1976-12 – Fort Collins Triangle Review – Article About Louis Dauth ⧉

An in depth life story of Louis Dauth, with mentions of George Dauth and Caroline Dauth. This article was part of the Fort Collins Triangle Newspaper Series. ⧉

“Remember that I will not be undersold and that cut prices made by my competitors will be met every time,” read Louis Dauth’s advertisement in the Fort Collins Courier of June 24, 1886. Dauth also had a fine stock of pipes, combs, toilet soap and pocket books and other notions which he declared “I will sell very low.” And he had just received a new stock of Mason’s Jars with disk protectors “which will be sold lower than ever sold before.” The store also carried Waukesha Water and Ginger Ale. Louis Dauth, born in Germany on Nov. 14, 1852, emigrated to America in 1872 after serving in the Franco-Prussian War. Two other brothers were sent to America with a well-educated sister, Lina, before they cam of military age. In 1877, Louis came to Fort Collins and established a bakery shop in partnership with M. M. Zimmerman “one door south of the drug store” on Linden St. The drug store belonged to Frank Stover at the south west corner of Linden and Jefferson where Summers Auto Repair is now located. Frank Stover was a great uncle of Bill Stover, a Fort Collins attorney. In March 1878, the two bakers dissolved partnership and each carried on his business in separate buildings. The Courier of July 27, 1878 gave an account of Fort Collins merchants and stated that Dauth did $4,500 worth of business per year and Zimmerman $9,000 per year. Dauth proved in his advertising in November, 1878, that he would “not be undersold” – his business (called Louis’ Pioneer Bakery) offered 20 loaves of bread for $1, while his competitor Zimmerman sold 14 loaves for $1. Writing of Dauth in 1934, Frank McClelland remarked, “Mr. Dauth became so prominent in business affairs of Fort Collins that he was elected to the city council” in 1883. His ticket was labeled the “high license administration” because they favored increasing the price of saloon licenses in order to discourage liquor interests. When J. H. Bouton was city attorney, Dauth served another term in the office of alderman. Bouton had been requested to give the council a legal opinion on a certain subject and when he handed the document to Charles B. Rosenow (serving his first term as clerk to the council), he looked it over in dismay, being unable to read it. Rosenow handed the document back to Bouton who had written it, but I had “got cold” and he couldn’t remember what was in it. A. L. Emigh, the mayor, said, “Give it to the Dutchman- Dauth can read anything.” “Sure enough, Mr. Dauth (called the Dutchman by his friends) was able to read the communication and thus saved the situation,” commented McClelland. Just before Christmas of 1878, Dauth’s ad in the paper read: “Great excitement of Louis’ over his new stock of goods for the holidays.” His new stock included books, writing desks, cigar holders, pocket cutlery, pipes, confectionery, apples, canned fruit smoking and chewing tobacco, fancy groceries, bologna, sausage, fish and nuts – the modern drugstore or supermarket could boast o greater variety! Later Dauth erected his own store building on Linden St. and remained in business until 1887 when he moved to Denver. Here he started a general store in the Five Points district around Welton and Washington streets. Here he acquired a number of apartment houses and business blocks. One of Louis’s brothers, George made his home in Greeley until 1946 when he was killed at the age of 77 after a locomotive hit his car. George operated a meat market for 28 years in Greeley; his wife Florence Yeaton owned a millinery shop in Greely in 1901. Before the Island Grove baseball park was established, he began baseball games on property on Fifth St. where he operated a slaughter house. A year before George’s death, Louis died in Denver at the age of 92. Louis was one of two surviving veterans of the Franco-Prussian war in Denver. Louis was survived by his wife, a daughter, Mrs. Irene Haviland of Denver and a son Herman of Bolivia a mining engineer. Louis’ sister, Lina who married Jakob Fitting in 1880 in Denver, died in 1947 a month after celebrating their 67th wedding anniversary that year. Mr. Fitting organized the Pioneer Iron and Wire Works in Denver; they homesteaded property at 1429 Market St. Jakob died in 1948 at the age of 92. A granddaughter of the Fittings, Mrs. Isabella Fraser, formerly of North Park, now lives at 103 N. Sherwood. ⧉