Much of the early to mid life of Commodore Perry Downing, also known as C.P. or Perry Downing, isn't known.
He was born in Ohio. According to Carole Spahr (CPs great grand daughter) CP came west to Colorado at the beginning of the mining boom. Some records hint that he possibly mined in South Park County near Fairplay. When Colorado Springs officially became a city in 1871, the newspapers printed his name. He was a law enforcement officer and transitioned between a county sheriff and a city constable.
On August 26th, 1875, he married Hellen King in Colorado Springs. He was an active member of the Odd Fellows and the local fire hose company.
On December 3rd, 1876, an incident happened in downtown Colorado Springs that changed his life forever and made him a man on the run from the law. He shot and killed a fellow, unarmed, law enforcement officer over an argument of a $75. reward for the capture of two prisoners and the return of a horse and saddle to a local rancher. A grand jury convened and found enough evidence to bring C.P. Downing to trial. After he was forewarned by a friend on that grand jury, he fled the town and left his wife behind. He was never held accountable for the murder.
Hellen left Colorado Springs in January of 1877 and went back east. For a long time, that was the end of the story. In the last year, it was discovered that he settled in Montana. The territory was not yet a state and the law probably wouldn't seek him there. His wife waited a few years before she travelled to Montana and joined her husband when they were assured she wasn't being followed.
C.P. Downing became the first sheriff of Cascade County. This was his second chance! He served in that capacity for a few years and met his end as a town constable following an accident involving a street car. He was struck by a street car while trying to rescue a bicylist who was on the tracks. It was thought that the injuries weren't life threatening but proved otherwise and he succumbed to his injuries as a few weeks. He is recognized as a police office killed in the line of duty by the Great Falls Police Department and by National Law Enforcement. His funeral was held in the home he built for his family and there was not enough room inside the house for all who attended.
C.P. Downing was afforded a grand funeral. He was held in high esteem by the people of the county. He belonged to the GAR, Sheridan post #18. Few records exist other than in the state archive. Researched by - Carole Spahr (Great Grand Daughter of C.P.)and Ingrid McDonald (Colorado Cemetery Conservation)
He was born in Ohio. According to Carole Spahr (CPs great grand daughter) CP came west to Colorado at the beginning of the mining boom. Some records hint that he possibly mined in South Park County near Fairplay. When Colorado Springs officially became a city in 1871, the newspapers printed his name. He was a law enforcement officer and transitioned between a county sheriff and a city constable.
On August 26th, 1875, he married Hellen King in Colorado Springs. He was an active member of the Odd Fellows and the local fire hose company.
On December 3rd, 1876, an incident happened in downtown Colorado Springs that changed his life forever and made him a man on the run from the law. He shot and killed a fellow, unarmed, law enforcement officer over an argument of a $75. reward for the capture of two prisoners and the return of a horse and saddle to a local rancher. A grand jury convened and found enough evidence to bring C.P. Downing to trial. After he was forewarned by a friend on that grand jury, he fled the town and left his wife behind. He was never held accountable for the murder.
Hellen left Colorado Springs in January of 1877 and went back east. For a long time, that was the end of the story. In the last year, it was discovered that he settled in Montana. The territory was not yet a state and the law probably wouldn't seek him there. His wife waited a few years before she travelled to Montana and joined her husband when they were assured she wasn't being followed.
C.P. Downing became the first sheriff of Cascade County. This was his second chance! He served in that capacity for a few years and met his end as a town constable following an accident involving a street car. He was struck by a street car while trying to rescue a bicylist who was on the tracks. It was thought that the injuries weren't life threatening but proved otherwise and he succumbed to his injuries as a few weeks. He is recognized as a police office killed in the line of duty by the Great Falls Police Department and by National Law Enforcement. His funeral was held in the home he built for his family and there was not enough room inside the house for all who attended.
C.P. Downing was afforded a grand funeral. He was held in high esteem by the people of the county. He belonged to the GAR, Sheridan post #18. Few records exist other than in the state archive. Researched by - Carole Spahr (Great Grand Daughter of C.P.)and Ingrid McDonald (Colorado Cemetery Conservation)
Much of the early to mid life of Commodore Perry Downing, also known as C.P. or Perry Downing, isn't known.
He was born in Ohio. According to Carole Spahr (CPs great grand daughter) CP came west to Colorado at the beginning of the mining boom. Some records hint that he possibly mined in South Park County near Fairplay. When Colorado Springs officially became a city in 1871, the newspapers printed his name. He was a law enforcement officer and transitioned between a county sheriff and a city constable.
On August 26th, 1875, he married Hellen King in Colorado Springs. He was an active member of the Odd Fellows and the local fire hose company.
On December 3rd, 1876, an incident happened in downtown Colorado Springs that changed his life forever and made him a man on the run from the law. He shot and killed a fellow, unarmed, law enforcement officer over an argument of a $75. reward for the capture of two prisoners and the return of a horse and saddle to a local rancher. A grand jury convened and found enough evidence to bring C.P. Downing to trial. After he was forewarned by a friend on that grand jury, he fled the town and left his wife behind. He was never held accountable for the murder.
Hellen left Colorado Springs in January of 1877 and went back east. For a long time, that was the end of the story. In the last year, it was discovered that he settled in Montana. The territory was not yet a state and the law probably wouldn't seek him there. His wife waited a few years before she travelled to Montana and joined her husband when they were assured she wasn't being followed.
C.P. Downing became the first sheriff of Cascade County. This was his second chance! He served in that capacity for a few years and met his end as a town constable following an accident involving a street car. He was struck by a street car while trying to rescue a bicylist who was on the tracks. It was thought that the injuries weren't life threatening but proved otherwise and he succumbed to his injuries as a few weeks. He is recognized as a police office killed in the line of duty by the Great Falls Police Department and by National Law Enforcement. His funeral was held in the home he built for his family and there was not enough room inside the house for all who attended.
C.P. Downing was afforded a grand funeral. He was held in high esteem by the people of the county. He belonged to the GAR, Sheridan post #18. Few records exist other than in the state archive. Researched by - Carole Spahr (Great Grand Daughter of C.P.)and Ingrid McDonald (Colorado Cemetery Conservation)
He was born in Ohio. According to Carole Spahr (CPs great grand daughter) CP came west to Colorado at the beginning of the mining boom. Some records hint that he possibly mined in South Park County near Fairplay. When Colorado Springs officially became a city in 1871, the newspapers printed his name. He was a law enforcement officer and transitioned between a county sheriff and a city constable.
On August 26th, 1875, he married Hellen King in Colorado Springs. He was an active member of the Odd Fellows and the local fire hose company.
On December 3rd, 1876, an incident happened in downtown Colorado Springs that changed his life forever and made him a man on the run from the law. He shot and killed a fellow, unarmed, law enforcement officer over an argument of a $75. reward for the capture of two prisoners and the return of a horse and saddle to a local rancher. A grand jury convened and found enough evidence to bring C.P. Downing to trial. After he was forewarned by a friend on that grand jury, he fled the town and left his wife behind. He was never held accountable for the murder.
Hellen left Colorado Springs in January of 1877 and went back east. For a long time, that was the end of the story. In the last year, it was discovered that he settled in Montana. The territory was not yet a state and the law probably wouldn't seek him there. His wife waited a few years before she travelled to Montana and joined her husband when they were assured she wasn't being followed.
C.P. Downing became the first sheriff of Cascade County. This was his second chance! He served in that capacity for a few years and met his end as a town constable following an accident involving a street car. He was struck by a street car while trying to rescue a bicylist who was on the tracks. It was thought that the injuries weren't life threatening but proved otherwise and he succumbed to his injuries as a few weeks. He is recognized as a police office killed in the line of duty by the Great Falls Police Department and by National Law Enforcement. His funeral was held in the home he built for his family and there was not enough room inside the house for all who attended.
C.P. Downing was afforded a grand funeral. He was held in high esteem by the people of the county. He belonged to the GAR, Sheridan post #18. Few records exist other than in the state archive. Researched by - Carole Spahr (Great Grand Daughter of C.P.)and Ingrid McDonald (Colorado Cemetery Conservation)
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