Koch, Harry G. b.1865: Bio, Pitkin County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/pitkin/bios/koch.txt --------------------------------------- Donated August 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- Harry G. Koch Successful in business, although at times suffering the reverses that may always be expected in mercantile life, and with breadth of view and public-spirit in promoting the general interests of the community in which he lives and operates, Harry G. Koch, of Aspen, this state, is recognized as one of Pitkin county's most worthy and useful citizens, and enjoys in a marked degree the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens throughout the county and a much larger scope of country. He was born on May 10, 1865, at Toledo, Ohio, and is the son of Edward W.E. and Anna M. (Markscheffle) Koch, natives of Germany, the former born in Brunswick and the latter in Hanover. In 1852 they came to the United States, at the time when Hon. Carl Schurz came over, and settled in Wood county, Ohio. There the father became a professor of languages and superintendent of the public schools. Afterward the family moved to Lexington, Kentucky, and there he continued teaching for a year and a half. Returning to Toledo at the end of that time, he passed a number of years in that city as editor of the German Express. The later years of his life were devoted to the culture of fruit and the manufacture of wines. In 1879 he came to Colorado and located at Aspen. He helped to build the first log cabin in the village and was one of the party of four in company with Walter S. Clark and others who were the original prospectors in this region and located a number of its most valuable mining claims. After remaining at Aspen sixty days he returned to Toledo, but later made several trips between the two places. He was very successful in all his undertakings, ardently supported the Republican party in political matters and with his wife gave earnest allegiance to the Lutheran church. They had twelve children, five of whom died in infancy. The father's life ended on July 25, 1903, and the mother is now living at Toledo. The seven living children are Mrs. E.K. Reinhardt, of Toledo; William C.E. Koch, a lumber merchant at Nelson, British Columbia; Edward E. Koch, in the same business at Sandusky, Ohio; Charles L., lumbering at Perrysburg, Ohio; and Harry G. Koch and Mrs. B.C. Feast, of Aspen, Colorado. Harry, after attending the public schools until he reached the age of sixteen, worked on his father's farms until he was nineteen, then went on the road as traveling agent for his father, selling fruit and other products of the homestead. In 1885 he came to Aspen, and after working four days digging ditches at ten cents a foot for the water company under contract, he became foreman of the construction gang and later superintendent and general manager of the company, remaining in its service from 1885 to 1902, a period of seventeen years. In 1900 he made a trip to Europe, and since his return has been continuously engaged in the lumber trade. From 1888 to 1892 he also conducted a stock brokerage business, and in 1896, 1897 and 1898 he was in the grocery trade as a member of the Mesa Mercantile Company. This venture was not successful owing to bad management, and he soon retired from connection with the company. In 1899 he purchased the interest of S.H. Finley in the lumber business of Finley & Rose, and changed the style of the firm to the Koch Lumber Company. Later he purchased the interest of William E. Kelley, and baptized the establishment Koch Lumber Company, the name it still bears. In connection with his lumber business Mr. Koch manufacture[s] boxes and deals in wood, coal, hay and grain. He is also interested in the Glenwood Lumber Manufacturing Company in Glenwood Springs. In political matters he is a silver Republican, and in fraternal circles a Modern Woodman and Elk. He is also a notary public in and for Pitkin county. On April 30, 1884, he was married to Miss Anna C. Liebold, a native of Gena, Germany, who came to the United States with her parents when she was six years old. The parents located at Toledo, Ohio, where they are still living and where the father is a successful architect. He is an active Republican in politics, a member of the order of Foresters and the United Workmen. Both parents are devoted Lutherans. Mr. and Mrs. Koch have had five children, of whom two, Dorothy and Edward, are living, the other three having died in infancy. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project 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.