Vestiges of the Old West: Silverheels LbNA #43970
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Oct 10, 2008 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Alma |
| County: | Park |
| State: | Colorado |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Planted by: | boxtops  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | CA Breakfast Burritos |
| Last found: | Aug 1, 2023 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFaFF |
| Last edited: | Oct 10, 2008 |
VESTIGES OF THE OLD WEST: Silverheels
My name is Jed…most folks know me by ‘Spike’ ‘cuz that was my job. Fer dad-burn near 30 years I was the spike man for Joe Higganbottom. Some folks only know him as ‘Buckskin Joe’. We was a great team. Sittin’ up here on this mountainside brings back a lot of memories. Don’t seem that long ago….I had jest turned 20 when Joe and I teamed up; it was August of 1859.
Down the hill thar a spell used to be a town, it swelled up real good too. Almost 2,000 people at one time. We named it after Joe. It even had 14 stores, 2 hotels and a post office; course the most important parts were the gamin’ halls and saloons whar ya could wet yer whistle and forget about the dust fer awhile. That’s whar I first seen her. Lordy, she war a sight. Plumb beautiful with a smile that would light up the mortuary. They called her ‘Silverheels’ on account of the silver shoes she always wore. Just one look from Silverheels and I was took fer good. Everybody loved her.
I planned on strikin’ it rich with Joe then asking Silverheels to be my bride. I figured three good years was all I needed. Then it happened. Not too long after the new courthouse was built in ‘61, Smallpox come into town. The doc and the marshall sent letters off to Denver asking for help, but none came. Sheesh, all the refined people skipped town in a big hurry. Many of the miners stayed behind cuz they feared claim jumpers would take their stakes. Thar warn’t no women or children on the streets atoll, ‘cept for Silverheels. She stayed behind to help care for the miners who were sick, includin’ me.
I don’t remember much about them days, only seeing her smile hoverin’ over my face telling me it’d be alright. She stayed by our sides day and night, carin’ for us and cookin’ and cleanin’. If it weren’t for Silverheels, many more of us miners would have died that year. Then Silverheels come down with the ‘pox. She was real sick and we feared the worst, but she pulled through. We all cheered! After the worst wuz over, Silver heels left the infirmary and went back to her cabin. We wuz all so greatful for all she had done that we wanted to thank her proper. We took up a collection and raised $5,000. A bunch of us miners took off to her cabin to give it to her…when we got there, she war gone. Nothin’ left, ‘cept her silver heels sittin’ on the table. My heart just broke. I think she feared no one would want a girl with scars left from the ‘pox. We never did see her agin and was real sadden that we didn’t get to tell her how much we cared for her and how much she meant to us.
We gave everyone back their money and pondered a while ‘bout what we could do. We finally landed on a great ider…we named the peak to the north of town, Mount Silverheels. That’s whar I’m sittin now. I come up here now agin and remember my only love…still beautiful after all these years.
Years later, from time to time some folks claim to have seen a woman with a veil putting flowers on the graves of some of my friends who died from the pox that year. I never did see her, perhaps you will.
To find Silverheels, head to Alma, Colorado on CO hwy 9. Mt. Silverheels is to the Northeast of Alma on the east side of hwy 9; however, we are headed to the old site of Buckskin Joe, now just a memory. (To get a self guided auto tour of the historic Buckskin Joe area, pick it up at the Fairplay Ranger station before you get to Alma.) About mid-way through Alma take Buckskin Road (CR 8), heading west. The road curves around, just follow the sign to Kite Lake. The Buckskin Joe location is 1.6 miles up this road. Just before you get to the site you will see a chain link fence to your left, immediately afterward (a tenth of a mile) take your first turn to the right. Follow this dirt road up the hill to the Buckskin Joe/Alma cemetery. Pass straight through the dirt intersection until you reach the entry to the cemetery.
This cemetery is sprawled out all over the mountainside, so instructions are fairly detailed. From the entrance proceed straight forward; not right. You will go over a slight rise, stay right at the Y. Past 3 large trees on the right; approximately 15 paces past the trees the road will begin to elbow to the left, park in this elbow. This is less than a tenth of a mile from the entrance, if you get to another intersection of several dirt roads, you’ve gone too far. From the elbow, you should see an iron enclosure surrounding Lorenzo McConnell. Standing at the west corner of the enclosure, take a reading of 100*. Six paces away you will see a large pine tree surrounded by a bunch of little pine trees. Head around to the other side of this grouping to get to the stump next too the large pine. Silverheels rests within the stump under rocks.
We were really hoping to be able to spot some of the final resting places of Silverheel’s friends that she tried to save…unfortunately; we were unable to locate any of the miner’s graves from 1861. We chose Lorenzo, since the date of his death is unknown. To us, he symbolized the miners, forgotten and left behind by all except Silverheels.
Her story struck me as an incredible testament to man’s love for man; regardless of the cost. Jeb is fictitious, all other facts are true. I hope you enjoy Silverheels as much as we did…
the sporaddicts
My name is Jed…most folks know me by ‘Spike’ ‘cuz that was my job. Fer dad-burn near 30 years I was the spike man for Joe Higganbottom. Some folks only know him as ‘Buckskin Joe’. We was a great team. Sittin’ up here on this mountainside brings back a lot of memories. Don’t seem that long ago….I had jest turned 20 when Joe and I teamed up; it was August of 1859.
Down the hill thar a spell used to be a town, it swelled up real good too. Almost 2,000 people at one time. We named it after Joe. It even had 14 stores, 2 hotels and a post office; course the most important parts were the gamin’ halls and saloons whar ya could wet yer whistle and forget about the dust fer awhile. That’s whar I first seen her. Lordy, she war a sight. Plumb beautiful with a smile that would light up the mortuary. They called her ‘Silverheels’ on account of the silver shoes she always wore. Just one look from Silverheels and I was took fer good. Everybody loved her.
I planned on strikin’ it rich with Joe then asking Silverheels to be my bride. I figured three good years was all I needed. Then it happened. Not too long after the new courthouse was built in ‘61, Smallpox come into town. The doc and the marshall sent letters off to Denver asking for help, but none came. Sheesh, all the refined people skipped town in a big hurry. Many of the miners stayed behind cuz they feared claim jumpers would take their stakes. Thar warn’t no women or children on the streets atoll, ‘cept for Silverheels. She stayed behind to help care for the miners who were sick, includin’ me.
I don’t remember much about them days, only seeing her smile hoverin’ over my face telling me it’d be alright. She stayed by our sides day and night, carin’ for us and cookin’ and cleanin’. If it weren’t for Silverheels, many more of us miners would have died that year. Then Silverheels come down with the ‘pox. She was real sick and we feared the worst, but she pulled through. We all cheered! After the worst wuz over, Silver heels left the infirmary and went back to her cabin. We wuz all so greatful for all she had done that we wanted to thank her proper. We took up a collection and raised $5,000. A bunch of us miners took off to her cabin to give it to her…when we got there, she war gone. Nothin’ left, ‘cept her silver heels sittin’ on the table. My heart just broke. I think she feared no one would want a girl with scars left from the ‘pox. We never did see her agin and was real sadden that we didn’t get to tell her how much we cared for her and how much she meant to us.
We gave everyone back their money and pondered a while ‘bout what we could do. We finally landed on a great ider…we named the peak to the north of town, Mount Silverheels. That’s whar I’m sittin now. I come up here now agin and remember my only love…still beautiful after all these years.
Years later, from time to time some folks claim to have seen a woman with a veil putting flowers on the graves of some of my friends who died from the pox that year. I never did see her, perhaps you will.
To find Silverheels, head to Alma, Colorado on CO hwy 9. Mt. Silverheels is to the Northeast of Alma on the east side of hwy 9; however, we are headed to the old site of Buckskin Joe, now just a memory. (To get a self guided auto tour of the historic Buckskin Joe area, pick it up at the Fairplay Ranger station before you get to Alma.) About mid-way through Alma take Buckskin Road (CR 8), heading west. The road curves around, just follow the sign to Kite Lake. The Buckskin Joe location is 1.6 miles up this road. Just before you get to the site you will see a chain link fence to your left, immediately afterward (a tenth of a mile) take your first turn to the right. Follow this dirt road up the hill to the Buckskin Joe/Alma cemetery. Pass straight through the dirt intersection until you reach the entry to the cemetery.
This cemetery is sprawled out all over the mountainside, so instructions are fairly detailed. From the entrance proceed straight forward; not right. You will go over a slight rise, stay right at the Y. Past 3 large trees on the right; approximately 15 paces past the trees the road will begin to elbow to the left, park in this elbow. This is less than a tenth of a mile from the entrance, if you get to another intersection of several dirt roads, you’ve gone too far. From the elbow, you should see an iron enclosure surrounding Lorenzo McConnell. Standing at the west corner of the enclosure, take a reading of 100*. Six paces away you will see a large pine tree surrounded by a bunch of little pine trees. Head around to the other side of this grouping to get to the stump next too the large pine. Silverheels rests within the stump under rocks.
We were really hoping to be able to spot some of the final resting places of Silverheel’s friends that she tried to save…unfortunately; we were unable to locate any of the miner’s graves from 1861. We chose Lorenzo, since the date of his death is unknown. To us, he symbolized the miners, forgotten and left behind by all except Silverheels.
Her story struck me as an incredible testament to man’s love for man; regardless of the cost. Jeb is fictitious, all other facts are true. I hope you enjoy Silverheels as much as we did…
the sporaddicts