The Wild Woman Philanthropist & Angel of the Mining Camps

By Jacqui Nelson

In mining camps—where gold fever and greed ran rampant—an angel appeared. Meet the wild woman philanthropist who used her business sense, her strong work ethic, and her unstoppable determination to earn money for charitable causes and save lives.

Ellen “Nellie” Cashman

~ Aka the Angel of the Mining Camps ~

( born 1845 in Midleton, County Cork, Ireland ) 

 Nellie Cashman
San Francisco - 1874

Nellie was a businesswoman, boardinghouse owner, restaurateur, nurse, gold prospector, and philanthropist who also became known nationally as a frontierswoman.

In 1850, Nellie’s mother brought her and her sister to the United States to escape the poverty of Ireland’s Great Famine. As an adolescent, Nellie worked as a bellhop in a Boston hotel.

In 1865, her family moved to San Francisco.

In 1874, she struck out on her own and set up a boardinghouse for miners at Telegraph Creek, British Columbia, Canada. She asked for donations for the Sisters of St. Ann’s St. Joseph’s Hospital in return for the services at her boardinghouse.

Sisters of St. Ann, British Columbia, Canada

While delivering a $500 donation to the Sisters of St. Ann (in Victoria, British Columbia), she heard that miners had been stranded by a snowstorm and were starving in the Cassiar Mountains. She led a rescue party that hauled 1,500 pounds of food and supplies. It took 77 days to find the miners but her efforts saved 75 souls.

Cassiar Gold Rush, British Columbia 

In 1880, she moved to Tombstone, Arizona, where she raised money to build the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, did charitable work, and became a nurse. In 1883 when her sister died, she assumed the role of raising her five nieces and nephews.

In the late 1880s, she set up several restaurants and boardinghouses in Arizona. Legend says that a client once complained about Nellie's cooking. Fellow diner Doc Holliday drew his pistol and told the customer to repeat what he'd said. The man replied, "Best I ever ate."

Nellie Cashman

From 1898 to 1905, Nellie took up prospecting in the Yukon’s Klondike Gold Rush. She also opened a store in Dawson Creek. She used her earnings to help fund a new hospital in Fairbanks.

In 1925 when Nellie developed pneumonia, friends took her to the Sisters of St. Ann and the hospital that she’d raised donations to help build half a century earlier. When she died, she was buried in Victoria's Ross Bay Cemetery.

St. Joseph's Hospital, Victoria - past

St. Joseph's Hospital, Victoria - present (June 2019)

Nellie Cashman - 1924, Arizona Historical Society

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I live only a 5-minute walk from St. Joseph's hospital (which is now an apartment for seniors). On the other side of the street is the Sisters of St. Ann's Academy and Orchard (which still has its apple trees but is also a lovely public park). I walk along this footpath worn into the field every time I go to visit my sister and nephew.

St. Ann's Academy and Orchard, Victoria - June 2019

Only a few weeks ago I sat on the steps of Victoria's Parliament Building alongside Danni Roan (my fellow Cowboy Kisses blogger) and listened to Nellie Cashman and Queen Victoria reenactors talk about their part in British Columbia's history.

Nellie Cashman & Queen Victoria reenactors - June 2019

It often catches me by surprise that I live so close to all this adventurous history. As my mom used to say, it's in our backyard. All I have to do is pause for a moment and look for it. I think I'm going to pause and look more often :)

Do you have an interesting historical tale from your "backyard"? I'd love to hear about it. Leave a comment below. 

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Mules Working in the Coal Mines

In the summer of 2016, the Pastor of our church retired and our other priest was transferred to a different parish. We welcomed a new Pastor and another priest and looked forward to getting to know them. During their sermons, each priest will sometimes mention something from their childhood or personal experience to tie into the day’s Gospel. One such Sunday, one of them began talking about mules living in coal mines. My first thought was comical, and my second thought was this would make for a great blog. I’ve never heard of a mule living in a coal mine and wrote a quick note to research.

Maryland Consolidation Coal Company

Throughout civilization horses and mules have been used to help man with lifting or hauling something heavy. This practice was carried over in Montana when it came to working in a coal mine. Pulling carts laden with ore was hard labor for man, so mules were brought down into the mines to help. Horses couldn’t be used, as the cages used to get to the bottom of the mine were small. A typical cage proved difficult trying to cram in six men, but could hold one mule. To get the mule onto the cage and to the bottom required a few days planning. The initial step involved not feeding the mule or giving him water for three days because there was a risk the mule would succumb to a ruptured bladder or suffocation while being lowered. Before being led into the cage, the mule was blindfolded so he wouldn’t spook and his legs were bound in a leather truss to keep him still. The mule was placed inside the cage on his rear and lowered to the bottom. Sometimes, he tried to kick, but usually he settled down to the quiet of the mine and rode the cage just fine.

Stables inside the mine

Once down at the bottom, mules were put to work pulling the ore carts. They worked their eight-hour shift and then were taken to a lit stable inside the mine for food and rest. Muleskinners cared for the animals, and along with their food, made sure the mule had a tub of ice water to drink each night. The muleskinner also scrubbed the mule’s hooves with soap and water to rid him of the deadly copper water he plodded through during the day. The copper was capable of eating away at the hoof and if this happened, the mule would end up useless.

Mules adjusted well to the mines, with many knowing the mine better than the minors. Tales abound of many a mule saving miners from fires and other dangers. One such tale involved a miner who made a hole through a wall the size of his head to see what was on the other side. He discovered a lake but thought nothing of it until the next day. His mule began acting strange, and cutting him free from his job, the mule took off for higher ground. Knowing a mule’s instinct was good, the minor and his coworkers were able to escape quickly when, at the same moment the mule dashed off, the hole the miner had made crashed open, with water gushing toward them from the lake.

Though a mule labored beneath the ground, he wasn’t left there his entire life. If a mule was injured or sick, he was brought above ground immediately. The same applied to the duration of the mine shutting down for vacation or the miners going on strike. And mules weren’t treated cruelly. Miners and mule skinners learned early on to care for the mule. If treated poorly, the mule usually got even with either kicking a man in the ribs or head, or squeezing him against the wall. Trained mules were valuable, worth as much as $200, and always received medical treatment and rubdowns when needed.

The use of mules in mines pulling ore carts came to an end in December of 1965. An Act of Legislature outlawed the underground stable, making it illegal to house animals in mines.  

Boreas Pass, Colorado

Boreas Pass Summit

Spring is ushering out winter’s cold and snow. Buds are sprouting on trees. Flowers are peeking up from the ground and people are itching to step outside to enjoy summer’s warmth. For those wanting more than a backyard barbecue, Colorado’s Rocky Mountains are an outdoor enthusiast’s play land. Fishing, hiking, camping, and horseback riding are in abundance, but nestled between crevices, streams, and mountain valleys is a land rich in history, with several historic sites still somewhat intact to explore by foot or car, affording breathtaking views of mountain peaks and Aspens. Boreas Pass linking South Park to Breckenridge is no exception.

Formerly known as Breckinridge Pass, Boreas Pass came into existence during the Colorado Gold Rush. The pass was originally a foot route prospectors used to get from South Park to Blue River Valley near Breckenridge where they panned for gold. In 1866, the foot path was widened to a wagon road for stagecoaches. In 1882, Sidney Dillon of Union Pacific Railroad joined forces with the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad and began laying narrow gauge tracks up the pass. During this time, Dillon renamed the route to Boreas Pass after the Ancient Greek God, North of the Wind.

Boreas Town

The railroad tracks connected to Breckenridge and later on to Leadville. This line was deemed a ‘major engineering feat’ because of the deep winter snow at high altitude. Completion of the line not only included the tracks, but dozen of snow sheds along the route and the birth of the town Boreas. Built at the top of the summit, the town’s primary objective was to house workers to clear snow from the tracks during the winter.

Stone Engine House

In its prime, Boreas was home to a 57 x 155ft stone Engine House, equipped with an engine turn table, water tank and coal bin. The town also housed a 600ft snow shed that was later extended to over 900 feet, with doors on the Breckenridge side to block out drifting snow. A depot was built in 1898 to provide comfort for train passengers, but the harsh winter winds and deep mounds of snow often buried the tracks. Clearing them proved costly and time consuming. During the winter of 1898-99, no trains ran from February thru April. By 1905 Boreas was pretty much deserted. Only the Post Office remained. The station itself burned down in 1934. After the fire, train service was discontinued and the line completely abandoned in 1937.

Boreas Pass Today

Today, there isn’t much left at the summit; a few out buildings, a train car and a sign. But the drive up and over the pass into Breckenridge is a great way to spend a Saturday morning. 

#NewRelease ~ THE CROW AND THE BEAR by Kristy McCaffrey

I'm so excited to share a BRAND NEW, never-before-published short novella ~ The Crow and the Bear. If you read The Crow and the Coyote, a spooky Old West romance that was released last Halloween (in the Cowboys, Creatures and Calico Vol. 2 anthology and more recently as a single sell), then you might remember that hero Jack Boggs had two brothers, Callum and Kit. This tale features Cal. I'm still brewing a story for Kit.

The idea for The Crow and the Bear came to me during the summer when my family and I visited Silverton, Colorado, an old mining town situated in an imposing valley of the Rocky Mountains. While touring the local museum I became fascinated by the Tommyknockers.

Silverton, Colorado

A Tommyknocker is a type of troll spirit who lives underground and was therefore of great concern to miners. The term originated in the British Isles, but superstitions surrounding the beings filtered into other places. Miners in Colorado took great care to appease the Knockers by leaving a bit of their lunch out for the sprites.

Standing about two feet tall with a grizzled appearance, many believe that Snow White’s dwarves were Tommyknockers. They usually wear standard miner’s garb and are responsible for any mischief that might befall a miner, such as losing tools and food.

The name derives from the knocking on mine walls that precedes a cave-in, which is usually just the creaking of earth and timbers before failing. Some miners believed the Knockers were malevolent beings, but others took them to be practical jokers.

In Cornish folklore, the Knockers were spirits of those who had died in previous mine accidents and were now trying to help the living, by warning of impending dangers. As an offering of thanks, miners usually cast the last bite of their lunch pastie (a type of meat pie) into the mines for the Knockers.

In the 1820’s, Welsh immigrants to Pennsylvania brought tales of the Knockers with them and their presence soon spread all the way to California. Belief in the Knockers remained well into the 20th century. During the closing of a mine in 1956, a petition was circulated by the miners to set the Knockers free (so they could move to another mine) before sealing the entrances, and the owners complied.

The Crow Series: Book 2

Short Novella

Bounty hunter Callum Boggs—sometimes called Crow—arrives in the mining town of Silverton on a cold October day in search of a man who has committed unspeakable crimes. Skilled in the technique of dream scouting, Crow has narrowed the location of the criminal to Silas Ravine. No normal man would dare to venture into this region, where so many gruesome and unexplained murders have taken place—a piece of land forever haunted where Death still walks. But Crow is no normal man...

Jennie Livingstone knows her papa is in trouble. When none of the local men will come to her aid, she must accept a newly-arrived stranger—a half-Comanche bounty hunter—as her only ally. As they head into the mountains to track Jennie’s father, she can hear more than the whispers of man. The mines carry spirits, and her only hope in navigating the living and the dead lies with the Crow.

But is Jennie prepared for the consequences of where her fate with Callum Boggs may lead? And is she the woman who can hold fast to the Crow’s heart after all his years alone? Bewitched by the beautiful young woman, Callum must do everything he can to stay one step ahead of the spirits that can’t rest—just to keep Jennie and himself alive.

Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Smashwords

Don't miss the first one!!

The Crow Series: Book 1

Short Novella

In Arizona Territory, Hannah Dobbin travels through Cañon de Chelly, home to the Navajo, in search of a sorcerer who murdered her pa. Only when she retrieves the silver cross taken from her father's corpse will she be able to free her pa's spirit, and allow him to be at peace.

Bounty Hunter Jack Boggs—known as Crow—is on the trail of a vile Mexican bandito when he discovers Hannah and her companion, a superstitious old Navajo woman. He knows he must protect them, but with the shadows of Hallowtide descending, more dark magic is at hand than any of them know.

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Silver Heels

Buckskin Joe courtesy of  adamjamesjones.wordpress.com

Back in the day, jobs were scarce for women. Positions that are mostly filled by a woman in modern times, such as a secretary or a school teacher, were usually filled by a man. Respectable positions for women included a seamstress, nanny, and maid, but most homes couldn’t afford to pay for even one of these positions. Single women who’d fallen on hard times and had no family to turn to for help were often forced into prostitution as a means of survival. While the profession is degrading to women by today’s standards, back in the day, prostitution served a role in the expansion of the west.  

The Gold rush saw thousands of men pull up stakes and head west in the hopes of striking it rich. Some brought their families. Oftentimes, a man struck out on his own. Tent camps, small towns and cities sprang up throughout the west, and where men gathered, one need was shared by all; a woman. Females desperate for income or looking to escape a bad situation followed the men to provide a service. But whether working in a lavish parlor house, crib, or an in-between establishment, most didn’t get rich. And most never left the life of a soiled dove. A few women rose to wealth and fame, and some had a heart of gold. One such woman destined to help others now bears two legends—Silver Heels.  

Silver Heels’ first legend states she was a parlor house girl and a dance hall girl at Buckskin Joe, a mining town north of Fairplay, Colorado. Many claimed she had a beautiful face and could dance faster and more gracefully than the other girls. She also wore glittering silver slippers, hence her nickname. It was said children adored her because she sent to Denver for candy to give to them.

Legend has it Silver fell in love with one of the miners and was engaged to be married to him. Before the two wed, smallpox struck the Buckskin Joe area and the town closed. Women went back to Fairplay, except for Silver. She stayed to help her fiancée. Sadly, he was one of the first to die from the disease. Silver remained in Buckskin Joe and moved from cabin to cabin to help the other miners stricken with the disease. She kept their houses clean, cooked meals and washed clothes all the while tending their illness. Once the epidemic broke, the town returned to life. Those grateful to Silver collected money to give to her to thank her for her help, but she couldn’t be found. She had secretly left town. Still wanting to acknowledge her good deeds, the miners named the highest mountain in the area after her.

Some years later, a woman wearing heavy black veils visited the cemetery beneath Mt. Silver Heels. The miners believed the woman was Silver Heels, returning to pay respect to her fiancée’s grave.  

Buckskin Joe saloon/dance hall courtesy of Denver Public Library 1940

Silver Heels’ second legend is more detailed and takes place in Dudley, which is stated to be near Fairplay and Buckskin Joe. A young woman of great beauty arrived in the mining camp, fresh off the stage from Denver. The crowd waiting for the mail noticed she seemed lost and confused. Jack Herndon, owner of Dudley’s main saloon and gambling hall, helped the woman. He took her to Mr. And Mrs. Mack’s home, where she could rest and gather her wits. It’s said during her stay with the Mack’s, the woman confided her past to Mrs. Mack, which Mrs. Mack kept secret. Later, Jack learned the woman’s name was Josie Dillon.    

Josie stayed with the Macks and helped in their kitchen. She also sent to Denver for candy to give to the children, often inviting them to the Macks’ home where she told them stories. During this time, she took a liking to Jack and the two fell in love.    

News of the great Chicago fire spread to the area. As a community, the townsfolk wanted to do something to raise money to help the people in Chicago. Several ideas were suggested, but it was Josie who came up with the idea she would sing and dance and if folks liked what they saw, they could leave a donation in a box. Jack closed his saloon for this meeting and for two-day event featuring Josie. She appeared on stage in a short, glittery dress most thought were diamonds outfitted around the neck and edge of the dress. But it was her slippers that earned her the nickname ‘Silver Heels’. Except for toes shining in gold, her slippers were all silver.

The citizens loved Josie’s singing and dancing so much they donated over seventeen hundred dollars to give to the people of Chicago. After that, Jack sold his saloon and went into mining, and he and Josie continued to see each other. Then two sheepherders came to town. Two of them came down with smallpox and were the first to die. Josie, Jack and the Macks took care of those stricken with the disease. Jack fell ill but did not die. During the epidemic, it is said the miners remembered Josie’s performance and took to calling her Silver Heels. Jack didn’t care for the nickname, but Josie allowed it, and shortly after the crisis passed, Jack and Josie went to Denver, married and returned, only to leave for Kentucky after Jack’s father died and his mother needed help. After they left the area, legend states a survey crew came to the area. They needed a name for one of the larger mountains. The miners suggested Silver Heels and that’s how the mountain got its name.

Miners at Buckskin Joe courtesy of www.ghphotopraphy.com

Personally, I like the first version of Silver Heels the best, but then, a little bit of romance mixed with heartache and mystery is a fondness of mine.