Aunt Clara Brown went from being a slave to being the first official black woman Colorado pioneer. How did this happen?
Clara
was born a slave in Virginia. Her father was sold away when she was three
years old and she wasn't sure when she was born. Clara Brown was a maid
and never learned to read or write. She was a slave for half of her life.
In 1856 Clara bought her own freedom after her owner died.
Clara Brown had a daughter named Eliza Jane. Eliza was sold away when she was ten years old. After she became free Clara didn't see her daughter for 25 years.
Clara wanted to go to Colorado to look for Eliza. A group of men in St. Louis were going to Colorado. Clara said if you take me to Colorado then I will cook and clean for you. The men said yes, but Clara had to walk all the way and sleep on the ground. She walked for 680 miles to Colorado.
In Denver she paid a man to take her to Central City, even though it was against the law for black women to buy a ticket. When she got to Central City she opened a laundry business. It was the first laundry shop in the state. She got lots of money from washing clothes. Clara bought 7 houses and a lot of land.
After the Civil war in 1866 Clara closed her laundry business and went back to Kentucky to find Eliza Jane. She could not find her so Clara made a new family of 26 black people. Clara bought their tickets to Colorado. Clara gave them the houses and the land. The only thing she wanted was if they would spread the word about Eliza Jane.
In 1881 Clara Brown was declared an official Colorado Pioneer. A Colorado Pioneer is a person who came to Colorado before 1860 and did a lot to help the state get started.
A couple of years later in 1883 Clara's friend in Iowa said she had found her Eliza Jane. Clara went on a train to see her daughter in Iowa. She was so happy when she found her. They both moved back to Colorado.
Aunt Clara Brown died in her little white house in 1885.
We got our information from
Aunt Clara Brown, Official Pioneer
by Linda Lowery
Colorado Chronicles, Volume
2: Famous Colorado Women
