Discovering the Forgotten Irish
Between 1845 and 1852, half of Ireland's potato crop was destroyed, resulting in widespread starvation and the loss of millions of lives. The Potato Famine led many Irish to leave their country and settled in the United States. In Colorado, gold had been discovered recently, and the hope of landing steady work and improved living conditions drew many Irish to the territory. However, life in the New World was also challenging. Many Irish immigrants did not have specialized skills but possessed an abundance of determination and work ethic. Most transplants to Colorado ended up in the City of Leadville and found work as miners, railroad workers, soldiers or domestic servants.[1]
By 1880, Leadville had grown to over 35,000 people and had the largest Irish population in Colorado. Located about two hours west of Denver, Leadville has the highest elevation of any city in the United States at 10,152 feet.
The most recognizable Irish person from Leadville is the "Unsinkable Molly Brown," whose husband made his fortune by striking gold. She used her substantial wealth to become a philanthropist, but she is best known as a survivor of the RMS Titanic.
Just like Colorado’s Gold Rush, the Silver Boom drew people from all over the world. Working in the mines was a dangerous and unforgiving profession that paid very little. Laborers earned around $3 or $4 a day, and weather conditions in Colorado were harsh. Irish laborers formed protests, demanding better working conditions and higher pay.They were associated with the leadership of two major strikes in Leadville—the first, in 1880, lasted for 23 days, and the second was much longer, from 1896 to 1897. The strikes were a failure but an admirable step in the right direction. After the silver crash of 1893, the population of Leadville declined, and most Irish miners moved to other mines outside of Colorado.
In October, some friends and I visited the Evergreen Cemetery in Leadville. The cemetery is supposedly known as one of Colorado creepiest—and trust me, it is. During the Halloween season, the site is host to haunted tours that tell chilling stories of the past. When we first drove in, newer, more modern headstones welcomed us on the right. However, as we got out and walked further back, we found older burial sites, both marked and unmarked. Shallow graves featured dark, cracked-wood markers that looked as if they were about to fall over. My friend Katie, who lives in Leadville, directed us to a dirt pile and informed us that a memorial to the area's Irish immigrants is in the works.
Melissa and Katie checking out unmarked graves (left). The future site of the memorial to the forgotten Irish immigrants of Leadville (right).
Jim Walsh, a professor at the University of Colorado, Denver, discovered thousands of unmarked Irish graves in the back of the Evergreen Cemetery around 2006. Their remains are located in the pauper section of the cemetery. Walsh felt that these sunken graves were the forgotten Irish. In researching this discovery, Walsh learned that the average age of those buried was 23, which proves how hard life was in the Wild West. (Be sure to check out Jim on Colorado Martinis' latest podcast on https://coloradomartinis.com).
This memorial reminds me of the one in Ludlow that marks the site of the Ludlow Massacre in 1914, when the Colorado National Guard attacked and later burned down a tent community of striking coal miners. Women and children died of asphyxiation while huddled in cellars. Five strikers, two other youngsters and at least four men associated with the militia died a few days later. Colorado seems to do a decent job of honoring the everyday people who helped make this state what it is today.
Today, the population of Leadville is approximately 2,700, and the echoes of the formerly booming Irish community are still visible throughout the city. Buildings in the city bear names such as St. Vincent Hospital, Annunciation Church, and the Church of St. Joseph, providing examples of the impact the Irish had on Leadville. St. Patrick’s Day comes twice a year for Leadville. Can’t make it to their parade on March 17? Then come back in September for a second parade (hopefully minus the snow)!
There are so many more headstones and stories to be discovered in Leadville, and I look forward to returning to the site and learning more about them.
Click here to donate to the Leadville Irish Miner's Memorial project.
Additional resources:
https://www.leadvilleherald.com/leadville_life/article_928ff720-b6ca-11e8-9490-a74683055e89.html
https://www.5280.com/2017/03/9-ways-irish-influenced-denver/
https://www.biography.com/historical-figure/molly-brown
http://irishnetworkco.com/leadville-irish-miners-memorial
[1] https://www.historycolorado.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2017/heritage_sum17-web.pdf
Comments
Post a Comment