In 1905, Ebenezer Jull, a true hardware man, captivated Littleton with an eye-catching window display at his popular Jull Hardware Co.: 500 pocket knives, each engraved with “Jull Hardware Co.” and ranging in price from $.25 to $1.50.

This profile explores the life of Ebenezer Jull, an English immigrant who, alongside his family, founded a town, surveyed a major railroad, and built the largest hardware store in Littleton, establishing a lasting legacy through entrepreneurship and community involvement.

Imagine Ebenezer, a healthy and robust man, working until his last day in the bustling Jull Hardware Store on Main Street, surveying the wide variety of goods offered – from heavy hardware and farmers’ supplies to stoves and ammunition – embodying the spirit of an “upright and conscientious businessman”.

Ebenezer Jull, born in England in 1837 and a London University engineering graduate, became a Mason in 1870 before immigrating to America with his wife, Eliza Sanders, in 1871. They founded Staplehurst, Nebraska, then moved to Abbot, Colorado, before settling in Littleton in 1891 with their family. Ebenezer built their distinctive home on Prince Street (1898-1909) and, following Eliza’s death in 1897, remarried Florence M. Nelson in 1898. He, alongside his son William, expanded Jull Hardware Co., overcoming challenges like a 1907 fire, and remained active in community organizations like the Masons and Commercial Club until his death in 1914, just shy of 77.

The Jull family’s legacy is rooted in Littleton, Colorado, founded by English immigrant Ebenezer Jull and his wife, Eliza Sanders. Ebenezer was a successful hardware man and a respected businessman, operating the prominent Jull Hardware Store in Littleton with his son, William Saunders Jull. The family also contributed to the community through participation in local organizations like the Commercial Club and Weston Masonic Lodge.

While Ebenezer Jull’s life ended in 1914, the impact of the Jull family on Littleton, through their hardware business and community involvement, continues to be part of the town’s historical fabric. Their story exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit and community-building efforts of early settlers in the American West.

“Ebenezer Jull was known as an ‘upright and conscientious businessman’,” a testament to the character that built a lasting legacy in Littleton and beyond.