Hall, Babbit, and Thayer collection

Henry Clay Hall, Jr. was born on January 3, 1860. Hall attended Amherst College and graduated in 1881, and received an LL.B. from Columbia Law School in 1883. He was admitted to the New York City Bar Association in 1883. After briefly practicing in New York, he moved to Paris, where he worked with his brother in law, Edmond Kelly, and in 1888, became counsel to the American Legation in Paris. Hall returned to the United States in 1892 for health reasons. Hall was an American attorney and commissioner of the Interstate Commerce Commission, serving on the Commission from March 21, 1914 to January 13, 1928. He served as Chairman of the Commission from 1917 to 1918 and again in 1924. Hall resumed the practice of law in Colorado, becoming a major corporation lawyer and became mayor of Colorado Springs from 1905 to 1907. He became general attorney for the Arkansas, Louisiana & Gulf Railway and served as counsel for many corporations. He became President of the Bar in Colorado, and state vice-president of the American Bar Association. He was intimately involved with Colorado Springs commercial, municipal, social, and community affairs. Hall practiced law in Colorado from 1893 through the 1920s. He died on November 9, 1936.

Kurnal R. Babbitt (1864 -1920) was an attorney in Colorado Springs and New York City. He was born in Michigan and worked his way through school. He graduated from Michigan State Normal School, was employed by the US Government, where he attended the Columbian (now George Washington) Law School. Soon afterward, he moved to Colorado where he practiced mining law. At one point, his name was floated for an appointment to the US Court, which to not come through. However, he was referred to as “Judge” Babbitt from then on. He became a prominent mining attorney in Colorado. He controversially shifted his political party affiliation from Democratic to Republican Party during the Telluride labor war in 1904, due to the Democratic Party support for striking miners. He was a prominent figure in the community and was involved in raising funds for the Boy’s Club Association. He moved back to New York, where he died in 1920.

Rufus Calvin Thayer was born in Michigan in 1868 and after graduating from the University of Michigan in 1891 became a schoolteacher. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar and was elected Circuit Court Commissioner for Ministee County, Michigan in 1894. He moved west to Colorado in 1895, settling for a short time in Denver. Like many 19th century professionals, Thayer moved to follow opportunities. He soon relocated to Colorado Springs and became involved with the Hagermans’ business enterprises, primarily as a partner in the mining law firm of Hall Preson and Babbitt, which became Hall, Babbitt & Thayer. His office was actively engaged in handling legal issues related mining in the Cripple Creek mining district, Pitkin County, Ouray and Telluride. Rufus Thayer died in San Francisco in 1921 and was buried in Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in the nearby city of Colma.