Charles Boettcher
Charles Boettcher arrived in the U.S. a poor man, but would build one of Colorado's richest, longest lived, and most diversified industrial empires. His family would also share its riches with generations of Coloradoans in lasting and significant ways.
The youngest of six, Charles was born in 1852 in Germany. At 17, his parents sent him to America to visit his older brother Herman, who worked in a hardware store in Cheyenne. Herman enlisted Charles as a partner and they soon bought that store plus others in Greeley, Evans and Fort Collins.
The brothers, who had watched their parents run hardware stores in Germany, continued expansion and it was during this period that Charles met and married Fannie Augustus Cowan. The couple moved to Boulder where Charles opened the first hardware store in his own name.
The young family, which now included their young son Claudius Kedzie, relocated to Leadville in 1880 to capitalize on the silver boom by selling hardware to the miners. In the next decade, Charles' business flourished and his investments grew to include several mining properties, a ranch in North Park and Leadville's first electric company. Charles also invested in the First Carbonate Bank and was soon named Director of the financial institution.
When they moved to Denver in 1890, the Boettchers had become one of Colorado's wealthiest and most prominent founding families. That same year, the couple had a second child, Ruth Augusta. During this period, Charles held diverse interests including a meat packing company, a railroad and Capital Life Insurance. He also continued to build a banking empire and became president of the National Bank of Commerce. The swift decline in the silver boom forced Charles to keep his businesses solvent and to seek new opportunities.
At the end of the 19th Century, Colorado's economy had shifted from mining to agriculture, and the farming communities were desperate for a profitable crop. Charles, who had researched the lucrative sugar beet industry while visiting Germany, enlisted investors and formed the Great Western Sugar Company in Colorado. Sugar refineries were built in Loveland, Rocky Ford, Eaton, Greeley, Longmont, Fort Collins, Windsor and Holly. Between 1899 and 1900 the state's sugar industry grew from $100,000 to $3.6 million. By 1905 the company had expanded into Nebraska and Wyoming and into three more Colorado towns, Brighton, Johnstown and Ovid. By 1930 Great Western was one of the largest beet sugar producers in the world.
While he was building the sugar refineries, Charles saw the potential in the building material itself - high grade cement. This lead him to another profitable enterprise and the Ideal Cement Company was established in 1924. By 1955 Ideal operated 13 plants in 26 states and was one of the nation's top three producing companies.
While Charles' investments helped ensure Colorado's economic stability throughout the 20th Century, they also included philanthropic work. He founded the Boettcher School for crippled children donated money to the University of Colorado and, even after his death in 1948 at the age of 96, Boettcher continued to help the state through the Boettcher Foundation. Since 1937, the Foundation has been dedicated to assisting, encouraging and promoting Colorado residents and has given $200 million to grant recipients in four areas: education, civic/cultural programs, community/social services, and hospital/health services. Included in the Foundation's activities is the Boettcher Scholarship, established by Charles' son Claude in 1952. The merit-based scholarship covers the full cost of a public or private higher education in Colorado and has been awarded to thousands of residents, many of whom have continued the family legacy by becoming Colorado's professional and community leaders.
The youngest of six, Charles was born in 1852 in Germany. At 17, his parents sent him to America to visit his older brother Herman, who worked in a hardware store in Cheyenne. Herman enlisted Charles as a partner and they soon bought that store plus others in Greeley, Evans and Fort Collins.
The brothers, who had watched their parents run hardware stores in Germany, continued expansion and it was during this period that Charles met and married Fannie Augustus Cowan. The couple moved to Boulder where Charles opened the first hardware store in his own name.
The young family, which now included their young son Claudius Kedzie, relocated to Leadville in 1880 to capitalize on the silver boom by selling hardware to the miners. In the next decade, Charles' business flourished and his investments grew to include several mining properties, a ranch in North Park and Leadville's first electric company. Charles also invested in the First Carbonate Bank and was soon named Director of the financial institution.
When they moved to Denver in 1890, the Boettchers had become one of Colorado's wealthiest and most prominent founding families. That same year, the couple had a second child, Ruth Augusta. During this period, Charles held diverse interests including a meat packing company, a railroad and Capital Life Insurance. He also continued to build a banking empire and became president of the National Bank of Commerce. The swift decline in the silver boom forced Charles to keep his businesses solvent and to seek new opportunities.
At the end of the 19th Century, Colorado's economy had shifted from mining to agriculture, and the farming communities were desperate for a profitable crop. Charles, who had researched the lucrative sugar beet industry while visiting Germany, enlisted investors and formed the Great Western Sugar Company in Colorado. Sugar refineries were built in Loveland, Rocky Ford, Eaton, Greeley, Longmont, Fort Collins, Windsor and Holly. Between 1899 and 1900 the state's sugar industry grew from $100,000 to $3.6 million. By 1905 the company had expanded into Nebraska and Wyoming and into three more Colorado towns, Brighton, Johnstown and Ovid. By 1930 Great Western was one of the largest beet sugar producers in the world.
While he was building the sugar refineries, Charles saw the potential in the building material itself - high grade cement. This lead him to another profitable enterprise and the Ideal Cement Company was established in 1924. By 1955 Ideal operated 13 plants in 26 states and was one of the nation's top three producing companies.
While Charles' investments helped ensure Colorado's economic stability throughout the 20th Century, they also included philanthropic work. He founded the Boettcher School for crippled children donated money to the University of Colorado and, even after his death in 1948 at the age of 96, Boettcher continued to help the state through the Boettcher Foundation. Since 1937, the Foundation has been dedicated to assisting, encouraging and promoting Colorado residents and has given $200 million to grant recipients in four areas: education, civic/cultural programs, community/social services, and hospital/health services. Included in the Foundation's activities is the Boettcher Scholarship, established by Charles' son Claude in 1952. The merit-based scholarship covers the full cost of a public or private higher education in Colorado and has been awarded to thousands of residents, many of whom have continued the family legacy by becoming Colorado's professional and community leaders.
