Leadville, Here We Come!

Near the end of the 19th century Nicholas Schutz, son of German immigrants, along with his cousin, joined the ranks of people seeking their fortunes in the silver mines of Leadville, Colorado. Only one of them made it back home alive....But this is not the story of those men. Because to my regret, as a child I never asked more about this strange anomaly in our family history. But, spoiler alert: it was my great grandfather who had to bring his cousin's body back home, which is why I'm here to tell the tale. (I say "strange anomaly" because other than this guy, that side of my family isn't known for their adventurousness. Subsequent generations dropped anchor and stayed put in the same town.)

My great grandfather Nicholas Schutz (seated) and his cousin

Instead this is a story with two different threads. First up is how writers pick locations and the challenges of depicting a location remotely, both in time and space.

I'm currently working on a story for the Women of Destiny series for Prairie Rose Publications. The  real life Bassett Sisters, Josie and Anne, inspired me as I breathed life to my literary heroine. Since Josie and Anne hailed from Brown's Park, CO, I decided to set my novel in that state. The story opens in Denver, where both main characters, strangers to one another, are preparing to journey to their respective homes west of the city. They have to travel on horseback for a time into the Rockies. I wanted them to spend enough time together on the trail where they got to know each other as they wrestle with a mutual attraction, but I didn't want them wandering around in the mountains the whole novel.

So, that was the first challenge. I studied maps of Colorado to find a reasonable destination not too far from Denver but just far enough. I had to figure such things as mileage and then try and convert hours by car to hours on horseback. (I could've made up a town, but I wanted to make it so much harder on myself). I toyed with several locations but none of them felt right. While I was Googling cities in Colorado like mad, I was watched over by a photograph I keep on my desk. It's an old, faded image of my great grandfather and his cousin taken in a studio to memorize their trip out west. Literally every day I look at this picture. I often wonder about this ill-fated adventure to strike it rich in the Leadville silver boom. Leadville. Of course.

For the first time, I delved into the history of this town my direct ancestor had headed off to. The first things I saw in my internet search are the historic Healy House and the Tabor Opera House on Harrison Ave. I had to take a deep breath. My daughter's first name is Healy. Her middle name is Harrison (both family surnames: her whole name is a string of family last names). Leadville, you got me!

Only, I've never been to Leadville.

Harrison Ave., Leadville, CO, circa 1880 (Wikipedia)

How do I write about a place I've never been to? But if I only wrote about places I know first-hand, all my stories would be set in a suburb of Chicago--even my medieval romances. Lucky for us writers, there is a wealth of information accessible from our laptops. Authenticity in settings is the first thing that's going to send me off wandering down side paths, searching the internet. First I go to the area's website, any travel sites, and articles I can find. I also walk the streets virtually through Google Maps. This gives me a good sense of the geography and layout of the town.

Next I study historic street maps and old images of the town from the time period when my story is set. Doing this is extremely helpful to me. In my current WIP very little of the story actually takes place in Leadville, but it's an important section. I could have kept my characters indoors through this part of the book, but I did want them to take a walk. I had to do my best giving my characters the sights and sounds of Leadville at the turn of the century.

Now that I've gotten to know Leadville a little better, I find it is an amazing place. Quick fact: Leadville, CO is the highest incorporated city in America. It's a large flat plain in the heart of the Rockies, ringed by mountain pikes and natural beauty. Famous past residents include Doc Holliday, the Unsinkable Molly Brown, and Baby Doe Tabor of Matchless Mine fame.

What I find astonishing about Leadville is how quickly it sprung up. Leadville's story is much like the stories of many of the boom-towns had grew up after the discovery of a precious mineral--in this case silver. These towns rose and fell with the discovery and depletion of precious minerals. They were dynamic and had surprisingly diverse populations.

The 2017 census of Leadville puts its population at under 3,000. Quite a drop in population from its 30,000 residents in the 1880's, which is even more jaw-dropping considering the town was only founded in 1877. By 1880 the town had gas lighting, water mains, 28 miles of streets, 5 churches, 6 banks (!), and a school with just over 1,000 pupils. How in the world was all this accomplished so quickly? Let's look at some of its historic buildings.

The construction of the Tabor Opera House is emblematic of rise of a western boom-town.

Tabor Opera House on Harrison Ave, Leadville, CO (Wikicommons)

In 1879, Horace Austin Warner Tabor (future husband of Baby Doe, but at this point married to his first wife), a successful mining magnate built the opera house. All the materials had to be brought in by wagon from elsewhere--an arduous task. It was one of the most costly structures to be built in its time and completed in a record 100 days.

The Healy House (https://www.historycolorado.org/healy-house-museum-dexter-cabin)

The Healy House, built in the Greek Revival style by August Meyers for his bride Emma in 1878. Ten years later the house was bought by Irish immigrant cousins Daniel and Nellie Healy and converted to a boarding house. It was one of the social hubs of the day and a desirable place to reside for the influx of fortune-seekers.

Dexter Cabin

In the shadow of Healy House is Dexter Cabin. By the time mining investor, James V. Dexter, finished his log cabin, he had become a millionaire. They don't call them boom-towns for nothing.

Another historic building of interest is the Temple Israel, pointing to the diversity which could be found in a frontier town. The Jewish population of Leadville blossomed in the first five years to the point a place of worship was needed. In the early 1880's Jews accounted for one percent, or about 300 people, of the city. The temple was dedicated in 1884. 

Temple Israel, Leadville

To be able to put my great grandfather in the context of the Leadville's brief heyday gives his story more dimension than I had before. True, I don't know much of his story, but I can now imagine him in this unique time and place in history. I don't know how his cousin died (or even the poor man's name). I don't know if they were successful while there. I do know Nicholas did strike it rich digging in the dirt later. He made a small fortune digging building foundations in Evanston, Illinois. If you have an older home in Evanston, he's probably the guy who responsible for your basement. I'm delighted to uncover a lost aspect of Nicholas' life and to know I have a connection to a frontier boom-town.

Writers, how do you choose your settings? What resources do you find helpful?