Company History

Manufacturers of leather goods since 1876
A Family Tradition Starting in 1876 and Continuing Down Through the Decades...
J.H. Wilson Saddle and Harness. Mr. Wilson is second from right
The year 1876 was the beginning of our company and the state of Colorado.

A few years earlier gold was discovered in our mountains and the rush began.

“Pikes Peak or Bust” was the slogan on the wagons heading west.
Photo of Wilson Craighead as a child used in advertising brochure during the Great Depression

My great grandfather heard that saddle makers were in short supply. So he moved his family west and opened a small shop.

He was soon making harnesses, gun belts, holsters and chaps, as well as saddles.

The customers kept coming back because his quality and workmanship was the best.

Craighead advertising photo from the 1960s
Craighead brothers with neighborhood boys pose for photo used on packaging
Four generations later the ranchers and cowboys are still our customers.

But for the last fifty years we have had another customer:
The Make Believe Cowboy
Craighead twins pose with J.H. Wilson's saddle stitcher for 1990s catalog photo

Our clothing and toys are made of real leather which means greater strength. As our little cowboys and cowgirls play, the leather becomes soft and supple.

It’s no surprise that once the child grows up, these outfits become keepsakes to be handed down to their own kids.

Today we strive for the same quality and workmanship as we did in 1876.

John J. Craighead
(great grandson of the founder)

 

5th-generation Craighead and his great-great-grandfather's saddle
John R. Craighead Co., Inc.
3120 Blake Street
Denver, Colorado U.S.A. 80205

Click here to send us an email

Toll Free Phone: (800) 248-6738
Local Phone: (303) 292-5663

Toll Free Fax: (800) 810-6810
Local Fax: (303) 292-5614
SSL