WOMEN OF THE WEST' -- Part 3

TAYLOR, CRABTREE

Posted By: David (email)
Date: 2/15/2005 at 12:13:22

LOTTA CRABTREE (Con't)

'Fairy Star Of The Mother Lode'
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Life for Lotta began in New York City. Her mother, Mary Ann Livesley, had
arrived in New York with her mother, sisters, and brothers in the 1830s.
Her father had drowned at sea while trying to settle his family in India.
Undaunted by this tragedy, Mary Ann's mother had brought the rest of the
family to America. They were of good, middle-class English stock and they
proudly set up a carriage trade making upholstery and slipcovers.

When Mary Ann was 19 she met another English immigrant, John Ashworth
Crabtree, a bookseller of Nassau Street. An easygoing, elegantly dressed
man who spent more hours drinking than he did tending his bookstore, John
Crabtree was nevertheless a charmer. Mary Ann married him in 1844.

The young woman continued to work in the family upholstery business, pausing
only to have a child who died soon after birth. Lotta, her second child,
was born on November 7, 1847.

Meanwhile, the discovery of gold in California in early 1848 was creating
tales of unbelievable riches that went sweeping across the continent. John
Crabtree was not untouched by the news. New York papers filled their pages
with fabulous overnight success stories.

Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune wrote: "We are on the brink of an
Age of Gold!"

The soundings were too much for the ambitious mind to ignore. John Crabtree
held out until 1851 and then finally sold the bookstore, leaving for San
Francisco with a promise to send for his wife and small daughter as soon as
he was settled.

After some time passed, Mary Ann was summoned to California, and she and
baby Lotta began the long and arduous trek westward. They chose to go by
way of Panama, considered the easiest route of the time. Traveling first by
boat, then by railroad, and next by muleback through the thick,
disease-infested jungles and torrid climates of South America, mother and
daughter finally concluded the long journey on board the steam packet
Oregon."

Although husband John was not present to greet his family, Mary Ann soon set
up housekeeping on Telegraph Hill. It was here that Lotta met and admired
the colony of traveling actors. Among the troupe was the successful child
actress Sue Robinson and a dozen other adult entertainers. Mary Ann must
have recognized the potential of having a prodigy, for soon she enrolled
Lotta in dancing classes.

Unsuccessful at discovering gold, John Crabtree reappeared, moving his wife
and daughter to Grass Valley, high in the Sierras north of Sacramento. It
was here that the famous Gold Hill Mine was founded, producing $1 million a
year for nearly ninety-one years. As in other mining camps, tragedy, fire,
and violence struck the town frequently, but its hidden treasures were worth
the gamble.

Lotta's father never found gold. But fortunately for the family, his wife
managed the funds by operating several boarding houses for miners. Here,
too, the famous actress Lola Montez came and stayed with the family. And it
was here that the aspiring dancing teacher, Bowers, polished the awakening
talents of little Lotta.

Mary Ann became acquainted with another boarding house operator and former
actress, Mrs. Harriet Robinson, who entertained at frequent Bohemian circles
of celebrities traveling the countryside. Lola Montez joined the group and
immediately took Lotta under her wing. In return, Lotta, impish and
bright-eyed, adored the Countess, who would produce costumes from her trunks
and let Lotta dance to the music from a German music box.

But it was a short stay in Grass Valley for the Crabtrees, as Mary Ann
despairingly followed John from place to place before finally settling in La
Porta, forty miles to the north. Once again she was cooking and making beds
for the miners.

Sometime during this period the tempestuous Lola Montez, who had previously
taught Lotta to ride horseback and dance the fandango and Highland fling,
reappeared. Legend has it that Miss Montez wanted to take Lotta on a tour
of Australia as her protegee. Mary Ann would not permit this, but all this
attention from a celebrated star of the day merely confirmed Mary Ann's
faith in her child's theatrical talent. Recognizing little Lotta's
potential, her mother soon sought singing and dancing lessons from yet
another teacher.

To Be Continued . . . Matt Taylor had come west.
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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
February 1, 2005
iggy29@rnetinc.net