An outstanding man, prominent in the affairs of the early days in Sterling, was Calvin Cheairs. By one who knew him intimately he has been characterized as "A most extraordinary man, both in reality and in appearance; a man of wealth, a typical, southern gentleman, loved and respected by everyone. He would have been noted among any group of strong men, a man who stood for whatever was upright and reputable in citizenship, and as kind a friend as one ever knew, without making any pretensions along that line."He was the paternal ancestor of the Cheairs family, who with others have built their lives into the community, which has Sterling for its center. Mr. Cheairs was a native of North Carolina, but later moved to Marshall County, Mississippi, where he owned and operated a large plantation. When the Civil War broke out he owned seventy slaves. In 1877 his son, J. J. Cheairs, came to Colorado in search of health, and was so favorably impressed that he determined to make it his home. Returning to the South for his family, he was accompanied also by his father and mother, with their belongings in wagons to the settlement in June, 1878, where they built homes and engaged in farming and stockraising. In 1881 the father moved with his family to the present site of Sterling. With the first car load of lumber shipped into the town on the new railroad, two houses exactly alike were built, one on the site of the present residence of Grady Cheairs and his widowed mother, the other on the site of the residence of A. A. Smith. The former was occupied by Calvin Cheairs, the latter by Mrs. F. g. Ayres, sister of Mrs. Cheairs. The stately old trees in these yards were planted by Mr. Cheairs, and Mrs. Ayres, also those in the yard of F. H. Blair"s residence, that being a part of Mrs. Ayres" homestead. This homestead was bounded on the north by what is now Beattie Street. It was here that Mr. Cheairs introduced the alfalfa plant into this locality by planting a two and one half acre tract near his home. Mr. Cheairs, senior, was twice married. The first wife was Anne E. Hamer, the second Mrs. Sarah A. (Davis) Jarett, widow of John A. Jarett. Her daughter by a former marriage, Sarah A. Jones, became the wife of J. J. Cheairs. Three other sons remained in Mississippi. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cheairs, like many others among the pioneers of Sterling, lived long past the allotted three score and ten years. At the time of his death he was eighty-one, and Mrs. Cheairs died in 1918 at the age of eighty-five. J. J. Cheairs was one of Sterling"s most useful and worthy citizens, and a successful business man. He at first homesteaded a tract three miles north of the present town. For ten years the family lived on the original homestead. Then while retaining his interests in land and cattle he erected a beautiful home on his land south of town, around which grew the grove of trees in the present Columbine Park. There he lived till his death in 1907. At the time of his death he was president of the Logan County Bank. Mr. and Mrs. Cheairs were the parents of an interesting family, all who have been true to Logan County. They are Minnie L., and Ralph Grady, who reside with their mother in her residence on the site of the first Cheairs home; Joseph C., and Samuel V., both of whom died in early manhood; Oscar, who married Miss Josephine Riedy and resides in Iliff; Calvin W., who married Mary E. messier; Marcia, who married Raymond L. Sauter; and Maggie, wife of John Lutin. All were educated in the Sterling schools and some of them attended institutions of higher learning. At the time of the death of Samuel V. Cheairs in 1918, some unknown friend of the family paid him the following touching and well deserved tribute in the local paper. "Samuel C. Cheairs, prominent citizen and business man, passed away at the home of his mother, Sunday, November 10th. He was a man who will be greatly missed, as his whole life has been spent in Logan County. His death came as a great shock to his many friends. "He was genial, affable, courteous, gentle, kind, and loving, with a pleasant word and a kindly smile for all. The beautiful sentiment in the lines of Abou Ben Adhem, "One who loves his fellowmen," was never more truly exemplified than in the life of Sam Cheairs. Of him it would be truly said: "Howe'er so cramped the field wherein he works, He has not failed, the man who never shirks; the man who toils for years without a break, and treads the path of pain for others' sake." (A brief history of Logan County, Colorado: with reminiscenses by pioneers, Denver, Colo.: Printed by Welch-Haffner Print Co., 1928.)

July 1890 "Messrs. S. D. Cheairs, a son of Hon. Calvin Cheairs, and a Mr. Brenner, of Mississippi, have been visiting in Sterling the past week, and on Wednesday gave the Advocate a friendly call. They are genial gentlemen, whom it is a pleasure to meet."

August 1900 "Mrs. J. J. Cheairs returned home this morning from a visit with her daughter Mrs. John Lutin at Merino."

The Logan County Bank was founded in 1893 by E. M. Gillett and L. T. Gillett. It was also a private entity, before obtaining a charter and becoming a national bank in 1905. J. J. Cheairs, who was among the region's first pioneer settlers, served as the bank's president from 1905 until his death just two years later.

April 4, 1907 "J. J . CHEAIRS TRAGIC END
When Flames Threatened His Fields at Midnight
He Overexerted Himself and Expired
While assisting in fighting a destructive prairie fire Monday at midnight to prevent it sweeping over valuable hay land he owned three miles southwest of Sterling, Joseph J. Cheairs, the millionaire president of the Logan County National Bank, and pioneer capitalist of eastern Colorado, dropped dead in a field from excitement and over-exertion.
His body was not found by his fellow fire-flghters until two hours later. By heroic efforts on the part of the ranch owners, the fire, which raged for many hours and wrought great damage to growing crops and fences, besides threatening the destruction of numerous farm buildings, was confined within an area of three miles.
The fire fighters formed bucket brigades and stayed the progress of the flames by placing water-soaked gunny sacks directly in its path. The subsiding of the wind, which blew quite strongly when the fire first started, also aided the fire fighters in overcoming the flames.
Mr. Cheairs was at home, a mile and a half southeast of Sterling, when the news was brought to him by a messenger from the country that a prairie fire was raging and threatened to burn over his mammoth tract of hay land. The banker dressed, and fifteen minutes later started almost on a run for the scene of the fire. He removed his hat, coat and vest and started to work fighting the fire with the vigor of a man of half his years, and kept it up for an hour or more, when he became separated from his companions. When he did not appear after the fire had been gotten under control, a searching party was sent out to look for him. They found his body lying near the edge of the district over which the fire had swept.
Mr. Cheairs was about fifty years old and is survived by a widow and five or six grown children. Among them are Joseph J. Cheairs, Jr.; Samuel Cheairs and Mrs. John Lutin. Mr. and Mrs. Cheairs are spending the spring months in California. They have been notified of Mr. Cheairs' death.
Mr. Cheairs came to Logan county thirty years ago and was one of the best-known moneyed men in eastern Colorado. He was one of the best-posted men in land values in this part of the state, especially Logan county, and at the time of his death was one of the largest holders of this class of property. He never courted publicity, but attended strictly to business and by doing so accumulated a fortune in cash, bank stocks, bonds, mortgages and ranch land that is estimated at fully $1,000,000."

April 6, 1907


W.H.

"The only concrete slump block facade in the downtown area was the home of A. H. Pettit and Company, when in 1899 it became the site of the town's only gunfight. Pettit apparently insulted W. H. (Buck) Cheairs' wife. This led to a confrontation in Pettit's store and his death. Cheairs was convicted and imprisoned. "
April 1900




1901

Jan 2, 1919

Nora M. Cheairs married Lloyd N. Young on October 21, 1903 in Logan County.

Emmett Calvin Cheairs, died in 1908 in Sterling # 55506998. In 1910 Sterling, Lloyd Young is 28, born in Nebraska, with Nora 21 in Illinois. They have Gaeta 5 born in Colorado.

CALVIN

1918 "Mrs. Calvin Cheairs has recently received a letter from her husband in which was enclosed a photograph which he had taken in his uniform at a base hoapital in London. Mr. Cheairs is a membor of a base hospital unit."

JOE

1932 San Bernardino, California "Joe Lee Cheairs, 21, Colorado; and Lenore Lee Stlckney, 19. Colorado. Both of Sterling, Colorado."
STICKNEY BUILDING 1915 101-103 Main Street Lee C. Stickney sold a variety of items from appliances to tires in a five state area. Behind this building at 120 South Front Street is the tire shop added in 1946, and behind that at 122 South Front Street was Stickney Motorcycle, built in 1901, where the business was founded.
May 1900 "H. B. Davis and W. E. King of the Colorado Colony Co. were showing a party of prospective ranchmen over the vicinity yesterday."

1919