420 F Street

Description

Real estate appraisal card. 420 F Street, lot 5 with part of 4 & 6, block 60, Haskell's Addition, in Salida, Colorado. The Chaffee County Assessor's 1950 year of construction for this house is incorrect. This house was built in the 1880s and appears on the 1890 Sanborn map. The address is listed In the 1903-04 Salida City Directory, at which point Thomas and Mary Ryan lived here. The Ryans were living on F Street at the time of the 1900 Census, probably in this house. He was involved in real estate and was the President of the Salida Building & Loan Association. The directory indicates two sons lived with him: Thomas J. Ryan, who worked as a clerk and Stephen H. Ryan, a student. In 1905-06, the city directory lists Thomas Ryan and Thomas J. Ryan at this location, but not Stephen H. Ryan. Thomas Ryan is listed as head of household at this address again in the 1910 Census, living with his wife Mary and son Thomas J. Thomas Ryan still worked in real estate, and Thomas J. Ryan worked as a stenographer at a real estate office. Thomas Ryan was born in Ireland, becoming a naturalized American citizen in 1872. Mary Ryan was born in Wisconsin about 1858. The Ryans were living here in 1912, when Thomas Ryan was identified as head of Ryan Real Estate, Loans, Insurance, and Rentals with offices in the Commercial National Bank Building. At that date, Thomas J. Ryan was identified as a brakeman. In the 1913-14 city directory, Thomas Ryan was president of Salida Building & Loan Association. The 1922 city directory listed Dennis D. and Katherine A. Boham as the occupants of the house. Mr. Boham was affiliated with Lorton-Wenz & Boham, a furniture and undertaking firm. The Bohams were shown elsewhere on F Street in the 1920 U.S. Census. Mr. Boham was born In Ohio about 1867, while Mrs. Boham was born Missouri. The 1930 Census shows the Timothy J. and Alice Ahern family living here, as does the 1927-28 city directory. The Aherns owned the home and valued it at $3,500. The Aherns had the following children: Margaret (22), Timothy (21), Hugh (18), and Agitha {13). The entire family, including the parents, had been born in Kansas. According to the 1930 Census, Mr. Ahern worked as a salesman at a garage, but the Salida City Directory of 1930-31 shows that he worked as a truck driver for Motorway. Three of the children were also employed. Margaret worked for a newspaper, Timothy worked as a machinist for the steam railroad and Hugh worked as a telegraph operator. The 1935-36 Chaffee County Directory lists Margaret Ahern, the daughter of Timothy J. and Alice Ahern, as the head of household. Margaret Ahern was a teacher who had taught in Chaffee County's School District 26 in 1913. Also living here in 1935-36 were members of the Davie family: Alice Davie {a bookkeeper), Richard Davie {the father), Robert L. Davie (a station attendant), and Muriel Davie (a stenographer). By 1951, Earle E. and Ruth Wilson lived at this address. In 1965, the Wilsons were still the owners of this home. Mr. Wilson was retired at this point. Born in 1896, Ruth Wilson passed away in January 1975 while still livlng with her husband at this address. The Wilsons had settled In Villa Grove prior to World War I, following a move from Iowa. They managed a cattle ranch until moving to Salida in the 1940s. Earle E. Wilson was born in Madison County, Iowa, in 1887 and died in 1981 in Creston, Iowa, where he moved after the death of his wife. History Colorado's Architectural Inventory Forms have more information and are available at the Salida Library.