JOHANTGEN, F. N., b 1855: 1905 Bio, Rio Blanco County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/rioblanco/bios/johantgenfn.txt --------------------------------------- Donated September 13, 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- F.N. JoHantgen [includes photograph] Energetic and successful in pushing his own business and building up his personal fortunes, and scarcely less active and energetic in the service of the people of his community in promoting every laudable enterprise for its welfare, which is ever foremost in his mind, Frank N. JoHantgen, of Meeker, ranks among the leading and most useful citizens of Rio Blanco county and is widely esteemed on every side as such. He is a native of Dayton, Ohio, where his parents, Nicholas and Mary (Steffen) JoHantgen, who were born and reared in Prussia, settled in 1846; and where he was born on January 24, 1855. The father was a blacksmith and prospered at his forge. He had a family of seven children, five of whom are living, Joseph, F.N., William, Rose and Emma. Frank died in infancy and Anna in 1896. The father died in 1898. The son, F.N., received a common-school education of limited extent, and at the age of twelve began to earn money enough for his own necessities. He remained with his parents until he reached the age of twenty years, having began [sic] to learn his trade as a blacksmith at the age of sixteen, giving special attention to the department of his craft devoted to service in the manufacture of carriages. He learned his trade in his native city, and on completing his apprenticeship of four years, moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he wrought as journeyman until 1877. He then returned to Ohio and, in partnership with his father, carried on the business of dressing tools for three years. In 1879 he came to Colorado and, taking up his residence at Leadville, followed blacksmithing in the employ of John Alfred during the summer. He gave some time to prospecting at Kokomo and Fairplay, but meeting with no success in these efforts, he returned to his trade in 1880, and during the next three years was foreman of the shops of the Iron Silver mines. In the fall of 1883 the state of his health induced him to change his residence to the San Louis [sic] valley, and in the spring of 1885, when the Crystal Hill Mining Company's office was blown up, he was appointed a guard over the property, serving in that capacity until the trouble was over. Returning then to Leadville, he remained there until the summer of 1886, when he moved to Meeker and opened the business of the Pioneer Wagon and Blacksmithing Works at that town, which he conducted until he was appointed postmaster of the town by President Cleveland in 1892. Then, in partnership with Henry Hayes, he carried on a drug store. He was connected with this mercantile enterprise until 1899, when it was sold to Messrs. Strelka & Edwards. Prior to this time, however, in 1892, he bought a ranch of one hundred and sixty acres nine miles west of Meeker in Powell Park, and on retiring from the drug business he settled on the ranch and began to devote himself attentively to improving his property and building up his stock industry. He has added two hundred and sixty acres to his original purchase and now has two hundred acres of first-class land under cultivation. But while engrossed largely in his own affairs, he has not neglected the general interests of the community or the welfare of the state. Always ready for any duty that properly confronts him, he helped to organize the National Guard of the state, and in it he served as chief commissary under command of General Bell during the troubles with the miners at Cripple Creek from September 4 to October 8, 1903, and later as body guard of Governor Peabody at Denver. He is a leading stockholder in the Highland Cemetery Association, and has been in charge of the Odd Fellows' building at Meeker for many years. He was also foremost in securing a suitable building for the Episcopal church organization at Meeker and is now one of the main supports of the church. In politics he is an earnest working Democrat, being secretary of the county central committee. He has also served the community well for a number of years as a member of the school board and of the city council. In addition to one of the most imposing and beautiful residences in Meeker he owns other real estate in the town of considerable value. In May, 1904, the Harp-JoHantgen Manufacturing and Blacksmith Company was incorporated with a capital stock of five thousand dollars, which included the consolidation of the JoHantgen Pioneer shop and the business of Harp & Riley Blacksmith Company. Mr. JoHantgen is manager and secretary of the new corporation. On January 24, 1890, he was united in marriage with Miss Fannie F. Fairfield, a native of Wisconsin. A self-made man, and having struggled to consequence by his own efforts, he knows how to appreciate the exertions and the needs of others in like condition, and has been of great service to many a good man in extremities; and knowing as well that the general progress of any community depends almost wholly on individual energy properly concentrated and directed, he has been an inspiring and organizing force in this behalf, and has left his impress visibly upon the commercial and industrial life of the region in which his lot has been cast. =================================================== 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. 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