Orman Block

Orman Block. 200-206 South Union Avenue. , This property was sold to Morris L. Gage for the sum of $2,500 in 1881. , This Block was built for James B. Orman. The contractors were Minum and Walley. In 1883, the Sanborn map depicted a bookstore at 200 South Union Avenue, and grocery store and dentist at 202 South Union Avenue. "Rooms for sleeping" were on the second floor at both addresses. , James Orman arrived in Pueblo by mule train in 1868. He was elected to the Colorado General Assembly in 1880 and the Colorado Senate from 1881 to 1885. Orman was Pueblo's mayor from 1897 to 1898, Beginning with his contract with the Kansas Pacific Railroad between Sheridan, Colorado and Denver, Orman was involved in the building of nearly all the important Colorado railroads. The Colorado Midland between Colorado Springs and Aspen, the Florence and Cripple Creek Road and a considerable portion of the Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek Road for the Denver and Rio Grande were his construction projects. He was also President of the Bessemer Ditch Company and a member of the Pueblo Opera House Company Orman held mining interests in Leadville, Ouray, Ashcroft, and Cottonwood Districts. The J. B. Orman Hose No. 1, located at C Street and Victoria Avenue in South Pueblo, was named for him. In 1901, Orman was elected governor of Colorado. His election was credited to his role as the largest employer of laborers in the state due to his many enterprises. James B. Orman died July 21, 1919. , In August 1874, the South Pueblo Post Office was established. By 1883, the South Pueblo Post Office was located at 200 South Union Avenue. One of Pueblo's folktales is that the Hanging Tree (which was located in the middle of Union Avenue) was cut down due to Postmaster George Stimpson being a nosy man, and the tree obstructed his view. Thomas D. Worrall lead a drive to remove Stimpson from office and in a speech on the "destruction of the big tree' he wrote the following verse: , "The reason for felling the tree , At last has been found; it is said , The street is too narrow by half , To hold the Postmaster's big head." , The Audrey Ambrose family has owned this property for many years. , This project funded by a grant from the Colorado Historical Society State Historical Fund, Historic Pueblo Business Center Association, Security Title Guaranty Co., Kathie White, Mary Orf, John Demas, Friends and The Farley Foundation