David K. Stone (American, 1922 - 2001) "Mail Order Bride" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Canvas.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting originally appeared in the Fleetwood Trails West Collection of Fine Art Prints as "Mail Order Bride" published in 1983.

On March 8, 1899, a small Colorado District came of age as the State Legislature voted to create Teller County. The famous gold town of Cripple Creek, Colorado was designated as county seat. Not too many years earlier, Cripple Creek ... like so many other small settlements throughout the country ... was a quiet, almost sleepy, town. But when gold was discovered on a lower slope of neighboring Pike's Peak, the small town grew at a phenomenal rate as literally hundreds of prospectors and fortune seekers poured into the area. As is the case in most gold "boom towns," the vast majority of the Cripple Creek gold seekers were men. Consequently, one of the most scarce and desirable commodities throughout the entire area was eligible young women. This great female shortage brought out some of the most creative matrimonial exploits the West has ever seen. One young entrepreneur even went so far as to travel to the East Coast and recruit young women to relocate in the West ... promising them the natural beauties of the land and unlimited employment opportunities as school teachers and seamstresses. In reality, he was providing a Mail Order Bride service to the many men back home.

Overall Size: 18 x 21 in.
Unframed. (B07916)

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18 x 21 in