Denver County, History of Colorado, BIOS: RIETHMANN, Emile Jacques (published 1918) *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00015.html#0003643 August 29, 1999 *********************************************************************** "History of Colorado", edited by Wilbur Fisk Stone, published by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. (1918) Vol. II p. 76, 78 photo p. 77 EMILE JACQUES RIETHMANN. Emile Jacques Riethmann, of Denver, was for many years actively engaged in the dairy business and he still holds valuable farming Interests in Adams county. He was born in Switzerland, March 5, 1844, and comes of genuine Swiss parentage. His father was John Riethmann and his mother Mary (Hunzicher) Riethmann. The former was a butcher by trade, following that pursuit in the old country. He came to the United States in 1848 with his wife and tour children and settled first in Utica, New York, where he remained for two years. He then removed to Switzerland county, Indiana, where he followed the business of a drover. He took stock to the Cincinnati market overland and after residing for a number of years in Indiana left that state in 1856 for Illinois. He remained, however, in the latter state for but two months- and then removed to Des Moines, Iowa, while subsequently he established his home in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he continued until 1859. He afterward followed his sons to Colorado, becoming one of the pioneer farmers of the state and contributing to its early development and progress. He reared a family of six children, two of whom were born on this side of the Atlantic. Emile J. Riethmann and his brother John left Council Bluffs, Iowa, on the 19th of February, 1859, en route for the west. The former was then a youth of fifteen years. Up to that time he had been reared upon his father's farm in Indiana and in Iowa, with the usual experiences of the farm-bred boy. With his brother he crossed the Missouri river on the ice and thence traveled across the plains with a party numbering five members. They followed the Platte River trail and arrived in the newly laid-out settlement of Denver on the 23d of March, 1859. The trip across the country was made with two horses and two mules. The "outfit" built seven log houses on the site of Denver, living in the first one which was constructed. The brothers soon began to prospect for gold at Arvada, on Ralston creek, but found none there and were persuaded to go to the Deadwood "Diggin's," now Russellville. They remained there for a short time and then went to the famous Gregory "Diggin's," now Central City, where they discovered a lode on the mountain. Lack of facilities and knowledge of quartz delayed their work greatly. The Riethmann brothers, however, were the first to get water up the mountains to the mines. They remained in the mining district until their father, John Riethmann, arrived in Denver on the 6th of June, 1859, and then sold out the mine, trading their share for two yoke of oxen and a wagon. In this way they traveled to Denver. The father took up his abode on a farm at the mouth of Sand creek, in Adams county, and the property is still in possession of his son Emile, who continued upon the home place until he reached the age of twenty-two years, assisting materially in its early development and improvement. He drove the first milk wagon in Denver, using a team of oxen. When twenty-two years of age he established the Pioneer Dairy and continued in the dairy business in Denver for twenty-two years, on the expiration of which period he sold the business to the Cook Brothers, but he still retains his farms, all of which are in Adams county and are valuable properties, returning to him a most gratifying annual income. On the 28th of March, 1871, in Denver, Mr. Riethmann was united in marriage to Miss Mary Yesley, a native of Ohio, who came to Denver in the autumn of 1869. Her father was of Pennsylvania birth. To Mr. and Mrs. Riethmann have been born four children, but all have passed away. Cora, the eldest, became the wife of W. C. Gram, of Denver, and had one child, Lucille, who was reared by her grandfather. Nora died at the age of eighteen years, while William Luther passed away in infancy and John F. died at the age of twenty-five years. In his political views Mr. Riethmann has always maintained an independent course. His religious faith in the past years has been that of the Presbyterian church. Fraternally he is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and he also belongs to the Swiss Gruetli Verein. In 1864 he was a member of the Home Guard Militia, which in that year went out to meet the Indians who were upon the warpath. He has at different times been called upon for public service. He was county commissioner of Arapahoe county from 1886 until 1889, at which time the county included the district that now constitutes Arapahoe, Denver and Adams counties. He was also Swiss consul for the states of Colorado and Utah and the territories of Arizona and New Mexico, being appointed during the Cleveland administration on the 29th of October, 1896, and serving until 1902. He has been the president of the Fulton Ditch and is now president of the Burlington Ditch. In other words he has been closely associated with the development of irrigation interests and at all times he has been a student of conditions in this section of the country bearing upon the development of its material resources. He has contributed to the work of progress along that line as well as through his activity in public office and his worth as a man and citizen is widely acknowledged.