Philip Dauth

Phillip Dauth was likely born in Westhofen, Germany in September 1866 to Andreas and Elizabeth Dauth.¹Dauth Family Archive. “1900 – Census – Philip Dauth.” Dauth Family Archive. June 20, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/document/1900-census-philip-dauth/. In 1882, at the age of 16, he immigrated to the United States to join his siblings living in Colorado.²Dauth Family Archive. “1882-09-30 – Fort Collins Courier – Philip Dauth Arrives In Colorado.” Dauth Family Archive. June 15, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/article/1882-09-30-fort-collins-courier-philip-dauth-arrives-in-colorado/. He first made a visit to his eldest brother Louis in Fort Collins before deciding to settle in Denver near his sister Karoline “Lina” and her family.³Dauth Family Archive. “1882-08-28 – Daily Evening Courier – Phillip Dauth Traveling to Fort Collins.” Dauth Family Archive. June 15, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/article/1882-08-28-daily-evening-courier-phillip-dauth-traveling-to-fort-collins/.⁴Dauth Family Archive. “1882-09-30 – Fort Collins Courier – Philip Dauth Arrives In Colorado.” Dauth Family Archive, 15 Jun. 2022, https://dauthfamily.github.io/article/1882-09-30-fort-collins-courier-philip-dauth-arrives-in-colorado/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2023.

In 1883 Phillip began a wire working apprenticeship at the Denver Iron Fence Company also known as “Winter & Fitting”, a business half owned by Lina’s husband, Jacob Fitting.⁵Dauth Family Archive. “1883 – Denver Directory – Entry For Philip Dauth.” Dauth Family Archive. June 16, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/document/1883-denver-directory-entry-for-philip-dauth/. Once certified as a wire worker Phillip worked full time for the company.⁶Dauth Family Archive. “1884 – Denver Directory – Entry For Philip Dauth.” Dauth Family Archive. June 16, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/document/1884-denver-directory-entry-for-philip-dauth/. In 1886 he made a short move to Fort Collins to sell wire flower stands and work with his two brothers, Louis and George, in their grocery businesses.⁷Dauth Family Archive. “1886-05-27 – Fort Collins Courier – Philip Dauth Working In Fort Collins.” Dauth Family Archive. June 15, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/article/1886-05-27-fort-collins-courier-philip-dauth-working-in-fort-collins/.⁸Dauth Family Archive. “1886-07-17 – The Fort Collins Express – Philip Dauth Cigar Advertisement.” Dauth Family Archive. June 15, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/article/1886-07-17-the-fort-collins-express-philip-dauth-cigar-advertisement/.

On June 2nd, 1887 Phillip married Katie Hornung.⁹Dauth Family Archive. “1887-06-02 – Philip Dauth Marriage Record.” Dauth Family Archive. March 4, 2023. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/document/1887-06-02-philip-dauth-marriage-record/. They had their first daughter Amelia “Isabella” on August 31st, 1889. By 1890 Phillip had decided he wanted to run his own business, and partnered with R.W. Bailey and P.C. Brueggemann to incorporate the Rocky Mountain Wire & Iron Works.¹⁰Dauth Family Archive. “1890 – Denver Directory – Philip Dauth Wire and Iron Works Advertisement.” Dauth Family Archive. June 16, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/document/1890-denver-directory-philip-dauth-wire-and-iron-works-advertisement/. After a year Philip decided he wanted to try the grocery business, and partnered with E. Griffel to create the Griffel & Dauth grocery.¹¹Dauth Family Archive. “1894 – Denver Directory – Entry for George, Louis, and Philip Dauth.” Dauth Family Archive. June 2, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/document/1894-denver-directory-entry-for-george-louis-and-philip-dauth/.

Phillips had his second daughter, Louise, in January 1893 and first son, Philip Jr. in November 1895. In 1896 Phillip returned to his wire working roots with the Denver Wire & Iron Works Company.¹²Dauth Family Archive. “1896 – Denver Directory – Entry For Philip Dauth.” Dauth Family Archive. June 16, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/document/1896-denver-directory-entry-for-philip-dauth/. Phillip’s second son Fredrick “Fred” was born February 1897, and youngest daughter Elizabeth “Elsie” was born in December 1898.¹³Dauth Family Archive. “Fred Dauth.” Dauth Family Archive. March 4, 2023. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/person/fred-dauth/.¹⁴Dauth Family Archive. “Elsie Dauth.” Dauth Family Archive. June 17, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/person/elsie-dauth/.

Around 1903 Philip and his family moved to Pueblo, Colorado where he and T. H. McMurdle incorporated the “Colorado Iron and Wire Works.”¹⁵Dauth Family Archive. “1905-12-02 – Denver Post – Philip Dauth Suicide.” Dauth Family Archive. June 15, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/article/1905-12-02-denver-post-philip-dauth-suicide/. He was said to have made a “comfortable” living while running this business.¹⁶Dauth Family Archive. “1905-12-02 – Denver Post – Philip Dauth Suicide.” Dauth Family Archive. June 15, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/article/1905-12-02-denver-post-philip-dauth-suicide/.

Philip had begun experiencing health problems around 1890, which physicians determined to be symptoms of Bright’s Disease.¹⁷Dauth Family Archive. “1905-12-02 – Denver Post – Philip Dauth Suicide.” Dauth Family Archive. June 15, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/article/1905-12-02-denver-post-philip-dauth-suicide/. As his health continued to fail he was told by doctors that he should quit working and focus on his well being, and so he sold his share of the Colorado Iron and Wire Works and moved his family to a small farm in Vineland, Colorado.¹⁸Dauth Family Archive. “1905-12-02 – Denver Post – Philip Dauth Suicide.” Dauth Family Archive. June 15, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/article/1905-12-02-denver-post-philip-dauth-suicide/. Shortly thereafter, in 1905, Katie unexpectedly passed away.¹⁹Dauth Family Archive. “1905-12-02 – Denver Post – Philip Dauth Suicide.” Dauth Family Archive. June 15, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/article/1905-12-02-denver-post-philip-dauth-suicide/. Phillip burdened by the loss of his wife, the chronic pain of his illness, and trying to care for five children, took his own life that same year.²⁰Dauth Family Archive. “1905-12-02 – Denver Post – Philip Dauth Suicide.” Dauth Family Archive. June 15, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://dauthfamily.github.io/article/1905-12-02-denver-post-philip-dauth-suicide/. Philip died at the age of 39. He is buried at Roselawn Cemetery in Pueblo, Colorado next to Katie.