72 Years Ago
The August 20, 1953 Colorado Transcript included an obituary for W. H. Fromhart. His life was summarized as follows:
Mr. Fromhart was an early-day blacksmith, and did much wagon building and horse-shoeing for the Adolph Coors Co. Later he was in the hardware business and eventually entered the automobile business. He was a dealer for Chevrolet cars, and others, for many years.
A search through the previous 50 years' worth of Transcripts turned up more interesting information about the man.
In 1902, Will Fromhart bought the former Phil Klatt Blacksmith shop, which was located on the southeast corner of 12th and Ford. Fromhart had the reputation of being an excellent blacksmith. The Transcript commented that “He is an expert in this line, and makes a specialty of horseshoeing. He shoes so as to correct defects, such as interfering, overreaching and imperfect gaits.”
Fromhart also built custom carriages and wagons. In 1904, he had the opportunity to buy out a carriage-building business that was closing in Central City.
Among the more important pieces of machinery are a large trip-hammer, band saw, planer and jointer, hub boring machine, two-wheel emory stone, large power grind stone, two tire benders, large power drill press, tire shrinkers, hydraulic box press, a ten horsepower electric motor, and a whole house full of pulleys, shafting, belting, etc. Besides this complete set of machinery there is included in the purchase a large number of carriages and wagons, completed and partly so, and a big stock of new materials for their manufacture.
This was a great launching point for Fromhart, who made “a specialty of building gardeners’ and fruit wagons that cannot be excelled.”
Fromhart was evidently an innovator. In 1910, he was granted a patent on a hinge that allowed wagon endgates to be locked at any angle. In the years that followed, he set up a manufacturing plant to produce the hinges in Greeley.
In addition to his custom work, he sold some mass-produced stock, including “Staver and Hercules buggies, the Steel King wagons, Iowa Dairy Separators, Lucas paints and varnishes, builders’ and shelf hardware, Dempster windmills and pumps.”
By 1916, he was building truck bodies for small motor cars. “Many Jefferson county farmers are using their pleasure cars for produce wagons. Mr. Fromhart is making an average of four bodies each week.”
Fromhart was interested in automobiles, and in 1919 he retooled his blacksmith shop to become a garage, for fixing and maintaining autos. In 1923 he became a Chevrolet dealer. At that time, every new car purchase was a news item, so we know that he sold several cars per week. In 1934, he switched to selling Dodge and Plymouth cars.
Mr. Fromhart retired in the late 1930s, and died in 1953.
