Colorado History Collection Regarding "Baby Doe" Tabor and Union Colony No. 1 (Greeley) 

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• Lot Description
  Lot of 10+ items. 
  
  The Tabors of Denver and Leadville
  
  Born Elizabeth Bonduel McCort in 1854 in Oshkosh, WI, Lizzie possessed both inner and outer beauty that made her the center of attention wherever she “landed.” She attracted the attention of her first husband, William Harvey Doe, Jr. by being an unconventional individualist and entering (and winning) a figure skating contest – a very “unladylike” activity in her day. Although Harvey was Lizzie’s social superior, and his mother did not approve of the match, Harvey must have eventually worn her down, and the couple was married in 1877. Harvey’s father owned half interest in the Fourth of July Mine in Central City, Colorado, and offered it to the newlyweds if they could make it profitable.  So the couple headed west, with Harvey sure he would make his fortune overnight. Unfortunately, as for so many others, things did not work out that way. Mining entailed more hard work than Harvey was accustomed to, and, eventually, Lizzie put on miners’ clothes and set to work in the mines herself. This also did not fit the image of the Victorian lady and was another subject of gossip, but her winning ways still made her a favorite of the miners, who gave her the nickname “Baby” Doe – and it stuck for the remainder of her life.
  
  As the Fourth of July Mine failed to produce the expected riches, Harvey began to show his true colors. He was lazy and not fond of any work, and especially hard work. He eventually started drinking and moving from mining camp to mining camp. Baby Doe could not work in most of the camps, and was thus left home with little to occupy her time.  She began to walk the streets, window shopping, and eventually was befriended by Jacob Sandelowsy (later Sands), part owner of a store in Central City. The two were often together at the local Saloon, and, although Baby Doe claimed she was not in love with Jake, the rumors were that her first miscarried pregnancy was actually Jake’s (and he shouldered all of her expenses).
  
  Harvey became ever more lazy, jobless and a drunkard, and even his four sisters and mother stopped sending him money. Baby Doe sued for divorce on the grounds of nonsupport, and, after witnessing him entering a brothel, adultery. The divorce was granted in 1880, but for unknown reasons not recorded until six years later, adding to the questions about the legality of her second marriage. She moved to Leadville, where Jake had opened a new store. Although he tried to entice her into marriage, she was apparently not interested. Within a few months her future took a different path when she met Horace Tabor.
  
  Horace Tabor was born in 1830 in Holland, Vermont. He began working in the quarries of Maine, where he met, then married, Augusta Pierce, daughter of the owner of the quarry. Horace had a bit of wanderlust, however, and joined a group enlisting immigrants to settle in Kansas to increase the anti-slavery population. Augusta was less than thrilled, coming from a comfortable middle-class background, and, indeed, having a somewhat weak constitution. When she saw the rugged territory that Horace had claimed in what is still Tabor Valley today, she broke down in tears. They worked the land for a couple years, before news of mineral riches still farther west, in what is now Colorado, piqued Horace’s interest. With their infant son in tow, the Tabors moved first to Denver, then to California Gulch, eventually settling in what would become Leadville. Augusta was one of the first women to make the trek to western Colorado. She became the camp cook, laundress, postmistress and banker. For the most part, Horace was the provisioner for the miners, opening a store with all the supplies needed. As they moved from camp to camp, Horace would open a store and he would engage in some prospecting while Augusta cooked and otherwise helped the miners. They were respected for their honesty and generosity, although Horace had a tendency to be too generous; she was the one to scrape and save.
  
  Horace occasionally grubstaked miners, and in 1878, his generosity would pay off. He provided provisions for a couple of miners in return for a one-third interest in their claim, which they named the Little Pittsburgh Mine. Within just a few months, the mine was producing enough that each of the three had an income of $50,000 per month. Horace quickly became a leader in the silver mining community, even partnering with speculators such as Marshall Fields at the Chrysolite Mine. In 1879, he purchased his first mine by himself, the Matchless Mine, which lived up to its name, earning him over $2,000 per day. He began developing Leadville, establishing two newspapers, a band and an opera house. The sudden riches were uncomfortable for Augusta, but Horace could not spend money fast enough. When Horace built a mansion in Denver, Augusta would only live in the servants’ quarters.
  
  The couple was drifting farther apart when Baby Doe fell into Horace’s life. Both said it was love at first sight, even though he was 25 years her senior. And Baby Doe, unlike Augusta, was not shy about living in luxury. Horace installed her in the Windsor Hotel in Denver. As time went on, the affair became public. However, when Horace asked Augusta for a divorce, she refused. Horace engineered a series of secret divorces and marriages to Baby Doe, to the extent that it is not clear even today whether they were ever legally married.  Eventually Augusta did negotiate a settlement, receiving $100,000 per month, plus the Denver mansion and other properties (they still owned hundreds of acres in Kansas). She moved to Pasadena, and when she died in 1895, she left their son, Maxcy, over $1.5 million.
  
  For the next decade, Horace and Baby Doe’s lives were a constant round of parties. He secured an appointment to a vacated senatorial seat in Washington, DC. There, he and Baby Doe were married again, this time at the Willard Hotel. Her dress reportedly cost around $7,000, and Horace gave her a necklace whose value has variously been reported between $70,000 and $90,000 as a wedding gift. The invitations had silver borders and lettering. Every male who was “anyone” in Washington, including the President, attended. Their wives refused to have anything to do with this scandalous affair. Likewise, back in Colorado, the “society” women rebuffed Baby Doe. Everything was fodder for the gossip mill, including statuary around the mansion that Horace bought her, since Augusta now owned the other house. In spite, Baby Doe had her dressmaker come and clothe the outdoor statues. However, when the priest who had married them learned that both were divorced, he refused to record the marriage.
  
  At his peak, Horace was reportedly one of the five richest men in America. The happy couple soon had two daughters that they named Elizabeth Bonduel Lily Tabor, called “Lillie,” and Rose Mary Echo Silver Dollar Tabor, called “Silver” or “Silver Dollar.” Their third child, a son, was stillborn.
  
  This lot features cabinet cards of the Tabor girls, both titled “Baby Tabor.” One is of Lillie Tabor, age 24 months, by Rose & Co., taken July 1886. The other, by A.E. Rinehart, Denver, is of Silver taken in April, 1890, when she was only 19 weeks of age. [see Buys, Christian J. A Quick History of Leadville. Western Reflections Publishing Co., 2004, p. 25 passim]
  
  Horace did not fare nearly as well as Augusta. He ignored the advice of friends to diversify, and made some risky investments, some of which failed to make money, and even some in Mexico and South America. He built the Tabor Opera House, a $700,000 venture, in Denver. When the nation repealed the Sherman Silver Act in 1893, it triggered a panic, and the Tabors’ fortunes plummeted. Within just a couple years, they lost nearly everything – selling jewelry, property, the Denver mansion and its contents. Horace remained optimistic, and took on any job he could find, eventually shoveling slag for $3 per day, sure the good times would return. The family went from spending $10,000 per week to $3700 per year.
  
  The lot contains the deed from one of those transactions. It records the sale of “lots two (2) and three (3) in Block lettered “F” of the Stevens & Lester’s addition to the City of Leadville” to Richard Casey for $700. The deed is signed by both Horace (“H.A. Tabor”) as President and Baby Doe (“E.B. Tabor”) as Secretary of Tabor Mines & Mills Co. (interestingly – a female executive of a huge company! But Colorado allowed women to vote as early as 1893.) The deed is dated 23 Feb. 1895, as the Tabors were selling off any property they could to generate living funds. Horace’s signature is fairly rare. We were only able to locate one item (stock certificate), past or present signed by Horace, and none signed by Baby Doe – these are very scarce, especially when combined. 
  
  Despite the opinion of rumor-mongers who were sure Baby Doe would leave then the money ran out, they stayed together. Horace was eventually appointed as postmaster in 1898, but the hard years seemed to have weakened the aging Silver King. He died in 1899, just a bit over a year into his appointment, leaving his family destitute. It was reported that there were 10,000 mourners at Horace Tabor’s funeral, and flags were flown at half-staff. Baby Doe, a widow at 38 years of age, never again lived in luxury, nor did she ever remarry.

  Baby Doe shortly after moved into the equipment shed, just 12 by 16 feet, at the Matchless Mine. Lillie so resented the move that she borrowed money and went to live with her grandmother in Wisconsin, never contacting her mother or sister again. Silver Dollar, however, was only 10, and initially saw the move as an adventure. Silver seems to have had a talent for writing, which her mother encouraged. She got a couple of songs published, including “President Roosevelt’s Colorado Hunt,” which was performed for his 1908 visit, during which Silver got to meet TR. This seems to have been the climax of Silver’s career. She got into a scandalous situation with a saloon keeper, at which time Baby Doe sent her to Denver. There she tried writing for a local paper and working on a novel, neither successful. Increasingly Silver got into alcohol and other drugs, and decided to move to Chicago. She told her mother she was going to try writing once more, and if she was unsuccessful, would enter a convent. Baby Doe received a few letters. Then the papers reported that one of a series of ne’er-do-well men which whom Silver had taken up had murdered her by pouring boiling water over her naked body. Baby Doe denied the truth until the end, insisting that Silver was in a convent, but most who knew her think she knew Silver’s fate. One wonders if she just could not “process” one more disaster in her life.
  
  Baby continued to live in the shed at the Matchless Mine. Reports of the day insisted that Horace’s dying words to her were to hold onto the Matchless, that it would make her rich again. There is little to indicate the truth in this report, and, indeed, the Tabors had sold the Matchless years before. Baby was only permitted to live there because of the kindness of the new owners. She refused charity, however. When people tried to drop off clothing or food, she would return them, although she did accept monetary contributions. When she went into town for supplies, she generally “paid” the storekeepers with chunks of ore from the mine that she insisted would be worth much money when silver came back. (Reportedly her brother and other relatives actually paid the store owners.) Meanwhile she wrapped her feet in gunny sacks and tied them on with rope because she could not buy shoes. A movie about her life was released in 1932, and she even refused money from the promoters, insisting that much greater riches would come from the mine.
  
  Baby Doe appears to have turned to religion and become increasingly paranoid and delirious, scribbling rambling notes on any piece of paper she could get her hands on. She decided her “new” life was penance for the excesses of her earlier life. On February 20, 1935, she made her way to town in deep snow, sometimes on her hands and knees, according to her diary. A delivery man gave her a ride home and made sure she had food, water and firewood. “Mr. Zaitz driver drove me to our get off place and he helped pull me to the cabin. I kept falling deep down through the snow every minute. God bless him.” A snowstorm blew in that raged for days. When it finally abated, some neighbors noticed that there was no smoke coming from the cabin. Two of them fought through six-foot drifts to the cabin to find the 81-year-old former Silver Queen frozen on her cabin floor, the apparent victim of a heart attack. The cabin was subsequently ransacked by souvenir hunters and curiosity seekers. After her death, 17 trunks that had been stored by the Tabors in Denver and a few sacks and four more trunks stored in Leadville were opened – all that remained of a life of luxury, nearly everything of value having been sold previously to support the family. There were a few items, however, including expensive cloth, china, and a few pieces of jewelry, including the watch fob Baby Doe gave Horace at the opening of the Denver Opera House. [The cabin has since been restored as much as possible to its condition when Baby Doe lived there, with memorabilia from her various “lives,” and is part of the Leadville tours in summer.]
  
   The lot contains four examples of Baby’s rambling writings. One dated Sun. Nov. 1922 is on a 6 x 9.5 in. sheet of paper. “I dreamed of being in a large open place light & bright & like Machenry in the place or something of its kind. my Mother was with us very strong & fine she had a grand new rich dress with an old fashioned full round skirt like they used to wear over big hoops… Sister Lilly was there with us also more of our family & O such a beautiful baby about 2 or 3 years old….I thought we were all there together because it was all about the Matchless Mine I thought we all had something to do about Matchless & I think the Baby means Matchless Mine is going to be worked at once – that God is now ready to stop all the devils thieves and enemies God our – divine Jesus Christ our Savior knows what is best for us all, and especially for those who worship Him does he cut the time short & help them always Bless be God forever.”
  
  Another note is scribbled on the back of a Wonder Bread advertising slip, approx. 3 x 10 in. Aug. 2, 1929: A most beautiful Blue-bird flew close to my window & several flew above & around my cabin Then a most beautiful wild Canary describe its yellow flew close to my window & several around my cabin – then I went out & a lovly [sic] Robin came in front of me for a long time & stood still a few feet from me & did not move – it was not afraid & it walked slowly on the boards & went behind No. 6 shaft & I stood all the time it was walking telling it how I loved it & thanking God for creating it. This is not a vision it happened.” On the side printed with the Wonder Bread suggestions is: “see other side This is not a Vission [sic] It really happened to me to day. Mrs. Tabor.”
  
  Two other scraps of paper containing Baby Doe’s ramblings are included. One, approx.. 4 x 6.5 in.,  is pictured and transcribed on page 55 of Christian Buys, Historic Leadville in Rare Photographs & Drawings (Western Reflections, 2007).  Dated  Sunday Aug 14 1927, Baby writes: “I saw a strong vision this morning of a bunch of papers or something like it burning in – flames on my breast bright long – flames – while reading this one I saw purple clouds To-day I saw a shadow pass my window I thought it was a moth & got up & looked out of window & I saw that it was the shadow of a tiny bird the very smallest bird I ever heard of or ever saw it had a very long – Bill over an inch long & as thin as a darning needle cream color one cream color head & breast - & dark grey color wings & tail it perched on a wire close to my window for a long time it was beautiful there was never such a tiny – living bird & so lovely Sunday August – 14 1927.”

  The other is 5.5 x 5+ in. dated April 27, 1930. I woke up in the middle of the night with awful cramps in both my ankles & I kept screaming loud & strong “O Jesus save me” & I got up & stood in the middle of the room screaming loud to God & all was pitch dark out doors & not one soul or animal as I thought for miles from this Matchless I was alone & screaming in agony to God very loud. – when all of a sudden I heard from the north side of my cabin the loud O so loud scream of a cat strong one Loud, strong, long terrible scream I stopped & & then another faint short scream as if it felt sad & I knew it went down the dump on East side I seemed to see it go down but in a vision as it was pitch dark so I know it was not a cat It was the spirit of a man or woman. (along side) It was a spirit over It know it was a spirit of a man or woman & it cried like I called not inward only like a strong old cat would cry loud & O so strong – a long cry only one cry then a very faint cry as it went down dump (a cats cry - I got in bed & cramps stopped I know it was the spirit of some one Only a strong cat could cry like it did [then upside down] no cat anywhere [and] April 27 1930 Sunday night [along the side] Mrs. Tabor Matchless Mine.”
  
  There is another letter dated Feb. 19, 1935. This would have been a mere two weeks before Baby Doe’s death. Did she pick it up when she came to town that week? According to the letter there was a clipping enclosed and the writer inquires about how Mrs. Tabor is doing. It is signed “Freda” and has a printed street address in Denver. Accompanying cover also has the printed address, manuscript above it is “Freda Peterson.” The Denver City Directories for the 1930s locate Everette and Freda Peterson at this address, but her connection to Mrs. Tabor is not clear.
  
  Union Colony No. 1 (Greeley) 
  
  The second part of the lot concerns Union Colony No. 1, a utopian colony formed to promote agriculture in the West, which had primarily been inhabited (settled is a relative concept here) by miners and other speculators. Organization began in late 1869 by Nathan Meeker, whose goal was to form a religiously-oriented, agricultural community inhabited by colonists of “high moral standards,” which included temperance, and most were literate. The venture was financially backed and promoted by Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune and advocate of settlement in the West (“Go West, young man!”); Meeker was his agricultural editor. The colony would become incorporated as the city of Greeley, Colorado in 1886.
  
  In mid-December 1869 Greeley placed an ad for colonists in the Tribune. Over 3000 responded. Of these, Meeker and Greeley chose 700 prospective colonists, each of whom was expected to pay a membership fee of $150; only 90 backed out. In the Spring Meeker and two others went out and purchased land near the confluence of the Cache la Poudre and South Platte Rivers, an area Greeley had visited on his 1859 tour of the West.
  
  The colony was quickly established, relying on irrigation to make agriculture feasible. This became one of the lasting contributions of the colony to the economy of the region. It then attracted other homesteaders, many of whom were not officially part of the colony. Many settled a short distance away, often because they were not comfortable with the religious nature of the colony. (And as a side note: Greeley continued to be dry until 1972. Many of the satellite towns were established as a source of liquor and other entertainment in various saloons, bars, etc.) The colony was so successful that another colony was formed just two years later up the Poudre River at Fort Collins.
  
  In this lot is a cdv of Job E. Brownell, one of the first colonists at Union Colony. As related in A History: Greeley and the Union Colony of Colorado (Boyd, David. 1890: 401-402): “Just above him lies the farm of our old tried friend, Job E. Brownell. He and his energetic, hopeful wife were among the first on the ground and have more than their fair share of the sorrows incident to the human lot. Four out of their six lie side by side in the cold embrace of death,… Mr. Brownell was an artilleryman in the regular army during the war of the rebellion. He seems as impassive as an iceberg, but is possessed of that cool audacity that makes a man stand by his guns whatever the personal risk. Mrs. B. has quite a turn for writing poetry, and with this amiable foible as a companion, whiles away delightedly many an hour that would tediously drag itself along if spent in unproductive reverie, or in idly brooking over irreparable losses.”
  
  A letter addressed to Brownell indicates the schedule. On 5 x 8 “ sheet with Union Colony No. 1 / Tribune Office on the letterhead. “N.C. Meeker, President / Horace Greeley, Treasurer.” Dated Feb. 9^th, 1870, the letter indicates: “?? Company will commence moving in April or May. Many will go on and make improvements & take their families out afterward. Full directions will be sent, when the locating committee returns, which will be in about a month. Of course your wife can go. You can leave her at Denver until the house is built, unless she can camp out.” Signed by Ralph Meeker, Secretary.
  
  The second letter is also 5 x 8”. One side is pre-printed with some moving instructions. “Please find enclosed receipt for $150.” Dated March 24, 1870, the committee informs Brownell that they have about 600 members, and membership will remain open until the end of March. Instructions are given as to what to take (“Colonists will take but little furniture, choosing only that which is good; the same may be said of clothing and cloth of all kinds. They should also select a variety of seeds, cuttings, plants, and small fruit trees, and pack them in moss.”) He goes on to list points of departure, and skills of the men who are going (mechanics, merchants, editors, iron founders, etc.) They note that schools, churches, mills and factories will be established immediately, and reiterates that some families will come later. On verso is a manuscript note stating that the locating committee is in Colorado with orders to buy land. “It will be no doubt on a railroad. The fare out there will not exceed $50 a head.” Also signed by Ralph Meeker. Interestingly, a Vice President, Gen. R.A. Cameron has been added to the letterhead. 25 years later, Mrs. Brownell is pictured in a photograph of members of Union Colony in front of one of their buildings (Denver Library Digital Collections, photo dated 3 December 1894). Job is not in the photo, but findagrave indicates that he died in 1915 in Greeley, CO (burial in Linn Grove Cemetery).
  
  Nathan Cook Meeker (1817-1879) was born in Euclid, Ohio (today part of Greater Cleveland), who became a newspaper reporter and agricultural editor for the Tribune. In 1866, he wrote “Live in the West,” and traveled to the Colorado region for the Tribune in 1869, where his inspiration for the utopian colony began. After moving to Colorado Territory to establish the colony, Meeker became the Indian agent for the White River Ute reservation.
  
  Provenance:Collection of Christian J. Buys, Author and Colorado Historian

  Condition

  Variable. Some of the small pieces of paper have been folded and have surface soil on outer panels. Photos are generally very good.
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