Horace Tabor and his wife Augusta ran stores and post offices in Colorado mining towns, settling in Leadville in 1877, where Horace was elected the town's first mayor, and served as postmaster. He grubstaked (invested in) a mine that struck rich in silver, and then bought more mines, including the Matchless, near Leadville. With his new fortune, he established the town's bank, newspaper, and a grand opera house. Horace lived the life of a silver king, and through political favors, even served for a short time as a state Senator.

Lizzie (Baby Doe) met Horace in Leadville, and they immediately became sweethearts (he was 49, she was 25). Horace moved her into a suite at a hotel next to his Tabor Opera House, and gossip spread like wildfire through Leadville and Denver. Horace divorced Augusta, and the new couple were married in 1883 in a lavish ceremony in Washington, DC. Congressional members and the President attended the wedding, but their wives refused to attend the "disgraceful" event, and the scandal made front-page news nationwide.

Baby Doe’s gown was rumored to have cost $7000, over $200,000 today. The gown is made of cream-colored silk damask, woven with real silver, with a 7 foot-long train, trimmed with layers of damask and cotton lace ruffles (and possibly marabou). Although Lizzie sold many of her possessions once she became destitute, she kept the wedding gown in a trunk in her cabin. The gown was acquired by the Colorado Historical Society (now History Colorado) and is currently under extensive restoration and conservation. Once restored, the gown will be 3-D scanned and available to view online.

(continued in part 3)