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Rocky Mountain Online ArchiveTable of ContentsBox and Folder List Subseries 4: Miscellaneous Political Subseries 5: Colorado Bankers Association Subseries 7: Flag buttons and patches Subseries 8: Flower Carnival (Colorado Springs, 1895-1896) Subseries 9: Pikes Peak or Bust Subseries 10: Liberty Loan, etc. APPENDIX A: Chronology Of Major Events In Irving Howbert's Life APPENDIX B: Correspondence Regarding Irving Howbert's Writings |
Inventory of the Irving Howbert (1846-1934), Papers, 1848-1941Pikes Peak Library District, Special Collections in the 1905 Carnegie LibraryEmail: http://library.ppld.org/SpecialCollections/SpecialCollectionsContact.aspURL: http://library.ppld.org/SpecialCollections/default.asp ©2005 Pikes Peak Library District
BiographyIrving Howbert, one of the earliest and most influential settlers in the Colorado City region, was involved in almost every aspect of life in Colorado. During his lifetime, he was involved in mining, banking, railroads, and politics. His fortune was based on mining investments in Leadville, and built by a shrewd business mind. He was, in his time, President of the First National Bank of Colorado Springs, El Paso County Clerk for ten years, a State Senator, President of the Short Line Railroad to Cripple Creek, and an officer or director of most of the organizations and societies in Colorado Springs. He was also a well-respected author, with interest in the archaeology and natural history of the region, and books on history and the Indians of the Pikes Peak region. Irving Howbert, son of William and Martha Howbert, was born in 1846 in Indiana. In 1852, the Howbert family moved to Iowa. There William, a former schoolteacher, began studying for the Methodist ministry. In 1856 he was ordained a Methodist minister and given charge of a church at Clarinda, Iowa. Over the next few years, the family was transferred to different communities in Iowa. In 1860, the news of the Pikes Peak gold rush was everywhere, and William and his son Irving decided to investigate the mining regions of Colorado. On May 4, they left the rest of the family in Quincy, Iowa and headed west. Father and son spent the summer in Park County Colorado, where William ran the Methodist Mission; in the fall, he sent Irving back to the family in Iowa so he could continue his schooling. The following year, William returned to Iowa and moved the entire family to Colorado. By fall they had settled in the new town of Colorado City; and in the spring they were settled on a ranch in Cheyenne Creek. The next few years were busy ones for Irving. He finished his schooling and worked at such varied occupations as farming, clerking and lumbering. In 1864, he enlisted in the 3rd Regiment of the Colorado Cavalry and took part in the battle now referred to as the "Sand Creek Massacre," an affair he would spend a great deal of his life discussing and justifying. In 1869, he was elected County Clerk of El Paso County, an office he held continuously until 1879, when he refused reelection. During that time, he saw the establishment of Colorado Springs, and aided in securing much of the land for the town. In 1874, Irving married Lizzie Copeland; they had two children, May and William Irving Howbert. During the 1880s, Irving became more involved in banking and business affairs in Colorado Springs. In 1878 he became part owner of the Robert E. Lee mine in Leadville; by 1880 he was the President of the First National Bank of Colorado Springs. His interest in politics led him to the State Senate, and he served as senator from 1882-1886, and he several times went as delegate to the Republican National Conventions. In 1894 he was chosen Chairman of the Republican State Central Committee and managed the campaign which defeated Gov. Waite and populism, a campaign aided by the women of Colorado in the first election in which they were able to vote. His involvement with railroads included serving as treasurer of the Colorado Midland Railroad company and, in 1899, aiding in financing and building the Colorado and Cripple Creek District Railway, known as the Short Line; he served as President from 1900 to 1905. He was very active in civic affairs, serving on boards or as an officer of such diverse groups as Colorado College, the Chamber of Commerce and the Cheyenne Mountain Country Club as well as his business ventures. Irving Howbert died at the age of 88, on December 21, 1934. Scope and ContentThe Irving Howbert Collection contains material relating to business and personal matters of Irving Howbert. The material covers the years 1876 to 1941, with the majority of the material from 1894-1918. Most of the collection is primary source material, and gives a brief overview of the business and political affairs of Colorado in general and Colorado Springs in particular during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The material is broken into four main series: correspondence, writings, papers and memorabilia. The Correspondence series contains general correspondence, both to and from Irving Howbert, as well as some copies of letters regarding Mr. Howbert, though not addressed to him. The letters range from personal, including family information and birthday cards, to politics, discussing his work for the Republican party during several elections, and letters to and from Senators Teller and Wolcott regarding the Populist Party and demonitarization of silver. Other letters discuss his banking business, the Cripple Creek railroad, and mining matters in the region. An index to the correspondence is available. In addition, a chronological printout of all letters is included in the correspondence series, and a list of letters relating to specific subjects can be found in files in each of the "Papers" subseries. Papers specifically related to local events or organizations that also include some correspondence have been kept together in the "Papers" series. The Writings series consists of manuscripts and typescripts of lectures, essays, articles and chapters from Irving Howbert's books. Some folders have completely revised versions of the same material, some more or less heavily edited versions, and some duplicate copies of the same material. Articles which had been given titles by Mr. Howbert are listed in quotation marks; if they had no identification, a conjecture was made as to which book they were from and the item noted as "From..." The Papers series is both the broadest and skimpiest of the series. It is further broken down into four subseries: Politics, Mining, Civic, and Personal. Material in this series includes printed matter, such as programs, directories, and newspaper clippings; legal and civic documents such as affidavits, committee reports and minutes, and organization by-laws and constitutions; personal items such as photographs and invitations; and also includes some correspondence, generally relating to a specific event or organization in the region. Politics contains material relating to Howbert's involvement in the Republican Party and includes official confirmation of his delegate status, some printed matter, and a manuscript of his speech at a Republican Party banquet in 1894. Mining contains newspaper clippings with some attached correspondence regarding the Cripple Creek strike of 1904, as well as some printed matter from the Western Federation of Miners. Specific information concerning the Portland Gold Mine and the General Metals Company is also included. The Civic subseries contains information--mostly printed matter, though occasionally some correspondence--regarding various local and national organizations, businesses and groups with which Irving Howbert was affiliated. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by organization name. The Personal subseries is the largest and broadest. It includes personal items such as birthday cards and photographs, copies of articles and poetry saved by Mr. Howbert, newspaper articles relating to family and friends, and items such as his military records and passport. In addition, his passport, commission as Corporal, framed photographs and a painting of the Howbert coat of arms are located in Box 4 (oversize). The Memorabilia series includes ribbons, buttons and medals from various political conventions, engraving plates and other material with special storage requirements. RestrictionsAccess RestrictionsThe collection is open for research. Copy RestrictionsThe researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection. Preferred CitationIrving Howbert(1846-1934, Papers, Special Collections in the 1905 Carnegie Library, Pikes Peak Library District. Processing InformationThis collection was processed, and the finding aid written, by Nancy Thaler. Separated MaterialThere are no separated materials. Related Archival MaterialThere are no related materials. Subject HeadingsColorado - History Colorado Springs - History Howbert, Irving (1846-1934) Box and Folder ListSeries I: Correspondence
Series II: Writings
Series III: PapersSubseries 1: Politics
Subseries 2: Mining
Subseries 3: Civic
Subseries 4: Personal
Series IV: MemorabiliaSubseries 1: Politics
Subseries 2: Civic
Subseries 3: Miscellaneous
Subseries 4: Miscellaneous Political
Subseries 5: Colorado Bankers Association
Subseries 6: Trans-Mississippi Commercial Congress (Held during Quatro-Centennial Celebration of Colorado July 16-19, 1901)
Subseries 7: Flag buttons and patches
Subseries 8: Flower Carnival (Colorado Springs, 1895-1896)
Subseries 9: Pikes Peak or Bust
Subseries 10: Liberty Loan, etc.
APPENDIX A: Chronology Of Major Events In Irving Howbert's Life1846 Born April 11 at Mt. Healthy, Indiana 1860 Family in Quincy, Iowa. William and Irving started for the "gold mines" at Pikes Peak on May 4; Spent summer at Hamilton, Park County, where William Howbert ran Methodist Mission in South Park; in fall, Irving returned to Iowa to go to school 1861 William Howbert returned to Iowa and moved family to Colorado. Spent summer in Hamilton; in fall moved to Colorado City 1864 August, enlisted in Third Colorado Cavalry; November, participated in Battle of Sand Creek 1865 Mustered out of service January 1 1869 Elected County Clerk, El Paso County 1874 Married Lizzie A. Copeland, December 17 1878 Became one of the owners of Robert E. Lee mine in Leadville 1878 Became cashier of First National Bank of Colorado Springs 1879 Refused reelection as County Clerk 1880 Became President of First National Bank of Colorado Springs 1880 Became trustee of Colorado College 1882-1886 Served as State Senator 1886-1888 Treasurer of Colorado Midland Railroad 1888 Was delegate to Republican National Convention 1889 Resigned as President of bank; traveled extensively in Europe 1894-1895 Chairman of the Republican State Central Committee 1895 Traveled in Europe with family 1897 Chairman of Board of Directors of Portland Gold Mining Company 1899 Organized Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District Railroad (Short Line) 1900-1905 President of Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District Railroad 1905 Served as Commissioner at land drawing on the opening of the Uintah Indian Reservation 1911 Received honorary degree of LL.D. from Colorado College 1912 Was delegate to Republican National Convention 1914 Published Indians of the Pikes Peak Region 1914 Received honorary degree of Litt.D. from Colorado College 1922 Death of Mrs. Howbert, June 14 1925 Published Memories of a Lifetime in the Pikes Peak Region 1934 Irving Howbert dies, December 21, age 88 1936 Colorado College names dormitory "Howbert House" APPENDIX B: Correspondence Regarding Irving Howbert's WritingsFound in BOX 1, Series I, notebook and folder 21
Wm. D. Todd Hal Sayre W. Scott May Howbert (?) J.M. Martinelle? L.M. Cuthbert Annie G. Whitmore Mrs. Florence Stote King C. Gillette H.A. Andrews (Sec'y to Franz Boas) Wm. B. Thom Lee W. Davis W.F. Wilder James B. Gregg J.L. Boyle May Merrill Dunn
Henry A. Buchtel Gov. Elias Ammons J.H. Sewall Thomas Van Ness Geo. Haven Putnam Charles W. Eliot William Slocum W.A. Bell Hugh R. Steele Livingston Farrand (?) James T. Smith Elizabeth Cass Goddard John Campbell G.A. Goodale Clarence P. Dodge H.W. Michael James Hutchison Kerr J.H. Robbins Irving Stanton Alice Polk Hill Anna J. Copeland Wm. G. Evans Mr. & Mrs. Channing Sweet Myron Herrick Charles S. Thomas Frank Cotten Wm. B. Thom J.L. Sanderson Emma O. Morrell T.B. & Nellie Pyles H.H. Seldomridge W.K. Argo Alva Adams M.D. Thatcher Frank Hall A.T. Orahood H.I. Reid Edmond C. Van Diest R.C. Shannon B.F. Stevens & Brown Simon S. Dow W.H. Macomber John P. Lower J.J. Peate F.A. Mangold Rankin Smith Wm. D. Todd |
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