393:
296:
124:
404:, just West of downtown Denver. Although the farm was intended to supply their restaurant with fresh produce, in 1888 John and Mary sold the restaurant and decided to follow a dream to transform the land into a cultural resort with a zoo, plants, flowers, musicians, and a theater for his entertainment friends. Three years later, they opened the gates to
249:
and he courted her with daily notes delivered to her by her 10-year-old brother, Edward. Elitch eventually sent a note stating, "I'm going to San
Francisco for a job; will you marry me when I come for you?" Mary sent a note back saying "Yes." Mary knew her father would not consent, so in May 1872 the
28:
426:
After the gates closed for the first season, the work began for the next year. For the winter, John Elitch formed the Elitch, Schilling and
Goodyear Minstrels, and toured Colorado and the west coast with a vaudeville act.
282:"On August 6, 1886, he opened the Elitch Palace Dining Room, located at 1541 Arapahoe Street. The dining room was the largest in Denver, comfortably seating two hundred persons."
461:
was allowed to live in her home in the gardens until her death. The original Elitch
Gardens closed in 1994 and reopened in its current downtown location in 1995.
438:, continuing a tradition, in memory of Elitch. In 1897, his widow had Elitch's remains moved from California to Denver, and on September 17, Elitch was buried at
700:
275:
In 1884, Elitch was working at restaurants downtown and he became friends with many of Denver's civic leaders and he was one of the founders of the
264:
to work at friends' restaurants saving money. In early 1881, he hiked across the
Conejos Range in Colorado to reach the booming town of
430:
Upon reaching San
Francisco, John Elitch caught pneumonia and died on March 10, 1891, with Mary at his side. She decided to return to
710:
630:
595:
557:
517:
439:
360:
188:
705:
332:
160:
98:(April 10, 1850 – March 10, 1891) was a restaurateur, businessman, actor, zookeeper, and original owner and namesake of
254:
379:
207:
457:
after his death. Although the park changed owners, an agreement still stands that it always keep the Elitch name.
339:
167:
317:
145:
346:
174:
449:
is the only standing building left from opening day. Many of John Elitch's friends came to perform at the
313:
260:
Elitch and his wife shared a dream to become zookeepers at a resort with a theatre. In 1880, he arrived in
228:
141:
268:
before the train tracks were laid. He opened a very successful restaurant there that he sold to return to
400:
After five years of searching, in 1887 John and Mary purchased the 16-acre
Chilcott farm in the town of
328:
156:
306:
235:
134:
715:
720:
276:
8:
353:
239:
181:
636:
626:
601:
591:
563:
553:
523:
513:
485:
265:
622:
Denver's historic Elitch
Theatre : a nostalgic journey (a history of its times)
587:
Denver's historic Elitch
Theatre : a nostalgic journey (a history of its times)
549:
Denver's historic Elitch
Theatre : a nostalgic journey (a history of its times)
509:
Denver's historic Elitch
Theatre : a nostalgic journey (a history of its times)
458:
401:
269:
261:
246:
107:
86:
454:
224:
681:
450:
446:
435:
420:
416:
411:
Many famous friends of John Elitch were in attendance on opening day including
405:
103:
99:
76:
253:
In 1872, they settled in San Francisco and John managed the restaurant in the
694:
640:
605:
567:
527:
64:
392:
685:
489:
423:
was a huge success that John and Mary poured their hearts and souls into.
412:
666:
257:, where he met many entertainers and developed his love of the theater.
431:
320: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
250:
couple eloped and were married in San Jose. She was 16 and he was 22.
148: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
27:
620:
585:
547:
507:
676:
295:
123:
479:
671:
231:, a signer of the Declaration of Independence."
692:
481:The lady of the Gardens : Mary Elitch Long
453:including James O'Neill, Charles Goodyear, and
442:, where Mary would later be buried beside him.
653:"The Lady of the Gardens," Caroline Dier, 1936
285:
242:and worked with his father in a restaurant.
113:
667:Historic Elitch Gardens Theatre Foundation
26:
380:Learn how and when to remove this message
208:Learn how and when to remove this message
701:Businesspeople from San Jose, California
618:
583:
545:
505:
484:. Hollycrofters, Inc., Ltd. p. 18.
391:
693:
234:The Elitch family eventually moved to
579:
577:
541:
539:
537:
501:
499:
477:
396:Elitch Zoological Gardens Gate, 1890
318:adding citations to reliable sources
289:
146:adding citations to reliable sources
117:
13:
14:
732:
660:
574:
534:
496:
294:
122:
305:needs additional citations for
133:needs additional citations for
647:
619:Borrillo, Theodore A. (2012).
612:
584:Borrillo, Theodore A. (2012).
546:Borrillo, Theodore A. (2012).
506:Borrillo, Theodore A. (2012).
471:
434:alone and opened the gates to
227:, "was a direct decendant of
1:
711:People from Durango, Colorado
464:
245:At church, John met a young
7:
406:Elitch's Zoological Gardens
286:Elitch's Zoological Gardens
10:
737:
706:Businesspeople from Denver
478:Dier, Caroline L. (1932).
82:
72:
53:
37:
25:
18:
114:Early years and marriage
236:Santa Clara, California
397:
238:, where John attended
395:
677:Denver Athletic Club
314:improve this article
277:Denver Athletic Club
247:Mary Elizabeth Hauck
142:improve this article
87:Mary Elizabeth Hauck
32:John and Mary Elitch
240:Santa Clara College
440:Fairmount Cemetery
398:
255:California Theatre
223:, originally from
632:978-0-9744331-4-1
597:978-0-9744331-4-1
559:978-0-9744331-4-1
519:978-0-9744331-4-1
390:
389:
382:
364:
266:Durango, Colorado
218:
217:
210:
192:
93:
92:
728:
654:
651:
645:
644:
625:. . p. 34.
616:
610:
609:
581:
572:
571:
543:
532:
531:
503:
494:
493:
475:
459:Mary Elitch Long
408:on May 1, 1890.
385:
378:
374:
371:
365:
363:
322:
298:
290:
270:Denver, Colorado
262:Denver, Colorado
213:
206:
202:
199:
193:
191:
150:
126:
118:
108:Denver, Colorado
60:
30:
16:
15:
736:
735:
731:
730:
729:
727:
726:
725:
691:
690:
663:
658:
657:
652:
648:
633:
617:
613:
598:
590:. . p. 5.
582:
575:
560:
552:. . p. 4.
544:
535:
520:
512:. . p. 3.
504:
497:
476:
472:
467:
455:Sarah Bernhardt
415:, Denver mayor
386:
375:
369:
366:
323:
321:
311:
299:
288:
229:Stephen Hopkins
225:Mobile, Alabama
221:John Elitch Jr.
214:
203:
197:
194:
151:
149:
139:
127:
116:
96:John Elitch Jr.
68:
62:
58:
49:
48:Mobile, Alabama
46:
44:
43:
33:
21:
12:
11:
5:
734:
724:
723:
718:
713:
708:
703:
689:
688:
679:
674:
672:Elitch Gardens
669:
662:
661:External links
659:
656:
655:
646:
631:
611:
596:
573:
558:
533:
518:
495:
469:
468:
466:
463:
451:Elitch Theatre
447:Elitch Theatre
436:Elitch Gardens
421:Elitch Gardens
417:Wolfe Londoner
388:
387:
302:
300:
293:
287:
284:
216:
215:
130:
128:
121:
115:
112:
104:Elitch Theatre
100:Elitch Gardens
91:
90:
84:
80:
79:
77:Elitch Gardens
74:
73:Known for
70:
69:
63:
61:(aged 40)
57:March 10, 1891
55:
51:
50:
47:
45:April 10, 1852
41:
39:
35:
34:
31:
23:
22:
19:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
733:
722:
719:
717:
714:
712:
709:
707:
704:
702:
699:
698:
696:
687:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
664:
650:
642:
638:
634:
628:
624:
623:
615:
607:
603:
599:
593:
589:
588:
580:
578:
569:
565:
561:
555:
551:
550:
542:
540:
538:
529:
525:
521:
515:
511:
510:
502:
500:
491:
487:
483:
482:
474:
470:
462:
460:
456:
452:
448:
445:The Historic
443:
441:
437:
433:
428:
424:
422:
418:
414:
409:
407:
403:
394:
384:
381:
373:
362:
359:
355:
352:
348:
345:
341:
338:
334:
331: –
330:
329:"John Elitch"
326:
325:Find sources:
319:
315:
309:
308:
303:This section
301:
297:
292:
291:
283:
280:
278:
273:
271:
267:
263:
258:
256:
251:
248:
243:
241:
237:
232:
230:
226:
222:
212:
209:
201:
190:
187:
183:
180:
176:
173:
169:
166:
162:
159: –
158:
157:"John Elitch"
154:
153:Find sources:
147:
143:
137:
136:
131:This section
129:
125:
120:
119:
111:
109:
105:
101:
97:
88:
85:
81:
78:
75:
71:
66:
65:San Francisco
56:
52:
40:
36:
29:
24:
17:
716:1850s births
686:Find a Grave
649:
621:
614:
586:
548:
508:
480:
473:
444:
429:
425:
410:
399:
376:
367:
357:
350:
343:
336:
324:
312:Please help
307:verification
304:
281:
274:
259:
252:
244:
233:
220:
219:
204:
195:
185:
178:
171:
164:
152:
140:Please help
135:verification
132:
95:
94:
67:, California
59:(1891-03-10)
721:1891 deaths
682:John Elitch
413:P.T. Barnum
42:John Elitch
20:John Elitch
695:Categories
465:References
432:Denver, CO
340:newspapers
168:newspapers
641:823177622
606:823177622
568:823177622
528:823177622
370:June 2023
198:June 2023
89:(m. 1872)
402:Highland
102:and the
354:scholar
182:scholar
639:
629:
604:
594:
566:
556:
526:
516:
490:307807
488:
356:
349:
342:
335:
327:
184:
177:
170:
163:
155:
83:Spouse
361:JSTOR
347:books
189:JSTOR
175:books
637:OCLC
627:ISBN
602:OCLC
592:ISBN
564:OCLC
554:ISBN
524:OCLC
514:ISBN
486:OCLC
333:news
161:news
54:Died
38:Born
684:at
316:by
144:by
106:in
697::
635:.
600:.
576:^
562:.
536:^
522:.
498:^
419:.
279:.
272:.
110:.
643:.
608:.
570:.
530:.
492:.
383:)
377:(
372:)
368:(
358:·
351:·
344:·
337:·
310:.
211:)
205:(
200:)
196:(
186:·
179:·
172:·
165:·
138:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
