Clara Brown

Listen to the Story

Read the Transcript

• Speaker 1: Welcome to today's Deep Dive. We're going back to the 1880s to Tombstone Arizona, but not the Tombstone you might be picturing from the movies. We've got something special for you today.
• Speaker 2: Oh, absolutely. We're diving into a collection of letters from Clara Spalding Brown. She lived in Tombstone during its Boomtown years, and her perspective is incredible.
• Speaker 1: It's like stepping back in time seeing Tombstone through her eyes. Yeah, and you know, what's really interesting is that Clara wasn't just some passive observer. She was a budding journalist. Even wrote for the San Diego Daily Union.
• Speaker 2: You can tell her writing is sharp, insightful. She doesn't just tell us what happened. She gives us the why, the how, the impact of it all. She even dives into, get this, mining economics.
• Speaker 1: Mining economics -- from a woman in the 1880s. That's wild. So paint us a picture. It's July, 1880 Clara steps off the stagecoach into Tombstone. What's she see?
• Speaker 2: Well, she describes it as an embryo city of Canvas frame and Adobe, not quite the bustling metropolis she may be expected.
• Speaker 1: And the dirt. I hear Tombstone was infamous for its dust.
• Speaker 2: Oh, Clara was not prepared for the dust. She even warns people, don't bother wearing black and Tombstone, it'll just end up looking like it was dragged through an ash barrel.
• Speaker 1: Forget the saloons. That dust sounds like the real Wild West danger. But jokes aside, she seems to capture this mix of grittiness and, well, excitement.
• Speaker 2: Absolutely. She mentions a murder that happened right before she arrived. Talk about setting the scene, huh? But she also talks about the community, the hardworking people trying to make a life for themselves.
• Speaker 1: It's that push and pull, isn't it, the danger and the opportunity, and of course, the saloons. Claire mentions those too.
• Speaker 2: Oh, she does. She says, and I quote, The only attractive places visible are the liquor and gambling saloons, which are everywhere present and are carpeted and comfortably furnished.
• Speaker 1: So amidst the dust and danger, there was still a bit of luxury to be found, at least in the saloons. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Before we dive deeper into Tombstone's social scene. Let's talk about one of the biggest issues brewing during Clara's time there, this town site issue. It sounds like something straight out of a western movie.
• Speaker 2: It really was. Imagine this, you build a home, put down roots, and suddenly someone shows up claiming they own the land your house is on. That was the reality for many in Tombstone.
• Speaker 1: Hold on, seriously, someone just claimed to own a big chunk of the town. Who was this guy?
• Speaker 2: A fellow by the name of Michael Gray. He claimed ownership of a huge portion of the town site, even though people were already living there, running businesses. Chaos, let me tell you.
• Speaker 1: Oh, I bet people must have been furious.
• Speaker 2: Furious doesn't even cover it. Clara even mentions talk of forming a Vigilance Committee. That's how high tensions were running. Imagine having your entire livelihood, your future, threatened like that.
• Speaker 1: It really highlights the instability of life in a boom town, fortunes made and lost overnight. But tell me, amidst all this drama, did anything good happen in Tombstone? Does Clara ever get a break from the dust, the danger, the land disputes?
• Speaker 2: She did find moments of peace. She was a big fan of the theater. She even acted in some amateur productions. There's actually a review in The Daily Nugget praising her performance.
• Speaker 1: Our Clara, a star of the stage. See, Tombstone wasn't all shootouts in saloons. There was culture too.
• Speaker 2: Exactly. And you know, despite her initial reservations, she starts to see potential in Tombstone, especially in the booming mining industry.
• Speaker 1: Ah, the silver mines -- the lifeblood of Tombstone. But what's really intriguing is how Claire's understanding of the industry evolves. She goes from casual observer to, well, almost an expert.
• Speaker 2: She was married to Theodore, a mine owner himself, so she was surrounded by it. Plus she reads everything she can get her hands on -- industry journals, reports, she's talking to miners, witnessing the ups and downs firsthand.
• Speaker 1: She's living and breathing it, not just theorizing from afar. This all culminates in her article an Arizona mining district published in 1881.
• Speaker 2: Which, by the way, is not just some travelog, it's serious economic analysis. She understood the forces at play in the mining industry in a way few others did at the time?
• Speaker 1: So, for our listeners who might not be mining experts, break it down for us. What are some key takeaways from her article? What did Clara want people to understand?
• Speaker 2: Well, first off, the scale of these operations was massive. We're talking about mines like the Contention, the Grand Central, pulling millions of dollars worth of silver out of the ground, millions -- in the 1880s.
• Speaker 1: That's an insane amount of money. It puts the boom in Boomtown, for sure. But I'm guessing not everyone was striking it rich. Right?
• Speaker 2: Exactly. Clara was very aware of the challenges faced by smaller mine owners like her and Theodore. Not every mine was a silver bonanza.
• Speaker 1: There's always that flip side, isn't there? For every success story, there are countless others struggling to make ends meet.
• Speaker 2: Right. And one of her most insightful observations is about the role of outside capital. Those big mining companies, they needed huge investments, mostly from East Coast financiers.
• Speaker 1: So even in the Wild West, it was all connected to big money back East.
• Speaker 2: Exactly, and Clara recognized the implications of that, who really held the power, who controlled the wealth. But it wasn't just the financial landscape that was evolving. Tombstone's social scene was changing too. As the town grew, so did its ideas about respectability.
• Speaker 1: Respectability. In Tombstone, I'm picturing more saloons, not exactly high tea and etiquette lessons.
• Speaker 2: Well, when Clara says respectable society, she's talking about things like the emergence of churches, schools, social organizations, people trying to bring some order to the chaos.
• Speaker 1: An attempt to civilize the Wild West, at least a little bit.
• Speaker 2: Exactly. But as you might imagine, it was a bumpy road getting there. And of course, we can't talk about Tombstone without addressing the event that made it legendary, the Earp-Cowboy feud.
• Speaker 1: The gunfight at the OK Corral. It's the stuff of Western movies. And thanks to Clara, we get a front row seat to history.
• Speaker 2: She's our eyes and ears on the ground, giving us those real time reactions, the whispers, the fear that gripped the town.
• Speaker 1: So, set the scene for us. What's the atmosphere like in Tombstone leading up to this infamous gunfight? How is Clara experiencing this mounting tension?
• Speaker 2: Well, in the months leading up to the gunfight at the OK Corral, you can practically feel the tension rising through Clara's words. She writes about this growing animosity between the Earp faction and the Cowboys.
• Speaker 1: Right. It's one thing to read about it in a history book, but to hear it from someone who was there.
• Speaker 2: Exactly. And she talks about these whispers of impending violence, this palpable fear that gripped the town.
• Speaker 1: I can only imagine. And then, of course, the gunfight itself happens. What does Claire have to say about that?
• Speaker 2: Well, she doesn't hold back in her descriptions, that's for sure. And the way she describes it, you can feel the shock that reverberated through Tombstone in the aftermath.
• Speaker 1: It wasn't just a gunfight, it was this huge event that shook the town to its core. And what's interesting to me is her take on the Earps. You'd think as a woman living in this environment, she'd see them as heroes, right?
• Speaker 2: You'd think so, but it's not that simple, and that's what I appreciate about Clara. She sees the nuances, the gray areas.
• Speaker 1: She doesn't just accept the simple narrative.
• Speaker 2: Exactly. She acknowledges their bravery, but she also questions their methods. Were they really the good guys? Did their actions actually make things worse? She's asking those tough questions.
• Speaker 1: In one letter she writes, and I'm paraphrasing here, I admire their courage, but was all this bloodshed really necessary?
• Speaker 2: Exactly. It's that kind of critical thinking that makes her such a compelling historical figure.
• Speaker 1: She's not afraid to challenge the status quo, to question authority.
• Speaker 2: And that's a lesson that's still relevant today, right? Don't just accept things at face value. Think for yourself. But you know, amidst all this high drama, the gunfights, the townsite feuds. Clara also gives us glimpses into everyday life in Tombstone.
• Speaker 1: Because life goes on even amidst the chaos.
• Speaker 2: Right. She writes about the struggle for basics, water, housing...
• Speaker 1: But it's those little details that make history come alive. You know, it's not just about dates and battles. It's about real people living their lives.
• Speaker 2: And she doesn't sugarcoat it either. She talks about the constant threat of illness and lack of medical care. It was a hard life.
• Speaker 1: It certainly wasn't for the faint of heart. But through it all, I don't get a sense of despair from her letters. It's more like a sense of, I don't know, resilience.
• Speaker 2: Absolutely. She finds joy in the small things, social gatherings, concerts. She even saw a performance by the Nellie Boyd troop.
• Speaker 1: Nelly Boyd, in Tombstone.
• Speaker 2: The one and only, even in the Wild West, people craved entertainment.
• Speaker 1: It speaks to that universal human need for connection, for a bit of fun.
• Speaker 2: Exactly. Tombstone might have been rough around the edges, but it was also a community, people looking out for each other, trying to build something.
• Speaker 1: And as with any community, there were ups and downs, successes and failures. But even for those who found some measure of success in Tombstone, the allure of the Boomtown didn't last forever, did it?
• Speaker 2: It didn't. And for Clara and Theodore, their time in Tombstone was coming to an end.
• Speaker 1: They eventually left in 1882, right?
• Speaker 2: Yeah.
• Speaker 1: What prompted that decision? Was it just one thing?
• Speaker 2: It was probably a combination of factors. Remember the townsite issue we talked about? Well, it turns out that conflict directly impacted Clara and Theodore.
• Speaker 1: How so?
• Speaker 2: In 1882 a big mercantile company in Tombstone, Makina Knight, went bankrupt. Clara and Theodore had deposited all their savings there.
• Speaker 1: Oh no. They lost everything.
• Speaker 2: They did. It was a huge financial blow, especially after they had worked so hard to build a life in Tombstone.
• Speaker 1: That's devastating. But was that the only reason they left?
• Speaker 2: It seems there was more to it than just finances. Clara's health was also a factor.
• Speaker 1: She mentions being sick quite a bit in her letters.
• Speaker 2: Right. She talks about these recurring bouts of catarrh. We don't know for sure what it was, but it seems the dry, dusty climate wasn't agreeing with her.
• Speaker 1: It's hard to imagine it being good for anyone's health, honestly, so between the financial setback and the health concerns.
• Speaker 2: And perhaps a desire for a more peaceful life.
• Speaker 1: A break from the constant turmoil of Tombstone.
• Speaker 2: Exactly. In one of her last letters, she writes about feeling weary of the constant excitement, the ever-present threat of violence.
• Speaker 1: It seems the Wild West had lost its charm for them. They'd had enough.
• Speaker 2: It happens. Sometimes you need a change, a fresh start, and that's what they did. Packed their bags, said goodbye to Tombstone and headed back to California.
• Speaker 1: Back to the relative calm of California. But even though they physically left Tombstone, I imagine their experiences there stayed with them.
• Speaker 2 Oh, absolutely. Those two years had a profound impact on Clara, especially on her writing.
• Speaker 1 So, as we move into the final chapter of Clara's story, let's talk about those lasting contributions. How did her time in Tombstone shape her later work? What kind of legacy did she leave behind?
• Speaker 2 Let's explore those questions, because despite the hardships, the challenges, those Tombstone years ignited something in Clara, a passion for social commentary, for using her voice to make a difference. It's remarkable, isn't it? You'd think those experiences might have made her cynical, but it's like they fueled her desire for a better world.
• Speaker 1 Right. It's like she took all that chaos, all that injustice, and turned it into a force for good. So tell us, what did she do after leaving Tombstone? Did she keep writing?
• Speaker 2 Oh, absolutely. She settled in Los Angeles and continued her writing career. She published articles and essays and newspapers and periodicals, all sorts of things.
• Speaker 1 And what were her main topics? What was she passionate about?
• Speaker 2 Well, a lot of her work touched on social issues, women's rights, education reform, social justice. It's like those years in Tombstone opened her eyes to the inequalities around her.
• Speaker 1 It gave her that firsthand perspective. You know, she wasn't just writing about these issues from afar. She had lived them in a way.
• Speaker 2 Exactly, and she didn't stop at writing. In 1890 she co founded the Pacific Coast Women's Press Association.
• Speaker 1 Wow. So she's creating platforms for women in journalism.
• Speaker 2 Exactly, giving them a voice, a chance to be heard, which in those days, was no small feat.
• Speaker 1 Not at all. It speaks volumes about her character, her determination. She saw a problem and decided to be part of the solution. She really was a trailblazer.
• Speaker 2 She really was, and her contributions didn't end there. She also wrote several books, including a history of California, and even a biography of her husband, Theodore.
• Speaker 1 A woman of many talents. It makes you wonder what she'd think of Tombstone today.
• Speaker 2 It's funny you should say that. I was just thinking the same thing. It's a completely different world now.
• Speaker 1 It's a tourist town. People go there to experience the Wild West, even if it's a bit of a romanticized version.
• Speaker 2 I can just picture her walking down those streets shaking her head at the souvenir shops and the staged gunfights.
• Speaker 1 But you know what? Part of me thinks she'd also be happy. Happy that people are still drawn to Tombstone's story, even if it's been embellished over time.
• Speaker 2 Maybe even a little proud that she was part of it, you know? That she witnessed that chapter of history firsthand.
• Speaker 1 She always had that sharp mind, that ability to see beyond the surface. So as we wrap up our deep dive into Tombstone through the eyes of Clara Spalding Brown, what's the one thing you hope our listeners take away from her story?
• Speaker 2 I think for me, it's the power of a single voice -- Clara's letters, her perspective. They offer us this incredible window into a bygone era.
• Speaker 1 And they remind us that history isn't just dates and battles. It's about real people, people like Clara, who lived and loved and experienced those events firsthand.
• Speaker 2 Exactly. And by reading her words, by listening to her story, we gain a deeper understanding, not just of the past, but of ourselves too, because the things she cared about, justice, equality, the power of storytelling, those are still relevant today.
• Speaker 1 They're timeless. They transcend time and place. We may live in a different world, but those core human experiences connect us all.
• Speaker 2 Exactly, and as Clara's story shows us those individual experiences, those seemingly small moments captured in letters or diaries. They can illuminate an entire era.
• Speaker 1 They can change the way we see the world, even over 100 years later. So to our listeners out there, if you're ever curious about a particular time in history, I encourage you seek out those personal stories you never know what you might discover.
• Speaker 2 What a wonderful thought to end on. Embrace your curiosity. Never stop exploring, and remember, there's always more to the story than meets the eye.
• Speaker 1 Well said. And on that note, we'll wrap up this deep dive. Thanks for joining us, and until next time, keep those curiosity fires burning.