Title
Original Jewelers of Colorado Springs 1895-1910: Their Titles and What They Offered.
Summary
During the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush, Colorado Springs flourished and grew dramatically. This presentation attempts at getting specific about some of the original jewelers of the area and what they were actually selling. Did they make the jewelry? Did they use gold from the rush? Were they reselling goods manufactured in Rhode Island and New York? I’ll address some of these questions.
Abstract
When I began my research for this proposal, I had great hopes of finding evidence that connected the riches pouring out of our mountainside to the jewelers of the area in terms of using the gold directly and physically making jewelry to sell to its patrons. The evidence I found from our Special Collections and Pioneers Museum Archives resulted in some different discoveries and on some speculation. Being a jeweler myself, it also has me personally wanting to be more aware of where my materials come from, what titles really mean, how people perceive these titles, and who really cares.
We begin in the Colorado Springs Business Directories of 1879 and 1880. There were 5 jewelers listed, all on Tejon or just off (1). Some other businesses you would have found were 2 ice cream parlors, 16 laundries, 4 lumber dealers, and 9 livery stables, to name a few. By 1886, a recent local furniture maker/salesman and embalmer, named Richard Ashby, sold his businesses and bought G.S. Swopes jewelry store who had been in business since 1879 (2). Here is a gorgeous painted photograph of his store circa 1905 (3) and a photo of himself with unknown others…although Ashby briefly went into partnership in 1890 as Ashby & Rical selling real estate, loans, and insurance, so this might be the crew. (4)(5) By this point in my research, I am wondering if Ashby had an actual jeweler in his store. He was an actual skilled carpenter. His great grandson, Donald C. Gaby, had an oak dressing table that his wife used, a grandfather clock, an inlaid desk, and a carved barometer case (6). The word jeweler can mean a few things even to this day. Ashby was a business man in the jewelry business, I am a jeweler who is skilled in physically making jewelry with my hands, some jewelers have a jeweler like me in house, others do not and ship out goods to jewelry houses. Does anyone care about this distinction? I do! So, I will continue to paint the scene.
Around this time the influx of wealth from gold mines like the Independence and the Portland, precipitated a stock exchange to trade this wealth around. In 1899, over 236,000,000 shares were sold with a cash value of nearly $34,000,000 (10). Of course, business would increase as there was plenty of business to go around. There were 13 jewelers by 1900 (8), and 21 jewelers listed in 1903 (9) Among them were, Pond & Ellithorpe “An Enterprising Jewelry Firm” these “manufacturing jewelers” were located at 412 Colorado Ave. Squire Pond, “a first class watchmaker” partnered with Henry Ellithorpe, “a thorough watchmaker” had a jewelry stock described as “complete, embracing a full line of the best watch movements, solid gold and filled cases, chains, rings and charms in endless profusion. It appears they took orders; “jewelry manufactured in quaint and original designs from native stones” and maybe cut the stones; “for which purpose they are now adding water power” (11).
Perhaps they helped furnish the ”setting of wire gold” and quartz ring that Officer Elliott and the police department presented to Marshal Gathright on his 41st birthday “as a token of the high esteem in which he was held by all of the members of the police department”(12). Since the quartz was from a collection of Colorado minerals that was exhibited at The Worlds Fair, perhaps it was cut right here in our area? I am not sure. What we can know were some prices for some items that were displayed in a “Raine, The Leading Jeweler” ad from Cripple Creek (13).
“For Bargains In Our Store this Week:
A Fine Solid Gold Watch $25.00
A 14-K Filled Case 15 Jewel Elgin or Waltham Movement $15.00
A Genuine Solitaire Diamond Ring $40.00
…”
These items are also listed in E.V. Roddin & Co’s. 1895 Catalogue which was a real “aha!” for me in my research since I am most interested in what these “manufacturing jewelers” were actually manufacturing in their respective shops. It is unlikely that Roddin & Co. in Chicago, Illinois actually made the items they sold (14) Roddin only worked in solid gold and probably only made specialty bracelets and pins (14). So here we have a jewelry house in a city who had over a million people in 1890 (15) who probably wasn’t making their own jewelry. Comparing that historical synopsis with the Colorado Springs area, the local jewelers’ scene is shaping up to be more buyers of goods sold with maybe enough equipment to set stones and do some repair work.
Not unlike today, we use ads, resumes, the press, and social media to put our best foot forward, promoting ourselves to try and capture customers. Local jeweler (an actual jeweler) Mark Berges of Berges Jewelry Design, opinionates that “Manufacturing Jeweler” was probably the title to use of that time, along with “& Co.” His father was a business man in the 1960’s and 70’s, owner of Gross Diamond Centers, Gross Diamond Co., and MJ Christiansen Jewelers. Mark says his dad was solely a business man who didn’t make jewelry.
Getting back to our local history, there seemed to be some jewelry trade skills in our stores. C.F. Arcularious opened a new “high class jewelry store” on Tejon St. in 1902, although he had been around since 1897/98. He is proudly described as “an experienced jeweler and silversmith, and the manufacturing department of the business will at all times be under his personal supervision” (16). I would absolutely take a time machine to see what that actually means. Did he open large parcels from New York or Rhode Island and “supervise” the already manufactured goods being placed into the jewelry cases? Did he ever dirty his fingers with red rouge or polishing compound of that time?
Reynolds, The Jeweler claims in a 1904 ad, “Honest Goods at Honest Prices, Everything Guaranteed. Fine watch repairing a specialty. Graduate optician- eyes tested free. Clock and Jewelry repairing” (17).
J.H. Nelson Jewelry company had a diamond ring, gold watch, and mantel clock give-away in 1905 (18) Did he have an actual jeweler in house at his “general jewelry and optical business” (19)?
A.W. Clark “put in a new and complete line of Watches, Clocks, Jewelry, and Silverware” where he proceeds to tell us that he “will make a specialty of Fine Repairing and Optical Work” (20) It says in the same ad, “our experience comprises 14 years practical experience, nearly 3 years of which were spent in the finishing department of the Elgin Watch Factory. Don’t buy a watch until you get my prices. Will make a Specialty of Railroad Watches. Everything Hand Engraved Free. No Waiting.” The Elgin Watch Factory was in Elgin, Illinois. A.W. Clark was formerly with the J.H. Nelson Jewelry & Optical Co. (20) who was bought out by Harry Engle in 1905 (21) Engle also bought C.W. Reynolds stock who had been a jeweler since 1904 and was still in it in the 1906 directory (22)
Besides the shop view of Richard Ashby’s shop, F.H. Small & Co. also had his shop photographed and was in Facts magazine at the end of 1901 (23) It appears he and his bride had plans to make Cripple Creek their home in 1898 (24), but if they did, it didn’t last too long before they moved to the Springs. Mr. Small had taken over the established S.S. Bernard & Company (25) By 1905, F.H. Small & Co. is no longer in the business directory.
Meanwhile, in the Pioneers Museum archives, they have original jewelry boxes and items from:
Richard Ashby- jewelry box
F.G. Hayner Jeweler- long jewelry box and leather case with metal inside
Arcularius & Co.
W.J. Peyser Jeweler and Optician
In conclusion, although I did not find evidence that directly connected jewelry makers to our gold, I did learn that the California and Pike’s Peak Gold Rushes, helped establish our 14k gold common standard. And that the massiveness and specialization of jewelry manufacturing in the east created a great time for businesses to offer jewelry goods to their buyers across the country (14). This might be obvious, but it is worth noting: I have learned over time that some of the ins and outs of this industry are mysterious and maybe were back then as well. Gold, recycled gold, gold filled vs. gold plated, natural diamonds, ethical diamonds, lab grown diamonds, and handmade jewelry can all have some ambiguity in their relative definitions. I am hopeful that I can be more transparent with the ins and outs of my business as I am inspired by the resources I found and intend to continue seeking. I think this research started out as general interest that people would be interested in, and it became personal to my own interests and business endeavors. Stay tuned, maybe my next research effort will take me deep into another gold mine.
Sources
1. Colorado Springs Business Directory, 1879-80
2. Colorado Springs Gazette, September 9 1886 and A Sketch of the Life of Richard Ashby, Donald C. Gaby
3. PPLD.org Digital Collections, Pikes Peak Library District
4. PPLD.org Digital Collections, Richard Ashby far left, circa before 1890, Unknown photographer
5. Colorado Springs City Directory 1890 and 1894 sources from Donald C. Gaby
6. A Sketch of the Life of Richard Ashby, Donald C. Gaby
7. ?? confirm…Colorado Springs Colorado City and Manitou Springs Directory, 1898, R.L.Polk
8. The Giles City Directory of Colorado Springs (Colorado city & Manitou), 1900
9. Ibid, 1903
10. The Book of Colorado Springs, The Denton Printing Co, Ormes
11. Colorado City Iris, 2/20/1892, pg 1:2
12. Colorado Springs Weekly Gazette, 7/22/1897
13. Weekly Times, Cripple Creek, Colorado, Thursday, 8/27/1896
14. E.V. Rodd & Co. 1895 Illustrated Catalog and Historical Introduction, The Pyne Press
15. http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/
16. Facts Vol. 9 No. 16 pg. 15:3, 1/18/1902, Consolidated Publishing Co.
17. Colorado City Iris pg. 3:1, 3/11/1904
18. Colorado City Iris, 1/6/1905
19. Colorado City Iris, 4/1/1904
20. Colorado City Iris, 8/25/1905 pg. 2:5
21. Colorado City Iris, 8/25/1905 pg. 3:4
22. Colo. Springs, Colorado City, & Manitou Directory 1905 Vol. II, R.L. Polk & Co.
23. Facts, Vol. 8 Nov. 18th 1901
24. The Weekly Times Cripple Creek Colorado, 11/3/1898
25. Facts, Vol. 9 No. 13/14 pg. 85:2, 1/1/1902