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.
F.H.
McElfresh, former manager of he Colorado Supply Store
in Starkville, Colorado, was born in Paris, Illinois on
December 21, 1873. His parents were Oscar Edmund McElfresh
and Elizabeth Baggerley McElfresh. The Family was Presbyterian.
F.H. McElfresh (Henry) grew up in Osage City, Kansas and
attended the College of Emporia. As a young man, Henry
was associated with his father, O. E. McElfresh, in the
furniture and undertaking business, using the name O.
E. McElfresh and son. Lured by new opportunities in Colorado,
Henry became manager of the Colorado Supply Store in the
booming Colorado Fuel and Iron Company's mining camp in
starkville. Later, F. H. McElfresh was appointed manager
of the Colorado Supply's largest stores in Pueblo, Colorado,
near the C.F.& I.'s steel mill.
With his management experience, Henry decided to go into
the business for himself. he felt California would be
a land of opportunity. He owned and operated Ladies Ready
to wear stores in Huntington Beach and Covina, California.
When he was in Starkville, Henry married Jettie Thompson,
the daughter of George Thompson, pioneer in Las Animas
County. George was a prominent rancher, politician, race
track owner, sheriff and Las Animas County Commissioner.
Jettie's mother, Guadalupe Long was first married to Alfred
Bent, the son of Governor Charles Bent, the first American
Territorial Governor of New Mexico. Governor Bent's wife
and Kit Carson's wife were sisters. Jettie had a colorful
brother, Abe Thompson, who managed the Cokedale store,
served as a official of the American Smelting and Refining
Co. and named the mining camp of Bon Carbo.
Abe, in his heyday, drove through the streets of Trinidad
with Myrtle McElfresh in his expensive Lozier. Henry and
Jettie had a son, Francis H. McElfresh, Jr., who was born
in Starkville. When Francis was quite small, Jettie passed
away.
Before Henry became manager of the Colorado Supply Store
in Pueblo, he married Esther M. Dickinson, the daughter
of Rev. Samual Fowler Dickinson and Ella Massey. One of
Rev. Dickinson's churches was the First Congregational
Church of Colorado Springs. Esther Dickinson, a Kindergarten
teacher, had received a fine education at the Pestalozzi-Froebel
School in Chicago. Esther was related to the Avery family
who invented the Avery stick-on labels. Henry and Esther
had three children: Samuel, Faith, and Douglas Dickinson
McElfresh.
For many years Henry and Esther owned and operated the
McElfresh stores in California. During their retirement
years they spent a lot of time in Hawaii. Henry passed
away on July, 11 1958 in Covina, California. After Henry's
death, Esther married Dr. William Clithoro. Esther died
in Duarte, California on November 23 1967.
(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)