W. C. Catlin

1888

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 24, 2025

1. W. C. Catlin Marker

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From the National Register Nomination prepared by Sammy M. Wittmer & Bill Simpson, 3/1983:
The Cañon City Downtown Commercial District comprises the historic commercial core of the city. The buildings included, located within an approximately five block area along Main Street, form a continuous, cohesive grouping that reflects the development of Cañon City as a regional commercial center. The buildings express a quality of design and richness of detail which defines the district as the best collection of late 19th to early 20th century commercial structures in the county. The buildings are largely two-story brick which in their design illustrate a wide range of architectural styles, from Italianate to the twentieth century Classical and Renaissance revivals. The degree of ornamentation and the scale of the buildings point to the rise of Cañon City as a prosperous regional trade center. The physical integrity of the district also adds to its importance. Although the streetfronts have experienced some alteration, the upper stories are amazingly intact.
In the decades before the Pike's Peak gold rush, the site of Cañon City was a favorite gathering place and trading post for the area's native population and the fur traders, trappers and mountain

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 24, 2025

2. W. C. Catlin Marker

The marker is mounted at eye level on the northwest corner of the building, facing Main Street.

men who moved into the region in the 1820s. These early inhabitants valued the mild climate and park-like setting of the site which offered relief, particularly in the winter months, from the harsher environment of the nearby mountains. Designated the county seat of Fremont County in 1862, Cañon City was well established by the 1870s, despite a temporary setback during the Civil War years.

Catlin Building (1888)
W. C. Catlin had this building constructed. He was an Englishman who first spent time mining in the California Gulch and was one of the original members of the Cañon City Calim Club. He supplied bricks for the majority of the community's commercial structures. He was one of the most active businessmen in the community, with the Catlin residence still standing in South Cañon near the Robinson Mansion. The Catlin Building is a two-story brick structure characterized by elaborate detailing. Especially prominent are the cast iron cornice distinguished by a central raised portion bearing the building's name and date of construction and the window caps which embellish the seven second story bays. These metal caps appear almost as drapery. The bays on the Third Street facade are accented by stone lintels and sills. Stone quoins are additional details.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 24, 2025

3. W. C. Catlin Building (northwest elevation)

(by Thomas J. Noel) Excerpt:  W. C. Catlin, the owner of the most prominent local brick factory, displayed his product in this handsome two-story building with decorative peaked stone lintels and a narrow, bracketed metal cornice.
A. C. Jansen, builder.

Excerpt:  The Catlin brickyard was owned by William C. Catlin and his bricks graced plenty of the buildings in the town including his own home at 1012 S. 2nd Street and the Catlin Block at 302-304 Main Street. Catlin was born in Lincolnshire, England on December 8, 1825 and was married to Mary Pilmore with whom he had six children. The family immigrated to the United States in 1850 spending time in both Ohio and Nebraska before settling in Colorado by 1860. The family, having settled in Cañon City in 1861, was one of the few that remained during the American Civil War.
Along with brickmaking, Catlin was involved in farming, cattle raising, and the transport of goods to and from the markets in Denver (known as a freighter). He was also very involved in the community, helping Anson Rudd and Benjamin Griffin establish

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 24, 2025

4. W. C. Catlin Building (north/front elevation)

a school district in Fremont County. At the time of his death, Catlin had been a member of the school board for 15 years. In 1876, Catlin donated 10 acres of land for a cemetery which became known as Greenwood Pioneer Cemetery. William Catlin passed away of pneumonia in 1896, and is buried in Greenwood Pioneer Cemetery.