James H. and Grace (Cole) Jay, Sterling
GRACE'S FAMILY
In 1880 Union County, South Dakota,
George H. Cole is 45,
Jane A. Cole
40 Wife,
Mary Cole
11 Daughter,
Grace Cole
7 Daughter, and
Vernice Cole (Georgia, who also lived in Logan County)
4/12 Daughter.
George H. Cole
BIRTH
10 Jul 1834
Newark, Essex County, New Jersey,
DEATH
25 Jan 1913
Sterling, Logan County, Colorado,
BURIAL
Riverside Cemetery
Sterling, Logan County, Colorado,
FindaGrave ID
55689397.
Jane Ann Kirby Cole
BIRTH
1839
DEATH
1915
BURIAL
Riverside Cemetery
Sterling, Logan County, Colorado,
FindaGrave ID
55689409.
JAMES' FAMILY
In 1880 Henry County, Iowa,
Wesley H. "Gay" is 34,
Martha A. Gay
33 Wife,
James H. Gay 11 Son,
Dorcas E. Gay
9 Daughter,
Mary E. Gay
7 Daughter,
Ida A. Gay
3 Daughter, and
Letty J. Gay
9/12 Daughter.
Ida Jay married Alfred Bamsey on 15 Feb 1899 in Audubon, Iowa.
Ida A. Bamsey
BIRTH
1876
DEATH
17 Nov 1966
BURIAL
Linn Grove Cemetery
Greeley, Weld County, Colorado,
PLOT
Blk A, lot 63, spc 2
FindaGrave ID
65214808.
James H. Jay, 35, born in Missouri, to Wesley and Martha Jay,
married Helen G. Cole on 5 Oct 1903 in Omaha, Nebraska.
October 1907 Sterling "Geo. H. Cole of Crook is visiting his daughter, Mrs. Jas. Jay, this week."
January 1909 " William Houren is now an agriculturist, at home under his “own vine and fig tree."
Formerly he was a shoemaker, and at his little shop on Second street next door to the Republican-Advocate
office he kept busy ten hours a day making and repairing shoes - mostly repairing,
since the boots and shoes worn by the present generation are mainly the product of vast manufactories
that make shoes by the thousands and sell them by the case - but that’s another story.
Last year Mr. Houren's farm of 160 acres, only a few months converted from raw prairie,
produced him 722 bushels of winter wheat, on 30 acres, 10 acres of corn made more than 25 bushels
per acre; oats yielded 50 bushels per acre and speltz better than 40 bushels.
From 1 1/2 acres of potatoes he put away enough sufficient for the family use and sold a surplus of
$75 worth and he had an excellent garden. That was his first crop. This year he expects to do even
better, because the land will be in better tilth and he will not divide his time between the farm
and the shoe shop, having turned the latter over to George Cole, who knows all about shoes and
would rather do that work than anything else - unless it would be to occasionally change off for
a day’s shooting over the trap or decoys."
December 1909 "Mr. and Mrs. Geo. H. Cole went down to Julesburg Thursday morning to
spend the holidays with their daughter, Mrs. Gene Tiberghien and family, who are now located in Julesburg,
Mr. Tiberghien being in business there."
In 1910 Sterling,
J. H. Jay is a barber, 52,
Grace Jay 46 Wife,
Evelyn Jay
7 Daughter,
George Jay
15 Son,
Kirby Jay
11 Son, and
Cyrus Snyder
20 Nephew.
April 1923 "Twenty-three years ago James H. Jay arrived in Sterling and James H. Jay is still in Sterling
and says that so far as he knows he will continue to remain
ay came to Colorado in a wagon which was pulled by a mule team. His sister's health had failed and she
was one of the party who made the trip from Iowa to Colorado. It took thirty days. The sister was taken to
Greeley and 'Jim' Jay, having been impressed by the appearance of Sterling, even at that time, returned here and located.
Mr. Jay was born on August 7, 1868, in Douglas county, Mo., and when two years of age moved with
his parents to Mount Pleasant, Iowa. His father was a farmer and here James remained until he was fifteen,
attending the country school and working on the farm before and after hours. When James was fifteen
the family moved to Audubon, Iowa, vhere James H. Jay graduated from high school and after his graduation
he entered the employ of a painter, continuing in this work for ten years. He then learned the barber
trade and he has since been wielding the shaving brush, the razor and shears. In 1900 Mr. Jay came to
Sterling, his advent to the city being in the fall of that year. He entered the employ of 8. A. Richerson,
who conducted a barber shop here at that time, and later was employed in a similar capacity by
A. F. Browns. In 1906 he started in business for himself on Main street and four years ago, 1919,
moved to his present location on North Third street. Mr. Jay, when he accepted his first position in
Sterling, was working one of three chairs that were installed at that time for the convenience
of the public. There are now twenty-seven barber chairs in Sterling. On the site of the present
Piggly Wiggly store and Dick’s market, was an orchard. This extended to the rear and embraced all
of the land between the street and the alleys. There were four blocks of stores on Main street.
North Second, North Third, and other connecting streets had no store buildings. The old courthouse
was here and at one side of the courthouse yard was the old fire hall, which housed the old
fire wagon. The bandstand now stands at this location. The Presbyterian church was the building
now occupied by the Salvation Army, the Baptist church was on North Third street,
and a residence stood on one corner of the courthouse yard. The old Sterling hotel was on the
site of the present Hotel Graham on North Third street and the Southern hotel on Main street
had just been erected by Samuel Ard when Mr. Jay arrived. There were no city parks in that
period. The Lincoln school, still being used, was built at that time, but the old high school,
a frame building, stood where the Logan county high school is now situated. On the corner which
is now occupied by the Sterling National Bank building, was a frame structure, sixteen by twenty feet
which was used for a meat market. O. E. Smith, who now runs a grocery store on South Division avenue,
was operating a store at that time on Main street between Front and Second streets. W. C. Harris was
in the cattle business here at that line and F. J. Henderson was in the abstract business.
George A. Henderson was running a hardware store and E. M. Gillett was in a bank.
The Logan County National bank occupied a small room on the site of the present I and M. building.
The First National Bank was started in 1900 at about the time that Mr. Jay arrived.
The Advocate was being printed here at that time, but it was a small paper with a man by the name
of Fleming ss the publisher. D. B. Delxell was engaged In the hardware business here at that time,
but the majority of business firmt*. well known todaj, came at a later period. Quite a little land
was being irrigated here in 1900, but the present site of the sugar factory was under water.
The land at that time could have been purchased cheap, Reservoirs have been built since Mr. Jay
first saw Sterling, brick blocks have been erected, pavements have been laid, a new courthouse,
new schools, new churches and hundreds of new residences have been built. There is a big change
today. There was little farming near Sterling except on the irrigated land. The majority were
engaged in the cattle business. Antelope were common, but Jim Jay has one regret: he never
had the opportunity to shoot one, although hunting and fishing is his hobby. He belongs to all of
the fishing and hunting clubs in this part of the state and last fall, when in the mountains,
was one of the few men to kill a deer. Mr. Jay is what is popularly known as 'a good fellow'
He is an optimist, will work as hard for Sterling
as for himselfm and has shown his faith in the city by building a home and business that attracts ( tue stranger, being one where service and sanitation reign supreme.
Mr. Jay was married to Miss Grace Cole, daughter of George H. Cole of Sterling.
They are the parents of three children, George, Kirby and Evelyn, all of whom attend the Sterling
schools. Mr. Jay is member of the Masonic lodge, the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary club, and
the Baptist church."
In 1940 Sterling,
James H. Jay is 71,
Grace Jay 66 Wife, and
Evelyn Jay
27 Daughter.
James H. Jay
BIRTH
1868
DEATH
1949
BURIAL
Arlington Heights Cemetery
Audubon, Audubon County, Iowa,
FindaGrave ID
144991728.
Grace Jay
BIRTH
1873
DEATH
1949
BURIAL
Arlington Heights Cemetery
Audubon, Audubon County, Iowa,
FindaGrave ID
144991791
Ira W. Jay claimed a quarter in section 2, 11N 52W in 1912.
September 1912 "Ira Jay returned home from Nelson, Nebraska, his old home,
where he had be«n to bury his child. Mrs. Jay did not return with him. Bhe will remain for a few weeks
with relatives and friends."
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