Born 4 Sep 1849 in Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island, USA

Ancestors

Wife of Richard Conover Lake — married 14 Sep 1871 in Central City, Gilpin County, Colorado, United States

Descendants

Died 14 Sep 1894 at age 45 in Grand Rapids, Ontonagon County, Michigan, USA [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Christopher Smart [send private message] and Julie Smart [send private message]

Biography

Mary was born in 1849. She was the daughter of John Randolph and Betsey Engs.

"She went with an older brother (George Engs Randolph) out to Central City, Colorado, to be a school teacher." ^[1] This family account is corroborated by the 1870 US Census, showing, as of June 16, 1870, Mary lived in Nevadaville, Gilpin County, Colorado Territory, with her brother, George, and his wife, Harriet.^[2] George was “mining,” Harriet was “keeping house," and Mary was “teaching school,”^[2] ostensibly in the school the town opened in 1864 "with an initial enrollment of one hundred students."^[3]

"In the era gold had been discovered nearby, and Central City was a thriving place with an opera house that featured some of the greatest stars from all over the world."^[1] This account is corroborated by contemporary historians:

Nevadaville was a very large Colorado town by 1860 standards with a population of 2,705, making it slightly larger than Denver. … [But it] wanted no part of the wild night life common to other mining towns, and in a meeting held in 1860, resolved that, “…there be no Bawdy Houses, Grog shops or Gambling Saloons within the Limits of this District.” … [It] had a substantial business district including a number of saloons, two barber shops, a shoe store, and a grocery store. ... Nevadaville did not have a bank, and merchants accepted currency as well as gold dust for payment.^[3]

"Mary is said to have been engaged to a Mr. Cleveland, but gave him up for Richard C. Lake and married him. Children Jessie, Amy and Randolph were born in Central City. When a gold rush hit the Black Hills of South Dakota, R.C. Lake took his family there and set up a hardware store business in Deadwood."^[1]

Mary died in Evanston, 14 Sep 1894, at age 45.^[4] She's buried in Chicago's Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum.^[4]

Albums

An album containing photos and other memorabilia of the family created by the marriage of Richard Conover Lake and Mary (Randolph) Lake, including, during their childhoods, their children, Jessie Lake, Amy Lake, Mary Lake, Richard Randolph Lake, Margaret Randolph (Lake) Foote, George Ernest Lake, James Lawrence Lake and Gertrude (Lake) Merrickis available here.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Pietsch, Richard Francis. Undated. Untitled memoir of Amy Lake Pietsch - My Mother...1874-1923. Unpublished. Page 1. In the possession of profile manager.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} The 1870 Census shows “Geo E. Randolph” (30, “mining,” IL-born 6/17/1839-6/16/1840) living with his wife, “Harriet Randolph” (31, “keeping house,” MA-born 6/17/1838-6/16/1839), and sister, “Mary Randolph” (19, “teaching school,” RI-born 6/17/1850-6/16/1851), in Nevadaville, Gilpin County, Colorado Territory, George and Harriet owning “$2000” of “personal property.” See 1870 US Census for Nevadaville, Gilpin County, Colorado Territory (microcopy 593, reel 95, page 268B, enumerated 6/16/1870), available without restriction courtesy of the Internet Archive (archive.org).
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Mark Baldwin's "Gilpin Tramway" historical website, www.gilpintram.com/nevadaville.html
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Sources: (1) _____________________________. (2) Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/172244326/mary-lake : accessed 30 April 2021), memorial page for Mary Randolph Lake (1849–14 Sep 1894), Find a Grave Memorial ID Find A Grave: Memorial #172244326, citing Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA ; Maintained by Saratoga (contributor 46965279). For a list of other persons with Wikitree profiles who are likewise shown as buried in this cemetery, click on the cemetery link above. To see Find a Grave's website for the cemetery, click here.