GILPIN'S CHRISTMASES PAST

by Pam North

Those were the golden years of Gilpin County, 1895 to 1914, when the
mining industry was stable.  The influx of people had leveled off, and
population had stabilized.  The people had blended into almost a
homogenous community through education, marriages between families,
and industrial association.  Gilpin County boasted a population count
of around 10,000, 4,500 of which were in Central City, and 1,500 of
which were in Black Hawk.  Central City was the county seat, and as
such, was the primary center of all activities.  Around 80% of Gilpin
County's citizens were of European origin, having immigrated from
England, Ireland, Wales, Germany, Italy and Austria, and most of those
from England were from Cornwall.  Along with their skills in mining,
the Cornish had brought their families and traditions, and so the
English Christmas became the Gilpin County Christmas as well.  Central
City had four churches, Black Hawk had two, two more were in
Nevadaville, and Russell Gulch had one.  Some thirty lodges
represented twenty different fraternal societies.  Within this
framework of churches and fraternities existed most of the festivity
and celebration surrounding the Christmas season.  People here were
simple folk, strong and devout in their beliefs, and religion was the
underlying focus of the holiday.

The Christmas season began the week before Christmas Eve, and extended
to the twelfth night.  Preparations began even before Thanksgiving,
with much time devoted to baking special treats such as plum puddings,
cookies, and fruit and saffron cakes, all to be shared with families
and guests.  Homes were decorated very simply, and bedecked trees were
the exception rather than the norm.  Presents, too, were kept at a
minimum.  Children usually received a toy, a bit of candy, a piece or
two of fruit, and some nuts, and often they were given an article of
clothing to supplement their wardrobe.  Copper-tipped shoes or a pair
of real leather riding cuffs could make a Christmas memorable forever.

Programs were put on by the churches and lodges during the week before
Christmas, and families attended these with enthusiasm.  The Rocky
Mountain Lodge No. 2 of the I.O.O.F. were about 100 members strong,
and one of their contributions to the Christmas endeavor was their
excellent choir, consisting of 25 to 40 singers in their 30s and 40s
age-wise.  They had sung in England's church choirs as boys and young
men, and were quite accomplished.  They sang whenever and wherever
they were asked, and so their voices were heard in homes, saloons,
streets, mines and churches during the holiday season.

Central City's Main Street was the hub of the Christmas Eve
festivities.  Stores and shops stayed open into the evening hours, as
carolers entertained all who would listen, providing a musical
background to the shopping and socializing.  By nine o'clock families
returned to their homes, leaving the street quiet, and they took care
of their last-minute preparations for the coming day.

Christmas Day had a male tradition of its own.  While his wife was
busy with the details of assembling the day's feast, and the children
were playing with the presents they had received, the man of the house
usually headed to one of the many saloons in Central City.  From the
time they opened in the morning until noon, the saloon-keepers offered
holiday hospitality by serving free egg nog and Tom and Jerrys to
their clientele.  Served in special, highly adorned mugs and cups, the
drinks were high-quality and greatly appreciated by those who imbibed.
The men would socialize peacefully, taking care not to over-indulge
and risk the wrath of the wife at home later, and then depart to
rejoin their families for dinner.

The period between Christmas and New Year's Day was considered the
best time of all by many.  The pressures of Christmas preparations
were over, and this was when people leisurely visited each other and
relaxed together in friendship.

It was a good life.  The economy was strong, with the mines and mills
working night and day.  World War I was soon to come, however, and its
arrival ended the support of English capital to the mines, signaling
the end of the gold-mining industry.  Between 1914 and 1920,
two-thirds of Gilpin County's population left, and life would never be
the same.

Christmases of the present are not like those of the past, but now, as
then, they are what we make them.


Resource:  Yesterday Was Another Day, by Louis J. Carter.