The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1912-12-05
Early Days in Canon City
MRS. M. NJ. SHEETZ

Mrs. NJ. NJ. Sheetz read a very inter
esting paper OF pioneer days. Mrs.
Sheetz came TO Canon about forty
years ago and has many interesting
memories OF the early days.
Speaking OF Canon City in the early
days she said in part;
when l first saw Canon City. Main
street was wide dusty country road.
bordered to the wagon tracks on eith-
er side with dust covered weeds. The
prison was one square stone house.
the office was little wooden AFFAIR
just in front OF the prison and between
it and the big ditch, over which was a
narrow plank bridge. There was 10
fence. wall nor outside protection of
any sort.
Mr.. Albert Walters was the terri
torial appointee as warden and the
deputy warden. who had change OF
the prisoners was a friend Where the
hew park now is from the mill TO
Sand Greek was an allIali marsh and
standing water made 1t a rendezvous
for wild ducks. especially in winter
and spring. have often seen Mr.
Dueber shooting ducks on the pond IN
front Of the Fremont House.
Mrs. Earle told me she had seen
MIN take "trusty" with him out hunt
ing to Garry him on his. the trusty's
back. to get the slaughtered game,
the trusty often wading in water and
tride his neck One day Dueber had
been unbearable. the trusty accident
ally 60 let him fall and he was near
ly drowned. When they got back 10
the prison Dueber tied the prisoner
up by the thumbs. stripped him TO the
waist. smeared his body with molasses
and left him to the mercy OF the flies
until he was almost dead and then
kept him on bread and water for
week.
The C. C. l. company owned the only
vacant house in Canon. 1t stood
little west of the present deputy war
denis house and had been built ..s
hotel. rented ii, though there were
rumors OF its being haunted. found
this was true for on dressing myself
the first morning noticed the mys.l
cal signs of nightly ghosts on my
dress. which hung on nearby chair.
l thought to break the spell by oiling
the bedstead and setting the legs in
cans OF oily water. Such incantations
we're inerectual-they danced and held
their orgies above the bed and under
the ceiling. letting themselves down at
night as the spirit moved.
The town proper began with the
Rockafellow house and ended whera
the Strathmore now stands. Mr.. Rock
afellow. believe. was postmaster. Mr..
Rudd was the blacksmith. little later
warden OF the penitentiary. Messrs.
Clelland and Mcclure, general m sr-
chandise: Mr.. Humphrey. grocer; DR..
Prentice and Dr. Lewis. leading ply
sicians. Messrs. Allen and werkheiser
were the hardware men; Albert Wal
ters. the city bakery and Mr.. Roane
fruit and candy man: Thomas and
Augustus Macon. leading attorneys.
think no school had been taught.
Rev. John Merritt was the Methodist
minister: a small stone building was
the Methodist church.
On my first visit up town for family
supplies ! stopped at the first grocery
I came to and while tying up my pack
ages Mr.. Humphrey eyed me curious
ly and then made a bold dash to know
II was the new woman that had NOV
ed into the Fremont House. answer
ed yes" well ! hope you will 90
better than the last folks that lived
there: they lost Ave hundred dollars
in few months and moved out Mr.