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Francis Perrin Heatley

Francis "Frank" Perrin Heatley, born about 1830, in New York state, son of Mary Jane Heatley, who was born January of 1796.  Mary Jane Heatley's maiden name not known and no information on Francis P. Heatley's father.  Possibly, due to the naming customs of their period of time, Perrin could have been Mary Jane's maiden name.  Little is known of his childhood, but as a young man, he moved west, around the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.  He became a River boat Captain and had an interest in a steamship line, on the Mississippi River.  The family relates he had a Flat Boat or House Boat, going up the river to Dubuque, Iowa.  At this time, there were many Heatley's in Lansing, Iowa, possibly some of Francis's family.

Francis met Ellen O'Hanlon, who was born in Ireland, December 22, 1834 in a castle in County Kerry, Ireland. Ellen, daughter of Jeremiah and Margaret Scanlon O'Hanlon (Hanlon). Frank and Ellen were married, September 25,1853, possibly in Chicago. Frank was twenty three years old and Ellen was almost nineteen years old. Three daughters were born to this marriage, before the family moved west:

1.  Ophelia Ann Heatley, May 24, 1855, possibly Chicago, Illinois or Indiana.  She died August 05, 1856 at fourteen months of age.
2.  Mary Jane "Mollie," February 10,1857, Indiana.
3.  Margaret Ellen "Nell," May 12, 1859, Indiana.

In the spring of 1860, the family moved to Auraria/St. Charles, Kansas Territory, in a covered wagon, drawn by oxen. "Mollie" was three years old and "Nell", one year old. Five more children were born to Frank and Ellen:

4.  Ophelia Ann "Phe," 09/03/1861, Denver City, Colorado Territory
5.  Francis "Frank," 10/04/1863, Denver City, Colorado Territory
6.  Herbert "Hub," 10/14/1865, Denver City, Colorado Territory
7.  Edward "Ed," 04/11/1868, Indiana
8.  Flora "Flo," 10/02/1870, Chicago, Illinois

At this time, many families were emigrating west.  It took forty five days by wagon train, to go from St. Joseph, Missouri to Colorado Territory. The arrival and departure of Stage Coaches, on the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express were important events.  The trips between the Missouri River and Denver were begun everyday, each way and only took six days.  Much shorter than by wagon train. It may have been in one of these wagon trains that Frank Heatley brought his family to the new land. They must have endured many hardships, bringing two little girls so far from their home, fighting dust, heat and Indians.

June 9,1860, Mr. Henry Brown, arrived from Missouri. He later built the Brown Palace Hotel.  He related that 1860 was the second year of prosperity for the newly formed Denver City.  In one year its permanent population had rapidly increased. The town was still a rough conglomeration of buildings and many new ones of frame, but a larger number of log cabins, some of which were used for businesses. On the outskirts were many tents and wagon camps.  People were streaming into the area at the rate of one thousand a day during the summer.

Dr. C. M. Clark of Chicago, crossed the plains in 1860. In his book, A Trip To Pikes Peak, he recorded his impression of Denver City at that time:

At ten o'clock on the morning of June 6, 1860, we camped on the highland "Capitol Hill", just above the city, which presented a neat appearance and was more extensive than we had perceived it to be. Before us were the abodes of civilization and refinement, while to the right, were the smoky wigwams, amid which could be seen the dusky forms of stalwart Indians, filthy squaws and naked children, lazily basking in the warm sunlight. Denver City is situated on the river bottom and on the sides and summit of a sloping bluff, which sets back some distance from the river. The city has a population of approximately 6000. The bottom, below the city is covered with groves of cottonwood trees and there is good camping for the emigrants. By the time we reached there it was covered with numerous tents and wagons. The business of Denver is large and increasing, with wagons continuously arriving, bringing provisions and goods, filling the warehouses and stores. The streets are swarming with miners from the mountains. With the arriving emigrants, the din and bustle of trade, the hurry of preparation, the hoarse cry of the auctioneer, furnish a scene of activity that is pleasing to look upon.

Since there were plenty of logs available from adjacent timber for building cabins, the newcomers didn't waste time constructing many log cabins in the area called "Indian Row," near the confluence of the Platte River and Cherry Creek.  Indian Row was along the northward side of Wewatta St, eastward from Eleventh St.  It was originally First and Ferry Streets.  The name changes will be found in Ellen Heatley's history.  Wewatta was the Indian name for water.  The site was occupied by railroad tracks and the line of Wewatta Street was obscured.  By mid-1980's, most of the railroad tracks were removed to make way for an Industrial and Recreational area.  Just back of the site of Indian Row, and to the West of it, may still be seen traces of the river's old channel.

After establishing his home in Denver City, Frank Heatley became a partner in a gambling and saloon business with Mr. Ed "Big Ed" Chase, "Heatley and Chase Progressive Club." Ed Chase came to Denver City in June of l86O, the same time Frank and his family arrived. Ed Chase's first gaming establishment was in Golden City soon after the first cabin was built. He was twenty years old when he arrived June 6,1860. One article stated he was born in New York in 1836, so age doesn't correspond.

Enterprise and industry were well directed and the founders and keepers of the 1860 crop of saloons and gambling houses should have received their share of praise. In establishing themselves and in maintaining their resorts, which graded from the fairly well kept to the unspeakable vile, they did enough work to have yielded them a good livelihood in any worthy occupation.  Proportionately, there were more of these wretched blemishes in Denver, in 1860-1861, than in any other period of the city's history.  In some localities they shouldered each other in rows, and new ones opening every week.  Through the months, night and day, their doors never closed.

At this time, Blake Street was the principle business street on the east side of the creek and the cross streets were lined with small businesses. It is to be remembered that in these years, the "business carried on in many of these business houses," was transacted over saloon counters. Merchants maneuvered to get as close as possible to the Stage Depot at Fifteenth and Blake Streets --- dozens of saloon keepers opened bars near the Stage Depot, to tempt dusty, tired and thirsty travelers with ice cold beer and warm whiskey.  Frank Heatley and Ed Chase opened their gambling saloon a few doors down from the depot on Blake Street.  Blake Street enjoyed main street status for only a couple of years.

Between 1860-1865, gambling became so evil that most of the crime in the city was blamed on the gambling halls and saloons.  A People's Court was established and the Territorial Legislature enacted new laws to legalize gambling, to try to keep it under control.  The gamblers had attempted to control the community through outrage and intimidation.  There was flagrant conduct among some of the gamblers. They were numerous, influential and brazen, and possessed much ready money.  They spent it freely in sustaining themselves and their sinister occupation. Many of them were run out of town and their establishments closed up.  In 1886, a law was enacted prohibiting any form of gambling and those who remained in operation did so secretly and with discretion. The gamblers who had recently occupied choice and prominent places into which they had lured their victims, by persuasion and strong arm tactics, had been driven into retirement. If they continued their avocation, they did so with caution and secrecy.  The devotees of gambling found welcome and reserved quarters.  The defiant flagrancy of the managers of such places was gone.  The professional gambler remained in considerable numbers, but had to conduct their business without ostentation.

On two occasions the community was threatened by disaster.  On April 19,1863, fire spread rapidly through the wooden buildings, destroying much of the business area.  Thirteen months later, on the evening of May 19-20,1864, heavy rains caused Cherry Creek to overflow its banks, destroying a number of buildings near the stream.

The "Heatley and Chase" establishment was one of the buildings destroyed by the fire, as described in Jerome Smiley's Story of Denver, (Pgs-369 and 37O):

The spring of 1863 was dry and high winds were daily visitors.  The "Great Fire" broke out between two and three o'clock in the morning in the rear of the Cherokee House, on the southwest corner of Blake and Fifteenth Streets, where J. H. Fillmore later built a building, after the fire.  A strong wind was blowing and in two to three hours, the heart of the city was a blackened waste.  The flames leaped the streets as they consumed the wooden structures.  The course of the fire went in all directions and every able bodied man was employed to fight the fire, as there was no fire department at that time.  The area burned was bounded by Sixteenth, Market and Wazee Streets and Cherry Creek.  So great was the destruction of provisions that prices almost doubled in a few days.  The total loss was estimated about three hundred fifty thousand dollars, with very little insurance.  A majority of these business men rebuilt and resumed business.  The new structures were of brick and gave the town a more presentable look than before.  At that time, Blake was the principle business street.

"Heatley and Chase" rebuilt with pink brick, made from local clay that were inexpensive.  In Thomas Noel's The City and The Saloon, it states: "Ed Chase rebuilt his elaborate Palace next to the ashes of the Denver House and Elephant Corral."-no mention of Heatley.  It had a much more plush decor.  It existed for many years.  Thomas Noel's Rocky Mountain Gold has a map of businesses north of Cherry Creek, in 1860.  Lot #52, listed as "Heatley and Chase Progressive Club."  Later Chase moved to Lot #12, originally owned by Blake and Williams, "Denver House."  It was listed as a tough Gambling Hall and site of the "Palace Theater."  This was after Heatley's death.  In a newspaper clipping there is a picture of the original "Heatley and Chase" Saloon, before the fire.  Throughout the Denver History books, especially about saloons, there is very little mention of Frank Heatley.  One article refers to him as Frank Healy.  Historians have erred in this matter.

The family referred to the family business as a "Gaming Parlor," which they felt sounded better than a Saloon or Gambling Hall.  Mr. Heatley and Mr. Chase also purchased various pieces of property jointly.  In later years there was an abstract of land on a piece of property, near Lafayette, Colorado, which had belonged to Chase and Heatley, in earlier days.  Frances Riley Heath located deeds on property owned by Chase and Heatley, while doing some legal work in Boulder County.

The Gambling Parlor flourished, as it was in the heart of the business district.  In Jerome Smiley's book, Story of Denver, there are pictures on many pages of the area on Blake Street, between Fifteenth and Sixteenth Streets.  In 1862, there was a J. S. Brown and A. B. Daniels Grocers next to Heatley and Chase Saloon.  Brown Brothers were the Amercantile Company and later moved to Eighteenth and Wynkoop as the Brown Mercantile Company.

The history of the children of Francis P. Heatley, is given in the history of Ellen O'Hanlon Heatley.

As the family grew, education came to the newly founded city.  The girls attended Wolfe Hall, an Episcopal Seminary for young women only.  It was the largest denominational school in Denver and the State of Colorado.  In 1867, the original Wolfe Hall was erected on the southwest corner of Seventeenth Street at Champa, site of the present Boston Building.  In 1873, the building was enlarged, and again in l879.  In 1889, the building was torn down to make room for a business structure.  The new site was on Capitol Hill, at Thirteenth and Fourteenth Avenues, between Clarkson and Emerson Streets.  It was a preparatory school for the higher colleges for women and stood high among the schools of the state and ranked best in the country.

Several private schools were started.  O. J. Goldrick started the first "Union School," a private school on Twelfth Street between Market and Larimer Streets.  Public School was not established until late 1861 to 1862.  It is believed the sons of Frank P. Heatley may have attended a Catholic School for Boys.

In the autumn of 1858, Rev. George W. Fisher, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, came from Missouri.  He was the first Clergyman of any church to conduct services in the two little hamlets, at the mouth of Cherry Creek.  He preached his first sermon, early in December of 1858, under a cottonwood tree, that stood at the intersection of what is now Eleventh and Wewatta Streets, in front of the double cabin built by the "Russell Boys" and Trader John S. Smith.  A Reverend William Hager, also conducted Church Services here.  This was the area Frank and Ellen built their home, two blocks from a cottonwood tree that became the "Hanging Tree" at 10th and Wazee Streets.

In 1870, Francis Heatley developed Pneumonia, which left him with a cough.  It later developed into "Quick Consumption," (Tuberculosis). The doctor advised an ocean voyage.  Ellen hired a woman to care for her six children and started for Ireland, with Frank and accompanied by a cousin, possibly Edward Joseph Heatley and Frank's mother, Mary Jane.  Sailing from New York City, September 1, 1870, on the steamship, City of Washington.  Frank died the next day, September 2, 1870 and was buried at sea.  Ellen remained in Ireland only until the next boat and returned to America.  She arrived in Chicago, on October 1, 1870, on a Saturday. Sunday morning, October 2, 1870, the last Heatley child was born, a girl, Flora F. Heatley.

Ellen returned to her family in Denver, with the new baby and remained here to raise her family alone.  What a remarkable woman she was, rearing seven children in a new land, rather than return to her family in Chicago. She worked hard since there was no public assistance, like there is today.

Her husband's partner, Mr. Ed Chase, managed the business, giving Ellen a share of the profits.  Since she was not a business woman, it was felt she didn't always receive her fair share of the business.  Ellen came by hard times, but always held her head high. When her son, Herbert "Hub" attained working age, he went to work for "Big Ed" Chase, to see that his mother received what was rightfully hers, until about 1897, when "Hub" was 31 years old, he went into business with Jim Marshall, a notorious figure in early Colorado history.

After the death of his partner, Frank Heatley, Ed Chase also became known as a notorious figure in the criminal element, as the history of Denver progressed, even into the early 1900's.  Had Frank Heatley lived, this writer doubts that he would have approved of his partners connections with the crooked political and criminal element "Big Ed" Chase had associated himself with, even up until his death.  Ed Chase died in Denver, of pneumonia at the age of 83 years, September 27, 1921.  He was a millionaire, put there partly by the efforts of his former partner, Francis Perrin Heatley.

At the Colorado Historical Museum, there is a diarama depicting the area around the confluence of Cherry Creek and the Platte River, in the early years of Denver.  The "Heatley and Chase" establishment is shown along with the home at 11th and Wewatta Sts.

In 1859, when Denver/Auraria/St. Charles was six months old, the townspeople voted to sever ties with Kansas Territory and Jefferson Territory was created.  Two years later in February, 1861, Colorado Territory was established.  In later years Grandma Ellen Heatley said the Irish were classed as scum in Chicago and this may be why the reference to the English parentage of the Francis Heatley family, as his cousin, Edward Joseph Heatley was born in County Wicklow, Ireland.

News articles found at the Denver Public Library,

Rocky Mountain News, June 30, 1866 (p.1 c. 2):  Francis P. Heatley was among a list of citizens paying the highest income tax in the city. He paid $4100.00.

Notice of Frank Heatley's death--Rocky Mountain News, Sept. 16, 1870 (p.5 c. 1):

"Mr. Edward Chase received a cable telegram from Queenstown yesterday, announcing the death, at sea, on the second of this month, of Mr. Frank Heatley, of this city.  His health has been failing for some time and hoping to be benefited by a trip to Europe, he sailed from New York in the steamer City of Washington, on September First and died the next day.  His family, who accompanied him, will return to Denver immediately.  Mr. Heatley was forty-two years of age and had been a resident of Denver over ten years."

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