Horace Tabor
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Horace Austin Warner "Haw" Tabor (November 26, 1830 – April 10, 1899), also known as The Bonanza King of Leadville and The Silver King, was an American prospector, businessman, and Republican
politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
. His success in
Leadville, Colorado Leadville ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory city, statutory city that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only List of municipalities in Colorado, incorporated municipality in Lake County, Colorado, Lak ...
's silver mines made him one of the wealthiest men in Colorado. He purchased more mining enterprises throughout Colorado and the Southwestern United States, and he was a philanthropist. After the collapse in the silver market during the
Panic of 1893 The Panic of 1893 was an economic depression in the United States. It began in February 1893 and officially ended eight months later. The Panic of 1896 followed. It was the most serious economic depression in history until the Great Depression of ...
, Tabor was financially devastated. He lost most of his holdings, and he labored in the mines. In his last year, he was the postmaster of Denver. While married to Augusta Tabor, he had an affair with Elizabeth McCourt Tabor. He divorced Augusta and married Elizabeth, who became known as "Baby Doe". Their relationship was a scandal. When Tabor died, though, there were a reported ten thousand people who attended his funeral. His life is the subject of
Douglas Moore Douglas Stuart Moore (August 10, 1893 – July 25, 1969) was an American composer, songwriter, organist, pianist, Conducting, conductor, educator, actor, and author. A composer who mainly wrote works with an American subject, his music is genera ...
's opera '' The Ballad of Baby Doe'' and the 1932 Hollywood biographical movie '' Silver Dollar''. Also, Graham Masterton's 1987 novel ''Silver'' has a protagonist named Henry T. Roberts, whose life includes incidents from Tabor's.


Early life

Horace Austin Warner Tabor was born on November 26, 1830, to Cornelius Dunham and Sarah Ferrin Tabor in Holland, Vermont, near the state's border with Canada. His father was a farmer, who grew a number of grains, vegetables and fruits. In the winter months, Cornelius ran the district school, which Horace attended. The rest if the year Horace worked in the fields with his father and his brothers John and Lyman. They also raised cows, sheep, chickens and hogs. He had two sisters, Sarah and Emily. The family lived in a drafty house without conveniences, such as water, electricity or a proper stove. In the fields, they used primitive tools that required labor by man or oxen. His mother died in 1846 at the age of 49, having succumbed to the hard work on the farm and childbearing. Cornelius soon remarried. By 1850, Betsy Tabor was his wife and five children with the Welch surname, from 11 to 19 years of age, lived with the Tabors. At the age of 17 Horace served for two years as an apprentice granite cutter with his brother John in either Quincy or
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
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. Then he began to work as a journeyman throughout New England. In 1853, he was hired by a stone contractor, William Pierce, from
Augusta, Maine Augusta is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Maine. The city's population was 18,899 at the 2020 United States census, making it the List of cities in Maine, 12th-most populous city in Maine, and third ...
, to supervise stone-cutters in the construction of an insane asylum there. Tabor met Pierce's daughter, Augusta, and fell in love with her, but was unable to support a wife yet.


Kansas abolitionist and legislator

Among the events leading up to the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
(1861-1865), there was a fight over what states and new territories would support slavery or not. At the same time, the California Gold Rush resulted in a lot of people moving west and the railroads helped get them there. The
Kansas–Nebraska Act The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 () was a territorial organic act that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It was drafted by Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas, passed by the 33rd United States Congress, and signed into law b ...
, which created the
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
and Nebraska Territories, passed quickly by
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and the
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and was swiftly enacted by President
Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. A northern Democratic Party (United States), Democrat who believed that the Abolitionism in the United States, abolitio ...
. The act repealed the
Missouri Compromise The Missouri Compromise (also known as the Compromise of 1820) was federal legislation of the United States that balanced the desires of northern states to prevent the expansion of slavery in the country with those of southern states to expand ...
which aggravated the dissension between pro-slavery and anti-slavery Americans. Tabor and Augusta made a plan to ready themselves for marriage. Tabor would travel ahead to westward, get established, save some money, and return to Maine to marry Augusta. Together they would return to Kansas where they would fight for the abolition of slavery. In 1855, Tabor departed with his brother John for the
Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Slave and ...
with the New England Emigrant Aid Company to populate that territory with anti-
slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
settlers. He worked at
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as a stonemason to earn enough money to get married. He joined with other abolitionists, including John Brown, the firebrand who later led the raid on Harper's Ferry, to defend the town of Lawrence against pro-slavery men, which resulted in the Sacking of Lawrence. A member of the
Free Soil Party The Free Soil Party, also called the Free Democratic Party or the Free Democracy, was a political party in the United States from 1848 to 1854, when it merged into the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party. The party was focused o ...
, Tabor was elected to the Topeka Legislature, but that body was soon dispersed by President Pierce at the point of a bayonet.


Marriage to Augusta Pierce Tabor

Tabor married Augusta Pierce, the daughter of Lucy and William Pierce, on January 31, 1857. After their marriage at her family's home in Maine, the couple farmed for two years along Deep Creek in Zeandale, Kansas (known today as Tabor Valley). They had a son named Nathaniel Maxcy, who was also known as Maxey.


Pike's Peak Gold Rush

In 1859, the Tabors moved west during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush with other " Fifty-Niners" to
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(in
Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Slave and ...
at the time). Tabor, his wife, and son were transported by an oxen-driven
covered wagon A covered wagon, also called a prairie wagon, whitetop, or prairie schooner, is a horse-drawn or ox-drawn wagon used for passengers or freight hauling. It has a canvas, tarpaulin, or waterproof sheet which is stretched over removable wooden ...
. After the six-week journey, they arrived in Colorado in April 1859. They were among the initial pioneers in what is now the state of Colorado. They went to several places looking to mine gold before going to California Gulch in Oro City, near present-day
Leadville Leadville ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory city, statutory city that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only List of municipalities in Colorado, incorporated municipality in Lake County, Colorado, Lak ...
, in 1860. They began placer mining, and operated a small store there, but by 1861 the area was panned out. They moved to Park County, settling in Laurette in
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by 1862. The town of Laurette was later called Buckskin Joe. They operated a store and beginning in 1863 Tabor was the postmaster of Buckskin Joe. Tabor prospected area mines while Augusta ran the store, took in laundry, and cared for boarders. Augusta, one of the few women in the state at the time, made most of the money for the family by operating the store, boarding people, cooking and managing the mail. Called an "angel of mercy", she also cared for her neighbors. In 1863, the family's net worth was approximately $13,000 (). Augusta managed their bookkeeping. She felt that the area was safe and invited her unmarried sister Lillian Pierce to join them in Buckskin Joe. Lillian arrived by April 22, 1862. They left the area in 1868, upon hearing that there was a massive silver lode at the Printer Boy Mine in Oro City, which became part of Leadville in 1877. The Tabors moved there, where they operated a
general store A general merchant store (also known as general merchandise store, general dealer, village shop, or country store) is a rural or small-town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, someti ...
and Tabor was again a postmaster from April 1, 1878, to February 4, 1879. In 1877, Tabor was elected the first mayor of Leadville. Tabor hired lawman
Mart Duggan Martin J. "Mart" Duggan (November 10, 1848 – April 9, 1888) was a gunfighter of the American Old West who, although mostly unknown today and one of the most underrated gunmen of the Old West, was at the time one of the more feared men in the west. ...
, who is credited with finally bringing Leadville's violent crime rate under control.


Silver King

When George T. Hook and August Rische were unable to pay for their supplies at the general store, Tabor accepted payment in the form of a grubstake agreement for one third of their profit on the Little Pittsburg mine. Tabor entered into a number of grubstake agreements with the prospectors, knowing he would receive no monies if they did not strike silver in the mine. Augusta strongly disagreed with this approach, who felt that they should save their money. On May 3, 1878, the mine revealed massive silver lodes and kicked off the
Colorado Silver Boom The Colorado Silver Boom was a dramatic expansionist period of silver mining activity in the U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each st ...
. Tabor used the million or more ( per million) that he made from the sale of his interest in the Little Pittsburg mine in 1879 to invest in other holdings. He invested in the Chrysotile and the Matchless Mines, as well as mines in Cripple Creek,
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, the
San Juan Mountains The San Juan Mountains is a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico. The area is highly mineralized (the Colorado Mineral Belt) and figured in the gold and silver mining industry ...
, and the southwestern United States. By 1879, he was one of the richest men in Colorado, with six million or more dollars (). Tabor owned 4,600,000 acres of land in Colorado for grazing and 175,000 acres of land in Texas for copper mining. He sought enterprises, like irrigation canals, to provide work for laborers. In Honduras, he invested in ebony and mahogoney forests as well as mining and fruit operations. In Leadville, he donated monies for water works, rail lines, schools, and churches. He established newspapers, a bank, and the Tabor Opera House in Leadville. He displayed his philanthropy by, for example, donating the land under the Temple Israel in Leadville in 1884. Tabor donated the money for the Tabor Grand Opera House, built the Tabor Block and La Veta Place, and invested in real estate and other businesses in Denver. Tabor became a partner of
Marshall Field Marshall Field (August 18, 1834January 16, 1906) was an American entrepreneur and the founder of Marshall Field's, Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores. His business was renowned for its then-exceptional level of qua ...
of Chicago, with whom he made millions of dollars. In 1878, Tabor was elected Lieutenant Governor of Colorado and served in that post until January 1884. He served as U.S. Senator from January 27, 1883, until March 3, 1883, following the resignation of Henry M. Teller to become
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in the administration of
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Chester Arthur. He was the president of the Denver Chamber of Commerce and of the Board of Trade in 1891.


Divorce

In 1879, the Tabors moved to Denver. Tabor's relationship with his wife, who preferred to save their money, began to fall as Tabor became a reckless spender and he continued to be a gambler and speculator. The couple then lived in separate residences, Augusta resided in their Denver mansion. Tabor moved into the Windsor Hotel in the city, where he entertained women. He had an affair with Elizabeth McCourt, nicknamed Baby Doe. Requiring money to support herself, by 1882 she took in boarders and she filed a suit against Tabor for financial support. Without Augusta's knowledge, Tabor attained a divorce in
Durango, Colorado Durango is the home rule city that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 19,071 at the 2020 United States census. Durango is the home of Fort Lewis College ...
, in March 1882. Augusta filed for divorce on January 2, 1883, for desertion. She was awarded two properties worth a total of $250,000 () or a settlement of $400,000 () in late 1883.


Marriage to Elizabeth Doe McCourt

On March 1, 1883, Tabor finally married Elizabeth "Baby Doe" McCourt in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, leaving him a social outcast. The marriage produced two daughters, Elizabeth Bonduel "Lily" and Rosemary "Silver Dollar" Echo. During the initial years of their marriage, the Tabors lived a life of luxury, including extensive travel.


Later years and death

Tabor ran without success for
governor of Colorado The governor of Colorado is the head of government of the U.S. state of Colorado. The governor (United States), governor is the head of the Executive (government), executive branch of Government of Colorado, Colorado's state government and is cha ...
throughout the 1880s. Then, in 1893, the repeal of the
Sherman Silver Purchase Act The Sherman Silver Purchase Act was a United States federal law enacted on July 14, 1890, which increased the amount of silver the government was required to purchase on a recurrent monthly basis to 4.5 million ounces, roughly the entirety of the ...
in the administration of President
Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...
caused the value of silver to drop, which devastated Tabor's fortune. His holdings, including his mansion in Denver, were sold off and he worked in the mines. He was made postmaster of Denver in 1898 and lived in the city at the Windsor Hotel. When he became terminally ill with
appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the Appendix (anatomy), appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever and anorexia (symptom), decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these t ...
in 1899, Tabor's final request of Baby Doe was that she maintain the Matchless claim. Following his death, flags were flown at half staff and the ''Aspen Tribune'' reported that ten thousand people attended his funeral. His body was interred at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Denver and was later reinterred at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Jefferson County, Colorado. Baby Doe moved to Leadville and lived an impoverished life in the tool shed of the Matchless Mine. She froze to death in the shed in March 1935, after which she was buried alongside her husband in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Augusta Tabor fared better than her ex-husband. She made successful investments of her divorce settlement. On her death in 1895, she was among the wealthiest citizens of Denver, leaving half a million dollars () to her son. In ''Silver Dollar, the Story of the Tabors'', published in 1932, author David Karsner related that
William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running three times as the party' ...
, the politician and orator, visited the Tabors in 1890 shortly after the birth of their second daughter. Hearing the baby gurgle, Bryan exclaimed: "Why Senator, that baby's laughter has the ring of a silver dollar!" The Tabors had not yet decided on a name for the girl, and this remark was the inspiration for her name: Rosemary Silver Dollar Echo Honeymaid Tabor. After working as a newspaper reporter in Denver, Silver Dollar moved to Chicago and, living cheaply there, wrote a novel. Karsner wrote of ''Star of Blood'', "The best that can be said of Silver's book is that it was printed – not published." It was unpopular. Silver Dollar worked her minor celebrity for all it was worth, but after a string of burlesque and minor acting jobs, she spiraled even lower. The one-time "Girl of the Nile," says Karsner, liked heavy drinking and "Happy Dust." Going by the name of Ruth Norman, among many other aliases, after the men who supported her, she died at the age of thirty-five in 1925 by spilling a large kettle of boiling water on herself while she was extremely intoxicated.


Legacy

Tabor Lake in Pitkin County, Colorado, at the base of Tabor Peak. He was a prominent silver baron who "helped shape the foundation and the future of the Centennial State." His life is portrayed in the film '' Silver Dollar and the opera The Ballad of Baby Doe.


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * For more information about the documentary, se
IMDB
*


Further reading

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tabor, Horace A. W. 1830 births 1899 deaths Colorado Mining Boom Lieutenant governors of Colorado People from Orleans County, Vermont American prospectors American miners Mayors of places in Colorado People from Leadville, Colorado People from Park County, Colorado People from Denver Colorado postmasters Colorado Republicans Republican Party United States senators from Colorado Society of Colorado Pioneers American city founders Deaths from appendicitis Kansas Republicans People of the American Old West 19th-century United States senators