Golden in Jefferson County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Settler Farm Wife’s Initiative

Photographed By Charles T. Harrell, July 4, 2011

1. Settler Farm Wife’s Initiative Marker

Inscription.

Settler Farm Wife’s Initiative. . Here is a story from the Colorado Transcript of August 12, 1885: , “We like to hear a good story, and here is one on Jim Boyd: Last spring Jim’s wife wanted to peddle vegetables in Denver. Jim laughed at her, believing she could not even drive a horse let alone sell garden sass; but to keep peace in the family he let her have her own way. He told her to skip out, and that she could have all she made; he would get up the loads but with the understanding that he was to have all she made if she soured on the business within a month. Now come the fun: the first trip he gave her a small load, and about noon she returned with seven dollars. As Jim took the old horse to the stable he was heard muttering, ‘never mind, old woman. I’ll give you an old k-rister of a load next time, and see how you come out.’ For two days Jim picked peas, beans, tied up pie-plant, onions, beets, radishes, and kept piling them on the wagon as long as he could find room. At 4 o’clock in the morning his wife started for the market with a load that looked more like a ton of hay than a load of vegetables, and the smiles that played around Jim’s mouth were beaufiful. Twelve o’clock came, and so did his wife, and as he shoved $24 under Jim’s nose you might have heard him say something that sounded like ‘ge-hue! Ge-h--! Not a durned thing left in the cart!’ but when the old woman handed him a little paper with the following order, Jim let out cuss-words a half-mile long. The order he knew would take him a week to fill, viz: , I want for Friday morning-40 dozen pie plant; 40 doz. Onions; 20 doz. Radishes; 20 doz. Lettuce; 10 doz. Carrots; 50 gal. peas; 50 gal. bans; 400 lb cabbage; 200 lb spinach; 3 sacks turnips; 20 gal. gooseberries, 100 boxes strawberries.
“This is only one of the many orders that Jim’s wife gave him, and can be said to his credit that he stuck to his promise, and now at the end of three months his wife is ahead of the game $300 in solid cash, and Jim is out a pair of boots, suit of clothes, and has not realized enough money to buy a plug of tobacco. Serves you right, Jim. You’ll know better next time, for when a woman takes a notion to do a thing she is going to get there, you be every pig you’ve got on the place.”

Here is a story from the Colorado Transcript of August 12, 1885:
“We like to hear a good story, and here is one on Jim Boyd: Last spring Jim’s wife wanted to peddle vegetables in Denver. Jim laughed at her, believing she could not even drive a horse let alone sell garden sass; but to keep peace in the family he let her have her own way. He told her to skip out, and that she could have all she made; he would get up the loads but with the understanding that he was to have all she made if she soured on the business within a month. Now come the fun: the first trip he gave her a small load, and about noon she returned with seven dollars. As Jim took the old horse to the stable he was heard muttering, ‘never mind, old woman. I’ll give you an old k-rister of a load next time, and see how you come out.’ For two days Jim picked peas, beans, tied up pie-plant, onions, beets, radishes, and kept piling them on the wagon as long as he could find room. At 4 o’clock in the morning his wife started for the market with a load that looked more like a ton of hay than a load of vegetables, and the smiles that played around Jim’s mouth were beaufiful. Twelve o’clock came, and so did his wife, and as he shoved $24 under Jim’s nose you might have heard him say something that sounded like ‘ge-hue! Ge-h--! Not a durned thing left in the cart!’
Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online
but when the old woman handed him a little paper with the following order, Jim let out cuss-words a half-mile long. The order he knew would take him a week to fill, viz:
I want for Friday morning-40 dozen pie plant; 40 doz. Onions; 20 doz. Radishes; 20 doz. Lettuce; 10 doz. Carrots; 50 gal. peas; 50 gal. bans; 400 lb cabbage; 200 lb spinach; 3 sacks turnips; 20 gal. gooseberries, 100 boxes strawberries.
“This is only one of the many orders that Jim’s wife gave him, and can be said to his credit that he stuck to his promise, and now at the end of three months his wife is ahead of the game $300 in solid cash, and Jim is out a pair of boots, suit of clothes, and has not realized enough money to buy a plug of tobacco. Serves you right, Jim. You’ll know better next time, for when a woman takes a notion to do a thing she is going to get there, you be every pig you’ve got on the place.”

Caption: Joel and Matilda Palmer came to Golden by wagon train from Utica N.Y. to farm in 1860. Matilda bore the first white baby I the territory. They are shown here in 1890, after raising eleven children in Golden. Courtesy Golden Pioneer Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1885.

Location. 39° 45.409′ N, 105°

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

13.359′ W. Marker is in Golden, Colorado, in Jefferson County. Marker is on Washington Avenue Bridge, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Golden CO 80401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. First Bicycle Mishap in Golden (here, next to this marker); A Daring Rescue (here, next to this marker); Porcelain and Malted Milk (here, next to this marker); Fun on Courthouse Hill (here, next to this marker); Brewing on Clear Creek-Coors History (here, next to this marker); Golden and Clear Creek (here, next to this marker); Gold (here, next to this marker); Irrigation and Farming (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Golden.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 8, 2019. It was originally submitted on November 27, 2011, by Charles T. Harrell of Woodford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 703 times since then and 12 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on November 27, 2011, by Charles T. Harrell of Woodford, Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.