CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1898-08-11
AFTER TwENTY-FOUR YEARS
The Fremont County Bank Among
the First Business Houses
Established In Canon
City.

1t was on the 5th day of August,
1874, Gust "a years ago) that the
doors of the Fremont County Bank
were thrown open to the public, the
owners at that time being Jefferson
and F. A. Reynolds who established
the business under the firm name OF
Reynolds Bros. In 1875 Charles
Lamborn purchased an interest in the
firm, changing the name to Reynolds
& Lamborn, but his connection was OF
brief duration, lasting about year.
In 1878 F. A. Reynolds became the
sole owner of the business and has
retained that position until the pres
ent hour.
The bank holds the distinction OF
being the Oldest business house in
Fremont county, and has survived
panics that have made the owner
white haired and almost weary of life.
but he has always retained the conf
dence and good will OF the public,
which is matter of pride to Mr..
Reynolds. acting as an Offset to the
worry and care. The bank opened
originally in the room now occupied
by the First National Bank, where II
remained till 1880, when it was M
moved to the brick store on west
Main street. now occupied by Koeble's
cigar factory. In 1888 the handsome
stone building at Fourth and Main,
which was expressly designed for the
banks use, was completed and the
business again transferred tc new
quarters, but permanent home.
In 1874 there were probably 500
people living in Canon City and all
freight, mail and passenger traffic
with the outside world was carried
on in historical frontier style, long
lines of freighting wagons following
each other to and from the market
centers, mail forwarded by pony ex-
press. and the nearest approach to q
modern passenger coach being the
old Concord stage coach. There was
no Leadville in those days, but Gran
ite was in her glory and the San Juan
country was just gaining notoriety.
There were two banks at Pueblo and
one at Fairplsy and all the business
of that great section comprising
Southwestern Colorado was trans
acted through these three and the
Fremont County bank.
Among the business firms of Canon
City at that time were B. F. Rocka-
fellow, postmaster and real estate;
c. W. Talbot, druggist; ]. L. Prentiss,
druggist; Engleman & Co., dry goods;
Jas. Clelland, clothing and groceries;
Humphrey L Sanders, groceries; Ru-
dolph Jeske, tobacco and cigars; Mrs.
NJ. NJ. Sheetz, Fremont hotel, A. E.
Rudolph, gunsmith; George Whitman,
dry goods. The professional men
consisted of three lawyers and three
doctors, as follows: VIM. NJ. Locke,
Thos. Macon and A. Macon, attorneys;
j. F. Lewis, ]. l.. Prentiss and 7. H.
Craven, practitioners of medicine.
That fall, however, QS7Q McGee &
Mack opened grocery store which
has grown to its present mammoth
proportions under the able manage
ment of the successors, Handy & Nc
Gee: W. E. Robertson, engaged in
the furniture business and Henry
Mack established a lumber yard. Of
all these firms only one-the Fre-
mont County bank-has passed thro'
the vicissitudes Of the years without
q change Of management.
The cashiers of the bank have been
F. A. Reynolds. now president; ]. F.
Campbell, now living at Canton, Ohio;
r. s. Lewis, an honored resident of
this city, and Geo. F. Rockafellow.
the present incumbent. The present