Frederick “Fred” Ullman

Occupation: Merchant, Business Owner

Birth: 1845

Birthplace: Austria

Death: ?

 

Terisia Ullman

Occupation: Housewife

Birth: 1848

Birthplace: France

Death: ?

 

Harrie Ullman

Occupation: ?

Birth: 1868

Birthplace: ?

Death: ?

Frederick “Fred” Ullman was a merchant and business owner in Leadville. Ullman was born during 1845 in Austria. [1] Ullman married Terisia Ullman, born during 1848 in France. It is unknown when the Ullmans immigrated to the United States and arrived in Leadville. The couple had one child, Harrie Ullman, born in 1868.

 

The earliest city records indicate that the family resided at 147 East Third Street. [2] During their first recorded year in Leadville in 1879, Ullman worked as a launderer while Terisia Ullman worked as a home keeper. [3] That same year, Ullman was amongst the charter members of the Leadville branch of B’nai B’rith. [4]

Between the years of 1880 and 1881, Ullman began his career as a grocer in Leadville. Ullman partnered with Harry Baker and established Harry Baker and Company, located at 115 East Third Street. [5] Advertisements of the period indicated that Ullman sold items that were shipped from the East; including staples such as butter, eggs and produce. By December, 1881, Harry Baker retired from the firm. [6] From that point, Ullman took up complete ownership of the business.

In August 1882, Ullman underwent a couple of business changes. He purchased the Capitol Restaurant, located at 105 West Third Street. [7] Lodging was located on the building’s top floors, and Ullman rented out the rooms to boarders while also running the restaurant. Later that month, Ullman sold his grocery firm with the intention of eventually running another grocery firm in Kansas.

The Capitol Restaurant was visited by a burglar in September, 1882. At the time, Ullman was living in one of the rooms of the Capitol Restaurant when thieves had rummaged through his belongings and got away with a 25-dollar gold piece, as well as a five and ten dollar bill. [8] By October 1882, Ullman had departed Leadville with Terisia. Ullman reported to local newspapers that he decided to leave Leadville to establish a produce firm in Kansas City.

Although the family may have put on a happy front to locals, Ullman might have had a more nefarious plan upon his departure from Leadville. It was reported that Terisia suffered from a stroke a few months prior, and could not use half of her body. While in transit, Fred Ullman abandoned Terisia in Topeka, Kansas. She wrote to a friend in Leadville about her condition:

 

“I am the same as when you last saw me. I cannot use my arm at all, and I am very miserable. If you know anything from him will you let me know? The worst of all is he has gone and never left me a dollar. I am perfectly destitute and among strangers and not able to work. Oh, dear friend, this is dreadful, is it not? I don’t see how Fred could treat me so, when I have done so much for him, but I am sick, and he is tired of me.”[9]

It appears that at the time, Terisia was able to survive in Topeka by the grace of strangers. Sadly, Fred and Terisia Ullman’s whereabouts subsequent to these events are not known.