Charles Boettcher

(b. 1852 Colleda, Germany-d. Denver, 1948; b. Fairmount Cemetery).

Charles Boettcher came to the United States at the age of 17 in 1869. He arrived a poor man, but would build one of Colorado’s richest, longest lived and most diversified industrial empires. This German immigrant first made money selling hardware to Colorado miners. Avoiding dicey mining ventures, the shrewd German plunged heavily in what proved more worthwhile—mining machinery, tools, household goods and merchandise of every kind. His slogan: "Hard Goods. Hardware. Hard Cash."

When the economy shifted from mining to agriculture, Boettcher and some associates formed the Great Western Sugar Company. This proved to be Colorado’s most lucrative agricultural operation by the 1920s. Boettcher built sugar processing factories of high-grade cement which led him into another profitable enterprise, the Ideal Cement Company. Wisely putting his eggs in many baskets, he invested in diverse enterprises ranging from cattle ranching to the Capitol Life Insurance Company, from the Brown Palace Hotel to the Denver Tramway Company. Even after his death at age 96, he kept helping Colorado through the Boettcher Foundation. After making millions in the Highest State, he insisted that the Foundation fund only Colorado projects. He is commemorated by Boettcher Halls at the Colorado History Museum, Denver Museum of Natural History, Denver Performing Arts Center and many other institutions, and the Boettcher Conservatory at the Denver Botanic Gardens.

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