A story of the building of the American West from a woman’s point of view. Based on the true story of Augusta Tabor, a pioneer who helped build Denver during the silver boom. When her husband, Haw Tabor, “The Silver King”, decides to run for Senate in 1883, he dumps his wife of over twenty years in a scandalous divorce, forcing Augusta to fight for what is rightly hers and build her independent identity. It’s the story of a woman who until now has been lost to history. 

ACT 1
EXT. WESTERN FRONTIER - DAY
Twenty COVERED WAGONS make camp in a WINDY prairie that stretches endlessly in every direction.
Read More 
The First Mrs. Tabor table read 
Act II: The Fight Scene

Special thanks to my son, Isaac Elbaum, for editing and creative input.

Main Character

Augusta Tabor, an educated debutante from Maine, cousin to the 14th President, forges West after marrying Haw Tabor, a handsome laborer from her father’s quarry. In the rush of 1859, the Tabors enter Colorado and begin prospecting. A keen businesswoman and entrepreneur, Augusta keeps the family afloat by boarding, running general stores and post offices. When the Tabors finally strike silver in 1878, Haw soon decides to expand his political career, but with another woman by his side. Under the weight of coverture, and forced to start over, Augusta, a woman in the man's world of the Wild West, needs to muster all her savvy and grit to stay afloat and determine what she is made of.

Supporting Characters

Haw Tabor, a.k.a. The Silver King was born and raised on a humble farm in Vermont. He left home at sixteen in search of manual labor, eventually finding work in a Maine quarry. Rugged, gregarious, ambitious, Haw utilized his charm to marry his boss’ daughter, Augusta, and they soon headed to the Western frontier. For twenty years, he mined the rough landscape of the Colorado Rockies, toiling without luck.  During this time, Haw honed his political skills and became a local politician of the newly formed towns he helped settle. His magnificent success came later when he finally struck silver in the late 1870s, made fistfuls of millions, and reimagined his political and personal future. 

Baby Doe, born Elizabeth McCourt, got her infamous nickname from prospectors smitten by her pretty, youthful face. Originally from Catholic, middle-class Wisconsin, pressured by her mother to marry well, Elizabeth wed into the affluent Doe family who had ties to mining investments. The marriage failed and Elizabeth was on her own in Leadville, CO. Strong and resourceful, Baby Doe was known to wear dungarees and slog for precious metals alongside brawny men. She also worked at a rather fancy local millinery. That all changed when Baby Doe met, quickly befriended, and developed deep affection for Haw Tabor.

Maxcy Tabor, the only child of Augusta and Haw, was barely twenty at the time of his parents’ separation. The family scandal was relentlessly covered in the press and took its toll on the young man torn between loyalties. A talented horseman, Maxcy was both refined gentleman and wild cowboy, growing up with a freedom unique to his era and the uninhabited landscape of early Denver. Maxcy struggles against the grip of his parents’ influence and wants to free himself from the shadow of their personal problems.

Reference Library

Learn more about the Tabors by watching the Colorado Experience: The Tabors on PBS.

Watch Alfred E. Green’s 1932 production depicting the stories of the Tabors, starring Edward G. Robinson as the character based on Haw Tabor - Silver Dollar, 1932.