Kit Carson County, Colorado
Photographs
Kit Carson County, Colorado |
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John and May Heinzman , 8 South 51 West
A spirit of progress and enterprise has actuated John D. Heinzman at every point in his career and step by step he has worked his way upward until he ranks with the leading business men of Denver, where he is widely known as the president and manager of the Centennial School Supply Company, conducting an extensive business in school, church and opera house furniture and also school supplies. There has been nothing spectacular in his career and there are no esoteric phases in his life record. He has won his success through close application, persistent energy and untiring effort. He was born in Prairie City, Illinois, October 27, 1862, a son of Frederick and Frederica (Buehler) Heinzman. The father, who was born in Germany, was a mason, builder and farmer. He came to the United States in 1852, after having fought through the German revolution of 1848. As he could not win liberty in his native land, he resolved to come to "the land of the free and the home of the brave" and cast in his lot with the early residents of Prairie City, Illinois. Both he and his wife have now passed away. They reared a family of ten children, six sons and tour daughters, of whom eight are yet living. John D. Heinzman acquired a public and high school education in his native town and remained upon the home farm with his father until he attained his majority, early becoming familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He afterward removed to Nebraska, where he engaged in farming on his own account for two years. On the expiration of that period he took up a homestead claim in Cheyenne county, Kansas, and on leaving that district removed to eastern Colorado, where he also secured a homestead. In 1894 he came to Denver, having already been a resident of this state for seven years. He became connected with his present line of business as commercial traveler for Thomas Kane & Company of Chicago, with whom he was associated from 1889. He was given the eastern counties of the state as his territory and later he traveled throughout Colorado and in Oregon. In 1905 he began carrying the stock of the J. D. Heinzman Company and in 1908 merged his interests with those of the Centennial School Supply Company, of which he is the president. In this connection he Is at the head of a very extensive and growing business, carrying a large line of school, church and opera furniture and school supplies of all kinds. The company has a warehouse of its own and handles a very extensive stock, selling largely throughout Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. The company also manufactures and handles kindergarten materials. They have a very extensive school supply business, built up along the legitimate lines of trade, and Mr. Heinzman has contributed in very substantial measure to the success of the enterprise. In December, 1896, occurred the marriage of John D. Heinzman and Mary Edith Bruce, a native of Mediapolis, Iowa, and a daughter of David R. Bruce. Fraternally Mr. Heinzman is connected with the Independent Order of Foresters, the Travelers Protective Association of America, and he has membership in the Rotary Club. He is an active worker and faithful member of the North Denver Presbyterian church, is chairman of its board of trustees and gives active assistance to various lines of church work. He is especially interested in the organization known as the Gideons and is its state secretary. This organization is doing Christian work among traveling men and placing the Bible in all hotels. Every avenue for effective work along the line of moral progress awakens his interest and his efforts of that character have been far- reaching and resultant. Moreover, his entire career illustrates the fact that success and an honored name may be won simultaneously. |
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