Franklin "Frank" Doll
Marriages
Lucy Ellen Slusser Doll - January 5, 1882
Burial Details
Obituaries
Eagle Valley Enterpirse page 1 - December 6, 1918
Note, this is a letter written from WWI battle front by Frank P. Doll to his friend and business associate, W.A. Schliff which was published in the Eagle Valley Enterprise on December 6, 1918.
FRANK P. DOLL WRITES FROM THE BATTLE FRONT
The Letter Written Before The War Was Over, Expresses The Opinion That The Big Conflict Was Nearing End
The following letter was received by W . A. Schliff from Frank Doll, jr, this week, written just a few days before the armistice was signed, and at that time it was his opinion that the fighting- was about over.
Nov. 10, 1918
Mr. Wm. Schliff
Dear sir and friend: I have not written to you for some time in fact about eight months , as that is the length of time since I left the states. This country of France is quite a likable country in some ways, and in others it is quite disagreeable. For instance, back in the S . O . S . you can once in a while see a picture show in the Red Cross or the K. of C. There are lots of places to go and lots of very pretty French maids, of course they strike the eye of; a soldier , especially of a Yankee .
Anyhow we had good times and not a whole lot to do. We came out of that good country after three months of our fun , and the first thing we knew we were almost on the scene of the fighting. All of the boy , some odd five hundred , which made up the headquarters troop, had never seen or heard a shell when it, had the tune of death attached to it. Airy how, one a.m.. we heard one or two sing their song, but no one harmed. They cutout about one hundred of us, I being on the military police force at that time, loaded us into some trucks and away we went . Where we found out after an all days trip with about a spoonful of corned bread and as much tomatoes apiece to live on . We landed tip at the front line trenches on the 18th of July. Well it was hard to say what we did or looked like or acted like , but we found out we were to do M.P. for two divisions on the line a few miles south of Sossions. So far so good. We did it and got away without the loss of a man. We were shelled, got, shot at by machine gunes from aero planes , and I guess everything they had to use on us. We stuck it out for seven days and nights, then we were relieved. We did not go back to the S. O.S. for several days rest, but on to Cheauteau Thierry , where they moved us up to the All-American sector of Verdun, where for four years they battled for day and night. Some place it was, too. Well, I think it is about over , and it may be by the time you receive this letter. At least I hope so. No one knows what it is in and rain until you do a hitch of it. It is useless to try to tell, so I wont adventure , so fur as to try; but heres hoping by this time next year we will all be at home a again. I have seen all I wont to of the "guerre" in American talk, war - and am ready for the good old U. S. A. whenever it is over but not until. Today is the first time we have seen the sun for two weeks.
Excuse me for using a pencil, as ink is a scarce article up here, About a week ago a small shell about the- size of a fifty pound lard can knocked my ink into the mud, so I have none. I have to go look about some now, so will say good-bye to all. Sincerely yours,
Frank Doll, jr. , Hdqrs. Troop, 3d Army Corps Am. E. F. , A. P.O. 754
Eagle Valley Enterprise - June 7, 1940
FRANK DOLL IS CALLED TO HIS REWARD. Pioneer Stock and Ranch Man of Gypsum Valley Called in Death Friday Morning.
With the passing of Franklin DOLL at his home in Gypsum valley last Friday morning, June 7,1940, marks the approximate end of an epoch in the history of Eagle county, a period filled with romance attended by all of the rough, interesting life incident to the claiming of a rough, raw country for civilization and culture. No man of the past generation had a greater part in this week than did Frank DOLL. For the preceding generation the name of Mr. DOLL was one to conjure with when affairs of the community or the entire western slope for that matter, were in consideration.
Born in Orsaneberg [sic Osnaburg], Ohio, August 10, 1851, he was the youngest of a family of four boys. His father and older brothers were engaged in the coal business in Stark county, Ohio, and Frank grew to manhood helping in the business, but at the same time developing the interest which intrigued him all of his life--purebred horses and livestock. While engaged in the business of the family, he was early developing a stable of fine horses of his own.
On January 5, 1882, he was married to Miss Lucy Ellen SLUSSER of Louisville, Ohio. This union was a happy one and lasted until the death of his wife a year ago and to them were born five children--Samuel and Susan being born in Ohio, and Gretchen, Frank, Jr., and Dorothy came to Colorado.
In 1886, he and his brother, Samuel, came to Colorado, landing at Dotsero, and purchased the Gypsum valley ranch which soon became famous as the Doll Brothers and Condon ranch all over this part of the state. It was a year later, in 1887, that Frank DOLL brought his family to their new home.
Horse flesh was Mr. DOLL's passion and the Doll ranch soon became known throughout the west as the breeding place of both standard and thoroughbred horses, and later of draft horses. During the boom years of the mining and logging camps of the mountain sections, before the day of automobiles, tractors and trucks, Frank DOLL furnished hundreds of the best draft horses used by the freighters and ore haulers of these camps. The ranch was not only the first breeding place of purebred horses in this section, but Mr. DOLL was always proud of the fact that the ranch developed the first herd of purebred Hereford cattle on the western slope.
In the midst of the great range country, cattle soon took the attention of Mr. DOLL and his partners. A great cattle ranch was developed and for years the DOLL herd ranged from Cottonwood creek to Coffee Pot and the range north of Deep creek. A far-sighted man, Frank DOLL early foresaw that there would sooner or later be but little open range for the cowman, and he commenced to acquire pasture land on the range north of Deep creek. By preemption and purchase, before his retirement from active life he had developed what is possibly the finest privately owned cattle range in western Colorado.
Frank DOLL was proud of his work for the community development, and was foremost in all its advancement. He was a partner in the first general merchandise store in Gypsum, and the firm built a flour mill on Gypsum creek. The mill, which stood on the present site of the Eagle River Electric company's power plant below Gypsum, later burned down.
In 1910, the partnership of Doll Brothers was dissolved,and Mr.and Mrs. DOLL built the beautiful ranch home near the mouth of Gypsum creek canon, where they spent the remainder of their life together. Advancing years and Mrs. DOLL's ill health, gradually curbed Mr. DOLL's varied outside interest, until during the five years previous to his death he devoted his time to the home and care of his wife. Since her death, June 22, 1939, his health had rapidly failed until the end came last Friday morning.
Mr. DOLL was a life long Mason, and when Castle Lodge No. 122 of Eagle was organized in 1906, he transferred from Canton, Ohio, and became a charter member of the local lodge. With one exception, he was the last of the charter members remaining alive. The other member, David WEDMORE, of Prescott, Ariz., who was present Sunday to assist in the funeral services conducted by the order.
Funeral services conducted the the home in Gypsum creek valley at 10:00 o'clock Sunday morning, were under the auspices of the Masonic lodge of Eagle, and were attended by a large number of former acquaintances, friends, and neighbors. Rev. Charles RAMMEY of Trinidad, Colo., delivered the funeral discourse, and during the service Mrs. RAMMEY sang two solos. The body of the rugged old pioneer was then laid away in the family burial plot in Cedar Hill cemetery at Gypsum in the shadow of the hills and forests which he had known so intimately for more than half a century.
The oldest son, Samuel, passed away at the age of 13; Gretchen, married to Robert DeFOOR, died in 1924. The three other children, Susan BARTHELL, Carbondale, Colo.; Frank, jr., and Dorothy GERARD, Gypsum, survive. There are also seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren living.
