A Benefactor's Legacy

A Benefactor's Legacy. . , Jerome Wheeler was one of Manitou Springs' most generous patrons. He left the town a wealth of businesses and buildings, but his greatest gift was the fame of its mineral water. , Wheeler came to Colorado in 1883 after distinguished service in the Civil War and co-presidency of the world famous Macy's Department Store in New York. He amassed a fortune in Aspen's silver mines and his family began summering in Manitou Springs by the mid-1880's. , Jerome Wheeler was instrumental in the formation of many local enterprises including the Colorado Midland Railway, the Colorado City Glass Factory, the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway, and Bank of Manitou. In 1889, Wheeler decided to promote Manitou's mineral water nationally by establishing the Manitou Mineral Water Company and its associated bottling plant to advertise and ship the naturally- effervescent water to dealers across the continent. He also donated the Wheeler Town Clock in honor of the water that made Manitou Springs famous. In a fitting memorial, his son-in-law drilled Wheeler Spring at the site of the family's home in 1936., Caption , In 1870 Jerome Wheeler married Harriet Macy Valentine, the niece of Roland H. Macy of Macy's Department Store. He brought Harriet to Colorado for her health and immediately began doing business in Manitou Springs and Aspen. Photo: Denver Public Library Western History Collection