by David Frazier
The Kendrick family of Morrison included James Kennedy Kendrick, his wife, Panthea, and their 7 children.
James Kennedy Kendrick Father Born: July 10, 1827
Panthea Matilda Kendrick Mother Born: August 29,1830
Children:
William Fillmore Kendrick Son Born: May 3, 1850
Francis Clarence Kendrick Son Born: October 11,1852
Melvin Gilbert Kendrick Son Born: March 7,1855
Charles Almon Kendrick Son Born: October 17,1862
Clara Emma Kendrick Daughter Born: April 26,1865
Edwin Hugh Kendrick Son Born: February 17,1868
James Garfield Kendrick Son Born: April 28,1874
Origins
The Kendrick family line originated in England, but came to America in 1639. In the mid-1800s, the James Kennedy Kendrick family was engaged in farming near Kent, Ohio. In 1874, for his health and for opportunity, James Kennedy Kendrick decided to move his family to Colorado. Like a lot of the early settlers and pioneers, they came out via the recently completed Union Pacific Railroad line. After a few months they decided to settle in Morrison since, at that time, this small pioneer town was the main gateway to the Rocky Mountains. (The Denver and South Park Railroad had just completed its first section of railroad as far west as Morrison. Also, the main wagon road into the mountains from Denver was a toll road that ran right through Morrison. This road provided the main access to the many mining operations to the west.)
History in Morrison
The oldest Kendrick sons (William and Francis) may have come out to Colorado in 1872, a couple of years before the rest of the family in order to scout out the opportunities in the area. William would have been around 22 years of age and Francis would have been around 20. Francis Kendrick originally purchased some land south of Morrison and was apparently running a general merchandise store, initially. He may have also been working as a postmaster on the Turkey Creek Toll Road.
The rest of this pioneer family settled into Morrison sometime in 1874. The family ran a restaurant and the Kendrick hotel from 1874 to 1880. In addition, James Kennedy Kendrick was appointed Justice of the Peace for Morrison.
The Kendrick Hotel in Morrison was located at the present address of 311 Bear Creek Avenue. It was a two-story frame building with a covered stairway on the outside. The restaurant may have been next door at 309 Bear Creek Avenue. It was a one-story frame building, similar to the structure that is located there today. The Kendrick Hotel structure burned down in the 1931 fire and was later replaced with a brick building.
In 1880, James Kennedy Kendrick purchased some land in Jefferson County near the present location of Old Kipling Street and Jewell Avenue. The Kendricks built a ranch house at the top of the hill on Old Kipling Street overlooking the Bear Creek Valley and Morrison Road. The house was constructed by dismantling and relocating the stage-stop hotel structure previously located on the Turkey Creek Toll Road at the mouth of Turkey Creek (near the present location of the “Fort Restaurant”). James Kennedy Kendrick moved his family to this location and took up farming and ranching. Mr. Kendrick acquired several more tracts of land totaling nearly 320 acres. His son Francis, being a surveyor and engineer, built several irrigation reservoirs (now called Kendrick Lakes) and also laid out several irrigation ditch systems (including Ward ditch) in this area. James Kennedy Kendrick later sold some of the properties to his sons (Francis and Melvin) and these properties became collectively known as the “Kendrick Ranches.”
The Kendricks raised cattle and horses and had vast farm acreages. The cattle carried the “K” brand and roamed the canyons, arroyos, and slopes from the outskirts of Denver to Green Mountain. The young Kendrick men road untamed mustangs off the Colorado range and broke them into saddle horses. They roped and branded calves each year. James Kendrick and his sons would use those horses to ride their herds. The fattened cattle would be taken down to Littleton for market.
James Kennedy Kendrick died in 1898.
Three of James Kennedy Kendrick’s sons (William, Francis, and Charles) grew up to become quite well known in Colorado.
William F. Kendrick
William F Kendrick became a well known mining promoter and entrepreneur. He had an owner’s interest in several mines and smelters in Colorado. He later became interested in importing Pheasants to Colorado and built rearing facilities in Littleton, Jefferson County, and Denver. He constructed an extensive display facility at the Denver City Park. He released Pheasants periodically on his extensive properties in the foothills of Jefferson County.
William Kendrick married Susie Tressler. They had no children. William died in 1928. He is buried in the Riverside pioneer cemetery in Denver.
Francis (Frank) C. Kendrick
Frank C. Kendrick was trained as a surveyor/engineer in Ohio before he came out to Colorado. He practiced his profession by laying out numerous railroad projects, mine projects, and irrigation projects as part of the booming opportunities in Colorado that were occurring during the late 1800’s. He laid out the Kendrick Reservoirs, 39 reservoirs in District 9, the Ward Ditch, and numerous ditches and reservoirs in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Arizona. He also performed surveys for numerous mine projects on the western slope. He also performed surveys for the Denver and South Park Railway Company, and the Denver Colorado Canyon and Pacific Railroad Company (DCC&PRR). He was Chief Engineer for the Verde Water and Power Company in Arizona, Chief Engineer for the Kendrick and Gelder Smelter in Silverton, and other enterprises.
Frank C Kendrick was the Chief Surveyor for the first detailed survey of the Colorado River (then called the Grand River) from Grand Junction to the junction with the Green River. The purpose of the survey was to determine if building a railroad line along the river was feasible. This was the first half of the well-documented 1889 Colorado River Survey by Robert Stanton. Frank Kendrick’s survey diary and record is documented in an article called “Down the Colorado in 1889” published in “The Colorado Magazine,” summer 1964, Volume XLI, Number 3, by the Colorado Historical Society. His survey diary is on file with The Colorado Historical Society.
Frank C. Kendrick married Emily France in 1884 and they had three children, France, Elmer, and Laura.
Frank and Emily Kendrick purchased 160 acres of land in two separate parcels. One 80-acre parcel was located south of Jewell Avenue adjacent to Old Kipling Street. The other 80-acre parcel was at the southwest corner of Wadsworth and Jewell Avenue. They took up farming and ranching and built a two-story brick ranch house at the southeast corner of Jewell and Old Kipling Street.
Frank Kendrick died suddenly, of a brain hemorrhage, December 29, 1907. He was buried in the Riverside pioneer cemetery in Denver.
France went on to become an engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad. Elmer went to California to become a restaurant businessman. Laura married Carlton D Frazier and helped him in their Drug Store business in Windsor Colorado.
Melvin G. Kendrick
Melvin G. Kendrick took up farming and ranching. He purchased 120 acres of land at the northwest corner of Morrison Road and Old Kipling Street. He also helped his older brothers in their mining businesses. He married Nancy Alice Sawyer in 1890. Melvin died in 1920.
Charles A. Kendrick
Charles A Kendrick, like his oldest brother, William, was a businessman and an entrepreneur. He got his first business contract at the age of 18 to supply railroad ties for the South Park narrow gauge railroad. He invested in land and properties and later moved into Denver to become President of the Kendrick-Bellamy Stationary business. He served as President of the Denver Chamber of Commerce for 10 years.
Charles Kendrick married Laura Baxter in 1886. They had one son, Leslie (Jack) R. Kendrick in 1887. Laura died in 1890 and Charles remarried to Nellie Baxter in 1896. They had a daughter, Idris Laura,in 1898. Jack Kendrick went in to his father’s business and eventually took over as President of the Kendrick-Bellamy Stationary business.
Charles Kendrick died in 1946. He is buried in the Riverside Pioneer cemetery in Denver.
Clara E. Kendrick
Clara E. Kendrick was an artist and ran a successful art studio in the Denver area. She painted in a style called the “Hudson River School”. She married Fred Barnett, the manager of the Kendrick City Park Pheasantry. They had one daughter, Helen Frances, born in 1899.
Clara died in 1940 in Denver.
Edwin Kendrick
Edwin Kendrick died as a young boy.
James G. Kendrick
James G. Kendrick moved to California and became a well-respected dentist.
David Frazier is a great grandson of Francis C. Kendrick. Anyone having additional information on the Kendrick family is invited to contact him.
David Frazier
1633 West Kettle Avenue
Littleton, Colorado 80120
Phone/text: 303.550.5861
Morrison History 