The Legend of Baby Doe: The Life and Times of the Silver Queen of the West

by John Burke, Duane A. Smith (Introduction)

In her pulchritudinous prime Baby Doe was called the Silver Queen of Colorado by journalists and "that shameless hussy" by the proper wives of the men who eyed her. Flirtatious, adventurous, ambitious, Elizabeth McCourt Doe gave everyone a lot to talk about when she met Horace Tabor, the Silver King of Leadville, in 1880. Three years later they were free to legalize their passion. Although thirty years separated them, they were well matched in romantic recklessness. If The Legend of Baby Doe is the lowdown on the high jinks of two public lives, it is also the story of a love that survived spectacularly good times and bad. Before bad times came, Baby and Horace went on a spending spree. They built an opulent opera house in Denver and bought an Italian-ate villa. Baby Doe went out bejeweled and ermined, and sat at home alone, snubbed by the social dragons. John Burke has written about the giddy rise of a bonanza king who dreamed of entering the White House with Baby Doe on his arm and about the disastrous fall they took together. Wiped out by unwise investments and the Panic of 1893, Tabor soon died, leaving Baby Doe and their two daughters penniless. Reportedly, his deathbed order was to "hang on to the Matchless," a played-out mine filled with water. She managed to do that for almost four decades, struggling heroically against loneliness, poverty, and heartbreak, and becoming one of the great legends of the American West.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Legend of Baby Doe: The Life and Times of the Silver Queen of the West is a book about Elizabeth McCourt (Baby Doe), Horace Tabor, and the history of Colorado.

We start with a young Baby Doe growing up in Oshkosh, WI; her first marriage; and her move out to Central City, CO during the late 1870’s. Once she meets Horace Tabor, the focus turns away from her and moves to Horace and the history of Colorado and mining. During this part of the book, we are not given any information into Baby’s life other than her desire to fit into Denver’s top society. At the passing of Horace Tabor the focus, once again, shifts back to Baby Doe.

I appreciate the small view into Colorado history and the Tabor’s. But I was left disappointed and wanting when I finished the book. There’s not much depth—we never get to know Baby or Horace, which make them feel unreal to me.

There are two reasons I felt the way I did about this book. The first is the author never lets us get to know the Tabor’s. Baby Doe left behind several trunks full of writings: letters, journal entries, recorded dreams. Why these were not used more to show us who Baby really was I do not know. The second was the writing. For me the sentence structure was often confusing, there were a lot of redundancies, poor punctuation, and the end of the book was all over the place.

This is the only book I’ve read on Baby Doe or Horace Tabor, so I can’t say if there are better books out there. Honestly, I don't recommend this book.

[Lauren Fee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciated this book in my endeavor to better educate myself about Colorado history. I had no idea the role that the mining industry played with the national politics surrounding the US gold vs silver backed treasury system that I found fascinating. The Tabor’s were also the end of the era of individuals being able to strike it big in mining before corporations took over. Tabor, “the silver king” and Baby Doe were a train wreck in so many ways primarily due to their poor character and choices, but I liked how this book described their lives after they lost their fortune. The reader could see and decide for themselves the ways in which they both grew and responded to adversity in some virtuous ways that were admirable.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating rags-to-riches story of Elizabeth McCourt, whose incredible beauty caught the attention of Henry Tabor, the Silver King of Denver. For a while the pair lived like royalty, but a happy ever after ending was not to be. Well researched biography.

[Christine Whittington · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second-best nonfiction book about Baby Doe Tabor, after "Baby Doe Tabor: The Madwoman in the Cabin" by Judy Nolte Temple. Burke's book very much reflects the legendary Baby Doe and relies on previously written material, such as the articles by "historian" Caroline Bancroft. Much of Bancroft's history was invented so that it could be sold to the true confession magazine, True Story.

What saves this edition of "The Legend of Baby Doe" is the 1989 introduction by historian Duane Smith, who unpacks the strengths and weaknesses of Burke's earlier book for the discerning reader.

[Shirley (stampartiste) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up over 20 years ago when we visited the Matchless Mine in Leadville, Colorado. At the time, the story of Baby Doe intrigued me so much and yet it took 20 years for me to finally read this book. I am so glad I did. It was so well-researched and well-written. Not only did Burke delve into the life of Baby Doe Tabor and her "rags to riches to rags" husband Horace, but he also wrote about the events and places in which she lived. There was so much wonderful history in this book about the gold and silver rushes of the 1880s, and of the miners and mining towns, but also of Colorado and United States history and the famous people (such as Theodore Roosevelt, Sarah Bernhardt and Oscar Wilde) who visited the west during these exciting times. A gem of a book.

[Genny20 · Rating 3 out of 5]

really had been expecting more about Baby Doe herself, her life, her journals and or feelings, i feel like its definitely more focused on her surroundings and her husband. While I do know it said the life and times, the title is misleading because we dont get much about Baby Doe after the first chapter or two and then again during last three chapters or so. Kind of a disappointment really that it wasnt more of a story or a journal type. And a lot of the ways they described the women in the book really reminded me that this was being written from a male perspective.

[Ginny Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Horace Taber-Baby Doe story has been part of my life since I was a young girl when my family would drive up to the Denver/Leadville areas on summer holidays. I've visited the Taber Mansion in Denver, been in the Opera House in Leadville, etc.

After a summer visit this year to Colorado Springs, my interest was renewed. Found this book in the bookshelf. Gave myself permission to scan parts that were heavy on detail. I'm happy that I revisited the subject. 7/24

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the story as a child and now as an adult. Books about her life on Oskosh to moving to co with husband #1 to divorce to marrying Horace Tabor their riches , two daughters to loosing everything to his death, silver dollars life/death to her life at the matchless mine to her death

[Linda Paschen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a native Wisconsinite so that's why this book caught my interest.

[Ginger Ellison · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly researched & written

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you visit Leadville, you HAVE to read this book and visit the Matchless Mine and shack. A very interesting story about a silver miner, Horace Tabor and his second wife, Elizabeth, known as Baby Doe. Their brief, extravagant life together before the Panic of 1893 and Horace's death that left Baby Doe and their two daughters very poor. One of the legends of the American West.

[Viv Eliot · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a life! Writing is a bit pretentious, but overall a good book!