George L. Lorton
Member
Glorious ‘Baby Doe’ aka Elizabeth McCourt looks like Kate Winslett.
Following the Road to Riches My Journey
- Thread starter Jason Schleisman
- Start date
Jason Schleisman
Member
Yeah she does kinda. Good observation!
George L. Lorton
Member
Strange power I just have. The ability to notice which star looks like which star and comment on it.
Jason Schleisman
Member
One wonders if ‘Baby Doe’ and Maggie ever knew each other or became friends. Certainly Maggie knew of the new young Mrs. Tabor. In fact, who didn’t. Maggie was a part of the women’s suffrage movement, and before the Browns moved from Leadville to Denver, it is assumed that she attended meetings of the National Women’s Suffrage Association held in rooms (donated by the new Mrs. Tabor) of Leadville’s Tabor Opera House. According to witness accounts obtained by Dr. Kristen Iversen, in her later years Maggie visited Baby Doe in her cabin at the Matchless Mine in 1927 and tried unsuccessfully to help Mrs. Tabor redeem an old mortgage to improve her financial situation. What we do know for a fact is that the Brown family was very well acquainted through the Broadway Theater in Denver with Baby Doe’s brother, Peter McCourt, who was its manger. The two Brown children were friends with the Peter McCourt children, and the families socialized for a time.
After Maggie and J.J. Brown were married, they enjoyed a very brief honeymoon in an area called Twin Lakes, just South and to the West of Leadville. This area is beautiful, and of course, as the name suggests, it has two interconnecting lakes set against a backdrop of the tallest mountain in Colorado, Mt. Elbert. Very few people live in Twin Lakes, but there are still a handful of bed & breakfast establishments:
As then, looking northwest:
Is now, looking southeast (courtesy of US Federal Gov.):
A view from the other side of Mt. Elbert, looking East. Directly on the opposite side of this 14,440 foot peak, and to it's right is Twin Lakes:
After Maggie and J.J. Brown were married, they enjoyed a very brief honeymoon in an area called Twin Lakes, just South and to the West of Leadville. This area is beautiful, and of course, as the name suggests, it has two interconnecting lakes set against a backdrop of the tallest mountain in Colorado, Mt. Elbert. Very few people live in Twin Lakes, but there are still a handful of bed & breakfast establishments:
As then, looking northwest:
Is now, looking southeast (courtesy of US Federal Gov.):
A view from the other side of Mt. Elbert, looking East. Directly on the opposite side of this 14,440 foot peak, and to it's right is Twin Lakes:
George L. Lorton
Member
My folks took me to Twin Lakes when I was a baby.
Speaking of babies.-
It's nice that Molly tried to help the new Mrs. Tabor. I wonder if she ever asked Rose on Titanic if she was related to "Baby Doe" Tabor.
I just couldn't resist.
Speaking of babies.-
It's nice that Molly tried to help the new Mrs. Tabor. I wonder if she ever asked Rose on Titanic if she was related to "Baby Doe" Tabor.
Jason Schleisman
Member
Hey George, you're doing the opposite of what Maggie did. She went from Missouri to Colorado, not the other way around. Turn the boat around! (<font color="aa00aa">~An Affair to Remember)
George L. Lorton
Member
I am at that.
Jason Schleisman
Member
Upon returning from their honeymoon, the newlywed Brown couple moved up to J.J.’s small, two-room cabin above Leadville, near Evans Gulch, in a small settlement called Stumptown. This settlement was only a few miles away from Leadville, and within easy walking distance of many of the mines in the mountains above Leadville. The town was composed of small cabins and even had its own stores, saloons, and a small school.
There are almost no traces of Stumptown today, save for two dilapidated cabins and the occasional piece of wood or metal. Yet, it was here in this small valley that Maggie, now mostly referred to as "Margaret" or "Mrs. Brown", began her quest to better herself through literature, piano lessons, and singing lessons with a tutor in Leadville.
Arial view from just above the site of the "Little Jonny" mine, looking down the hill into Stumptown:
(courtesy of Google Earth)
At the far left of the image is a green marker pointing out the westward road to Leadville. This same road ultimately becomes East 7th Street in Leadville. Just to the right of the large yellow "Little Jonny" Mine marker, there is a horizontal building (with shadow) which will subsequently be discussed.
There are almost no traces of Stumptown today, save for two dilapidated cabins and the occasional piece of wood or metal. Yet, it was here in this small valley that Maggie, now mostly referred to as "Margaret" or "Mrs. Brown", began her quest to better herself through literature, piano lessons, and singing lessons with a tutor in Leadville.
Arial view from just above the site of the "Little Jonny" mine, looking down the hill into Stumptown:
(courtesy of Google Earth)
At the far left of the image is a green marker pointing out the westward road to Leadville. This same road ultimately becomes East 7th Street in Leadville. Just to the right of the large yellow "Little Jonny" Mine marker, there is a horizontal building (with shadow) which will subsequently be discussed.
Jason Schleisman
Member
When I stated above that the road leading from the "Little Jonny" Mine site to Leadville ultimately became East 7th Street in Leadville, I meant to type that it becomes East 5th Street. The dirt road down the hill and across the valley, also seen in this previous image above, becomes East 7th Street in Leadville.
Here is an image taken while driving East up East 5th Street into the mining hills above Leadville. This dirt road system is now called "The Route of the Silver Kings", since most of the old mines of Leadville are connected by it:
In this view looking back northwest into Leadville, roughly to the right (from our viewpoint) of the people walking up East 5th Street is where #722 used to be ~ Margaret's first home in Leadville with her brother Daniel. The mines were literally just East up this street as it curves left behind us in the foreground of this photo. See the tall, silver spire of Annunciation Church?
Here is an image taken while driving East up East 5th Street into the mining hills above Leadville. This dirt road system is now called "The Route of the Silver Kings", since most of the old mines of Leadville are connected by it:
In this view looking back northwest into Leadville, roughly to the right (from our viewpoint) of the people walking up East 5th Street is where #722 used to be ~ Margaret's first home in Leadville with her brother Daniel. The mines were literally just East up this street as it curves left behind us in the foreground of this photo. See the tall, silver spire of Annunciation Church?
Jason Schleisman
Member
For most of 1887, Margaret and J.J. lived about 3 miles up East 5th Street in Stumptown. After Margaret briefly returned to Hannibal, Missouri in August to be with her parents and bear her first child, Lawrence, the Browns decided to move back into Leadville. Margaret, J.J., and Lawrence lived for a short time in a rented house at 320 East 9th Street. This site has since become part of an old lumber yard:
Across the street in the foreground, where there is now a gravel lot, is roughly where the Brown’s home was. On the immediate opposite side of the smaller wooden structure situated in the far right of the image are old railroad tracks. This location must have been very noisy for the Browns as steam-powered trains arrived and departed daily. They did not live at this location long.
The Browns moved away from East 9th Street after a very brief period, and took up a more permanent residence at 322 West 7th Street. This 7th Street home is also gone now, and in its place another house has been moved. Not worth photographing for this tour.
Across the street in the foreground, where there is now a gravel lot, is roughly where the Brown’s home was. On the immediate opposite side of the smaller wooden structure situated in the far right of the image are old railroad tracks. This location must have been very noisy for the Browns as steam-powered trains arrived and departed daily. They did not live at this location long.
The Browns moved away from East 9th Street after a very brief period, and took up a more permanent residence at 322 West 7th Street. This 7th Street home is also gone now, and in its place another house has been moved. Not worth photographing for this tour.
Jason Schleisman
Member
By 1888, J.J. was superintendent of the local Maid and Henriette Mining Company. He earned a good living which allowed the Browns to live in some comfort. They had already had an Irish housemaid living with them ever since they lived in their two-room cabin in Stumptown. In fact, Margaret took their maid, Mary Nevin, with her when she went into Leadvile for tutoring ~ both women taking lessons. Now, however, the Browns had a driver for their carriage and a footman as well. Margaret took advantage of these new, small pleasures and was very fond of 'painting her face', and going out for drives. However, one area of Leadville that no respectable lady would have ventured in a carriage was once known as State Street.
State Street, now called 2nd Street, was Leadville’s “red light district”. There were once 64 bars on this one street alone. In addition, many brothels and Houses of Ill Repute once dotted this street like candy sprinkles on a birthday cake. Most all of that is now gone. There are only two of the original buildings left on this street. One former brothel now serves as a small apartment building, and one bar out of the 64 on this street remains.
Known by many different names since its founding in 1879, the Pastime Bar on 2nd Street still operates as a bar. Inside, it still utilizes its original, ornately carved, wooden bar. Well worn from over 100 years of continuous use (this bar never closed, even during prohibition), its beauty still shines through. One can still see a few holes here and there from stray bullets!! It has now been owned and operated by the same family since 1938.
What once was, taken from Harrison Avenue looking West:
http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?10017656+X-17656
The brothel and Pastime Bar are a few buildings down on the right side of the street in the linked photo above.
As it appears today:
The former, two-level, brothel-cum-apartment building adjoins the right side of the Pastime Bar & Club.
State Street, now called 2nd Street, was Leadville’s “red light district”. There were once 64 bars on this one street alone. In addition, many brothels and Houses of Ill Repute once dotted this street like candy sprinkles on a birthday cake. Most all of that is now gone. There are only two of the original buildings left on this street. One former brothel now serves as a small apartment building, and one bar out of the 64 on this street remains.
Known by many different names since its founding in 1879, the Pastime Bar on 2nd Street still operates as a bar. Inside, it still utilizes its original, ornately carved, wooden bar. Well worn from over 100 years of continuous use (this bar never closed, even during prohibition), its beauty still shines through. One can still see a few holes here and there from stray bullets!! It has now been owned and operated by the same family since 1938.
What once was, taken from Harrison Avenue looking West:
http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?10017656+X-17656
The brothel and Pastime Bar are a few buildings down on the right side of the street in the linked photo above.
As it appears today:
The former, two-level, brothel-cum-apartment building adjoins the right side of the Pastime Bar & Club.
Jason Schleisman
Member
The year 1889 blessed the Brown home with the birth of a second child, a daughter named Catherine Ellen (Helen). Margaret didn’t need to go to Hannibal this time for the birth because her entire family, including her parents, had moved to Leadville by this point. Helen was baptized into the Roman Catholic faith in the Church of the Annunciation.
The white marble baptismal font in Church of the Annunciation:
The white marble baptismal font in Church of the Annunciation:
Jim Kalafus
Member
Great material, as always, Mr. Schleisman! Keep up the good work.
George L. Lorton
Member
Yes fascinating stuff. The whole Tobin family moved out of Missouri? Now why would they do that? Missouri's a great place to live.
Jason Schleisman
Member
Well, it appears that the Tobin family had only just barely moved away from Hannibal to Leadville by the time Margaret had baby Helen. The only member of her family not to leave Hannibal was her oldest half-sister, 'Katie' (Tobin) Becker, who was settled in and married to an old family friend named John Becker in Hannibal.
Margaret's older brother Daniel and other half-sister Mary Ann had already been in Leadville for a few years. Margaret's parents, John and Johanna Tobin, came with her two youngest siblings, William, and Helen (after whom, Margaret's own daughter was named), slightly earlier in 1889. Helen Tobin would later become a very devoted aunt to Margaret's children, Lawrence, and Helen.
As for wanting to leave Hannibal, there were better opportunities for them all in Leadville. And yes, George, I understood your meaning.
Margaret's older brother Daniel and other half-sister Mary Ann had already been in Leadville for a few years. Margaret's parents, John and Johanna Tobin, came with her two youngest siblings, William, and Helen (after whom, Margaret's own daughter was named), slightly earlier in 1889. Helen Tobin would later become a very devoted aunt to Margaret's children, Lawrence, and Helen.
As for wanting to leave Hannibal, there were better opportunities for them all in Leadville. And yes, George, I understood your meaning.
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