Henry Blake diaries 1862-1911 (bulk 1862-1869)

1862-1911

BHS 278

1 box (6 folders)

This collection contains 8 small, pocket diaries (fol. 1), a 173-page transcript of the diaries that was produced by the Carnegie project staff in 1988 (fol. 2), an (I.O.O.F.) Independent Order of Odd Fellows (Newton, Iowa) membership certificate of Henry Blake dated 14 October 1867 (fol. 3), and a 9-page carbon copy of a transcript of Blake's diary for August 17 - December 31 probably transcribed by Frank L. Springer (fol 4). A portion of the diary transcript that reflects Blake's time in the Boulder area has been digitized at call# 278-1-2.

Call numbers and dates of the diaries are as follows in BHS 278-1-1:
Envelope 1...1862 May 14 - June 4 (22 p.)
Envelope 2...1863 Jan. 1 - Dec. 31 (1 v.)
Envelope 3...1864 Jan. 1 - Dec. 31 (1 v.)
Envelope 4...1865 Jan. 1 - Dec. 31 (1 v.)
Envelope 5...1867 Jan. 1 - Dec. 31 (1 v.)
Envelope 6...1868 Jan. 1 - 1869 Jan. 16 (1 v.)
Envelope 7...1870 Jan. 1 - Dec. 31 (1 v.)
Envelope 8...1911 Jan. 1 - Dec. 31 (1 v.)
Envelope 9...1862-1867 diary abstracts (4 items)

Henry Blake turned from gold mining in 1865, returning to his family in Iowa, where he worked as a constable and in other law enforcement positions, as well as auctioneering. By 1867, he was working as an itinerant peddler of goods, and made several trips to N.Y. City and Chicago, hoping to improve his business affairs. Blake returned to Colo. at the end of his life, and was working as a night watchman at the Denver County Court House in 1911, the year of the last diary.
Henry Blake was born in Madison Co., Ind. on 2 July 1834. He lived with his wife and children in Newton, Iowa. Having been elected recorder of the Sugar Loaf mining district in 1860, he moved his family to Colo. in 1862 with a group of would-be gold miners. He mined and prospected in Gold Hill, Sugarloaf and other young gold mining towns. Involved in conflicts with Indians in 1864-1865, he wrote about the Sand Creek massacre of Nov. 1864, but did not participate in it.

RIGHTS: The historic photographs and documents, with the Source BHS, belong to the Boulder Historical Society/Museum of Boulder and require attribution when used. These items are on permanent loan to the Carnegie Library for Local History. No duplicated materials may be deposited, or placed on file in any other archive, museum, library or similar repository. Questions of copyright are the responsibility of the user.

Diaries.
Documents.

Blake, Henry1834-1912
Rorabaugh, Steven J.
Springer, Frank L.

Springer, Frank L.

Tabor, Horace Austin Warner, 1830-1899
Blake, Henry, 1834-1912
Nichols, David H, 1828-1908
Housel, Peter M, 1823-1905
Gold Dirt Mining Company--Anecdotes
Independent Order of Odd Fellows., Newton Lodge (Newton, Iowa)--Membership
Cheyenne Indians--Wars, 1864
Gold mines and mining--Colorado--Personal narratives
Gold mines and mining--Colorado--Gold Hill--Personal narratives
Gold mines and mining--Colorado--Blackhawk--Personal narratives
Gold mines and mining--Colorado--Central City--Personal narratives
Peddling--Iowa
Prospecting--Colorado
Auctioneers--Iowa
Gold mines and mining--Colorado--Gilpin County--Russell Gulch
Frontier and pioneer life--Colorado
Gold mines and mining--Colorado--Sugarloaf--Personal narratives
Sand Creek Massacre, Colo., 1864
Gold mines and mining--Colorado--Boulder County--Personal narratives
Indians of North America--Colorado--Massacres
Boulder (Colo.)--Description and travel
Boulder (Colo.)--Boundaries
Central City (Colo.)
Denver (Colo.)--Boundaries
Fort Chambers (Colo.)
Gold Hill (Colo.)
Denver (Colo.)--Description and travel
Buckskin (Colo.)
Boulder County (Colo.)--Militia--Company D
Blackhawk mine--Sugar Loaf Mining District
Sugar Loaf see Sugarloaf.
Black Hawk see also Blackhawk.

Donor: Frank L. Springer 45 Spring Creek Drive, Eugene, OR. 97402 Gift 1971 March 25 Diaries 1862-1869

According to an article in the Boulder Daily Camera on 2 August 1941, Mrs. Jennie Blake Stewart of San Diego, daughter of Henry Blake, owned the Blake diary [diaries?]. She was the widow of Will Stewart and stepmother of Thomas W. Stewart of Boulder. Henry Blake's son was Mark Blake, who married Bertha Butsch, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Valentine B. Butsch of Boulder.
In his letter to Laurence Paddock regarding his transcription of Blake's 1864 diary on 25 March 1971, donor Frank Springer mentioned that his two cousins Mrs. L.T. Koke of Colorado Springs and Mrs. Richard Courtright of La Veta, Colorado, both were descendants of Stephen Springer who was a brother of Mrs. Henry Blake.
Provenance of the 1911 diary is unknown.