Baby Doe Tabor
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth McCourt Tabor better known as Baby Doe, was the second wife of pioneer Colorado
businessman Horace Tabor. Horace Tabor's divorce and subsequent marriage to the young and beautiful Baby Doe caused a major scandal in 1880s Colorado. Although Tabor was one of the wealthiest men in Colorado when she married him, he later lost his entire fortune, and Baby Doe Tabor lived the rest of her life in poverty. Her tragic story inspired the opera The Ballad of Baby Doe
.
, where he operated the Fourth of July gold mine, and she soon gained the nickname “Baby Doe”.
Harvey Doe fell into financial and drinking problems. Disenchanted with her husband, Elizabeth "Baby" Doe went to Leadville, Colorado
, where she caught the attention of mining millionaire Horace Tabor. Tabor was also married, but in 1880 he left his wife Augusta to spend his time with Baby Doe. Baby Doe divorced Harvey Doe in March 1880, and Tabor established her in plush suites at hotels in Leadville and Denver.
Augusta Tabor refused to grant a divorce, but Horace Tabor had his lawyer file divorce proceedings in Durango, Colorado
in January 1882. The filing was irregular, however, and once Tabor realized that the tactic would not work, he had the county clerk paste together two pages in the records, to hide the action. Despite his existing marriage to Augusta, Horace Tabor and Elizabeth McCourt Doe married secretly in St. Louis, Missouri
, in September 1882.
Tabor finally obtained a legal divorce in January 1883. That same month, the Colorado State Legislature appointed him to a 30-day term as United States senator, to fill a temporary vacancy.
Baby Doe and Horace married publicly on 1 March 1883, just two months after Tabor had divorced his first wife. She was 28; he was 52. The marriage took place during Tabor’s brief tenure as a US senator, at the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC, attended by US President Chester A. Arthur
. After he performed the ceremony, the Catholic priest learned that both Horace and Baby Doe had been divorced, and refused to sign the marriage license. Although Tabor’s contemporaries had winked at or ignored his dalliance with Baby Doe, Tabor’s divorce and quick remarriage created a scandal which prevented the couple from being accepted in polite society.
Baby Doe had two daughters: Elizabeth Bonduel Lily Tabor, born 1884 and known as Lily, and Rose Mary Echo Silver Dollar Tabor, born 1889 and known as Silver Dollar.
Horace Tabor lost his fortune in 1893, because of unwise investments and the drop in the price of silver. To save him from poverty, some political friends arranged his appointment as postmaster of Denver in 1898, a post which he held until his death in 1899 at age 69.
Daughter Lily Tabor left her mother to live with Baby Doe’s family in Wisconsin, and later even denied that she was Baby Doe’s daughter. Baby Doe’s other daughter, Silver Dollar Tabor, became a dancer in Chicago under various names. In 1925, Silver Dollar was found scalded to death under suspicious circumstances in her Chicago boarding house, where she was living as "Ruth Norman".
In the winter of 1935, after a snowstorm, some neighbors noticed that no smoke was coming out of the chimney at the Matchless mine cabin. Investigating, they found Baby Doe, her body frozen on the floor. Her remaining possessions were auctioned off to souvenir collectors for $700. Baby Doe Tabor is buried with her husband in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Colorado
.
; Edward G. Robinson
played Yates Martin, a fictionalized Horace Tabor.
Douglas Moore's opera The Ballad of Baby Doe premiered in Central City, Colorado
in 1956. In the New York premiere in 1958, Baby Doe was sung by Beverly Sills
.
In the 1970s, a string of western-themed "Baby Doe's Matchless Mine" restaurants was established in a number of US cities. Almost all are now closed.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
businessman Horace Tabor. Horace Tabor's divorce and subsequent marriage to the young and beautiful Baby Doe caused a major scandal in 1880s Colorado. Although Tabor was one of the wealthiest men in Colorado when she married him, he later lost his entire fortune, and Baby Doe Tabor lived the rest of her life in poverty. Her tragic story inspired the opera The Ballad of Baby Doe
The Ballad of Baby Doe
The Ballad of Baby Doe is an opera by the American composer Douglas Moore that uses an English-language libretto by John Latouche. It is Moore's most famous opera and one of the few American operas to be in the standard repertory...
.
Early life and marriage
Baby Doe was born Elizabeth Bonduel McCourt in Oshkosh, Wisconsin to Irish immigrant parents. At age 17, Elizabeth McCourt married Harvey Doe, and in 1877 went with her husband to Central City, ColoradoCentral City, Colorado
Central City is a home rule municipality in Clear Creek and Gilpin counties in the U.S. state of Colorado, and the county seat of Gilpin County. The city population was 515 in the 2000 United States Census...
, where he operated the Fourth of July gold mine, and she soon gained the nickname “Baby Doe”.
Harvey Doe fell into financial and drinking problems. Disenchanted with her husband, Elizabeth "Baby" Doe went to Leadville, Colorado
Leadville, Colorado
Leadville is a Statutory City that is the county seat of, and the only municipality in, Lake County, Colorado, United States. Situated at an elevation of , Leadville is the highest incorporated city and the second highest incorporated municipality in the United States...
, where she caught the attention of mining millionaire Horace Tabor. Tabor was also married, but in 1880 he left his wife Augusta to spend his time with Baby Doe. Baby Doe divorced Harvey Doe in March 1880, and Tabor established her in plush suites at hotels in Leadville and Denver.
Augusta Tabor refused to grant a divorce, but Horace Tabor had his lawyer file divorce proceedings in Durango, Colorado
Durango, Colorado
The City of Durango is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau said that the city population was 16,887 in 2010 census.-History:...
in January 1882. The filing was irregular, however, and once Tabor realized that the tactic would not work, he had the county clerk paste together two pages in the records, to hide the action. Despite his existing marriage to Augusta, Horace Tabor and Elizabeth McCourt Doe married secretly in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, in September 1882.
Tabor finally obtained a legal divorce in January 1883. That same month, the Colorado State Legislature appointed him to a 30-day term as United States senator, to fill a temporary vacancy.
Marriage to Tabor
Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...
. After he performed the ceremony, the Catholic priest learned that both Horace and Baby Doe had been divorced, and refused to sign the marriage license. Although Tabor’s contemporaries had winked at or ignored his dalliance with Baby Doe, Tabor’s divorce and quick remarriage created a scandal which prevented the couple from being accepted in polite society.
Baby Doe had two daughters: Elizabeth Bonduel Lily Tabor, born 1884 and known as Lily, and Rose Mary Echo Silver Dollar Tabor, born 1889 and known as Silver Dollar.
Horace Tabor lost his fortune in 1893, because of unwise investments and the drop in the price of silver. To save him from poverty, some political friends arranged his appointment as postmaster of Denver in 1898, a post which he held until his death in 1899 at age 69.
The Matchless mine
According to legend, Horace Tabor’s dying instructions to his wife were: “Hold onto the Matchless mine, it will make millions.” After some years in Denver, Baby Doe moved into a cabin next to the Matchless mine, near Leadville. She lost the mine in 1927, when it was sold to satisfy a debt. The new owners allowed Baby Doe to stay in the cabin.Daughter Lily Tabor left her mother to live with Baby Doe’s family in Wisconsin, and later even denied that she was Baby Doe’s daughter. Baby Doe’s other daughter, Silver Dollar Tabor, became a dancer in Chicago under various names. In 1925, Silver Dollar was found scalded to death under suspicious circumstances in her Chicago boarding house, where she was living as "Ruth Norman".
In the winter of 1935, after a snowstorm, some neighbors noticed that no smoke was coming out of the chimney at the Matchless mine cabin. Investigating, they found Baby Doe, her body frozen on the floor. Her remaining possessions were auctioned off to souvenir collectors for $700. Baby Doe Tabor is buried with her husband in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Wheat Ridge, Colorado
The City of Wheat Ridge is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Wheat Ridge is a western suburb of Denver. The Wheat Ridge Municipal Center is approximately west-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver...
.
Legacy
Baby Doe was portrayed in the Warner Brothers film Silver Dollar, which premiered in Denver in 1932. "Lily", the fictionalized character of Baby Doe, was portrayed by actress Bebe DanielsBebe Daniels
Bebe Daniels was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent movie era as a child actress, became a star in musicals like 42nd Street, and later gained further fame on radio and television in Britain...
; Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
played Yates Martin, a fictionalized Horace Tabor.
Douglas Moore's opera The Ballad of Baby Doe premiered in Central City, Colorado
Central City, Colorado
Central City is a home rule municipality in Clear Creek and Gilpin counties in the U.S. state of Colorado, and the county seat of Gilpin County. The city population was 515 in the 2000 United States Census...
in 1956. In the New York premiere in 1958, Baby Doe was sung by Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. In her prime she was the only real rival to Joan Sutherland as the leading bel canto stylist...
.
In the 1970s, a string of western-themed "Baby Doe's Matchless Mine" restaurants was established in a number of US cities. Almost all are now closed.
External links
- Babydoe.com, Baby Doe Tabor
- Babydoe.org, "DoeHeads" site, Elizabeth Bonduel McCourt "Baby" Doe Tabor
- Matchless mine website