J. G. Hiestand, Official Photographer of the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway

Joseph Gonder Hiestand was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on August 15, 1860, to John Valentine Hiestand and Eve Ann Gonder Hiestand. His father worked as a coachmaker and later served as a clerk in Washington, D.C.  While in Washington, Joseph visited the Smithsonian Institution and developed an interest in mineralogy. He trained at Philadelphia’s Academy of Arts and Sciences and soon began assembling his own collection of minerals. 

In the early 1880s, Hiestand settled in Manitou Springs, Colorado, a tourist town renowned for its healing mineral springs, particularly the Ute Iron Springs. Hiestand opened the Manitou Scientific Museum in the pavilion of the Ute Iron Springs to showcase his collection of rare minerals–one of the largest in the West. His museum, a 25 x 40-foot room, was elegantly furnished and lined with display cases for mineral specimens, jewelry, and curiosities. The space was adorned with pictures as well as taxidermied animals and birds. Hiestand hired four men to work at the museum. A complete range of cigars, candy, and lemonade made from the iron-rich water was available for sale.

Ute Iron Springs
William Henry Jackson, photographer. Ute Iron Springs Pavilion, circa 1890. Denver Public Library Special Collections, WHJ-888.
Detail of Hiestand's photo studio
Detail showing Hiestand’s photo gallery

In the spring of 1887, Hiestand leased the Ute Iron Springs, one of Manitou’s most popular tourist attractions.  On March 28, 1889, Hiestand married Aline Zerelda Garrison Adams in Colorado Springs.  In addition to running the springs as a concession, Hiestand opened a photographic gallery at the Iron Spring Pavilion in July 1890. He became one of the best-known businessmen in Manitou Springs by managing both companies.  The gallery was under the day-to-day oversight of George E. Mellen, a photographer from Colorado Springs who was a former employee of William Henry Jackson, while photographer Lewis Imes oversaw portrait work.                   

Just inside the gallery, patrons entered a reception room filled with photographs from around the world.  Off the reception room was the operating room with floors of oiled Georgia pine and a skylight with panes of ground glass that let in a soft, mellow light.  The studio contained many backgrounds and screens for portrait work. Another room was devoted to making bromide enlargements and lantern slides.  A short stairway led to the flat roof of the building where large-size work could be printed by the sun’s rays.  Once developed, the prints were placed in a toning bath and then washed. A special set-up was devoted to panoramic work.  

When the 8.9-mile Manitou & Pikes Peak Railway began transporting passengers up Pikes Peak via steam-powered locomotives, Hiestand became the line’s official photographer. He took group portraits of the passengers at the summit and then sped down the rails on a go-devil–a single-person vehicle that quickly descended the slope. There, he developed the negatives and printed the photographs to sell to the passengers as they disembarked from the train. 

Pike's Peak
J. G. Hiestand, photographer. On Pikes Peak, alt. 14147 ft., Sept.1, 1892. Denver Public Library Special Collections, Z4962.
Group portrait
J. G. Hiestand, photographer. Group portrait, including Mildred Mary Myers (1871-1943) top left, John S. Cravens (1871-1946) bottom left, and possibly Mr. and Mrs. S. Christy Church (top right), August 1890. Albumen silver print. Collection of the author.

Ute Iron Springs was a popular tourist destination attracting well-heeled visitors from across the United States.  The families of  Mildred Mary Myers and John S. Cravens came to Manitou Springs from Kansas City, Missouri in the summer of 1890, where their friendship blossomed.  Miss Myers was the daughter of George S. Myers, a millionaire tobacconist.  John Craven was a graduate of Yale University. They married on December 28, 1893, in Missouri.

Hiestand’s photographs were published in several souvenir booklets of Colorado Springs, and the Pikes Peak region.  After nearly two decades of leasing the Ute Iron Springs, Hiestand purchased the property for $20,000. Based on his visit to the famous mineral baths in Saratoga, New York, he planned to invest $5,000 in improvements, including enlarging the pavilion and adding a hard-wood dancing floor.

In 1906, Hiestand was sued for $50,000 for breach of promise by Ida Clarke, a young woman who claimed she did not know Hiestand was married when she engaged in a romantic relationship with him. She attested that Hiestand promised to marry her. The sensational trial revealed that the young woman was under the age of consent when the couple took a prenuptial honeymoon. They had frequently registered at a Denver hotel as husband and wife. She lived at his home in Manitou for two years while Hiestand’s wife and three daughters were living in New York. The jury was unable to agree and was dismissed. Rather than go through another trial, the parties settled out of court. Miss Clarke’s settlement was disclosed as $16,000.

Hiestand died on January 1, 1916, when a gun he was cleaning discharged.  The bullet passed through his right side and lodged in the wall behind him.  Whether it was a suicide or an accident was never fully determined.  He was buried at the Middletown Cemetery in Middletown, Pennsylvania.  

Special thanks to Beverly W. Brannan, whose thoughtful feedback helped shape this piece. Dave Wendel, Digital Archives Specialist, at the Penrose Library — Regional History & Genealogy, Pikes Peak Library District provided valuable reference assistance.

 

Researching Charles E. Emery

I haven’t posted in a while because I have been down the research “rabbit hole.”   The life of a history detective is both time consuming and rewarding.  The careers of many of the photographers I profile have never been fully documented.  I thought I would share my research path for  Charles E. Emery.  A fuller post of his life will appear once I tie up a few loose ends.

Emery’s cabinet card mount

A few weeks ago, a genealogist contacted me for assistance in identifying the photographer of a cabinet card made in Canon City, Colorado.  I can certainly understand why she was unsure of the photographer’s last name (Emery) due to the flowery script.  Having the photographer’s name allowed her to narrow down the date of her photograph to between 1885 and 1892.

After this correspondence, I thought, “Maybe I should do a post about Emery. Are there interesting photographs I could use for my blog?”

Silver Cliff gallery
Unknown maker, probably Charles E. Emery. Silver Cliff, Colorado, 1884. Silver gelatin copy photograph.  Denver Public Library Special Collections, X-1595.

I looked at the Denver Public Library’s website and found  a photograph showing the exterior of Emery’s studio. You don’t always find photographs showing photo studios, so having that photo sealed the deal–a blog post was in the works.

The cataloging notes for this image suggest that the photograph was made on Main Street, Manitou Springs, Colorado in 1884.  Emery never had a studio in Manitou Springs, but he did work for decades in the neighboring community of Colorado Springs.  However, that studio didn’t open until 1892.

In 1884, Emery’s studio was located in Silver Cliff, Colorado.  Could I prove that this photograph was made in Silver Cliff?   Emery’s Silver Cliff studio was located above Tomkins hardware store, at the corner of Main and Mill Streets.  The New York Public Library owns a stereoview of Tomkins hardware store.  I believe this view was made before Emery’s studio took over the second floor of the building.

Silver Cliff stereo
Unknown maker. Main Street, Silver Cliff, CO, before 1882. Albumen Silver print, New York Public Library, Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views.

The left side of the building provides clues that confirm the location as Emery’s studio.  While the siding has been updated, the balustrade is the same design.  Also, the attorneys sign appears in both photographs.

Detail
Detail of Tomkin’s hardware store, pre-1882.
Detail of Tomkins hardware store, 1882 or later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What else could I find out about Emery?  The website cabinetcardphotographers  mentioned that Charles Emery was listed in   “Who’s Who in Professional Portraiture in America,” published in 1927. Only nine libraries hold this title, including the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, where I worked for 30+ years.  My former co-worker and now volunteer, Elisabeth Parker, offered to track down the book and scan the relevant pages.  The entry for Emery provided essential information about his early life.

The blog post on Emery is still a work in progress.  I need to make a trip to the  Stephen H. Hart Research Center at History Colorado to fact check a couple of details.  I look forward to publishing a fuller account of Emery’s life in the near future.