A small glimpse into the life of a local Legend from Central City Colorado
There certainly are or could be medical, psychological, or societal explanations for each of the phenomena, when it relates to a possible past life or the feeling of déjà vu. My experience with any of them does not necessarily mean that they can be attributed to a past life. After all, although there is some compelling case evidence for reincarnation and past lives, it is not a proven fact. It is about alternate possibilities, and the notion that we have lived before and will live again is one that holds a great deal of fascination for me.
Since I live in one of the most unique and historical places in Colorado and my love for western mining history, I decided to go back in time to document past lives in Gilpin and Clear Creek counties from 1880 to1930.
In my project, I included historical places, old mines, old buildings and the story of the people who lived in the Central City area and who were very important to the history of Colorado.
There certainly are or could be medical, psychological, or societal explanations for each of the phenomena, when it relates to a possible past life or the feeling of déjà vu. My experience with any of them does not necessarily mean that they can be attributed to a past life. After all, although there is some compelling case evidence for reincarnation and past lives, it is not a proven fact. It is about alternate possibilities, and the notion that we have lived before and will live again is one that holds a great deal of fascination for me.
Since I live in one of the most unique and historical places in Colorado and my love for western mining history, I decided to go back in time to document past lives in Gilpin and Clear Creek counties from 1880 to1930.
In my project, I included historical places, old mines, old buildings and the story of the people who lived in the Central City area and who were very important to the history of Colorado.
The mystery has raged for over eighty years. According to the history books, Baby Doe Tabor made her mark on Colorado history as the bold girl from Wisconsin who ignored conventional Victorian attitudes of feminine modesty. How Baby Doe made her dreams come true may have angered Denver's high society at the time, but today she is celebrated for being an individualist-and a dreamer of the great American Dream.
This is how my story begins. In the winter of 1876, I won a Church figure skating contest, which was unheard of for a girl to win at that time. The contest captured the attention of Harvey Doe, Jr.. Harvey's mother highly disapproved of our relationship due to the fact that I was catholic, as well as "beneath" the Does economical status. Despite her objections, we continued to date and eventually became engaged.
Harvey was the only son raised in an affluent family, where he had been overindulged and spoiled by his mother and his four sisters. However, I thought he was a sweet and wonderful man, so we were married a short time later in 1877. Harvey's father owned a half interest in the Fourth of July Mine in Central City, so Harvey and I set off on a new life of adventure. "We'll go west and make our fortune overnight in gold. People do it all the time out there!" said Harvey.
In the rough and tumble mining community, my lively spirit brought me considerable attention from the male mining population. Harvey, not accustomed to hard work, was having a difficult time making the mine profitable, which eventually forced me to wear miner's clothes and work along side him. Work was difficult for me, but I was trying to encourage and support my husband in any way I could.
Working along side my husband caused me to become the brunt of much gossip and raised eyebrows. Gossip notwithstanding, I was still a sweetheart favorite to the local miner's.
"At first light every morning, dressed like "Cousin Jack," with her golden curls tucked under a grimy cap, Baby Doe rode out to the Fourth of July mine with her husband. The work force was split between them, with Baby Doe working beside the men digging the new shaft into Quartz Hill."
"Cousin Jack" … holding the lantern while Harvey chipped away the mountain.
Meanwhile, Harvey fell into debt and the Fourth of July Mine paid less than hoped, and our three-year marriage started to falter. I was to find that Harvey was a poor provider, being both lazy and a procrastinator.
Finally, Harvey was forced to take a job mucking in the Bobtail Tunnel, so we moved to Blackhawk, where the rent was cheaper. I was left home alone, no friends, and living in poverty. With little to occupy my time, I took long walks entertaining myself by looking longingly in the windows of the shops.
Finally, I made a friend of Jacob Sandelowsky, known as “Jake Sands’ to the local community, a successful clothing merchant and part owner of the Sandelowsky-Pelton store in Central City. Jake Sands, as he later changed his name to, was a handsome, dark curly-haired, and successful clothing merchant in the Central City and Blackhawk gold mining districts.
Jake and I were frequently seen together at the not-so-conservative Shoo-Fly Saloon during Harvey’s absences. The Shoo-Fly Saloon was not a place for a married lady to be seen. Rowdy miners looking for more than a drink frequented the saloon. While spending time at the Shoo-Fly Saloon, we made friends with relatives and business associates of Horace & Augusta Tabor, who we’re one of the richest families in Colorado.
At that same time, I was expecting a baby. Unfortunately, the baby was still born. Harvey Doe was not in Central City at the time I gave birth to the child, so no name was ever gave to the tiny, stillborn baby. While I claimed the child was Harvey’s son, Jake Sands readily took care of all the birthing and funeral arrangements himself.
After the tragic event of the stillborn birth of my child, I was on a mission to discover where my husband Harvey was spending all his time. While looking for Harvey in Denver, I would stay at the Windsor Hotel, which by chance was partially owned by Horace Tabor.
Coincidentally, that is where I was staying on the night I caught my husband Harvey Doe in Lizzie Preston’s house of ill fame in Denver’s red light district just down the street.
One can only wonder what prompted me to leave the Windsor Hotel that special night, walk down to the red light district of Denver, conveniently accompanied by a Denver police officer, then stop directly across the street from Lizzie Preston’s at precisely the same time my husband was going in.
Transcript from the my divorce court hearing: “I saw my husband the defendant, out on the second day of March in the evening go into the house of ill fame of Lizzie Preston’s on Holliday Street in the City of Denver."
" I went to the door and the woman who came to the door asked me what I wanted. I told her that I had just seen my husband going in and I wanted to follow him. The woman told me that if I came in I would be in a house of ill fame too. I then pushed past the woman at the door and saw my husband in one of the rooms. I then turned around and came right out and went home. Mr. Newman, the policeman accompanied me home. I had no knowledge or even consented to him going there and never thought he would go in such a place...”
Eventually, I divorced Harvey Doe claiming adultery, and later I married the love of my life, Horace Tabor.
In closing, Baby Doe left behind the following clues:
In a handwritten note found in her scrapbook after her death, with dried flowers gently placed around the handwritten words on the page:
“My baby boy, born July 13, 1879, had dark hair very curly large blue eyes he was lovely. Baby Doe”
“My Darling Love... I remain yours and ever. Jake”
“...hope to hear from you by return mail. I remain yours ever and ever. Jake”
Based on the book “The Legend of Baby Doe”
By John Burke