Legends, Labors & Loves

William Jackson Palmer 1836—1909 Regional History Symposium Sponsored by Special Collections, Pikes Peak Library District Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District Pikes Peak Library District Foundation

In Partnership With Bessemer Historical Society CF&I Museum of Industry & Culture Springs Pioneers Museum Evergreen Cemetery Conference Center Pikes Peak Community College Western Museum of Mining & Industry McAllister House Museum

Project Director Chris Nicholl

Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium Committee Chris Nicholl, Co-Chair Calvin P. Otto, Co-Chair Steve Antonuccio Tim Blevins David Carroll Beverly Diehl Dolores Fowler Barbara Gately Lynn A. Gilfillan-Morton Carol Kennis Kathy Sturdevant Jay Trask Dee Vazquez Legends, Labors & Loves

William Jackson Palmer 1836—1909

Edited by Tim Blevins, Dennis Daily, Chris Nicholl, Calvin P. Otto & Katherine Scott Sturdevant

Published by

with the

& Legends, Labors & Loves: William Jackson Palmer, 1836—1909

© 2009 Pikes Peak Library District. All rights reserved. First edition. Printed in the United States.

“The & Rio Grande Railroad: An Address Given to the Employees, January 28, 1920,” by William A. Bell, previously appeared as a monograph titled, Address by Dr. William A. Bell at a Dinner Given to the Employees of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad at the Union Station, privately published, 1920, [Denver, Colo.].

“Westward March Of Emigration In The United States, Considered In Its Bearing Upon The Near Future Colorado And New Mexico,” by William Jackson Palmer, previously appeared as a monograph of the same title, published by Inquirer Print. and Pub. Co., 1874, in Lancaster, .

“General William J. Palmer, Anti-Imperialist, 1895-1905,” by George L. Anderson, previously appeared in Colorado Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 1, published by the Colorado Historical Society, http://coloradohistory.org.

“General William J. Palmer and the Early Denver & Rio Grande Railway: An Annotated Select Bibliography,” by Victor J. Stone, previously appeared in The Prospector, Vol. 2, No. 3, published by the Rio Grande Modeling & Historical Society, http://drgw.org.

“Tributes to the Late William J. Palmer From His Fellow Citizens In Colorado Springs,” edited by Mary G. Slocum, previously appeared in General Series No. 44, Social Science Series, Vol. 2, No. 2, published by , http://coloradocollege.edu.

This publication was made possible by private funds. Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Legends, labors and loves: William Jackson Palmer, 1836—1909 / edited by Tim Blevins, Dennis Daily, Chris Nicholl, Calvin P. Otto and Katherine Scott Sturdevant.— 1st ed. p. cm. (Regional history series) Includes bibliographical references and index. LCCN 2009922142 ISBN 978-1-56735-261-0 1. Palmer, William Jackson, 1836-1909. 2. Railroads--United States-- Employees--Biography. 3. Colorado Springs (Colo.)--History. 4. Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company. 5. United States--History-- Civil War, 1861-1865--Personal narratives. 6. Glen Eyrie (Colo.) I. Blevins, Tim II. Daily, Dennis III. Nicholl, Chris IV. Series.

CT275 .P35 L4 2009 978.856‘03’092—dc22 About Pikes Peak Library District

Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) is a nationally recognized system of public libraries serving a population of more than 500,000 in El Paso County, Colorado. With twelve facilities and two bookmobiles, PPLD responds to the unique needs of individual neighborhoods and the community at large. PPLD has an employee base of four hundred full and part-time staff, and utilizes roughly twelve hundred volunteers. It strives to reach all members of the community, providing free and equitable access to information and an avenue for personal and community enrichment. PPLD is rated ninth among library systems its size in the country. Volume of circulations, number of visits, and hours of access contribute to the ranking. PPLD is also recognized for its commitment to diversity, its quality programming, and its excellent customer service.

Board of Trustees 2009 Robert Hilbert, President John Wilson, Vice President Calvin P. Otto, Secretary/Treasurer Jill Gaebler Kathleen Owings Katherine Spicer Lynne Telford

Executive Director Paula J. Miller

Regional History Series Currently In Print The Colorado Labor Wars: Cripple Creek 1903–1904 “To Spare No Pains”: Zebulon Montgomery Pike & His 1806–1807 Southwest Expedition Doctor at Timberline: True Tales, Travails, & Triumphs of a Pioneer Colorado Physician

Forthcoming Extraordinary Women of the Rocky Mountain West Regional History Series Editorial Committee Tim Blevins Dennis Daily Chris Nicholl Calvin P. Otto

Principal Series Consultant Calvin P. Otto

Acknowledgments The Editorial Committee extends its grateful appreciation to the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum and to Colorado College for participating in this publication and for providing photographs and text to complete this book. Our thanks go to Museum Director Matt Mayberry and the knowledgeable, and always helpful Museum staff, and to Colorado College Special Collections Librarian Jessy Randal for her obliging and enthusiastic assistance. Thank you to Victor J. Stone, who not only provided an excellent annotated bibliography, but also kindly shared many unique images from his collection. We have a special thank you for Kathy Sturdevant, who co-edited this book and generously offered her time and her matchless writing and history expertise. As ever before, we extend limitless gratitude to the entire staff of Pikes Peak Library District Special Collections, and to the many others at PPLD who assist with these publications and the annual Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium. We wish to acknowledge the wonderful assistance provided by previous PPLD employees Steve Antonuccio, Rosemary Davis and Nancy Thaler. We also thank the Colorado Historical Society and the Rio Grande Modeling & Historical Society for allowing us to include articles previously printed in their publications. And finally, we recognize the writers of the chapters of this book. Their passion for research and willingness to contribute their efforts to Legends, Labors & Loves is a wonderful tribute to the memory of William Jackson Palmer. The Editorial Committee

For purchasing information, contact:

Clausen Books 2131 North Weber Street Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907 tel: (719) 471-5884, toll free: (888)-412-7717 http://www.clausenbooks.com CONTENTS

Katherine Scott Sturdevant • x Introduction: Our Father Who Art in the Intersection, Or, Where Does William Jackson Palmer Belong?

Joyce B. Lohse • xx Young Palmer Travels Abroad

Leah Davis Witherow • xx A Question of Conscience: William Jackson Palmer & His Quaker Faith

Mark L. Gardner • xx One of the Most Gallant Men of the Army William Jackson Palmer & the

Barbara Gately • xx An Abiding Bond: The Friendship Between Major Henry McAllister & General William Jackson Palmer

Chris Nicholl • xx “My Darling Queenie . . .”A Love Story

Delores Gustafson • xx William Jackson Palmer & the Mellen & Clark Families

William A. Bell •xx The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad: An Address Given to the Employees, January 28, 1920

E. M. “Mel” McFarland • xx Connections West: William Jackson Palmer & His Railroad Routing Rivalries

William Jackson Palmer • xx Westward March Of Emigration In The United States, Considered In Its Bearing Upon The Near Future Colorado And New Mexico Matt Mayberry • xx General William Jackson Palmer & His Vision for Colorado Springs

Donald McGilchrist • xx The Gardens of Glen Eyrie

George L. Anderson • xx General William J. Palmer, Anti-Imperialist, 1895-1905

Chris Nicholl • xx William Jackson Palmer: Living While Dying

Lynn A. Gilfillan-Morton • xx General William Jackson Palmer’s Riding Accident, Palliative Care & Death, 1906 to 1909

Mary G. Slocum • xx Tributes to the Late William J. Palmer From His Fellow Citizens In Colorado Springs

William Jackson Palmer • xx Last Will & Testament

William Jackson Palmer • xx Letter to the citizens of Colorado Springs of the Twenty First Century

Stephen Collins & Katherine Scott Sturdevant • xx “Can You Not Give Up Some?”: A Puppet Presentation

Victor J. Stone • xx General William J. Palmer & the Early Denver & Rio Grande Railway: A Selected Annotated Bibliography

Index • xx FOREWORD

Everyone in Colorado Springs knows General William Jackson Palmer—ask any child and they’ll tell you “he’s the man on the horse!” Ask an adult and they may add that city streets, a park and a school are named after him. But who was he? Perhaps more knowledgeable citizens would tell you, “General Palmer was the founder of Colorado Springs,” or “He was the president of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad,” and others would declare, “He was a decorated Union soldier.” “Who was he?,” or “who was she,” is frequently answered by recounting the individual’s accomplishments in life. Some people have long résumés listing their incredible successes. Others are well known for their failures. There are some residents of the Pikes Peak Region who know William Jackson Palmer as a husband to Queen Mellen Palmer; a father to Elsie, Dorothy and Marjory; and a friend to everyone in the community. Still others would tell you that he was an environmentalist, a pacifist, and an entrepreneur. The second annual Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium, William Jackson Palmer, 1836-1909: Legends, Labors, & Loves, endeavored to answer the question, “Who was William Jackson Palmer?” The daylong Symposium on June 4, 2005, compared the man of myth with his life’s undertakings, as well as with what is known about his personal relationships. More complex questions come about when reconciling Palmer as a solider and spy with his Quaker upbringing; reconciling the massive manpower required to build Palmer’s Western railroad and mining empires with his reputation as man of benevolence; and reconciling Palmer’s love for Colorado Springs with his intercontinental romance with his wife Mary Lincoln Mellen “Queen” Palmer. This “Palmer Paradox” intrigued Chris Nicholl, historian in Special Collections at Pikes Peak Library District, who co- chairs the Symposium Planning Committee with Calvin P. Otto. Chris and Cal assembled many research talents of the region to attempt to reveal this man of Glen Eyrie. This book, Legends, Labors, & Loves: William Jackson Palmer, 1836-1909, contains the keys to the many doors in Palmer’s own castle— his personal life. However, there still are rooms, private and concealed, which no one can ever enter. This “unauthorized biography” of a truly remarkable and modest man will open every reader’s eyes to a new view of William Jackson Palmer. There is no scandal, nor is there deception. However, in these pages you will not only find integrity, leadership, and compassion, but you will also witness Palmer’s tenacious conviction, strength, and shrewdness—just how one imagines a true “founding father.”

Paula J. Miller, Executive Director, PPLD Tim Blevins, Manager, Special Collections, PPLD

Half title page: William Jackson Palmer’s signature and image of his personal wax seal. Courtesy Calvin P. Otto.

Cover: Portraits of Mary Lincoln “Queen” Mellen Palmer and William Jackson Palmer. The background is from the wood engraving, “On Line of D. & R. G. Railway. Marshall Pass,” by Paul Frenzeny, that appears in Marvels of the New West: A Vivid Portrayal of the Stupendous Marvels in the Vast Wonderland West of the Missouri River (The Minerva Group, Inc., 1887) by William M. Thayer. From Special Collections, Pikes Peak Library District.

Facing page: William Jackson Palmer. From Special Collections, Pikes Peak Library District.