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By John Osborne My grandmother was Annie Jones (Osborne) Haeseler (1879-1975), whose family settled in Georgetown around 1880. The following are some memories Grandma passed on to me. She was 90 years old when she wrote these: "My father, Jesse Paige Jones, came to Colorado in the early part of the year 1880 and mother came a few months later with my sister Louise, who was three years old, and me, when I was a few months old. We came on the train, which had not been in existence very long. "My earliest memories were when we lived in Silverdale where the mining claims were located and the families of the men who worked there lived. My grandmother, Mrs. Eudy, lived in one of the cabins in Silverdale with my Uncle James and Aunt Sarah. When I was quite small my mother would leave me for several days' visit with my grandmother. It was on one of these visits that I almost lost my life. I went out by the road and the creek (South Clear Creek), which was close to the road, to gather some bluebells for a bouquet, and I slipped on the edge of the creek and fell in. I really can remember it to this day-how frightened I was as the water was taking me down stream. I was rescued by a boy about 10 or 12 years old. He took me back to my grandmother's cabin. After that I stayed away from the creek. After ninety years I still can remember that incident in my life and how frightened I was. I think I was about four years old at that time." My grandmother married Arthur H. Osborne, a surveyor, in May, 1905. The wedding announcement in the Courier stated, "He is a favorite in Georgetown social circles, and is a musician with exceptional talent, being organist at Grace Episcopal Church. The bride is a native of this city and is one of the most popular young women in Clear Creek County. She is not only beautiful, but accomplished, and can count her friends by the hundreds." Arthur Osborne died in an avalanche near Loveland Pass in January, 1916. The bell tower of Grace Episcopal Church is dedicated in his memory. The Osborne House, which included his office, is still standing at 711 Rose Street. |
My grandmother wrote of his death: "Arthur and I had been married about five years when Harold was
born and Harold was about five years old when Arthur was killed by a
snow-slide up near Loveland Pass. It was in January and we had had many
heavy snows and some men wanted to have some mining claims surveyed
on which the required amount of work was not done, so Arthur went out
with his two helpers to do the surveying and the three of them were
crossing over a gulch when this avalanche came down on them without
warning and took Arthur and one of the chainmen down the mountainside
under tons of snow. A resolution of respect was printed in the Courier on January 29, 1916. At the time of Arthur's death he was a member of the Board of Selectmen. The notice also said, "that the Town Hall be draped in mourning for a period of thirty days as an additional mark of respect to the memory of our late and highly esteemed colleague." My grandmother worked for the county after Arthur's death and later
married Henry Haeseler, a pharmacist in Georgetown. |
