HIGH COUNTRY GOLD!

Post (c) by Doris McCraw/Angela Raines

Saturday October 1, 2016 was the first Saturday I'd had off since the middle of May. So what did I do? Did I sit and write? Did I work on edits for the Women Doctors paper? No, I played hooky and went to the high country. So I won't feel so guilty, I'm going to share the day with you.

Of course the camera was along and the aspens are turning, so here we go.

First stop along the way was the Hornbeck Homestead on the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument property. Below are photos of that property. I first wrote about Adeline Hornbeck on October 5, 2014 for PRP blog. You can read about her here: http://bit.ly/2dj2EPA

Dugout to the north of
the homestead house

The Hornbeck house, built in 1878

Then I headed on toward Cripple Creek and the Mount Pisgah Cemetery. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I appreciate the information and history I find in these mini museums.But there were a couple of shots of the gold that cried out to be captured on this back trail to town.

The back side of Pikes Peak

Mt. Pisgah

At the cemetery I searched and found the headstone for Pearl DeVere. Right next to her is Fred E. Krueger, for those who remember the Halloween films, the name may be familiar. I sometimes wonder if Pearl, the madam at the Homestead Parlor house who died 'accidently', would be as well known as she is if Mabel Barbee Lee had not written about her funeral in her charming book "Cripple Creek Days". For more about Pearl : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_de_Vere

Fred E. Krueger, not yet 20
 when he died.

Headstone for Pearl DeVere, her resting place is covered with
concrete to keep vandals out.

I also located Mollie O' Brian's headstone. She was the first women on a mining exchange in the country. In the 'Mining Investor' you will find the following quote, "Miss Mollie O'Brien is a successful operator in mines, both in Cripple Creek and Nevada and has been very successful in financing some of the largest properties of Cripple Creek and Goldfield." Mollie never married.

Mollie O'Brien 

I slipped into Cripple Creek for a quick photo of the 'Old Homestead' where Pearl and other ladies of the evening worked. Men had to pass a credit check before even entering, the prices were that high.

Now a museum- The Homestead Parlor House where Pearl DeVere was madam

I will leave you with some images of the natural gold in Colorado's high country.

Trail back to another part of Mt. Pisgah Cemetery

Gold against the cloudy sky

Multi-colored aspens

From Cripple Creek looking West

Thanks for trailing along. There was so much to see and I've so much to share. But we all need to get back to our creativity. Hope you enjoyed the break.

Angela Raines is the pen name for Doris McCraw. Doris also writes haiku posted five days a week at – http://fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com and has now passed one thousand haiku and photos posted on this blog. Check out her other work or like her Amazon author page:  http://amzn.to/1I0YoeL

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