JOHN LEWIS DAILEY PAPERS

John Lewis Dailey, pioneer Denver, Colorado publisher, printer and Arapahoe County Treasurer was born on November 29, 1833 in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio, the son of William T. Dailey, native of Pennsylvania and Sarah McCormick of Posey County, Ohio. At age 17, Dailey was apprenticed to the printer Thomas Cook in Fort Wayne, Indiana. After his apprenticeship Dailey moved in August 1854 to Fort Des Moines, Iowa to work as a printer. In May 1856 he travelled further west to Omaha, Nebraska. Unable to find employment with the local paper, he worked for a time as a farmhand before returning to Omaha in the fall of 1856. It was during this period that he first met William N. Byers and Henry M. Burt. The three men became involved in land speculation and founded a town in Burt County, Nebraska Territory, called Central City. While Central City was surveyed and a few houses were built during the spring and summer of 1857, the venture was ultimately unsuccessful and the town site was abandoned in the fall.

Dailey then returned to Omaha before moving to Dakota City, Dakota County, Nebraska to publish the Dakota Herald for one year, and then to Sioux City, Iowa to work on another newspaper. Contacted by Byers in late 1858, the two men bought out a printing establishment in Omaha, and in the early spring of 1859, Dailey accompanied the Byers' party, including an oxcart loaded with a printing press westward into Kansas territory. They arrived in what would become present day Denver, Colorado on April 8, 1859. With their Omaha printing press the first issue of the The Rocky Mountain News appeared on April 23, 1859. Besides Dailey, the other founders of the newspaper included William N. Byers, Dr. George Monell, and Thomas Gibson. The final issue of the paper was printed almost 150 years later on Friday, February 27, 2009.

Dailey's partnership with Byers and their involvement with The Rocky Mountain News lasted until October 31, 1870, when Dailey sold his interests to Byers for $6,000.00, a light bay horse named “Prince” and, one California saddle. In 1871 Dailey went into partnership with Nathan A. Baker and Charles W. Smart, forming the printing company of Dailey, Baker & Smart, the first steam-powered printing plant in Denver. The partners gained control of the Denver Daily Times in June 1872. Baker left the company in October 1872 and the firm of Dailey & Smart continued until July 1875 when it was purchased by Frederick J. Stanton, editor and publisher of the Colorado Democrat. In 1876, John L. Dailey became associated with the Rocky Mountain Insurance and Saving Institution of Denver, Colorado as the firm's secretary. Elected Arapahoe County Treasurer in 1877, he served in that capacity until 1883. Dailey was also the first President and member of the Denver Board of Park Commissioners.

Both John L. Dailey and his brother, William, were members of Company A of the 3rd Colorado Cavalry under command of John M. Chivington during the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre. In 1865, the brothers each received 160 acre presidential land grants in today's Baker neighborhood. The Dailey family home was originally located at 4th and Bannock before a larger home was constructed on the 400 block along Broadway. In the 1870s this area was the southernmost populated area of the City of Denver. John L. Dailey eventually acquired considerably more land holdings before platting the subdivision known as Broadway Terrace, which is comprised of nine city blocks bordered by Broadway (West), West 1st Avenue (South), Cherokee Street (East) and West 4th Avenue (North). West 4th Avenue was originally known as Dailey Avenue and Acoma Street was originally named Dailey Street. Dailey Park at E. Elati St. & W. Ellsworth Ave. in South Denver's Baker neighborhood was originally a part of William M. Dailey's land holdings. He was also responsible for platting the Lake Archer subdivision bordered by Cherokee Street (East),West Bayaud Avenue (South), Santa Fe Drive/Jason Street (East) and West 1st Avenue (North). In the 1880s, the two brothers went into partnership with a real estate loan and investment company, establishing Dailey & Company.

John Lewis Dailey married Melisa Brown "Lessie" Rounds in Chicago, Illinois on March 1, 1866. She was born(?) in Richford, Franklin County, Vermont ca.1846, the daughter of Elihu Roe Rounds (1811-1900) and Rebecca Bigford (d.1847). The Rounds family traveled westward and eventually settled in Eureka, Winnebago, Wisconsin. Melissa Dailey died after giving birth to the couple's first child, Nell "Nelly" Dailey (December 22, 1866-December 29, 1866) in Denver, Colorado on December 22, 1866. John L. Dailey’s second wife was Mrs. Helen "Nelly" A. (Manley) Woodbury. Helen Woodbury had been a teacher to Melisa Dailey and became a close personal friend. She later cared for Melisa Dailey during her pregnancy. Helen A. Manley was born in New York on May 3, 1838 the daughter of the Universalist Reverend W. E. Manley of Auburn, New York. She was the widow of James B. Woodbury (b.1833, New York) of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. She later served as the Director of the Denver Orphans' Home. John and Helen Dailey had four children: Lissie Woodbury Dailey Peabody (June 16, 1870 - 1948); Anne Dailey (April 5, 1872 - June 6, 1935); Grace Dailey (May 24, 1874 - June 16, 1961); John Lewis Dailey (Aug 24, 1879 - Nov 5, 1958). John Dailey died in Denver, Colorado on January 3, 1908. Helen Dailey died on May 11, 1908.

William M. Dailey was born in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio on April 22, 1836 and came to Colorado in 1859. He was first involved with livestock, later with mining, and finally with real estate development. He married Nellie M. Tilton (b. October 1857; Hudson, Michigan) the daughter of Albert and Hattie (Manley) Tilton in Denver, on March 10, 1880. Her mother was the sister of Helen A. Dailey. William M. Dailey died on March 29, 1890 in Excelsior Springs, Missouri.