Edward G. Stoiber

Edward G. Stoiber (September 18, 1855 – April 21, 1906) was an American mining engineer and owner of the Silver Lakes Mines and Mills near Silverton, Colorado. When prospectors first came to Colorado in search of gold or silver, they were more likely to find relatively high concentrations of metal as compared to rock. As the metal-rich mines were tapped out, lower-grade ore remained. That meant that the milling process had higher ratios of rock to metal and the extraction process would be more expensive. After a decade or two of heaving mining, there needed to be new more cost-effective processes to mine and process lower-grade ore to make a profit. He was single and living with his brother in San Juan County by 1885. In the mid-1880s Edward and his brother Gustavus obtained 200 claims at the head of Arrastra Gulch and established the Silver Lake Mine He investigated processes and devices for the treatment of ores and became one of the earliest operators to make a profit processing low-grade mixed sulphide ores. or 1864. Edward married Lena in Chicago on March 29, 1888. They were joint owners. While Edward ran the engineering portion of the business, his wife Lena managed the miners. She gained the nickname of "Captain Jack" for her colorful language and tough demeanor. and remained a member until her death in 1935.

Personal life Edward was well-respected by his employees, who he treated with kindness and consideration. He sought to improve the welfare of the mining industry across Colorado. Among his large gifts to educational institutions, he donated an elaborate set of instruments to the Colorado School of Mines and established a scientific section at the University Club library.

Lena hosted dances and other entertainment for the workers, delivered presents to children at Christmas, and was a stalwart partner to her husband, doing whatever needed to be done to make the business run effectively. She also treated the workers well. Conversely, she could have a difficult temperament. For instance, Lena developed a tendency to build high walls between her neighbors and herself, both in her first house in Silverton with Edward and later at the mansion in Denver. After her Silverton neighbors added a second story to reclaim their view, she installed billboards above the fence to block it again. Lena had a mausoleum built for him at Fairmount Cemetery. It was made of Vermont granite at a cost of about $30,000. The interior was made of Parian marble.

After Edward died, Lena worked with architects using his sketches to have the Stoiber Mansion built in Denver in 1907. In 1909, Lena married Hugh Rood, a capitalist from the Pacific Coast. She then went by the name of Lena Allen Stoiber-Ellis. Lena died on March 27, 1935, at her villa on Lake Como in Stresa, Italy.