Clara Brown
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Clara Brown (1800–1885) was a former enslaved woman from
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
who became a community leader and philanthropist. She helped formerly enslaved people become settled during Colorado's Gold Rush. She was known as the 'Angel of the Rockies' and made her mark as "Colorado's first black settler and a prosperous entrepreneur". Brown, born in Virginia in 1800, moved to Logan County, Kentucky, with her family. She married another enslaved person when she was 18 and they had four children. In 1835, Brown's family was broken apart when they were all sold to different slave owners. When Brown was 56, she received her freedom but was required by law to leave the state. She worked her way to
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
as a cook and laundress on a
wagon train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...
. Brown settled in the mining town now called
Central City, Colorado The historic City of Central, commonly known as Central City, is a home rule municipality located in Gilpin and Clear Creek counties, Colorado, United States. Central City is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Gilpin County. ...
where she worked as a laundress, cook, and midwife. With the money she made, she invested in properties and mines in nearby towns. Known as "Aunt Clara" for her emotional and financial support, Brown was a founding member of a
Sunday school A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West. Su ...
that was held in her home. At the end of the Civil War, Brown could freely travel and liquidated all of her investments to travel to Kentucky to find her daughter. Although she was unsuccessful, she paid the way for 16 or more relatives and others who were former slaves to move to Colorado. Finally, in 1882 she reunited with her daughter Eliza Jane and Eliza Jane's daughter. In 1885, the last year of her life, Clara Brown was voted into the
Society of Colorado Pioneers The Society of Colorado Pioneers was formed in 1872 to recognize and support the first Anglo-American ethnic group, Anglo American settlers in Colorado. The organization originally only for men, spun off a woman's auxiliary group and later a sons ...
for her role in Colorado's early history. Brown was inducted into the
Colorado Women's Hall of Fame The Colorado Women's Hall of Fame is a non-profit, volunteer organization that recognizes women who have contributed to the history of the U.S. state of Colorado. As of 2020, 170 women have been inducted. History There was a short-lived recogniti ...
in 1989 and the Colorado Business Hall of Fame in 2022. The story of her life was told through the opera ''Gabriel's Daughter'' at the
Central City Opera House The Central City Opera House is located in the Central City/Black Hawk Historic District in Central City, Colorado, United States. It was constructed in 1878. It has offered operatic and theatrical productions that drew prominent actors and perf ...
in 2003.


Early life

Clara Brown was born into slavery near
Fredericksburg, Virginia Fredericksburg is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,982. The Bureau of Economic Analysis of the United States Department of Commerce combines the city of Fredericksburg wi ...
on January 1, 1800. At a young age, Clara and her mother were sold to Ambrose Smith, a tobacco farmer in Virginia, and worked in the fields. Clara married a slave named Richard at 18 years of age. Together they had four children: Richard, Margaret, Paulina Ann, and Eliza Jane. Paulina and Eliza were twins. Paulina drowned when she was 8. She was also held at some point by the Smith family in Kentucky.Clara Brown Biography, A&E Network. In 1835, Brown's owner, Ambrose Smith, died. To settle the estate, Brown's family were sold separately at a slave auction, after which they were sent to different, distant locations. A plantation owner from Kentucky, George Brown, sensed her intelligence and strength and placed high bids to attain her.


Freedom

At the age of 56, Clara Brown was granted her freedom, as stipulated in George Brown's will. She left the state upon receiving her freedom according to a Kentucky law.


Kentucky to Colorado

Brown was hired as a maid and cook by a family heading to the westward departure point of Leavenworth 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 ...
. From there, Brown was hired by Colonel Benjamin Wadsworth in April 1859 to work on a
wagon train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...
as a cook for 26 men. It was a hot, difficult eight-week journey to
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, made more uncomfortable by the complaints of a southern man about a black woman traveling with them. Brown is believed to be Colorado’s gold rush first African American woman.


Denver and Central City

In the Denver area, Brown settled in nearby Auraria where she worked at the City Bakery. She was one of the founding members of the
nondenominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...
Union
Sunday school A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West. Su ...
through her affiliation with two
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
missionary ministers. Following the tide of miners heading into the mountains, Brown set up the first laundry in
Gilpin County Gilpin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado, smallest in land area behind only the City and County of Broomfield. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,808. The county seat is Central City. The county was formed in 18 ...
in Gregory Gulch, now called
Central City, Colorado The historic City of Central, commonly known as Central City, is a home rule municipality located in Gilpin and Clear Creek counties, Colorado, United States. Central City is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Gilpin County. ...
. She also worked as a midwife, cook and nursemaid. Brown's income grew substantially when she expanded her laundry business after taking a partner. She invested her earnings in mine claims and land and within several years had accumulated $10,000 in savings and reportedly owned 16 lots in Denver, 7 houses in Central City, and property and mines in
Boulder In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In c ...
, Georgetown, and
Idaho Springs The City of Idaho Springs is the Statutory City that is the most populous municipality in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States. Idaho Springs is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 ...
. Brown gave generously of herself to those in the community. She hosted the first Methodist church services at her house and helped those in need any way she could, including newly settled Euro-Americans and Native Americans. Called "Aunt Clara," her home was "a hospital, a home, a general refuge for those who were sick or in poverty." Brown donated to the construction of the Catholic Church and the first Protestant church in the
Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
. Frank C. Young, who some called the
Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...
of the
Rockies The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Can ...
said of Brown:
In our little community everyone knew everyone else, whatever might be the positive differences in social position. In this connection, I might speak of Aunt Clara Brown. She was raised in old Kentucky, and with her own freedom secured after years of persistent, patient toil, when well along in life she joined the procession of gold seekers to Gregory Gulch. Through the unusual returns of a mining camp for labor such as hers, she was able to bring out from the old plantation her children and later her children’s children elatives and with them, whether aided by her efforts or stimulated by her example, have, year by year, come many others of her race, worthily represented by the Poynters, the Lees, the Nelsons and other families who are as tenacious of recognition as subjects of the 'little kingdom' as you or I may be.


Attempts to find her family and aid to former slaves

Letters were sent to locate her family with the aid of literate friends. Brown heard that her husband Richard and daughter Margaret had both died and her son Richard was lost, but she vowed to find her daughter Eliza Jane. At the end of the Civil War, she liquidated her holdings to travel back to Gallatin,
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
. She did not find Eliza Jane, but she helped 16 relatives and others who were former enslaved people travel to Colorado by train and wagon train. She helped them find work once they were settled. Brown also went to Kansas in 1879, to help former slaves "build a community and farm the land." At eighty years of age, Brown's funds were depleted through charitable contributions, her efforts to find her family, and having been cheated by real estate agents. Brown moved to Denver when she could no longer sustain the higher altitude and lived in the home of a friend. After years of writing letters, Brown heard that her daughter lived in
Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha–Council Bluffs ...
and traveled there at 82 years of age to meet her. The ''Council Bluffs Nonpareil'' reported on March 4, 1882, that Brown was "still strong, vigorous, tall, her hair thickly streaked with gray, her face kind." Brown returned to Denver with her granddaughter after a lengthy visit and was later visited by her daughter, Eliza Jane, until Brown's death. In remembrance of her pioneering role in Colorado history, she was voted into the
Society of Colorado Pioneers The Society of Colorado Pioneers was formed in 1872 to recognize and support the first Anglo-American ethnic group, Anglo American settlers in Colorado. The organization originally only for men, spun off a woman's auxiliary group and later a sons ...
and interviewed by the ''Denver Tribune-Republican'' on June 26, 1885.


Death and memorials

Clara Brown died in Denver on October 23, 1885 and was buried in Denver's Riverside Cemetery. Colorado state dignitaries were in attendance at her funeral, including Denver mayor
John Long Routt John Long Routt (April 25, 1826 – August 13, 1907) was an Americans, American politician of the Republican Party. Born in Eddyville, Kentucky, he served as the List of governors of Colorado, first and seventh governor of Colorado from 1876 to ...
and governor
James Benton Grant James Benton Grant (January 2, 1848 – November 1, 1911) was an American mining engineer, Confederate soldier, and the third Governor of Colorado from 1883 to 1885. He was born in Russell County, Alabama and died in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. ...
. The
Central City Opera House The Central City Opera House is located in the Central City/Black Hawk Historic District in Central City, Colorado, United States. It was constructed in 1878. It has offered operatic and theatrical productions that drew prominent actors and perf ...
dedicated a permanent memorial chair in her name. Brown is the subject of the opera ''Gabriel's Daughter'' by
Henry Mollicone Henry Mollicone (March 20, 1946 – May 12, 2022) was an American composer and musical instructor. He died on May 12, 2022, following a lengthy illness. At the time of his death, his home was in Saratoga, California. ''The Washington Post'' calle ...
and
William Luce William Aubert Luce (October 16, 1931 – December 9, 2019) was an American writer, primarily for the stage and television.Barnes, Mik"William Luce, 'Belle of Amherst' and 'Barrymore' Playwright, Dies at 88"''The Hollywood Reporter'' December 9, ...
, which premiered at
Central City Opera Central City Opera is the fifth-oldest opera company in the United States, founded in 1932 by Julie Penrose and Anne Evans. Each festival is presented in the 550-seat historic Central City Opera House built in 1878 in the gold mining era town of Ce ...
in 2003. Brown was inducted into the
Colorado Women's Hall of Fame The Colorado Women's Hall of Fame is a non-profit, volunteer organization that recognizes women who have contributed to the history of the U.S. state of Colorado. As of 2020, 170 women have been inducted. History There was a short-lived recogniti ...
in 1989 and on January 27, 2022 she was inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame.


See also

*
History of slavery in Colorado The history of slavery in Colorado began centuries before Colorado achieved statehood when Spanish colonists of Santa Fe de Nuevo México (1598–1848) enslaved Native Americans, called Genízaros. Southern Colorado was part of the Spanish territo ...
*
List of African American pioneers of Colorado List of African American pioneers of Colorado includes a list of early settlers or notable "first" figures in Colorado's history. The list includes women inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame, like Clara Brown and Justina Ford. Where th ...


Notes


References


Bibliography


Clara Brown Biography (1800-1885)
Biography Channel. A&E Network. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
Colorado Women's Hall of Fame, Clara Brown.
Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2011. * * . * * . * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Clara 1800 births 1885 deaths 19th-century American slaves Colorado Mining Boom Society of Colorado Pioneers People from Central City, Colorado American midwives People from Denver Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductees African-American history of Colorado 19th-century African-American women