More photos to come, but a start.We have a soft day today...cool, grey and misty. Good day to bake cookies and do something cozy.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
TA...DA...The Big House
More photos to come, but a start.We have a soft day today...cool, grey and misty. Good day to bake cookies and do something cozy.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Intro to the Big House
The Nagle Warren Mansion is a wonderful luxury inn in located in downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The home's history
The home/inn was built by Erasmus Nagle. He was a grocer from Chicago who took advantage of opportunities supplying miners in the Colorado gold fields and then came to Cheyenne just as the Union Pacific Railroad construction crews got to Cheyenne. Erasmus was quite the businessman and opportunist. He expanded his empire by becoming involved in just about every opportunity there was to be had at that time...supplying the Black Hills when gold was discovered there, having the major liquor distribution (something all miners need), stage line, telegraph, etc. He had one of the first brick homes in Cheyenne and was serving on the building commission for the capitol building when he decided to erect the mansion (the big house). Some of the stone for the capitol building was rejected and he decided that he would build the big house with it. This involved buying the lot next door to his brick house. The U.S. Marshall's office, which had been located on the lot, was moved off and attached to F.E. Warren's home as an annex (Incidentally, F.E. a territorial governor of Wyoming and first governor of the State. He lived next door to Mr. Nagle).
Mr. Nagle located his home on a street that was known as Cattle Baron's Row and his home was screaming, "I'm the richest person in the West."
Note: Most people don't realize that at that time Cheyenne was one of the richest cities, per capita, of anywhere in the world. It was developing during the height of western expansion and industrialization, so all the latest amenities: electricity, indoor plumbing, telephones, etc. were available. English and Scottish lords were cattle barons in the area and Cheyenne had all the accoutrements that they required...imported finery for the ladies and gents, fine wines, Parisian chefs, opera, theatre, men's clubs, golf, hunting, horses, etc.
When Mr. Nagle's house was complete it had six full baths, leather ceilings, imported English tiles, cast brass fireplaces, a Moroccan chandelier, stained glass and crystal windows, and all the most luxurious finishings. Mr. Nagle left his mother in the brick house next door, possibly a wise move, and moved into the big house. Upon moving in, the Nagles opened the house for a gala celebration in true Victorian style with a band on the front porch, and all the trimmings. This was all covered by the local paper and we have heard that he had a painting a belly-dancer in the Parlour... which only goes to show that being rich didn't necessarily give him good taste in art.
Alas, Mr. Nagle died of peritonitis only two years after the house was completed. His son traveled in Europe extensively, his wife remarried a scoundrel who assisted her in dissipating the fortune and she had to sell the home and move into something more modest. A real estate company owned it for a short while, during which a General rented it (remember the fort here -- another story).
Meanwhile neighbor, F.E. Warren's political career had skyrocketed and he was a very powerful U.S. Senator. Note: F.E. Warren is another interesting story! His first wife had died, his daughter had married General Black Jack Pershing, and he'd remarried. His second wife was Clara LaBaron Morgan from New York. They needed a larger home because they were then entertaining Presidents and other dignitaries who were crossing the country on the railroad...so they bought the big house, made another $10,000 worth of improvements (nothing to sneeze at during those days) and moved two doors down.
You'll see where all this is leading when I explain that, what I call the Big House, is actually known as the Nagle Warren Mansion (www. naglewarrenmansion.com). It all makes sense now, doesn't it?
I do a little of everything here and it actually time for me to do a little of something else, so I will check back later.
With any luck I'll soon figure out how to attach photos and that will make life more interesting.
The home's history
The home/inn was built by Erasmus Nagle. He was a grocer from Chicago who took advantage of opportunities supplying miners in the Colorado gold fields and then came to Cheyenne just as the Union Pacific Railroad construction crews got to Cheyenne. Erasmus was quite the businessman and opportunist. He expanded his empire by becoming involved in just about every opportunity there was to be had at that time...supplying the Black Hills when gold was discovered there, having the major liquor distribution (something all miners need), stage line, telegraph, etc. He had one of the first brick homes in Cheyenne and was serving on the building commission for the capitol building when he decided to erect the mansion (the big house). Some of the stone for the capitol building was rejected and he decided that he would build the big house with it. This involved buying the lot next door to his brick house. The U.S. Marshall's office, which had been located on the lot, was moved off and attached to F.E. Warren's home as an annex (Incidentally, F.E. a territorial governor of Wyoming and first governor of the State. He lived next door to Mr. Nagle).
Mr. Nagle located his home on a street that was known as Cattle Baron's Row and his home was screaming, "I'm the richest person in the West."
Note: Most people don't realize that at that time Cheyenne was one of the richest cities, per capita, of anywhere in the world. It was developing during the height of western expansion and industrialization, so all the latest amenities: electricity, indoor plumbing, telephones, etc. were available. English and Scottish lords were cattle barons in the area and Cheyenne had all the accoutrements that they required...imported finery for the ladies and gents, fine wines, Parisian chefs, opera, theatre, men's clubs, golf, hunting, horses, etc.
When Mr. Nagle's house was complete it had six full baths, leather ceilings, imported English tiles, cast brass fireplaces, a Moroccan chandelier, stained glass and crystal windows, and all the most luxurious finishings. Mr. Nagle left his mother in the brick house next door, possibly a wise move, and moved into the big house. Upon moving in, the Nagles opened the house for a gala celebration in true Victorian style with a band on the front porch, and all the trimmings. This was all covered by the local paper and we have heard that he had a painting a belly-dancer in the Parlour... which only goes to show that being rich didn't necessarily give him good taste in art.
Alas, Mr. Nagle died of peritonitis only two years after the house was completed. His son traveled in Europe extensively, his wife remarried a scoundrel who assisted her in dissipating the fortune and she had to sell the home and move into something more modest. A real estate company owned it for a short while, during which a General rented it (remember the fort here -- another story).
Meanwhile neighbor, F.E. Warren's political career had skyrocketed and he was a very powerful U.S. Senator. Note: F.E. Warren is another interesting story! His first wife had died, his daughter had married General Black Jack Pershing, and he'd remarried. His second wife was Clara LaBaron Morgan from New York. They needed a larger home because they were then entertaining Presidents and other dignitaries who were crossing the country on the railroad...so they bought the big house, made another $10,000 worth of improvements (nothing to sneeze at during those days) and moved two doors down.
You'll see where all this is leading when I explain that, what I call the Big House, is actually known as the Nagle Warren Mansion (www. naglewarrenmansion.com). It all makes sense now, doesn't it?
I do a little of everything here and it actually time for me to do a little of something else, so I will check back later.
With any luck I'll soon figure out how to attach photos and that will make life more interesting.
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