Starting in life with nothing, and by steady industry and thrift, coupled with skill and inventive genius, building his own fortunes to good proportion and permanent substance of magnitude, Edwin S. Hughes, of Glenwood, is not only a self-made man but one of the leading business men on the Western slope of this state. He was born on April 10, 1856, at Flemington, Hunterford county, New Jersey, the son of Jared and Rhuhama (Hartpence) Hughes, natives of Pennsylvania who passed their lives in farming and the father was also engaged in shipping stock to market. He was successful in his business, and died after many years of usefulness and prosperity. His widow is still living and makes her home at Croyton, New Jersey. The father was an active Democrat in politics and held a number of local offices. He belonged to the Odd Fellows and was a member of the Baptist church, as his widow is now. They had eight children, two of whom are dead and six living. Those living are Lambert, Josephine, Edwin S., Bishop, Fred and Hiram. Edwin S. attended the country schools until he was seventeen, then began to make his own living, moving to Bushnell, Illinois, where he conducted a butchering business and also clerked in a hotel, remaining there until 1879, when he came to Colorado and located at Leadville. Here he opened a bottling establishment, which he conducted five years. He then moved to Aspen, this state, where he opened another establishment of the kind, conducting it in the interest of Charles Lang. It was the first enterprise of this character in the section and he remained in charge of it as manager one year and a half. At the end of that time he changed his residence to Glenwood Springs, but continued the same line of work, starting a plant of his own. To this in 1894 he added a wholesale liquor business, and of the two he has made a great success, building up his business to great size and acquiring considerable real estate comprising ranch and mining lands. He has the finest bottling works in the West, and his operations therein are rendered much more effective by a number of devices for the business which he has invented and patented himself. Much of his property is located at Glenwood Springs, and some of it is considered among the very best. In the fraternal life of the community Mr. Hughes is connected with the Elks and the Knights of Pythias. In politics he is an ardent Democrat, and has been chosen a member of the town board at Glenwood Springs, serving when the streets and sidewalks of the town were constructed. On January 18, 1888, he was united in marriage with Miss Helen Heichmer, a native of Pennsylvania and the daughter of Martin and Annie Heichmer, natives of Germany who came to Pennsylvania in early life and remained in that state until 1879, when they moved to Colorado. They are the parents of nine children, Henry, Tony, Helen, Eva, Fred, Lizzie, Annie, Joe and Charlie. Mr. and Mrs. Hughes have two children, Charles A. and Helen L.
Source: Bowen, A. W. Progressive Men of Western Colorado. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1905.