Post by Doris McCraw
writing as Angela Raines
Do you remember giving Valentine cards when you were younger? I remember those little cards that we would give each other. But where did the whole thing start? According to History.com there are three possible origin stories. All had the name of Valentine or Valentinus. All were men of the cloth. One defied the emperor Claudius decree that young men could not marry. One was a bishop who also defied the emperor. The third was believed to be helping prisoners to escape Roman prisons. All were killed for their actions.
As we move forward, the story of these men caught the imagination of many for their actions. In the middle 1400s written 'Valentines' began.
Fast forward to 1847 when Esther Howland began to mass-produce embossed paper lace valentines. The story is, she was inspired by a card she received from a business associate of her father, who owned a book and stationery store in Worchester, Massachusetts. From there the rest is history.
I thought perhaps you'd like to see how it was in Colorado in the 1800s. Below are some pieces from Colorado papers.
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| The Brush Lariat, February 14, 1885 |
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| The Durango Wage Earner February 9, 1899 |
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| The Colorado Daily Chieftain, February 5, 1896 |
However you celebrate Valentine's Day, may it be filled with love and some great romance books.
Hi Doris. Love the advertisement from the Durango Wage Earner. And as I'm looking at the Pueblo party, I can't help but wonder if $1 admission was a bit steep back then. Makes me think of the $1,000 plates at today's fancy dinners, lol. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed them, Julie. I laughed out loud at the Durango one. Like you, I wondered about the $!.00 admission. It did seem steep. Doris
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