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| The
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| 1886 - Better Off With A Poor Man | |||
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After a whirlwind courtship, Maggie and J.J. were married on September 1, 1886. J.J. was 31 years old and Maggie was barely 19. In making her decision to wed J.J., Margaret was torn between her desire to take care of her family and her desire for happiness. "I wanted a rich man, but I loved Jim Brown. I thought about how I wanted comfort for my father and how I had determined to stay single until a man presented himself who could give to the tired old man the things I longed for him. Jim was as poor as we were, and had no better chance in life. I struggled hard with myself in those days. I loved Jim, but he was poor. Finally, I decided that I'd be better off with a poor man whom I loved than with a wealthy one whose money had attracted me. So I married Jim Brown." Leadville's pioneer Catholic priest, Father Henry Robinson, performed the marriage in the Church of the Annunciation. The best man, Thomas Greeley, was a barber; the bridesmaid, Margaret Boylan, a housemaid. Among the gifts received by the couple was, appropriately, a solid silver tea service presented by the miners of the Louisville Mine. Following a trout dinner at Evergreen Lakes, Maggie and J.J. spent their honeymoon at Twin Lakes, one of the most popular summer resorts in the area. The newlyweds moved up to Iron Hill, or Stumpftown, where J.J. was working. Leadville miners and their families often lived near the mines, particularly in the winter months when the journey to town could be cold and treacherous. Their home was typical of those in outlying mountain communities: a small, two-room log cabin. Margaret hired a tutor in reading and literature to continue her education. She also studied piano, singing and music with another instructor. J.J. was successful enough that they hired Mary A. Fitzharris Nevin, an Irish immigrant, to help with household chores. Margaret and Mary studied with the tutor in Leadville five days per week, roughly three hours per day. Content from Kristen Iversen's book, Molly Brown, Unraveling the Myth. Published by Johnson Books in 1999. |
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