Denver County, History of Colorado, BIOS: AMMONS, Elias Milton (published 1918)
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"History of Colorado", edited by Wilbur Fisk Stone, published by The S. J. 
Clarke Publishing Co. (1918)  Vol. II

p.32, 34-38
photo p. 33


HON. ELIAS MILTON AMMONS.

	Hon. Elias Milton Ammons, president of the Farmers Life Insurance 
Company of Denver, ex-governor of Colorado, as well as one of the 
state's most conspicuous figures in public and private life, has had an 
identification with Colorado's growth and development that renders 
highly eligible for a work of this character a partial review of his 
career of nearly fifty years within the confines of the state.

	Elias M. Ammons was born July 28, 1860, on a farm near Franklin, 
Macon county, North Carolina, a son of Jehu Richard and Margaret 
Caroline (Brendle) Ammons. The ancestors of E. M. Ammons on his 
father's side were among the very first settlers in western North 
Carolina. The father of Jehu R. Ammons was Joshua Ammons, whose father 
was a Revolutionary soldier and fought in the struggle for 
independence. Joshua Ammons was a Baptist minister and his son. Jehu 
R., was also educated for that profession. The latter was one of 
fourteen children and at about the age of fourteen suffered a severe 
spell of sickness which resulted in impaired physical strength during 
his life thereafter. He was married in 1859 in North Carolina to Miss 
Margaret Caroline Brendle, who came from an old Pennsylvania Dutch 
family that settled in that section of North Carolina in an early day. 
Early in the spring of 1871, Jehu R. Ammons and his family removed to 
Colorado, arriving in Denver on April 1st of that year, after being 
delayed several days by a snow blockade at Hugo, Colorado, on the old 
Kansas Pacific Railroad. After coming to Colorado, Jehu R. Ammons was 
engaged at different times in the mercantile, mining and timber 
business. His death occurred in Douglas county on April 20. 1899, while 
his wife died in Denver on December 25, 1893. They had a family of six 
children, five of whom lived to adult ages, all being high school 
graduates. The eldest of the children was Elias M. Theodosia Grace, the 
second of the family, became a successful school teacher and was well 
known in educational circles, establishing the domestic science 
department in the Colorado Agricultural College. She never married and 
is now deceased. Parita H. gave her hand in marriage to Alonzo F. 
Polhamus and became the mother of eight children, seven of whom 
survived her. Anna J. Ammons is a well known school teacher of Denver. 
Gwendolyn wedded James McLaughlin and resides in Trinidad, Colorado.

	Elias M. Ammons was a boy of less than eleven years of age when 
he came to Colorado, up to which time he had attended school but very 
little, probably not more than a few weeks in all. Soon after coming to 
Denver he went to work in a woolen mill then located on West Larimer 
street, which employment was quite essential, as the family means were 
limited. The boy, being eldest in the family, had from the age of five 
worked at various tasks such as his age permitted and contributed in no 
small way toward the family support. Severe losses had reduced the 
family finances, while the father was not physically robust, a 
condition dating from boyhood. In latter July, 1871, the family removed 
to Pleasant Park, where young Ammons worked on a ranch. In those days 
hay harvest was carried on by the use of scythes and the boy managed to 
do his share of the work with the others. Later Mr. Ammons' father went 
to Turkey Creek and the son was employed at various kinds of work, 
including lumbering. At this he skidded the first five thousand ties 
that went into the South Park Railroad. He drove oxen, hauling cordwood 
to the limekilns. His work was carried on entirely out-of-doors and 
during the severe winters, when the cold was intense, he kept at it 
just the same, even without gloves or overshoes. In fact he never had a 
pair of either until he was about grown. In the winter of 1874 the 
family removed to Denver, where young Ammons, after considerable 
difficulty, found employment as a fireman in a laundry. After three 
weeks' service in that capacity the laundry failed and he lost all his 
wages. He could not afford to remain idle, so secured work sawing wood 
in a woodyard, and was thus able to earn some money with which to 
purchase schoolbooks. He was anxious to secure an education and just as 
soon as it was possible for him to do so he started to school. It was 
in February, 1875, when he became a pupil at the old Arapahoe school 
that stood on the present site of the club building on Arapahoe street. 
Aaron Gove was the principal and to the encouragement and influence of 
this gentleman Mr. Ammons attributes no small part of the rapid 
progress he made in his studies. Here was an instance of a boy not 
having seen the inside of a schoolroom for over five years who when a 
little less than fifteen years of age was assigned to the fourth grade. 
Within two weeks he was promoted to a higher grade and in June, 1876, 
entered high school. He had few spare moments as a schoolboy. His 
summer vacation in 1875 was spent on a ranch, while during the school 
year he lighted the street lamps, as was the custom when gas was being 
used. To add to what he had to contend with, in the early part of 1876 
he suffered a severe attack of measles which weakened his eyes, 
resulting in a handicap under which he has labored ever since. He 
graduated from the East Denver high school in 1880, being a member of 
the fourth class to matriculate in that institution. It would be 
difficult to find a young man who had mixed in with his school days 
such a variety of work and it simply goes to show what industry, 
adaptation and necessity will bring out of a boy. For four years he 
worked in the evenings, lighting the street lamps as previously 
mentioned, and when not otherwise employed he gathered up discarded tin 
cans from which the solder was melted and sold, engaging as well in 
numerous other ways of making money. He hunted game for the market in 
the days when a deer brought a dollar and a half and an antelope one 
dollar, while elk and bear brought but little more. While thus engaged 
on the Gore range, and on the very last day of the hunting season in 
the fall of 1880, he was accidentally shot, receiving a dangerous wound 
in the head which incapacitated him for weeks. He had been doing some 
newspaper work, first in connection with the circulation department of 
the Times. He wrote up the Breckenridge boom for the Denver Tribune in 
1880. After recovering from his gunshot wound he was for some time in 
the employ of the Denver Hotel Reporter. In the spring of 1881 he was 
put on the circulation staff of the Times and in connection with this 
paper he remained for four and a half years, filling various positions 
with credit to himself and satisfaction to his employers. Mr. Woodbury 
took him into the business office, and when that gentleman disposed of 
his interests, the new firm assigned Mr. Ammons to reportorial work. 
Soon he began to edit the telegraph for the Times, read the proofs and 
later was made city editor, while at the age of twenty-five he was made 
associate editor. In the fall of 1885 he was compelled to give up 
journalistic work on account of his eyes-unfortunately, too, as he had 
acquired the reputation of being a capable and promising man. His 
services were sought by other papers but the offers were declined.

	In taking up other work, Mr. Ammons turned his attention to the 
cattle business and in September, 1885, in partnership with Thomas F. 
Dawson, formed the firm of Dawson & Ammons. They began with eighty 
acres of land on the western line of Douglas county, about thirty miles 
from Denver, and with about twenty-five head of cattle. This business 
prospered from the beginning and subsequently became one of the big 
cattle outfits of that time in the state. Mr. Ammons was always the 
active manager of the business. A thoroughly practical man, he was 
familiar with every branch of it and perfectly competent to perform and 
judge the work of any employe, who was never asked to do more than Mr. 
Ammons would do himself. The firm of Dawson & Ammons continued until 
Mr. Ammons disposed of by far the larger portion of his stock and 
ranching interests about the time he entered on his duties as governor 
of the state. While actively engaged in the cattle business Mr. Ammons 
made a close study of methods long prevailing in that industry and 
endeavored to improve on them. One practice in particular that he 
sought to improve, and did, was that of finishing beet cattle in 
Colorado and which has ever since been followed by many growers in the 
state. His connection with that industry in Colorado included a period 
of depression and low prices which, contrasted with present-day 
returns, seem incredible. Steers known as good killers were sold for as 
low as two dollars and thirty-five cents per hundredweight, while fat 
cows that would average eleven hundred pounds were sold for as low as 
ten dollars each. Mr. Ammons took an active part in the organization of 
the cattle interests for protection against theft and was a prime 
factor in the organization of the Colorado Cattle and Horse Growers' 
Association. He accepted the presidency of this organization to start 
the stock show and called its first meeting, from which has grown the 
National Western Stock Show, which has probably done more to stimulate 
the live stock industry in Colorado than any other one influence. He 
has ever since been president of this organization. He was one of the 
organizers of the Middle Park Land and Live Stock Association, its 
first president and again its president at a later date. He was one of 
the organizers of the First National Bank of Littleton and for several 
years served as one of its directors. He was interested in the Stock 
Yards Bank during the early days of its existence. He is a member of 
the Grange and Farmers Union as well as various other organizations 
that have drawn their membership largely from the agricultural class. 
He was for several years president of the Grand County Pair Association 
as well as a director of the Castle Rock Fair Association. He is now 
vice president of the State Board of Agriculture, of which board he has 
been a member since 1909. From boyhood he has been interested in 
forestry and has made a close study of the results of forest 
conservation, advocating or opposing practices that his practical 
experience has taught him to be right or wrong as the case may be.

	Mr. Ammons has always taken an active interest in education. He 
served on the school boards for many years, for a long period being a 
member of a local board, the president of a county high school board 
and a member of the Agricultural College board at the same time. He has 
ever been an advocate of practical and technical training and the 
making of the state's high schools more of a people's college for those 
who cannot attend universities rather than conducting them as 
preparatory schools for classical college courses. He has insisted that 
high school courses should be as complete as possible in themselves and 
still prepare pupils for college courses, should they be able to take 
them. Much work was done toward establishing elementary agricultural 
work in country high schools. He is now a member of the vocational 
training board. He was an active supporter of improvement in physical 
training. He believed that the plans in operation for the most part 
tended to overtrain those who needed little and to do nothing for those 
who needed it most. He has insisted that thorough physical training, 
best suited to the pupil, should be furnished-that stronger, better 
balanced citizens might be the result. In this connection it may be 
well to mention that for several years he has favored military training 
of all boys and young men in high schools and colleges on the principle 
that it is advisable to teach our boys to be better governing agents 
and more productive citizens, it is also necessary to train them in the 
art of protecting both government and production.

	On the 29th of January, 1889, in Denver, Mr. Ammons was married 
to Miss Elizabeth Fleming, a native of Indiana, Pennsylvania, and a 
sister of James A. Fleming. Mrs. Ammons came to Colorado in the early 
'80s. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Ammons, of whom 
three are now living. Bruce, who married Miss Margaret Gates, is a 
rancher of Grand county, Colorado. Elizabeth was educated at the 
Wolcott School and subsequently graduated from the Colorado Women's 
College, after which she took a special course in journalism at the 
University of Colorado and has been acting secretary to her father for 
several years. Miss Ammons is an accomplished equestrienne. Teller is a 
member of Company I, Three Hundred and Fifty-fourth Infantry, at the 
front in France, having joined the United States military forces in 
October, 1917.

	Though too young to vote, Mr. Ammons took an active part in the 
campaign of 1880. He frequently represented the republican party in 
conventions but refused to act as a delegate to the national convention 
at St. Louis in 1896. On a previous occasion, before he was a voter, he 
had been chosen as a delegate to a state convention but declined on 
account of his age. In 1890 he became clerk of the district court but 
resigned after three months of service. In the fall of 1890 he was 
elected to the state legislature after one of the most exciting 
campaigns in the history of Douglas county. His opponent at that time 
was William Dillon. a brother of the noted Irish agitator. Mr. Dillon 
challenged Mr. Ammons to joint debates, which were held in different 
precincts, and the interest was so intense that large crowds went from 
one to another to listen to the debates. In the legislature Mr. Ammons 
was one of three grangers who decided the speakership in the caucus. He 
made a strong fight on parliamentary rulings and evinced such 
familiarity with proper procedure of that character that the Impression 
was created that he was a lawyer. While never having read law a day in 
his life, he had, however, debated in literary societies, where he 
acquired a thorough knowledge of parliamentary tactics. He served as a 
member of the judiciary committee while in the legislature. He was 
instrumental in the passage of the fee and salary bill, the Australian 
ballot law, appropriations for state roads in Douglas county, as well 
as numerous reform measures passed by that general assembly. He was no 
small factor in the election of Henry M. Teller to the United States 
senate. Mr. Ammons was a most ardent admirer of that worthy statesman, 
with whom the warmest friendship existed as long as he lived. Mr. 
Ammons made for himself a name and an acquaintance during his first 
term in the legislature such as few "first termers" have ever done in 
the state. He readily became known as a fighter who was both able and 
had the courage of his convictions. In addition to being credited by 
other members as being the hardest worker in the house, the prediction 
was made by close observers that he was destined to "go higher," which 
in the face of subsequent positions that he filled only shows the ample 
basis for those predictions. At the convention held for nomination in 
1892. Mr. Ammons received the vote of every delegate but himself, on 
secret ballot, and was reelected by an increased majority. He had 
proved so popular and shown such ability during his previous term that 
it was decided he should make the race for speaker of the house. He was 
elected to this position, being the youngest man on whom that honor had 
ever been conferred up to that time. In his rulings as speaker no 
appeal was ever sustained and at the extra session of fifty-two days no 
appeal from his decision was ever taken, although the session was an 
exciting one and many matters of importance were brought to him for 
settlement. He declined to be a candidate for renomination at the 
conclusion of his second term. In 1896 he refused the chairmanship of 
the state silver republican committee and later in the same year 
declined the nomination for representative. When the national 
republican party became a gold standard party, Mr. Ammons followed 
Senator Teller out of that party and helped to organize in Colorado the 
silver republican party. In fact he led the fight in the second 
congressional district convention in 1896 to instruct a bolt from the 
national convention under the leadership of Senator Teller in case the 
expected announcement of the gold standard policy should be made. He 
served at various times as a member of the state central committee for 
Douglas county, also as chairman of the county central committee and as 
chairman of the congressional district committee. On the 16th of 
September, 1898, in the silver republican senatorial convention of El 
Paso and Douglas counties, Mr. Ammons, without seeking the position, 
was nominated for state senator. In the election that followed a 
vigorous campaign he was chosen by more than five thousand majority, 
carrying every precinct in his home county of Douglas, as well as 
receiving an enormous majority in his opponent's home county.

	While in the Colorado senate he served during the first term as 
chairman of the printing committee and conducted its affairs at less 
expense than ever before had been done. He also was responsible for 
much important legislation among which he was author of the bill 
providing that the Columbine be established as the state flower; author 
of a bill establishing Teller county; author of legislation that took 
"picture gallery" off the ballot; and this was accomplished only after 
a bitter-fight. In this session of the senate he was a member of the 
finance, live stock, and rules committees. During the second session of 
his term he was chairman of the finance committee in the senate and of 
the joint committee of both houses on finance, appropriation and 
taxation. During his service as such he was instrumental in reducing 
appropriations over six hundred thousand dollars, bringing them within 
the state's revenues.

	In 1901 Mr. Ammons was appointed president of the Live Stock 
Inspection Board and served for two terms. He was a candidate for 
lieutenant governor of Colorado in 1904 and again in 1906, and while 
defeated both times, he just as often ran ahead of the ticket. In 1912 
he was elected governor by more than fifty thousand plurality, 
receiving a tremendously heavy vote from the country districts, as his 
labors and influence had largely been utilized in behalf of measures 
and movements affecting those localities. Governor Ammons served one 
term in accordance with the platform on which he was elected, which 
contained a one-term plank. Governor Ammons' administration was marked 
by the strictest economy as well as much constructive legislation, 
probably more than had characterized that of any of his predecessors. 
He was active in the establishment of schools of agriculture at Fort 
Collins and Fort Lewis and in pushing elementary agriculture in the 
schools of the state; also in securing appropriations for extension and 
institute work, in which he actively engaged in assisting college men. 
Civil service was put into force more effectively during his 
administration than during any time in the history of the state. During 
his administration a most effective public utilities law, including the 
abolition of railroad passes, was passed for the first time. A thorough 
taxation system, insuring more equitable distribution of taxes and 
furnishing the machinery for a complete system, was also established. A 
highway system under which tremendous progress has been made in road 
construction, was put into effect and is being copied by many of the 
states of the Union. Agitation over both the banking laws and the 
insurance laws was ended by legislation covering these subjects very 
fully and which seems to have been perfectly satisfactory since that 
time. A law pronounced by both operators and employes as being the best 
in the country, was passed, controlling the business of coal mining. 
Legislation was enacted to assist agriculture, providing for the 
gathering of statistics; to further the cause of good seed; for the 
general promotion of agriculture and live stock growing. A law was 
passed to establish a county agriculturist, with the idea of teaching 
those who come here from other countries, the best methods of growing 
crops and live stock under our climatic and other conditions. The 
employers' liability act was also liberalized. Better protection was 
provided for women and children and a commission appointed to 
investigate a report on a minimum wage for women. A bill was passed to 
regulate commission men, especially in relation to fruits and 
vegetables, but was referred and later defeated at the polls. A number 
of the boards were consolidated. In doing this, the dairy commission 
was put under the board of agriculture and the head of the live stock 
department made the commissioner. It was this legislature which passed 
the act for the election of United States senators by the people. Game 
and fish laws were made more efficient and the game and fish department 
provided with means for better support. The law for an eight-hour day 
was made effective. The initiative and referendum was perfected by 
legislation, preventing fraudulent petitions and preventing state 
employes from circulating petitions. Appropriations were made and most 
effective work was done to protect the state's water from litigation 
from other states. Laws regulating "loan sharks" were passed. 
Automobiles were licensed to provide a road fund. Official action was 
taken to provide for mountain parks and a system of parks throughout 
the state was advocated. The state was reapportioned for congressional 
and other purposes. An amendment to the constitution was proposed and 
adopted at the succeeding election, requiring equalization of values 
for taxation and limiting levy for state and county purposes, to 
prevent undue increase in taxation. Minimum teachers' salaries were 
established. A strong memorial to congress was adopted seeking to 
establish a national policy, advocating the control of the public 
domain, in favor of the settlement of public lands in the state and the 
development of its natural resources. The headless ballot which Mr. 
Ammons tried to secure at the time of the passage of the Australian 
ballot bill first in 1891 and which he tried to bring about by 
amendment while in the senate in 1899, was adopted and went into force 
with this administration. The mothers' compensation act was passed. An 
attempt was made to put all royalties on coal and other minerals on 
school and other state lands into the permanent fund. It developed that 
new legislation was necessary and this, through his influence, was 
secured at the session of 1917.

	A conference of governors was held at Colorado Springs in August 
of 1913 and proved to be one of the best attended meetings of these 
officials ever held. Mr. Ammons was a member of the executive committee 
for both 1913 and 1914. The second year conference was taken up largely 
by subjects relating to western development. In 1914, the governor 
called a conference of educational institutions, pioneer societies, 
historical societies, and others interested, to meet with 
representatives of the government to organize, to secure cooperation 
with the federal government, with the purpose of eliminating 
duplication and meaningless names of mountains and streams and 
perpetuating in their places Indian and Spanish and pioneer names of 
historic value. The state being the great scenic section of the country 
it was deemed advisable from that standpoint, that the names of all 
points of interest should carry with them designations not only of 
historic value but of story value. The gathering, which met at the 
senate chamber in the state house of Denver, was the most notable of 
the kind ever called in the history of the state; it entered upon the 
work with interest and enthusiasm and though it did not later secure 
official recognition, as it deserved. It has already accomplished much 
good and will, doubtless, do more and more as time goes by. The 
governor was secretary of the Western Governors' Conference and active 
in securing an organized effort on the part of the western states for a 
better development of resources in, and settlement of, the public 
lands. On request of the executive committee he prepared a paper for 
the governors' council, which met at Boston in August, 1915.

	During his administration there occurred the worst industrial 
disturbance in the history of the state. There had been in existence 
for some time a strike in the northern coal fields and six weeks before 
he went into office, he was notified that a general strike of coal 
miners would be called. Every effort was made to prevent this but 
without avail. The contest was for recognition of the Union in District 
No. 15, comprising Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. To avoid interstate 
complications the strike was to be in one state at a time. Colorado was 
chosen as the first battle ground. The conduct of the strike was 
controlled from outside of the state, entirely on the side of the 
United Mine Workers and largely on the part of the operators. While the 
officers of the United Mine Workers sought conferences with the 
operators the latter insisted that this was only asked for in order to 
secure that much recognition of the Union and they refused to meet the 
strikers' officials. A great deal of violence ensued, resulting in the 
necessity for military control of the districts involved. The latter 
part of 1914 the strike was called off and the difficulties attending 
it so adjusted that the entire matter was taken care of before the 
close of that administration. It was said that the governor only had 
one peaceful day during his administration and that was the last day he 
was in office. This disturbance occupied most of the time and energies 
of the executive and interfered with many of the plans laid out for the 
development of the state.

	The biennial message delivered to the assembly at the close of 
the administration was a document that commanded unusual interest. At 
the close of its reading by Representative Fincher, there was such a 
demonstration of approval as has never been witnessed in the history of 
the state on such an occasion. A short time later, on an incidental 
visit to the house, a recess was taken and an enthusiastic reception 
given to the former governor; an incident that has never occurred at 
any other time in the state's history.

	In matters of legislation and public policy Governor Ammons has 
always been a progressive but never a radical one. He has maintained a 
wide acquaintance with the leading men of the state for nearly a half 
century. He has known personally every governor of Colorado and all but 
two of the territorial governors. His acquaintance has not only 
included the big men but the great rank and file as well. His political 
interest is that of a good citizen and his activities along those lines 
have not been for private gain. For many years he was a member of the 
Denver Civic and Commercial Association and in 1917 and 1918 was a 
director and head of the agriculture and live stock bureau. He is a 
member of the Democratic Club, the Denver Athletic Club, the Lions Club 
and the Sons of Colorado, and has served as president of this 
organization. His most striking personal characteristics are his 
sincerity, his simplicity of manner, his democratic spirit and his 
broad sympathies for, and his understanding of, the people. A 
predominant feature of his make-up is his persistency and 
determination. Few men in any walk of life, and still fewer who have 
attained his prominence, have had as many obstacles to overcome or 
endured the hardships that Governor Ammons has. His lack of early 
educational training and the handicap of impaired eyesight no doubt 
have been drawbacks, yet may have served to develop qualities to offset 
the handicap.