One in a collection by Allen Bachoroski,
Local Historical Writer,
Tales Along the
Highway of Legends
Note: This
is one in a series of historical stories about local families
in the Trinidad region.
Click here to find out more
about how these stories were collected.
Fred
J. Marriott, Sr. was considered the leading piano tuner
in Boulder, Colorado, tuning for the University of Colorado
and the leading musical people. Among his customers was
Colonel James A. Ownbey, was a business associate if J.
Pierpont Morgan of New York City, who was a wealthy financier
and owner of the Wooton Ranch of Wooten, CO.
Whenever they had artists from New York City they needed
the piano tuned so Colonel Ownbey asked my dad if he would
come to Trinidad and they would pay his expenses and for
his service. This was about 1910 or 1911. The only transportation
from Boulder available for him was the train and on arrival
here they would meet him and take him to the Wooten Ranch
in a horse and buggy.
After making several trips he met Dr. Abrums, who was
there taking care of a guest who had imbibed too much.
He asked dad if he would have tome to tune his wife's
fine Knabe Grand piano before train time back to Boulder,
if he took him in his horse and buggy back to Trinidad
and to his home. My dad said he could, so he tuned for
her and she liked his work so well that on his next trip
down, she had a list of her friends who wanted their pianos
tuned. He stayed several days working.
As his business grew he decided to move to Trinidad for
business reasons as well as liking the town. He moved
his family here between 1912 or 1913. Everything was going
well until the Ludlow Coal Strike came in 1914 and then
life changed in Trinidad. With the militia here to keep
order and patrolling the streets with guns, the women
and all the children were afraid. To make matters worse
for the Marriott's, who lived at 64 Tillotson, a mine
official lived next door and they wanted to come stay
with us at night as they had heard their home might be
bombed. Dad decided at that time it was best to move back
to Boulder and continue periodic trips to tune for the
Wooten Ranch and others.
I started coming with my dad around 1925 to work with
him as he had been training me for several years and he
felt I was qualified to start my piano tuning career.
After I was married to a Raton, New Mexico girl, whose
name was Marie E. Markham, we decided to have our permanent
residence here in Trinidad as it was more central for
my work.
I continued working with my dad when he came from Boulder
until he decided to retire. Afterwards, I did all the
work alone, which included Walsenburg, the San Luis Valley,
Raton, Cimarron, and Springer New Mexico. I had regular
trips scheduled for these towns.
In 1956 my wife Marie and I decided to sell pianos and
organs along with my tuning business, and this was a very
successful business. We went to the Convention for the
Music Trade Show in Chicago for many years. Our company
gave us both training on organ servicing which we did
until we discontinued selling organs, but still sold pianos.
I continued my piano tuning business until I had a bad
fall when going down the steps from the stage at the Junior
High Auditorium, while tuning the grand piano in 1988.
I severely injured myself and have not been able to return
to work.
Therefore, I decided to retire in April of 1989. My wife
and I will continue to make home in Trinidad and enjoy
our friends we have made through the many years we have
lived here.
(Note:
if you have Photos of this family or know of anyone that
does, please have them get in touch with us so that we
might share some photos of the family here)