Kit Carson County, Colorado
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Kit Carson County Pioneers:
Arch Cunningham , Flagler
The career of Arch Cunningham is a noble illustration of what independence,
self-faith and persistency can accomplish in America.
He is a self-made man in the most significant sense
of the word for no one helped him in a financial
way and he is self educated. As a young man he was
strong, vigorous and self reliant. He trusted m his
own ability and did things single handed and alone.
Today he stands supreme as a successful business
man and a loyal and public spirited citizen. The
whole of his active life has been devoted to the
newspaper and publishing business and since 1890
he has been a resident of Boise, Idaho, where he is
a publisher of note and where he also conducts one
of the leading book, stationery and office-supply
houses in Idaho.
A native of Warren county, Iowa, Arch Cunningham was born August 18, i8 and he is a son of
Jerry and Josephine (Ballard) Cunningham, the latter of whom died in Warren county, Iowa, in 1877.
Jerry Cunningham was born in Canada and from
there went to Iowa as a pioneer in the early 'sos.
He was long a prominent merchant and business
man in Iowa but in 1904 came to Boise and since
that year has lived in virtual retirement. There were
two children born to Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Cunningham and concerning them the following brief data
are here incorporated : Nellie is the wife of C. C.
Siggins, of 'Twin Falls. Idaho; and Arch is the immediate subject of this review.
To the public schools of Des Moines Arch Cunningham is indebted for his preliminary educational
training. At the age of thirteen years he went to
work in the office of a grain dealer in Des Moines
and for the next seven years was variously engaged.
Being of a saving disposition and always very ambitious, at the age of twenty years he went to Colorado,
settling in Kit Carson county, where he started a
newspaper in the town of Flagler. He published
the Ki'^istcr for two and a half years and then,
craving a larger field, he shipped his presses to
Boise, where he began a job-printing business in
1890. From a modest beginning this business has
spread out until it is now one of the largest publishing and book binding concerns in the state of Idaho.
In connection with his publishing work he is proprietor of a finely equipped book, stationery and
office-supply house, which is doing a large and decidedly successful business.
In his political allegiance Mr. Cunningham is
aligned as a stanch supporter of the Republican
party. He was the efficient incumbent of the office
of city clerk of Boise in 1895-6 and represented Ada
county in the ninth session of the state legislature in
1907. In a fraternal way he is a valued and appreciative member of the time-honored Masonic order,
in which he is past master at Boise. He is likewise
connected with the Knights of Pythias, being a past
supreme representative.
Mr. Cinmingham has been twice married, his first
wife having been Sophia Strode, a native of Idaho
and a daughter of John Strode, an early pioneer in
Oregon and Idaho. Mrs. Cunningham was summoned to the life eternal November 4, 1895. In
September, 1907, Mr. Cunningham married Miss
Julia Ellis, a native of Minnesota. There were two
children born to the first marriage, namely, Norman
and Florence. In addition to the beautiful residence
at Twenty-third street and Park avenue Mr. Cunningham is the owner of a great deal of valuable
city property. He and his wife are popular in connection with the
best social affairs of their community and are everywhere honored and esteemed
for their exemplary lives and sterling integrity of
character.
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This page is maintained by Steve Stein.