teacher, TA retired
Monk, FH hardware merchant
Morris, Mary
Oldenstadt, LF
Orcutt, AE garage
Overton, PW
Peak, Harry F WPA supervisor
Pedroza, Gabino laborer
Peebles, Clare barber shop
Pelphrey, UG laborer
Perea, Felix laborer
Perriman, Frank
Pezoldt, Raymond
Remington, ME
Rinehart, ML
Rice, AF farmer, Ralph
Rivera, Joe, Juan G laborer
Salmon, Virgil
Sample, Kenneth J dairy and milk route, Mamie, W
Sanborn, Mable P WPA director
Sayers, AM city clerk
Seymour, George, Leonard, Lloyd
Stowall, Alma
Suter, JD
Sweeney, Anna
Templeton, LR electrician
Torbit, Charles A railroad mail, Rose, WA school janitor
Townsend, Mary
Trujillo, Henry laborer, Max farmer, Pete J laborer, Tom
Tye, Joseph H
Wallace, Fred R. railroad employee, Sallie
Ward, Alfred R, railroad,
West, H Horton
Wolf, Arthur retired, D Carlos
1947 El Paso County Directory - A surnames in Fountain
Abeyto Antonio M Camp Carson Fntn *Abeyto Joe G lab Fntn *
Abeyto Thomas lab Fntn *
Adams Geo D & Ida rancher 8-16-65 (E*) bx 691 Fountain CS *
Aragon (Mary) Fountain *
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| Rocky Mountain News Jan 18 1879 |
