This week in Aspen history

“Mrs. Mary Newton, the miner’s friend, left last week for Leadville to lay in a supply of turkeys, oysters, clams, crabs and turtles for the holidays,” noted the Rocky Mountain Sun on Nov. 26, 1881.

“Mary has a business head on her shoulders, and knows that the smelter, under the energy of Mr. C.R. Bell, will soon be in operation, which, like touching a row of bricks, will set all other industries in motion. The miner will be happy, work and money plenty, and he will no long ‘batch,’ but dine royally with his moccasins under Mary’s mahogany at the comfortable home-quarters of her whose cooking is praised both sides of the range. On Thanksgiving day Mrs. Newton gave one of her superb dinners to the proprietors of the Sun, together with their families. Judge King, of the county court, presided at the head of the table with his usual grace. The dinner was one of the best ever spread in the county, and the thanks of the Sun are hereby acknowledged to the kind and thoughtful lady who so ably presides over the establishment. In the evening Mrs. Newton fed a barrel or more of turkeys and chickens to her customers, together with the usual Thanksgiving fixings. This initial supper was enjoyed by all, and each declared that the affair was one of elegance. We predict a golden harvest for this lady on the resumption of activity in the camp.”