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Historical Spotlight
Cornelius H. Bond
Submitted by Gerald Portugal
You can call this article both history and a mystery. Very little is known about the great pioneer of Loveland and Larimer County, Cornelius H. Bond. Born in Londonderry, Ohio, October 9th, 1854 to a family who were early Ohio Pioneers, he moved to Loveland in 1879 for health reasons and continued to live in Larimer County for the rest of his life. He married the daughter of Loveland businessman James Sullivan whose marker in the Loveland Cemetery is a tree, the symbol of the Woodmen of the World. James was born in November 22, 1822 and died July 23, 1888. His son Joseph R. Sullivan was born October 26, 1843 and died September 17, 1879. Bond’s first wife, Friona Sullivan Bond was born September 27, 1861 and died in Loveland on February 20, 1895.
Whilst living in Loveland, Cornelius owned and operated a grocery story somewhere downtown, but where remains a mystery. He was elected sheriff on the Republican ticket in 1895 and re-elected in 1898, serving until 1901. His position required he ride a horse all over the county and in doing so he became very familiar with the Big Thompson Canyon.
In 1902 he was appointed to a committee to view the old Bald Mountain road to Estes Park and it was largely through his efforts that the present scenic highway up the canyon of the Big Thompson River was built.
In 1905 Mr. Bond moved to Estes Park as an early pioneer there and formed a Real Estate Company and Insurance Agency. The building he occupied still stands in downtown Estes Park and is now a fishing equipment store. He laid out and platted the town of Estes Park and sold much of the land north of his business. It is said in order to attract buyers, he positioned long horned sheep up on the hill where the lots were located.
Mr, Bond also was the real estate agent in the sale of the F O Stanley property where the Stanley Hotel was built. He prospered in Estes Park and in 1918, was on the Estes Park school board. He was named to represent the interests of Larimer County in the lower house of the State Legislature where he sponsored the highway bill of the time. Cornelius lived in Estes Park for the rest of his life. He was the first Trustee of the Stanley Hotel when F.O. Stanley moved from Estes Park. His son was Frank, was Mayor of Estes Park for one term.
Cornelius lost his leg and retired from public life before he passed away on May 27, 1931 following a stroke, leaving his second wife and three daughters, Mrs. Doris Byrd, Florence and Mae Bond and two sons, Frank and Fred. The funeral was in Loveland where he is buried in the Loveland Lakeside Cemetery along with his first wife and her family in the Sullivan family plot. His second wife, Alma E. Bond is also buried in this family plot and lived from 1861 to 1958. His three daughters are also buried in this same family plot. In recognition of his founding of the city of Estes Park, the downtown’s Bond Park was named after him.
If anyone reading this article knows the locations of Cornelius Bond’s grocery store or home in Loveland, please contact the Loveland Historical Society at contact@lovelandhistorical.org.
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