Visitors 48
Modified 26-Nov-23
Created 27-May-09
2 photos
Elizabeth Bonduel McCourt was born in Wisconsin late 1854. Lizzie first came to the attention of Harvey Doe, Jr. after winning the Oshkosh Congressional Church figure skating contest. She was to have been described as a "cherub".
She and Harvey soon married and left for the mining towns of Colorado. Her new husband was a failure at mining, so Lizzie donned work clothes and worked the "Fourth of July" mine herself. Because of her rare beauty and even rarer actions, she came to the attention of the miners who began calling her "Baby Doe", their sweetheart.
Circa 1879, Baby Doe left Central City and her husband for the silver mines of Leadville and Millionaire Horace Tabor. She was part of Colorado's most famous love triangle as Horace, 25 years her senior, was still married.
Baby & Horace were together for 15 years in which their scandalous marriage produced 3 children. Silver collapsed in 1890 and Horace died in 1899 leaving Baby penniless. She lived another 35 years at the Matchless Mine, which she no longer owned, often on the charity of others. She froze to death alone, having been abandoned by her two living daughters, within her little cabin in Leadville, Colorado in 1935.
Even though Baby Doe lived a scandalous life, I think she had passion for life and followed her heart. There is so much history surrounding Baby Doe and her life.....history which was preserved within the few photographs found of her.
© Baby Doe Studios, Renee Graner Photographer
