Vintage Thingies Thursday: Cripple Creek Class of 1913 Memory Book

This post is a little different than my usual, and because it is Picture loaded, the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday are HERE. Please take the time to read over them if you are unsure of what to do.

Please, let me say, this is picture LOADED, and because of that, I hope it does not take forever for the page to load. But, I think you will understand why I did not want to leave anything out. Remember you can click on the photos to enlarge and make it easier to read.

A couple of years ago, I purchased this scrapbook type book from an online auction. Being thrifty was tossed out the window. Cripple Creek is most special to me as is anything that has to do with this little mining town. So there was no way I could think about being thrifty. I would rather not say what I paid for this, as my husband sometimes reads my blog, but I will say it cost more than all of my yearbooks from grades 6-12 total.
Ahem......I had to have it at whatever the cost.

This is a red, leather bound book belonging to a young girl who graduated from Cripple Creek High School in 1913. It is in fairly good condition, and does not smell musty as some old books do, thank goodness.... Below, are the inside pages that are full of names, events, and a peek into a young persons life during the later ends of the Gold Rush. I hope you enjoy this, it is quiet special to me.

This is the information of the book, and who published it. (front of cover)

Love this old copyright page

This is the beginning.....the book was a gift to Mary Elizabeth Craig from her teacher. I am assuming the photo is of the teacher, the card on the left page was the actual inscription from the teacher.

Here is where Mary Elizabeth recorded the important information about her class. Just read the "yell" can you just imagine the kids today chanting something like this....hahahaha

These pages are signatures from classmates, she added a photo is it was available, and a clipping of the info on each student....For Anna Walker...her occupation: TALKING. Wow.

More classmates.....Clifford Holden's occupation: Minding his own business......interesting.

Ermine and Ashley must have been an item back then, the drawing is of them, and each is mentioned under their occupations......this has been so fascinating to me.

I wonder who in the world did the drawings, was it Mary Elizabeth? A classmate? Wish I knew.

The top left cut-out on the left page is for Mary Elizabeth Craig, "Mutt" (maybe that was her nickname. Her occupation was playing piano...so that tells me Mary Craig was a musician. Notice the drawings, they are fascinating.

More great writings by the classmates, these little poems or ditty's are so sweet. Sure tells of a much simpler time.....makes me wish I could have a better peak into what life was like back then.

The hand writings are wonderful, so charming.

These two pages seem to be greetings from the teachers.

Just look at these two pictures of her teachers. Look at the high collars and the hair.....these are original photos.

Can you just imagine the mischief this group could get into....look at their suits.


This is a note written by Mary, she recorded her thoughts of entertainment during her senior year. Notice she talks about where the teachers lived, very interesting. I wish I could have seen a photo of that.

These are just amazing photos. I am guessing classmates, just look at the dresses, hats and hair. Oh, the one on the left just gets me, I love that outfit...and can just see how it must have looked with these girls walking the old wooden sidewalks of Cripple Creek.

This book has several of these dance books. They are just amazing by themselves. Seems back then the girls were given a dance book, and they were filled out and important info was added to the book......
Look at the date, and place of dance.....

This is a hand written invitation to a get together during the time of a dance, it was found in the little envelope in the picture below.

Here is another dance book.

Each of these books have the names of the dances and the girls recorded who they danced with...I notice some of the songs have a "X" by it, so I am guessing that they sat that dance out!

This was a photo that must have taken place over the summer vacation......

This is a post card, and it appears to be from the same place, only it has listed the names of the kids who was there at the time.

Back view of post card.
This is a folded up info from Mary herself..it sits loose in the book.

This is a felt cut-out. I don't know what it is, or what it means. Maybe it was something that had to do with the school.

Snapshots of classmates. Love how all the names are listed.

More classmates

This girl on the right was according to Mary the Valedictorian.

Interesting......

more........

This is the ACTUAL graduation invitation for the class of 1913, Cripple Creek, Colorado

Inside of invitation...still has the original tissue paper.

This is the program from the graduation.

Inside information from the program.

This is a newspaper article about the graduating class. If you enlarge the photo, I think you can read it.

This is the dance book from the graduation dance....it is a green leather, feels like velvet it is so soft.

Info......

Class list for Jr.'s and Sr.'s I would think this might be like the modern day prom.

List of dances.......

More classmate notes...I just love these.... One says, "Don't forget what I saw Wayne do." and right under that...someone wrote, "Ditto".......now I just wonder what Wayne did??????

I wonder if the person who wrote this on the right side could have imagined that almost a hundred years later....the pages are not really yellow as she describes......

This is a newspaper clipping found inside the book. It is amazing to see....look at that quilt.

This is the back side of the paper....love the ads.

This is full of tales for someone with a wild imagination like myself.....trust me, I have really formed stories and thoughts on the people in this little scrapbook.

I have tried to research Mary Elizabeth Craig, but I have not had much luck. There is not even a photo of her here. I am going to take this to Colorado when we go this spring, there is a historical society there and maybe they would have some information. I have been told that a Hotel owner in town would be interested in buying this book, but being the hopeless romantic I am, I really would like to find the descendants of Mary Elizabeth. I can not imagine they would not want to have this back.

I was able to locate some information about some of the boys on the internet, but the girls proved to be much harder, due to the changing of their last names once they married.

When I purchased this book, I inquired about how they had come to own it. I was told, the book was purchased in an antique store in Northern Colorado in the early 1970's. That is all they knew....I wonder how it happened to come to the antique store, but most of all, I wonder what became of these kids in this graduating class. I think I must dig a little deeper when I am in Cripple Creek in May, then maybe I can get a lead on who really needs to be the owner of this wonderful treasure. I really hope I can find someone from Mary's family, they deserve to know their family member in an intimate way and through the eyes of a young girl during a special time in her life. I am most thankful, this is still intact and in good shape for its age.

Thanks for seeing this post to the end, I know it was rather long...but lots of vintage information to cover and show you in today's post! Have a great weekend everyone! And...if you happen to know any of these people in this book....let me know!

I feel sure Mary Elizabeth Craig of Cripple Creek, class of 1913, would love to have her book back, or at least, know her great grandchildren have it!