Henry Frankle

Born 1839-1842

Born in Poland

Immigrated in 1853

Married to Sara Newman 1887

(likely second wife)

 

Sara (Newman)

Born 1858

Born in New York

 

Louis N

Born 1873

Born in Tennessee

 

Benj B.

Born 1876

Born in Tennessee

 

Bertha

Born 1875* (1900), 1882 (1910), 1880 (1920)

Born in Tennessee

 

Lillian

Born 1878* (1900), 1888 (1910), 1883 (1920)

Born in Tennessee

 

Arthur

Born 1881 (1900)

Born in Colorado

 

*Wide discrepancies depending on the year of census record (shown in parentheses)

Henry Frankle was born around 1840 in Poland.[1]   Some census records list his birthplace as Germany so it is possible he was born in Prussian Poland.  He immigrated in 1853.[2]   Henry spent much of the 1870s in Tennessee and had several children, Louis, Benj, Bertha, and Lillian.[3]   In 1881, he had another child, Arthur, in Colorado.[4]   It is probable that Henry was married in Tennessee, but there are no records of his first wife.  They may have eventually divorced or she may have passed away before Henry married Sara Newman, of New York, in 1887.[5]   Sara was born in 1858 and her parents were immigrants from Poland.[6]

 

Frankle first appears in Leadville during 1880.  He was a business partner of Fred Butler in the Palace of Fashion clothing and dry goods store.  He resided at 113 East Chestnut Street.[7]   Butler was the primary manager of the Palace of Fashion in Leadville.  Frankle’s main business was in Denver at “244 and 246 Seventeenth street, between Larimer and Holladay streets.”[8]   This was also a clothing and dry goods store.  In October, 1880, Frankle briefly left Leadville for Denver on a business trip.[9]   In December Frankle and Butler left Leadville for the south Arkansas river to meet Samuel Levy and Louis Butler who they then accompanied back to Leadville.[10]

In 1881, Henry left Leadville and returned to Denver to manage his business, leaving Butler in charge of the Leadville branch.  This did not end Frankle’s involvement with the Cloud City.  In 1882, he was a shareholder in an enterprise to bring electric lights to Leadville’s streets and businesses.[11]   Frankle also had to testify as a defendant during the Palace of Fashion trial when he and Butler were under suspicion of arson after their store burned down.  Luckily, the true cause of the fire was ascertained and Butler and Frankle then held a celebratory banquet thanking their friends who had supported them during the ordeal.[12]   Frankle stops appearing in Leadville after 1883 until he is mentioned as the administrator of Meyer’s Harris’ estate in the Herald Democrat during 1895.[13]   Frankle and his family appear in the 1900, 1910, and 1920 census records residing in Denver.[14]

 

 

Marcus Frankle

Born 1868

Born in Tennessee

Married to Maud Cogswell 1896

Clerk and Business owner

 

Maud Cogswell

Born 1870

Born in Canada

 

Julia

Born 1896

Born in Colorado

 

Tillie

Born 1900

Born in Colorado

 

 

Marcus Frankle was born in 1868 in Tennessee.  His father was from Germany and his mother was from New York.[15]   It is probable Marcus was a relative of Henry Frankle, due to the shared last name, the Tennessee connection, and both having worked with Fred Butler.

Marcus came to Leadville in 1886 where he worked as a clerk for Butler.  From 1886 to 1889 Marcus resided at 407 Harrison Avenue.  In 1890, he lived at 317 Harrison Avenue.  The next two years he lived at 314 and 311 Harrison Avenue respectively.  Except for 1891, all of Marcus’ appearances in the city directories list him as working at the Palace of Fashion.[16]   There is an 1890 article in the Herald Democrat which reveals that Marcus attempted to start his own business:

 

“Mr. Marcus Frankle, who, for the past seven years, has been connected with the Palace of Fashion, of this city, will, about Nov. 1, open up in the south half of the new Hyman block, with a large and well selected stock of gent’s furnishings, hats, caps, boots and shoes, etc.

 

Mr. Frankle has for so long a time been dealing with the people of Leadville, that he knows just what they want in his line, and when selecting his goods, he was careful to supply his store with just the stock suitable for our citizens.  This fact will be proven upon the arrival of the goods.

Mr. Frankle is well known here, as a steady and upright young gentleman, and, as he expects to cater to the wants of the public at large, he will doubtless meet with success.”[17]

 

Unfortunately, this endeavor does not seem to have succeeded and Marcus is listed, once again, as a clerk for Fred Butler in 1892.   In November, 1892,[18] Marcus attended the Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Association’s craft fair and purchased a handkerchief case.[19]   Marcus stops appearing in Leadville directories after 1892.  In 1895, Marcus appears in the Herald Democrat in an upcoming wedding announcement:

“During the week invitations were received announcing the coming marriage of Mr. Marcus Frankle and Miss Maud Cogswell, both formerly of this city.  The marriage will take place at Grand Junction, the bride’s home.  The young couple will spend their honeymoon sojourning in Europe.  On their return they will reside at Cripple Creek, where the groom-elect is constructing a beautiful home.”[20]

 

The 1900 U.S. Census shows that Marcus and his wife did, indeed, move to Cripple Creek where they had two daughters, Julia in 1896 and Tillie in 1900.[21]   Afterwards it is unknown what became of the Frankle family.

 

 

 

 

 

Nathan Frankle

 

Nathan Frankle was also a probable relative of Henry and Marcus.  He only appears once in Leadville records, in 1888, when he worked as a clerk for Fred Butler.  He resided at 407 Harrison Avenue.[22]