Cotopaxi, Colorado: Russian Jewish Colony


 Read Every Word; It's Important (the golden report) Nov 29, 2011 *

more info at www.cotopaxi-colorado.com


I am updating today, Feb 29, 2012!

My annual day of updating, February 29!!!

Updates to the Descendant's Page and the Cemetery Page!

 

 

 

 

Welcome!

Shalom!


In 1882 there was a large Colony of immigrant Russian Jews in Cotopaxi, Colorado...

 

 

 

Description of Photos: click description for larger photograph

 

Top Left Cotopaxi as seen looking north-west from the hill behind the Cotopaxi church.


Top RightView from Cotopaxi looking west through the canyon.


Bottom LeftLooking west from the "Mow" ranch towards areas of the large black-shaded area of map.


Bottom Center:    BLM map with approximate colony lands shaded black.    
Related Map Page

 

Bottom RightLooking south over part of the lower colony lands.

 

 

*I've taken quite a break from this site.   Next project:  Bypaths!   When the Colony Jews were in distress,

they were aided by Denver area Jews, which sent a group to Cotopaxi to inspect the conditions.  (no good deed

goes unpunished?  Turn about is fair play?)   Later, when the colony disbanded, most of the colonist went to the Denver area.   The question arises; By what route?

I never questioned that they went down the Arkansas river to the "front range" plains and then north to Denver.

But after realizing that the road to Canon City along the Arkansas was not built at the time, it became apparent

that other routes were used.   For instance, I'm beginning to investigate a "back way" to the Denver area, perhaps

through South Park, etc. etc..   If you have any information or would like to discuss this new project please email

 nels0n@live.com   *  If you are in the Cotopaxi area, we are not difficult to locate.  *

 


Quick Look - Cotopaxi History   Mrs. Elizabeth Gulliford's  Account of Cotopaxi  


The Cotopaxi Colony:  A Thesis by Flora Jane Satt

With permission from Flora Jane Satt, her thesis "The Cotopaxi Colony" is being posted here.

This thesis contains a good history of Cotopaxi, and I think this is the best source of info on the Cotopaxi Colony. 

Much credit is due to my wife, Cruz,  for entering most of the thesis into MS Word documents. As time permits, more will be posted online. 

Update: December 2009: my sister Jen Lowe has entered  Part VI - Bibliography  and it is now posted on the thesis page!   Jen has also done a tremendous about of research and is compiling the Cotopaxi colonist's genealogy.

 

 

Jen's IF-Then Blog  If you think it didn't happen

concerning the Jews of Brest Litovsk

that did not come to Cotopaxi

the Holocaust:

From Jen Lowe,

"....when you do genealogy and see that an entire family of 3 generations ALL died on the very same day.....
you know that it is real."

 


upcoming: The next phase: The Genesis


 

Were the Colonists Hassidim or Haskalah?

 

coming soon:  Congregation bnia Shalom, Cotopaxi, Colorado 1882

There was a synagogue in Cotopaxi!

 

Cotopaxi Colorado:  A Road Marker for the Return to Jerusalem?

with excerpts from Ramban and Pirkei D'Rebbi Eliezer

 

 

The Descendant's Page  Their "What's New?" Page! 

Ship manifest for Shames, Prezant, Washer, Milstein families!!

 

The People - List of the Cotopaxi Colonists

 

Schradsky Family Descendants

 

Schneider (Snyder) Family and Descendants

 

Milstein - Shuteran - Prezant  Families & Descendants

 

Kinship Report for Menashe Milstein 

 Milstein-Shames Descendant chart   UPDATED Aug 2010

 

The Land Declarations 

Colony Lands - Map of Colonist's Plots - identified by name 

 


 

The Cemetery Page   

 

A special Thank You to Jerry and Judy Klinger

with the

Jewish American Society For Historic Preservation (JASHP)

For Their Kind Act

of

Funding this Project

Stay tuned - Jerry and I are working on a marker for the Cotopaxi graves!

 

Gravesite marker is up!

Jerry Klinger (right) with Nelson at the colony gravesite, April 29, 2011


 

 A panoramic  view of the "upper" colony site. 

Click to enlarge!

This represents a bit more than 180 degrees.

 

On the left side, the view is towards the north,

the center part represents the easterly view,

and on the right side, towards the south.

 

 


 

 

Emanuel Saltiel page

Hero or villain?

Both!?!?

 

Just a quick look:   Wanted in Montana

and

 Emanuel Saltiel's "Sweated Labor" (Jewish Colonists)

 

 

No smooth talking is going get in the way of history on this site.

 

But I think the bottom line will be:

Although not likely his intent, Saltiel helped some Jews get out of Russia at a time that saved them from immediate Russian government oppression and also saved them from the future Holocaust.

In this light, Saltiel's good BY FAR out weighs his not-so-good.

Crook, shyster, con man ? Absolutely. It's well documented.

 

But if one Jewish life was saved by his actions, even inadvertently, then he is elevated far above many others.

This is a proper view of Emanuel Harris Saltiel.

All the while, bearing in mind -

The Jews that came had the mindset to come, Saltiel or no, as evidenced by Jacob Milstien's presence in America before Saltiel met with HAIS.

 


 

Coming soon - The Gold Tom connection! developing!

 

 

1882

Saltiel OWNED Cotopaxi.


Tid Bits

Above, The Cotopaxi Mine Built by Peter Young in 1919.

Burned down in 1956.

This was later (note vehicle) than the time of the Cotopaxi Colony.

 


Researching Canon City Historical Center records

Microfishing Findings:

 

Fremont County Leader, Sept 2, 1882:

 

"Married.

Chuturin-Snyder - On August

25, by Rev D. Grupitzky, Mr. Marcus

Chuturin and Miss Fanny Snyder,

 both of Cotopaxi, Colo."

 

Thinking: D. Grupitzky probably was David Korpitsky. BUT maybe not..... developing...

Chuturin = Shuteran etc,  Snyder = Schneider

Note: "Rev" - you gotta have a sense of humour. Stupid gentiles anyway.

(disclaimer: I'm just a gentile!)

********************

 

 

We Have Found:  The Beehive Mine


 

 

Photo:  an old crib in an old shed in Cotopaxi...

 

 

Julius Schwartz, March 2, 1883 letter to HEAS:

 

"Now the facts are, that only six

of the houses are constructed on town lots,"

 

(so this should be read - six of the shacks Saltiel built were within the Cotopaxi townsite.)

 

"The houses are double-boarded with tar paper between them, are sixteen by twenty feet and are twelve feet high in the center"

 

in other words....they were clapboard/tarpaper shacks....

 

At some point, we will have to take a look at just where these properties were.


Local rancher, educator, historian and author Nancy Oswald has finished her fiction novel about the Jewish Colony. To read an excerpt of her book, Nothing Here But Stones, go to her website: click here!

 It's a great book!!!


Our other Cotopaxi Colony pages

Flora Jane Satt Thesis Homepage

The People - List of Cotopaxi Colonists

Milstein Family Genealogy page (Makovsky Family Tree)  OLD VERSION

Map of Cotopaxi Colony land

Colorado Magazine, July 1941

The Cotopaxi Cemetery page 

Colony Lands Map  with ownership designation 

The Land Declarations 

The Descendant's Page  Their "What's New?" Page! 

The People - List of the Cotopaxi Colonists

Schradsky Family Descendants

Schneider (Snyder) Family and Descendants

Milstein - Shuteran - Prezant  Families & Descendants

Kinship Report for Menashe Milstein 

Milstein-Shames Descendant chart  

 


 

Links

Thanks to all the sites linking! 

 

Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation

 

Additional information on the Jewish colony in Cotopaxi Colorado.

 

Maps and Photos

 

Photo of Cotopaxi 1880-1890

Microsoft TerraServer - Aerial Photo of Cotopaxi and surrounding area

Cotopaxi Topographical Map  

History of the American West, 1860-1920: Photographs from the Collection

    of the Denver Public Library  

 

 

Cotopaxi Colony articles, documents and websites

 

Cotopaxi - The failed Russian Jewish Agricultural Colony, 1882-1884

Congregation Zera Abraham - formed in 1887  by Colonists

Cotopaxi Torah Mystery  - Denver Post By Claire Martin  9/27/2009

Cotopaxi Jewish Colony -Shanna Lewis/Western Skies Oct 6, 2005

The Jewish Agricultural Colony at Cotopaxi, Colorado by Dr. Yitzchok Levine 

Hard Times: The Jewish colony at Cotopaxi, by Nancy Oswald

Why the Jews emigrated, by Martha Quillen 

Aaron Armstrong's  Cotopaxi Colony site

The Christening of Cotopaxi

Mrs. Elizabeth Gulliford's account of Cotopaxi  

 Cotopaxi article, University of Denver curriculum guide  

Names of the Cotopaxi Colonists. Jewish Genealogical Society of Colorado  

Excerpt: Julius Schwartz's Report

Ira M. Beck Memorial Archives

Bibliography of North American Jewish Community Books: Colorado

The Boston HIAS Database, 1882-1929  

Jewish Colorado.org - Jewish Colorado History

Carol McNew's Cotopaxi Cemetery Page "The first burials were Russian 

    Jews..."

 Photograph: Cotopaxi Colonists in front of E.S. Hart store in Cotopaxi,

    Colorado  

 

Miscellaneous 

 

Colorado Historical Society Roadside Marker Program 

A Brief History of Highway 50

Cotopaxi, Ecuador  The other Cotopaxi! 

My Big Sister's  BLOG:  http://jen-lowe-designs.blogspot.com

 

     and last and least:

www.cotopaxi-colorado.com  for extra Cotopaxi history and...other stuff...

 

 


Many thanks to Steve Quiring of Computer Services of Eagle

for the donation this website's hosting and maintenance.


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