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.

ARE YOU HAVING AN ERROR IN JUDGEMENT? BY GINGER SIMPSON

I live in Tennessee, but am a transplanted Californian.  Still, I respect the honor the people of the South have for their ConfederateFlag...the one that was formally adopted by the Confederacy.  If you read the article you will see that the first flag was rejected as being too similar to the U.S. flag.  The second, when flying in windless conditions, looked too much like a white flag of surrender, and finally the "Iron Cross."

  There is a very interesting article on Snopes...which some say is a left-leaning site.  I am borrowing a few of the Myths they have dispelled:

MYTH: The Confederate Battle Flag represented the Southern Nation.

FACT: Not true. While the Southern Battle flag was carried into battle, the Southern Nation had 3 different National flags during the course of the war.

The First National flag was changed due to a resemblance of the US flag.

The Second National flag was subsequently modified due to the similarity to a flag of truce.

The Third National flag was the adopted flag of the Confederacy.

The Confederate Battle Flag was never a National Flag of the Confederacy. It was carried into battle by several armies such as the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of Tennessee. Was also used as a Naval Jack by the Confederate Navy.

MYTH: The Confederate Battle Flag is known as the “Stars & Bars.”

FACT: A common misconception. The First National Confederate Flag is correctly known as the “Stars & Bars.” The Confederate Battle Flag is known as the “Southern Cross.”

MYTH: The Confederate Flags are an authorized symbol of Aryan, KKK and hate groups.

FACT: Quite the contrary. These despicable organizations such as the KKK and Aryans have taken a hallowed piece of history, and have plagued good Southern folks and the memories of fine Confederate Soldiers that fought under the flag with their perverse agenda. IN NO WAY does the Confederate Flag represent hate or violence. Heritage groups such as the [Sons of Confederate Veterans] battle daily the damage done to a proud nation by these hate groups. The SCV denounces all hate groups, and pridefully boast HERITAGE – NOT HATE.

MYTH: The Confederate Battle Flag represents racism today.

FACT: The Confederate Battle Flag today finds itself in the center of much controversy and hoopla going on in several states. The cry to take this flag down is unjustified. It is very important to keep in mind that the Confederate Battle Flag was simply just that. A battle flag. It was never even a National flag, so how could it have flown over a slave nation or represented slavery or racism? This myth is continued by lack of education and ignorance. Those that vilify the Confederate Battle Flag are very confused about history and have jumped upon a bandwagon with loose wheels.

PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY:

Herein lies the problem with symbols: They have no inherent meanings; they have only whatever meanings people choose to read into them, and different people can associate very different meanings with the same symbol. The Confederate battle flag is now regarded in many different ways — as a symbol of slavery, as a rallying banner for white supremacists, as a quaint historical artifact, as a memorial to those who fought gallantly and bravely (even if it was in the service of cause no longer considered virtuous), as a general emblem of rebellion against authority, as a benign display of regional pride, or even as a fond reminder of two “good ol’ boys” who were “never meanin’ no harm.”

It is true that for several decades after the Civil War, the Confederate battle flag was not widely perceived as a negative symbol. Its use was largely limited to historical ceremonies associated with veterans’ events and war memorials; the flag did not become the symbol most prominently associated with the Confederacy until several decades after the Civil War ended, and it was not widely perceived as a politically polarizing symbol until it was appropriated by segregationist politicians and groups in the middle of the twentieth century.

However, the fact remains that the Confederate battle flag has long since become the pre-eminent symbol of the Confederacy and what it stood for, and across the span of several decades it has been co-opted by segregationist and white supremacist groups such as the Dixiecrats, the KKK, and the Aryan Nation. Certainly one can be a racist or a white supremacist without associating himself with “Southern Pride” or a Confederate battle flag, but for better or worse, no one group is any more “authorized” to use the Confederate battle flag as their symbol than another: the Confederate government and its military forces ceased to exist 150 years ago and therefore have no say or control over the usage of the Southern Cross.

NOTE FROM GINGER:  I am appalled that the Supreme in Oklahoma has ordered the removal of the Ten Commandments from their state capital.  The commandments, although germaine to the Christian religion, serve as rules by which to live no matter which religion you follow.  If you are oppressed or offended by "do not kill or honor they mother and father," then you may be part of the reason that people are crying for the removal of statues and flags that Southern people hold dear.  If this is a sign of the times, I fear what is yet to come.  I urge you to read the entire article I've linked to.  Be informed before you beat your drum.

Read more at http://m.snopes.com/2015/06/28/confederate-flag-history/#hYH9WFEuHliK9oZK.99

ONE OF THE LAST INDIAN RAIDS IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS

This is an encore post due to the fact that the calendar played tricks on me this month. ☺ Please be patient with me.

Until two years ago, I’d lived in Parker County, Texas for over two decades. You know that as someone who loves history, I searched out facts about the area’s past. One of the stories that fascinated me was the story of three children captured in the county’s last Indian raid in 1872.

At one time I did considerable research on this tale with the thought of turning it into a children’s book. I decided the facts were too gruesome for children. Well, at least for their parents’ approval.

Sam Savage and his family farmed on Sanchez Creek. His aunt and uncle farmed across the creek.  A group of raiding Comanche rode through. Sam’s father and oldest brother were killed in the field where they were working. Mrs. Savage got the girls inside. One girl who was fifteen was shot with an arrow as she scooped up her sister. They barely reached the house in time to bar the door. I would have been afraid the house would have been set on fire, but the Comanche were after horses—and small children.

Sam was six and his brother John was eight. The two boys were captured. The Comanche then crossed the creek and killed the boys’ aunt and uncle and captured four-year-old Mary, their cousin. Their captors did not capture other children on this raid.

When they camped for the night, the children were given raw liver and forced to eat. They gagged and vomited but were shown no patience. During the night, John escaped and started home. He was recaptured and the soles of his feet slit so he would be unable to walk or run and no longer be able to sneak out of camp.

The three children lived with the Comanche in Oklahoma Territory for eighteen months. A trader spotted three white children in the camp. He traded everything he had with him, including his saddle and saddlebags, to rescue the three youngsters. The trader took them to Fort Worth in an attempt to identify the kids and reunite them with their families.

By this time, Mary spoke only Comanche and could not even communicate in English. The boys were able to give their names. Eventually, they were reunited with Mrs. Savage and what was left of their family.

I don’t remember (if I knew) what happened to Mary or John, but Sam remained in the area. He married a Pawnee woman and lived near Mineral Wells for the rest of his life. I found this story fascinating and hope you will also.

Caroline Clemmons' latest release is O’NEILL’S TEXAS BRIDE, book two of the McClintock series. A list of her books can be found at her website, www.carolineclemmons.com. She and her husband and their menagerie of rescued pets live near Fort Worth in cowboy country.

The Infamous Poison Ring...

Historic jewelry has always captivated me. I’d stare at the pictures in the encyclopedia of the necklaces, rings, and crowns the Royals wore during the renaissance. I’d let my mind wander to a place I knew nothing about and wondered what these pieces of jewelry had seen or where they’d been. Museums do the same thing to me when I see other ruins from a time I could only imagine, but I'll save that for another post. 

Dainty ring could be used to conceal keepsakes. c.1880

I’ve been researching a ton lately for my final book in the Branded Trilogy that takes place in the American Colonies during the 1700’s. 

As I was rummaging through pages and pages of history, I came across an odd, but very fascinating piece of jewelry called a box ring, or also known as a locket ring. 

These were very popular throughout Europe during the sixteenth century. The rings were used to store many things from perfume, a lock of hair, messages and devotional relics. They were fashionable and most of the wealthy had one.

The locket ring came to Europe from Asia, Russia and the Middle East during the Holy Trade.

However, there were other uses for these rings that had nothing to do with placing ones keepsakes inside.

The Poison ring had been used long before as a means to an end for those in captivity, or before being

Lucrezia Borgia

placed in confinement. The small compartment under the bezel of the ring would hide arsenic, cyanide or the poison of choice. While the captor awaited the noose, guillotine, or other ways of torment, he would take the poison thus ending his life without such torture.

The poison rings became sought after pieces of jewelry during war to elude capture, but also if the opportunity arose to poison your enemy. Rulers used these infamous rings to hide arsenic and poison their political rivals.

Lucrezia Borgia, the daughter of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia (who later became Pope Alexander VI). The Borgia family was very powerful and wealthy. The Cardinal used his daughter as a pawn of trade to further the family’s status on the political ladder. But some would say Lucrezia was not to be toyed with. She owned an array of poison rings using them often at family parties.

Believed to be used by Bulgarian noble Dobrotitsa c.1400's

The poison ring was made with intercut detail. How one wanted to dispense the poison from inside depended on the rings construction. 

For example some rings had a tiny hole drilled into the left, or right side depending on which hand you wore it, where the poison could be dispensed into a glass of wine. The wearer would simply remove the inside finger covering the hole and dump the contents out.

Late 1800's Poison Ring.

Other rings had a lever that when pressed with the inside of the finger would open the top of the bezel. 

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a more morbid style of ring emerged. Jewellers began making coffin style locket rings with images of skeletons and death inside. These were called Funeral, or Mourning rings and given to mourners to remember their departed. 

I'm not sure I'd wear any of these rings...but I'd love to know where they've been. 

Happy Friday, Friends!!

Kat