Author J.v.L. Bell “Women of the Gold Rush Era” presented by the Palmer Lake Historical Society

The Palmer Lake Historical Society is pleased to present J.v.L. Bell, author of Women of the Colorado Gold Rush Era. Explore the lives of four unforgettable women who called Colorado home during the turbulent years of the Pikes Peak Gold Rush.
Katrina Murat was an adventurous spirit who lived in Palmer Lake, CO at the end of her life. Katrina was also known as the “Betsy Ross of Colorado”.
Amache Prowers, a Cheyenne woman living on the eastern plains, married John Prowers, who went on to become one of the largest cattle barons in Colorado. Amache was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame.
Maria Dolores Ballejos was an early Colorado pioneer who settled in the San Luis Valley and spent her life fighting to retain the land she cultivated.
Clara Brown was a former enslaved woman from Virginia who became a community leader and philanthropist. She helped formerly enslaved people become settled during Colorado's Gold Rush. She was known as the 'Angel of the Rockies'.
The Palmer Lake Historical Society is an educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving the Palmer Divide area since 1956.