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David Cox

David Cox Picture

David Cox was born April 23, 1841 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland; the son of David Cox and C. Young. Nothing is known of David's childhood. Family notes indicate that David was an only child and that his father was a seafaring man who was lost at sea. Nothing was heard of any of the crew. His mother supposedly did not live long after his father was lost. US census records indicate that both of David's parents were born in Scotland. David had a cousin by the name of Young in Massachusetts but the author has found no information on this cousin. The young David followed his father into sailing.

Most children of his era in Scotland did not leave school until at least the age of 12. David may well have begun his travels as a sailor at any time around or after that age. He may have been an orphan who spent time in a workhouse and perhaps ran away to the sea. Dundee has always been a large seaport, with a great number of ships arriving and departing from all parts of the world. David apparently traveled considerably, and spent time in New Zealand before arriving in the US in 1871 and settling in St. Louis, Missouri. David was naturalized in St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday, October 20, 1876. That record shows only that he was a native of Great Britain and still a subject of the Queen at the time of his naturalization. In St. Louis, David worked in various forms of construction and home remodeling and repair. A journal of his expenses and billings survives. From the journal, it can be seen that David was doing stone work in St. Louis.

David married Annie Muir July 3, 1873, in St. Louis, daughter of William Muir and Helen Bald. She was born January 23, 1851, in Bow Street, Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, and died January 7, 1941, in Denver, Denver, Colorado. After marrying Annie, they lived in Webster Grove, Missouri, and St. Louis, before apparently moving to Denver, Colorado, around 1891. David does not appear in the 1890 Denver City Directory. In 1891, the Directory shows David as a stone contractor, located at 7th street on the southeast corner of Wewatta, boarding at the Colorado House.

The 1892 Denver City Directory shows David, stone contractor, 7th Street at the corner of Wewatta with the family residing at 2018 14th in the Highlands area of Northwest Denver. David's son, Tilden, is working with his father and residing at 1820 14th Street in Highlands.

David built the "House of the Gargoyles" at 3425 Lowell Boulevard Gargoyle House Picture soon after his arrival in Denver for his family home. Interesting stone carvings are found on the eaves, the tops of chimneys, and in the spaces between windows. Gargoyle heads are located at the ends of the gutters as down spouts [See details picture.] He may have built a number of the stone buildings of that period. He reportedly worked on the Wyoming capitol building as well.

Stone House PictureAbout 1898, he built a second family home next door, at 3417 Lowell Boulevard, and he and his family moved into that house and rented the Gargoyle House. The house at 3417 is not as intriguing, being square cut stone. However, the outside walls are eighteen inch thick slabs of pink (now turned gray) sandstone from Creede, Colorado, laid upright, a rare method of construction which required cranes to lift the stone blocks. Both houses are designated national landmarks. In 1900, the family was still living at 3381 Homer Boulevard in Denver. This address was later changed to 3417 Lowell Blvd. At this time, David owned and operated David Cox and Son located at 1st and Walnut.

David and his son worked on many homes and buildings in the Denver area. However, records have been difficult to locate. One home of note that David worked on was that of John Brisben Walker. This home was located in Northwest Denver near David's own home. Picture of the Walker house.

David died February 15, 1915 in Denver and is buried at Crown Hill cemetery in Lakewood, Jefferson, Colorado with Annie. Many of the family are buried at Crown Hill.

© 1999 Robert Moody