Mancos, More Than the Town

 

Post by Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

Aerial View of Mancos and Mancos Valley
from Wikipedia

How many have heard of Mancos? For those of us who live in Colorado, it is the name of the town and river in southwest Colorado.

The name, Rio de Los Mancos, first appears in the records of the 1776 Dominguez-Escalante expedition. The story is that one of the writers fell and hurt his hand; thus the word mancos which means left-handed or one-armed.

The Mancos River, originally called El Rio de San Lazaro,  begins Northeast of the town of Mancos. At that point, the West Mancos and East Mancos rivers join and continue South through that part of Colorado into northern New Mexico, near the Four Corners region.

For some of you, this may sound familiar. Why? It is also one of the entrances to Mesa Verde National Park. Along with the Ute Mountain Ute Mancos Canyon Historic District, a private park, it makes up one of the largest archaeological preserves in the United States. This region is important as a window into the culture of the Anasazi present in the area before the influx of the Spanish, English, and others.

Image Property of the Author

The Mancos Valley, where the town of Mancos is situated, was described in an 1897 article as “lying along the eastern border of the county of Montezuma. It is about twelve miles long and from two to three miles in width. It is the oldest farming section of the county, having been first settled around 1877. Probably three thousand acres are under cultivation in this valley, which is famous for its immense yields of alfalfa, wheat, and oats.”  The article also says the town of Mancos is incorporated and has all the different branches of business and industry that make up a thriving western town. It is a supply point for the La Plata mines in Montezuma County. Ranching also took place in the general area.

As I research for my next National Park Brides Book, titled “Pauline,” I shall continue the search into Montezuma County, Mancos, Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park, and the stories this historically rich area has to offer.

Until next time:

Stay safe - Doris

Angela Raines - Amazon

Doris A. McCraw - Amazon

 

A250-C150

Post (C) Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

From the History Colorado Website

2026 is the 250th year since the Declaration of Independence and the 150th year since Colorado became a state. Over the next year, I am planning to write about the journey of Colorado to statehood, the people involved, and the historic connections between the two events across the various platforms I write for. I hope you will join me on this journey. It's history, so I know I am going to be very happy doing the research.  

The state is planning a number of celebrations, and for those interested, you can access them through History Colorado https://www.historycolorado.org/colorado-150 , and https://peakradar.com/categories/am250co150/

For those who may not know, Colorado became the 38th state on August 1, 1876, earning the nickname "The Centennial State", hence the name of the James Michner book "Centennial" about Colorado. President Ulysses S. Grant was the one who made the proclamation.

Until next time,

Doris

Roller Skating ~ Julie Lence

 Kids of every generation are always looking for some form of entertainment. Many listen to music. Others join the chorus at school. Those with a talent for playing an instrument sign on with the school band. Girls try out for the cheerleading squad while boys vie for a spot on the football or basketball team. While today’s youth feed the rumor mill or form life-long friendships using the latest app, previous generations hung out at the mall or movie theater. Some flocked to the bowling alley or local park. In the 80’s, it wasn’t uncommon for parents to drop their kids off at the neighborhood roller skating rink, to return for them hours later. But before the roller rink was all the rage, kids skated on sidewalks, and had keys to adjust skates to fit beneath their shoes. Before that…

Roller skating dates back to the 1700’s and London, England. While it’s not known who invented the 1^st roller skate used in a stage performance, it has been documented the 1^st roller skate in use took place in 1743. Two decades later, John Merlin is credited with inventing the 1^st inline skate; a skate boasting two metal wheels but not easily maneuverable. Merlin wore them to a party and crashed into a mirror.             

wooden skates courtesy Science Museum

The 1800’s brought significant changes to the roller skate. Petitbled patented the 1^st roller skate design in 1819. Although the design was deemed impressive, it again lacked maneuverability.  In 1823, Robert Tyers patented a skate resembling the roller blades we know today; 5 wheels in single file on the bottom of a skate boot. 1857 saw the opening of the 1^st roller rink in London. James Plimption designed the quad skate in 1863 (2 wheels in the front and 2 wheels in the back), and in 1876, the toe stop was patented. It wasn’t until the 1880’s that the United States devoted time and money to mass producing skates, thus becoming known as the 1^st boom decade for roller skating. Before the 1880’s, public rinks had been open in New York since the 1860’s, but the craze spread west during the boom decade, with McCarty’s Rink opening in Dodge City, KS in 1885 among the other 50,000 rinks in existence.  

The cost for a pair of skates was $6. In 1885, sales reached more than $20 million in the United States, and as the craze soared higher, people of all ages could be found gliding around the smooth wood floors. Businessmen skated to work. Amateur and professional athletes, along with sports promoters, also joined in on the fun. A 6 day race (March 2-8, 1885) was held in New York City, with the winner receiving $500 and a diamond belt worth $250. Thirty-six men signed up for the race. Eleven thousand were estimated to have watched. Newsboy William Donovan from Elmira, New York won.

 

Fast forward to 1970’s when disco came on scene. Many weren’t just out on the dance floor doing the Hustle, they were disco dancing on roller skates at the roller rinks, and movies were showcasing the fad. (Roller Boogie and Skatetown, U.S.A. come to mind). 1979 saw the launch of Rollerblade, Inc., owned by Scott Olson. In 1983, President Regan declared October roller skating month, and in 1993, Rollerblade, Inc. developed the Active Brake to increase safety for skaters.  Whether young or old, a novice or a pro, rinks and roller blades are still in existence today, so if you’re inclined, get out there and have fun!      

National Day of the Cowboy ~ Julie Lence

 

July is known for its warm summer days and stunning sunsets, for backyard barbeques and cold lemonade… for swimming pools and swimming holes… flipflops and sandals… sun screen and sun glasses. In the United States, myself and most Americans celebrate our independence from England on July 4^th. Parades, hot dogs, watermelon, and fireworks have become synonymous with the holiday.  Not only do we honor our ancestors and the battles they fought to keep our country free, we honor our way of life… our freedom, traditions, and family… the farmers who grow our food, the military who keeps us safe, and iconic figures such as the American cowboy.

Back in the day, unless you lived in a city or a town, ranching wasn’t just a way of life, it was survival. If you didn’t grow your own food or raise chickens and beef, you didn’t eat. And if you didn’t know how to ride a horse, not only could you not  take care of your cattle grazing in fields, you most likely weren’t walking too far from your homestead. But cowboy-ing isn’t just ropin’ & ridin’, fancy spurs and chaps. It’s waking before dawn and not finding your way back to bed until after the sun sets. It’s long days in the saddle keeping the herd fed and safe… it’s frigid winter mornings breaking ice off ponds and hot summer afternoons chasing off predators. It’s mucking stalls and birthing calves… it’s blisters and sore muscles… forgoing supper to sit with a sick animal… It’s the air you breathe, the spit in your eye, and the grit in your soul. And that’s why we honor the cowboy every 4^th Saturday in July.

The National Day of the Cowboy Organization filed a bill in 2005 with the Wyoming House of representatives to support preserving the state’s cowboy history and culture. The bill passed and as of July 2019, 15 states have passed their own bills honoring the cowboy, to include Montana and Oklahoma City where the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is located. This year the National Day of the Cowboy is July 26^th.  If you live in a state where celebrations are held, I urge you to attend, and then, please come back to this page and leave a comment regarding the festivities. I would enjoy hearing about your experience.      

 

Family Ties ~ Ruthie L Manier

The older I get, the more I want to know about my family history. Does that sound familiar? I think most of us do. I recently visited my Auntie Darlene, who has researched our family history for years. She gave me some more information that I found interesting. 

 John Harvey Tabor, son of pioneer Elijah Tabor, was raised in Marion County Arkansas, along with the native Americans who lived their first. John’s schooling was hunting and fishing. He was the first white man to start a commercial Apple orchard in Arkansas. John planted 40 to 50 trees for his brother-in-law. This was fifty years before the big apple boom in the rest of Arkansas. At first, they could only sell locally, due to the fact there were no trains near their area. After the trains extended into their county, they were able to expand the business and sell the apples commercially. 

John lived a long life to the age of ninety seven years old. He was a great frontiersman and people loved to listen to his stories of when the country was young and the buffalo still roamed the wild frontier. Wen Arkansas became a state, he witnessed his Indian friends being relocated to a place that is now Oklahoma State. Some of his relatives were murdered in the Mountain Massacre in Utah, as they were on a wagon train migrating to Arkansas. 

 

We have researched my family history on my father’s mother's side back eight generations and I can’t wait to discover more. I might even write a book! 

Speaking of books, I just finished my first draft on “Saving Christine,” This story is dedicated to my sister Martha Christine Moore who recently lost her battle with cancer, a cruel disease. The story is different from my other’s and is part religious, part romance, and part fantasy. I hope you will check it out when it is available! Until then, here is a short summary: 

Susan is grieving the loss of her sister. She's angry at God for taking Christine and is having suicidal thoughts. God (aka boss, or big boss, or boss man) notices and sends Saint Peter on a mission to save Susan. Saint Peter enlists his employee and best friend Gabriel (aka Gabe) to help with the mission. Pete sends Gabe to Middle Realm, the realm between heaven and hell, to speak to Susan and see if he can turn her thinking around, to help her understand that Christine is in a much better place and has no pain. As Gabe starts his mission, he notices right away that the mission's plan needs to be changed and scoops up Susan from the beach. He throws up onto his horse, Midnight, and rides hard to upper ground. Susan fights her grizzly sized kidnapper, but he's much too big to thwart. As the story continues, Susan and Gabe strike up friendship, which leads to love, Gabe takes her up to the Heavenly Realm. I cannot say much more without giving away more of the story.  

Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful, safe, Independence Day!

Con Man & Gambler Jefferson R. 'Soapy' Smith ~ Julie Lence

courtesy Denver Post

 Jefferson R. Smith was born into a wealthy Georgia family in 1860. By the end of the Civil War, his family was in financial ruin and moved to Texas, where Jefferson received a good education, due in part to his father’s position as a lawyer, and became an eloquent speaker. But proficient in speech didn’t net him a job, so he hired on with a cattle drive to Abilene, Kansas. He made good money, but while in Abilene, Jefferson’s attention was snagged by a con man and the ‘what walnut shell is the pea hidden beneath?’ game. Jefferson lost the money he made on the cattle drive, and found his calling in life as a gambler and con man.

       Having the gift of gab, he spent the next decade roaming the west and perfecting his skills, determined to be the best poker player. He made his way to Leadville, Colorado in 1885 and met up with Old Man Taylor, whose reputation pegged him the King of the Shell Game. The two joined forces and set up a con involving bars of soap. Taylor would blend in with the crowd while Jefferson, using a tripod and suitcase, would set out several bars of soap and invite people to play a game, hooking their interest with the line, ‘Cleanliness is next to godliness, friends, so step right up and watch me very carefully’. Players were to find the greenbacks he’d hidden within the bars of soap. Taylor would volunteer to be the first plyer and find the $100 bill, giving others the incentive to try their luck, but most only 5 cents, while Jefferson and Taylor raked in the cash, though Jefferson didn’t always keep the money for himself. He gave substantially to churches, widows, the poor, and often paid for the funerals of the girls from the red-light district, and never would he con the townsfolk. His games were strictly for unsuspecting tourists.

         Jefferson eventually left Leadville for Denver, where he added singing and joke telling to his routine. A complaint was filed against him and the sheriff, when filling out the paperwork, couldn’t remember Jefferson’s name but remembered the complaint had something to do with soap, so he wrote Soapy Smith and the nickname ‘Soapy’ stuck.

Soapy went on to become a successful gambler in Denver and opened his own saloon, Tivoli Saloon and Gambling Hall, with the Latin inscription Caveat Emptor (Let the Buyer Beware) above the door. He also formed a gang and a bond with the police department, which benefited both sides. Soapy helped the poor, especially at Thanksgiving by giving out turkeys so none were stolen, and by donating to churches. He even rescued an innocent girl from a detective agency trying to force a confession from her. Eventually, he learned of the silver boom in Creede, Colorado and left Denver for more riches.

In Creede, he formed another gang and put into motion taking control of the town, much to the dislike of rival Bob Ford, better known as the man who killed Jesse James. Ford wanted in on the controlling of Creede, and a third party arranged a meeting between them before bloodshed broke out. The two agreed to keep out of each other’s way, but Soapy went on to build the New Orleans Club with his longtime pal, Joe Simmons. From there, Soapy and his gang did take control of Creede, with Soapy still helping the poor. But the townsfolk tired of Soapy’s control and he went back to Denver and opened a ticket office, where he advertised tickets to Chicago for $5. Another scam, as when people tried to buy these tickets, he told them they were only sold on certain days, of which the present day was not one of them. With Colorado’s governor looking to clean up the lawlessness in Denver, he called in the militia to run Soapy out of town, but Soapy hunkered down in city hall with dynamite, threatening to bomb the building if the militia fired at him. Federal troops from Fort Logan were brought in to keep the peace. The governor withdrew the militia and finally ran Soapy out of town.

Making his way to Mexico, Soapy joined forces with Mexican president, Porfirio Diaz and set up other scams. But when he tried to convince Diaz that Mexico needed a foreign legion and set up a recruiting office for a hefty price, his scam was discovered and the deal broken.

1897 found Soapy heading to Skagway, Alaska when news of the Gold Rush broke. There he built another saloon/casino under the name Jeff’s Place, assembled another gang and used his winnings to open a phony telegraph office; the wires were under water and folks ‘often’ received word from back home to send money, of which Soapy kept. Eventually he stole $3,000 from a miner and a vigilante group demanded he pay it back. Hearing about the meeting the vigilantes were holding on the docks, Soapy armed himself and went, only to meet up with Frank Reid, a foe of Soapy’s. Soapy struck Reid with the butt of his rifle. Reid fired at Soapy and missed. The two got into a scuffle, with guns firing again. Soapy was killed and Reid died almost 2 weeks later from his injuries.

Soapy is buried on the outskirts of Skagway’s cemetery. A plain marker gives the dates of his birth and death. He was 38 and left behind an estate of $250.

New Year's Resolutions?

Post by Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

Photo (C) Doris McCraw

I decided to not do resolutions this year. Instead, I'm focusing on Experience, ie: I experience the joy of walking five days a week. However, just for fun, I thought a look at comments and New Year's Resolutions from the 1800s might be kind of fun.

Photo (c) Doris McCraw

 

From the Leadville Daily/Evening Chronicle of Aprile 21, 1894 we get the following short piece about what happens when you forget your resolutions.

"How many of the young men of this town would recognize their New Year resolutions were they to meet them face to face?"

On February 14, 1892 (Valentine's Day?) The Colorado Daily Chieftain" a Pueblo paper, printed this piece:

"Did some Good. 

Ginsling - It's all nonsense to say that New Year's resolutions do no good. I swore off myself last New Year's.

Lounger - You did, eh?

Ginsling - Yes, sir, and I stuck to it a full week -- saved twenty dollars. 

From the New York Weekly" 

That same publication printed the following on January 1, 1893, reprinted from the New York Herald.

"New Year Resolutions.

Oh, those New Year resolutions that we made with holy awe

How they melted like the snow ganks in a January thaw!

How the man who broke his meerschaum and vowed to smoke no more

Now smokes an old two cent pipe behind the cellar door."

Photo (C) Doris McCraw

From The Avalanche of April 18, 1894, we find the following comment:

"Husband -- One of your New Year's resolutions was that you would not quarrel with me for a year.

Wife -- Yes.

'Well, you are snapping at me half the time already'

'Yes.'

'I should like to know what's become of your good resolutions.'

'You would, eh? Well, I wanted mother to see them, and so I enclosed them in a letter to her, and gave it to you to mail. and she writes me that she never received it. That's what's become of them.'

The final look at resolutions is from the Yankee Blade:

"I hereby resolve to be good

Through all the glad New Year.

Be a tireless searcher for all kinds of "vircher,"

And do nothing my conscience to sere;

I grow better at once and seraphicer

And I wish that my language was graphier

To tell without base diminution

The strength of my great resolution.

Yes, I hereby resolve to be good.

I have made up my mind to do right;

You may bet your last copper that I'm going to act proper,

And shine like a star of the night,

Purge all diabolical animus,

Grow honest and good and magnanimous;

This resolve no power can share it--

Until I get ready to break it." 

And that is how they looked at resolutions in the 1800s. How many of you could relate? 

Until next time:  

Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, Stay Happy 

Doris

Pennsylvania Hospital and The Apothecary ~ Julie Lence

wikipedia

           Ye olde Apothecary. Alan Jackson mentions it in his song, Little Man, referring to something from yesteryear that’s no longer in existence today. For many of us, the term ‘yesteryear’ hints to the 1700 or 1800’s, but the first apothecary originated in 754 AD in Baghdad and was operated by chemistry founder, Jaber Ibn Hayyan. Fast forward to the Grocers, a delivery company in London, whose roots extend back to the Guild of Pepperers circa in 1180. The Spicers joined the Guild of Pepperers in 1316, and by 1428, the Pepperers were wholesale merchant traders dealing en gros (where we get the term grocer), and established the Worshipful Company of Grocers.  (During the thirteenth century, apothecary acquired another definition as the person who sold these items from his shop or street cart. The term en gros describes a person or company who buys in bulk.)

The Grocers were located in Bucklersbury. They had plenty of shops to store and sell their spices, confectionery, perfumes, wines, herbs and drugs. The spice trade and the development of the pharmacy were dependent on each other, leading to the opening of spicer apothecaries. By the mid-16^th century, the spicer apothecaries were today’s version of a Walgreen’s pharmacy, with each shop owner regarded as a highly valued medical professional.

Pennsylvania Hospital
wikipedia

One of the first apothecaries in a United States hospital was created at the nation’s first hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital (PAH). In order to better serve their patients medicinal needs, PAH looked for ways to expand, which included incorporating their own apothecary. Founded in 1751, construction of the 3 sections in the Pine Building depended solely on donations from the wealthy, and took roughly 50 years to join the east wing to the west wing and to the dome shaped center where surgeries were performed on the upper floor. The main floor of the dome was the Great Court, housing administrative offices, living quarters for employees and servants, and the Apothecary. PAH co-founder, Thomas Bond, petitioned the Board of Managers for the Apothecary, urging them to contact their associates in England for a person highly qualified in Chemistry and able to manage a small laboratory but not required to diagnose illness or treat wounds, and bring him to the hospital as quickly as possible. The board approved Bond’s request for an apothecary, and by the end of the 18^th century, they expanded the apothecary to keep up with an influx of patients by hiring William Gardner as an apprentice in the lab. (It is worth noting that many apothecaries did not attend medical school. They learned their job through apprenticeships.)  In 1808, another request was sent to the board to further expand the apothecary, this time explaining surgeons required another person to help because of another increase in patients. The request was honored, with the board relocating the apothecary to a bigger area, and later expanding the dispensing of medicine to employees as well as patients.

Other well-known cities to house apothecaries were Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and what is now Kingston, New York where Gysbert van Imbroch had a general store that sold medicine from 1663-1665. As with the earlier shops in London, many of these stores also sold general goods, perfumes, cosmetics, and assorted drinks.  But while the apothecary was fast gaining ground in eastern U.S.A., it wasn’t until the late 1840’s that ‘druggists’ and apothecaries hit the western part of the country. Most of them had never studied science or medicine, and doctor was not their only profession. Dr. William B. Osborn is credited with opening the first ‘drug store’ in Los Angeles, but he handed the business to Dr. James McFarland and John Gately Downey. McFarland and Downey’s store was actually run by Dr. Alexander Hope, another ‘druggist’, as Downey had previously apprenticed in Washington, D.C, and upon arriving in California turned his attention to politics. By 1856, both Downey and McFarland had left their store.             

PAH Pharmacy
Pennmedicine.org

  As was the practice of other apothecaries, PAH’s apothecary not only gave out medicines to patients, but also sold soaps, candles and tobacco, and continues to sell a variety of items, with the apothecary ( pharmacist) more essential to a patient’s care than in the past. Today, PAH’s Outpatient pharmacy is located in a different building and has a team of 15 members to fill more than 72,000 prescriptions yearly, as well as provide follow-up calls, give immunizations shots, and ensure patients are comfortable with their medication regimens. The original apothecary had been renovated into office space for hospital administrator and president Robert Cathcart until his 1991 retirement. Today, it’s a conference room with a view of the hospital grounds.  In 1997, the board decided to merge with the University of Pennsylvania Health System. In 200, the hospital celebrated it’s 250^th anniversary and on June 22, 1965, it was dedicated a National Historical Landmark.    

 

Denver Madame Mattie Silks ~ Julie Lence

wikipedia

   Last month I blogged about Denver Madame, Jennie Rogers. This month I’m featuring Jennie’s rival and friend, Mattie Silks.

   Mattie was born in 1847. Some historians believe she was born in Terre Haute, Indiana while others say she was born in Buffalo, New York. Regardless of which is true, little is known about her childhood, including her maiden name or the reason she ran away from home when she was 16. By age nineteen, she was running a brothel in Springfield, Illinois. Many believe her to be the youngest madame on record, and Mattie credits her short height, ample bosom and blonde beauty in aiding her success. She was also a shrewd businesswoman and used those smarts to follow the railroad west, opening several houses along the way to serve the men building the railroad. Trekking through Kansas, and always carrying a gun, she met the love of her life, Cort Thomson, who left his family to follow Mattie.  Cort was tall and handsome, thought of himself as a southern gentleman, and held the occupation of professional runner. He firmly believed regular work was below him and would rather move from town to town to run foot races against the locals, earning a wage through the bets placed on him. He also gambled, drank, spent a lot of Mattie’s money, and was married to a woman in Texas who would not give him a divorce, so he and Mattie ‘lived together’.       

With Cort at her side, Mattie arrived in Colorado and opened brothels in Leadville and Georgetown before settling in Denver in 1876. She was 29 years old, and like her rival Jennie Silks, knew she could make more money in Denver from the men coming down from the mines in the mountain in search of female companionship. She eventually bought a house on McGaa Street, which later became Holladay Street and is currently Market Street. She hired twelve ‘boarders’ to occupy the house, then went on to buy more buildings on Holladay and rent them to other madames.  Because of her love for silk dresses, it is thought this is where her last name originated, though no one knows for sure. Gossip suggests that while in Georgetown she struck up a relationship with George A. Silks, who was a bartender and professional gambler, but with Cort usually close to her and the fact no record exists of Mattie and George marrying, and Mattie using the name Silks while in Kansas, this bit of gossip is likely false.  

As with other madames, Mattie did have a wild side and often found scandals attached to her name. She was arrested several times for fighting with other women in the trade, mostly over money or Cort, her most famous fight over him involving Katie Fulton. Mattie had won a thousand dollars on one of Cort’s footraces and threw a party to celebrate. Katie was in attendance and had been trying for weeks to lure Cort from Mattie. The situation came to a head at the party, and with each believing she was the better shot, they dueled in the street with pistols and missed each other, but Cort was grazed along the neck. Some suggest Mattie’s bullet struck him. Others say Katie’s bullet struck him, and each side of the debate wonders if the shooter actually meant to shoot him and not her adversary? With Cort bleeding and Mattie unable to stop the flow, she took him to the hospital. Eventually, he forgave her. She took him back and life continued.    

Mattie with her horse
theclio.com

  With her business savvy of buying and selling properties along Holladay street, plus her venture into horse racing, Mattie enjoyed a rich lifestyle, complete with expensive clothes she often went to Kansas to purchase. Her dresses always had two pockets; the left to hold gold coins and the right to hold her ivory handled pistol. She became known around Denver as the Queen of the Red Light District, and purchased a ranch for Cort near Wray, keeping the title in her name. Which was a good thing. In 1884, word arrived that Cort’s wife has passed away, leaving him free to marry Mattie, which he did. His daughter (some suggest his granddaughter) came to live with them, but theirs was not a happy home. Cort never abandoned his ways of gambling, drinking, and cheating, and Mattie finally filed for divorce in April 1891. She asked the court to return  all of the ranch’s holding to her name, stating that she had given Cort money to keep the ranch going and upon his wasting it on woman, booze and gambling,  she feared he was going to sell off everything and continue with his waywardness. The court granted her request, and later, Cort apologized to Mattie. She took him back and ceased with the divorce.    

Mattie and Cort traveled to London in 1897 for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and then went on to Klondike to join the gold rush. Mattie ran a house in Dawson City and Cort continued with his gambling and living off of Mattie’s money until Mattie decided she didn’t like living in the mud and the rain and paid an enormous amount for them to return to Denver and her stable of 21 horses on her ranch in Wray before the weather changed and kept them in Klondike. (Interestingly, only one ever won a race.) Mattie resided in a small house on Lawrence Street, keeping her business separate from her personal life, while Cort stayed at the ranch. After a while, neighbors accused him of stealing their stock and changing their brands to his. Hearing the accusations, Mattie hired a new foreman, Jack Ready, to run the ranch correctly . Cort was eventually jailed for a spell, and in 1903 he became deathly ill after accepting a drink from his ranch hands. Mattie was by his side when he died a few days later, some say not from poison but from cirrhosis. She adopted his daughter, Rita, who was sixteen at the time. Rita married at age 18 and Mattie sold the ranch, moving foreman Jack Ready to Denver, where he became her  bookkeeper and bouncer.

pinterest

  As I mentioned last month, Mattie went on to buy Jennie Rogers’ parlor, dubbed the House of Mirrors, when Jennie died and had her name, M. Silks, engraved on the door. In 1915, prostitution was abolished and Mattie’s reign as Queen of the Red Light District ended. She tried her hand at operating a hotel, but gave up and went on to sell much of her belongings, taking up residence in a cottage on Lawrence Street. At 77, she fell and broke hip, did so a second time and landed in the hospital. To ensure she had someone to take care of her, she married Jack, and later passed at age 83 in 1929, leaving her estate, which wasn’t much for a woman who has once been filthy rich, to Jack and to Rita. She was buried in Fairmount Cemetery under the name Martha A. Ready, with Cort’s unmarked grave beside her.   

Denver Madame Jennie Rogers ~ Julie Lence

         

activerain.com

   Back in the day of guns, gambling, and girls, Jennie Rogers was one of Denver’s most popular and richest madams. Alongside friend and rival Mattie Silks, men seeking a break from panning for gold or just wanting female company would seek out one of the two famous houses along Holladay street. Located in downtown Denver and named after Ben Holladay, the street’s name was changed to Market Street after Holladay’s heirs petitioned city council for the change as the street had gained an unsavory reputation throughout the west.  

 

Described as the most beautiful of all the madams on Holladay Street, Jennie hailed from Pennsylvania. Born on July 4^th in Allegheny, her given name is thought to be Leah Weaver or Leah Tehme. Her father was farmer John Weaver and she aided the family’s income by selling produce in Pittsburgh’s market area.  It was there that she caught the eye of Doctor G. Fries. The two married but with Fries’ job keeping him from home too many instances, Jennie eventually left the marriage and took to traveling the waterways in Pennsylvania and Ohio where she met a steamship captain. She tired of that relationship, and around  circa 1870 she took a position as maid to Pittsburgh’s mayor, but when rumors began to circulate regarding her unsavory past, the mayor, though he liked Jennie, was forced to let her go, lending her a large amount of money so she could start her own business. She did, opening her first parlor house in St. Louis.    

Jennie’s house in St. Louis was a success, but she eventually heard of the gold and silver rushes happening in Colorado and moved to Denver. Her first house on Holladay Street she purchased from Mattie Silks for $4,600. She made that money back in less than a month, but Jennie’s house wasn’t run as cleanly as Mattie’s. Customers were arrested for smoking opium, some of her girls were arrested for the same and for stealing, and with society women in an uproar over the red light district, 1886 saw the law cracking down on the parlor houses. Unfathomed by this, Jennie went on to improve her house. Hating the stench hanging in the air of her home from stale perfume and cigars, Jennie was the first madame to open her windows and let in the fresh air, installing bars over the windows so her girls couldn’t admit a man they favored for free. She added fresh wall paper and paint and went on to purchase the house next door, where she joined the two by having a walk knocked out.   

Jennie was involved in numerous scandals, most of which are attributed to gossip, with her most famous one involving her wanting to purchase an even bigger house. It was said she had a boyfriend in St. Louis who was the police chief. When Jennie was ready to buy a larger house, wealthy Denver businessman George Splevin was running for governor. Splevin gained his wealth from taking over the company he currently owned and by marrying the former owner’s wife. Rumors abounded regarding Splevin’s first wife as she just seemed to disappear, so Jennie’s boyfriend concocted a blackmail scheme where he buried a skull in Splevin’s backyard and had the ‘D.A.’ dig it up, claiming it to belonged to Splevin’s first wife. In exchange for the charges being dropped, Splevin gave Jennie the $17,000 she need to buy her new house.       

denvercenter.org

 Jennie furnished the inside of her new home with oriental rugs, paintings, plush furniture, eye maple tables with mother-of-pearl inlay and a walnut staircase in the entry way leading to the girls’ rooms. She also had a parlor of mirrors and furnished the ballroom’s ceiling with a sixteen foot mirror, but those weren’t the parlor’s only claim to fame. Outside, at the top of the grey stone building’s 3^rd story a face was carved in the stone. Most believed this was Jennie’s face. Along the top of the 2^nd floor were the faces of 2 men and 2 women. Many thought they represented Jennie’s boyfriend, George Splevin and his 2 wives. Finished with this house, Jennie again bought the house next door and had a door cut into the wall to join the two, making her parlor rival those in San Francisco.

 In her personal life, Jennie’s relationship with the police chief fizzled out and she went on to marry John Wood, a bartender from the Brown Palace Hotel. She set him up in his own saloon in Salt Lake City, with folks speculating she wanted to keep her personal life and business separate, and for a time she was happy until she caught him cheating on her. She shot and wounded  him and then divorced him.  Upon returning to Denver, she expanded her business and holdings, including buying land in the northern area of the city and buying several shares in an irrigation and reservoir project in Logan County. In 1889, she learned her former husband was in Omaha running a saloon. They corresponded, married again in August 1889, and stayed together until John died 8 years later.   

 Jennie played a crucial role during the Panic of 1893 by supporting hundreds of destitute women. Instead of installing them in parlor houses, she set them up in respectable boarding houses until she could send them home. She also organized a retaliation when Denver’s city council passed an ordinance requiring soiled doves to wear yellow ribbons in their hair when strolling around town so respectable women could avoid them. Jennie had all of the soiled doves walk down the street outfitted in yellow from head to toe and the ordinance was soon revoked.   

hmdb.org

    As savvy as she was as a business woman, Jennie also loved horses and owned her own stable. She was an exceptional horsewoman and could handle a team better than professional drivers. Often she could be seen driving her matching team of grey horses along the streets of Denver. In 1904 she married again, this time to unsavory Archie Fitzgerald, a man rumored to be a Chicago politician. Their marriage lasted a few years, with Jennie thinking to divorce him after he encouraged her to spend her money on trivial matters such as vacations and after learning he was married to a woman in Kansas City and another on the other side of town. She never did, and stayed with him until her death in October 1909. Once her estate was settled, her parlor was sold to Mattie Silks and still stands today.         

     

 

hmdb.org

 

Ranching in Canada ~ Lorraine Nelson

 

rider at Calgary Stampede 2002

Ranching in Canada has traditionally been dominated by the province of Alberta. The most successful early settlers of the province were the ranchers, who found Alberta's foothills to be ideal for raising cattle. Most of Alberta's ranchers were English settlers, but cowboys such as John Ware—who brought the first cattle into the province in 1876—were American. American style open range dryland ranching began to dominate southern Alberta (and, to a lesser extent, southwestern Saskatchewan) by the 1880s. The nearby city of Calgary became the centre of the Canadian cattle industry, earning it the nickname "Cowtown".

The cattle industry is still extremely important to Alberta, and cattle outnumber people in the province. While cattle ranches defined by barbed-wire fences replaced the open range just as they did in the US, the cowboy influence lives on.

Canada's first rodeo, the Raymond Stampede, was established in 1902. In 1912, the Calgary Stampede began, and today it is the world's richest cash rodeo. Each year, Calgary's northern rival Edmonton, Alberta stages the Canadian Finals Rodeo, and dozens of regional rodeos are held through the province. British Columbia also has a significant ranching history and cowboy culture in the interior, and has been home to the Williams Lake Stampede since 1920.

courtesy of Wikipedia

Now that I’ve shared some of the history of ranching in my country, Canada, I’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and leave you with this Christmas song.

 

"Christmas For Cowboys"

Tall in the saddle, we spend Christmas Day,

driving the cattle on the snow covered-plains.
All of the good gifts given today,

ours is the sky and the wide open range.
Back in the city they have different ways,

football and eggnog and Christmas parades.
I'll take the blanket, I'll take the reins,

Christmas for cowboys and wide-open plains.

A campfire for warmth as we stop for the night,

the stars overhead are Christmas tree lights.
The wind sings a hymn as we bow down to pray,

Christmas for cowboys and wide-open plains.

Tall in the saddle we spend Christmas Day,

driving the cattle on the snow-covered plains.
So many gifts have been opened today,

ours is the sky and the wide-open range.
It's Christmas for cowboys and wide-open plains.

 JOHN DENVER - Christmas for Cowboys (1975) - YouTube