Caroline Bancroft

Bancroft was born in Denver, Colorado, on September 11, 1900,{{cite book|author1=Jeanne Varnell|author2=Marvin L. Hanson|title=Women of Consequence: The Colorado Women's Hall of Fame|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ER_kf0pWJZUC&pg=PA140|year=1999|publisher=Big Earth Publishing|isbn=978-1-55566-214-1|page=140}} to an established, "upper crust" family and was a third-generation Coloradan. Her parents were Ethel Force Norton, a socialite from Troy, New York,{{cite web | url=http://eadsrv.denverlibrary.org/sdx/pl/doc-tdm.xsp?id=WH1089_d0e35&fmt=text&base=fa | title=Caroline Bancroft Family Papers: Biographical Note | access-date=October 6, 2016 | archive-date=October 5, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005201238/http://eadsrv.denverlibrary.org/sdx/pl/doc-tdm.xsp?id=WH1089_d0e35&fmt=text&base=fa | url-status=dead }} and George Jarvis Bancroft,{{cite book|author1=Marilyn Griggs Riley|author2=Thomas J. Noel|title=High Altitude Attitudes: Six Savvy Colorado Women|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gmfKN36ijkkC&pg=PA105|year=2006|publisher=Big Earth Publishing|isbn=978-1-55566-375-9|page=105|chapter=Caroline Bancroft}} a Coloradan who graduated in 1895 from Stanford University. He was in the school's first graduating class with future president Herbert Hoover.{{cite book|author1=Marilyn Griggs Riley|author2=Thomas J. Noel|title=High Altitude Attitudes: Six Savvy Colorado Women|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gmfKN36ijkkC&pg=PA106|year=2006|publisher=Big Earth Publishing|isbn=978-1-55566-375-9|page=106|chapter=Caroline Bancroft}} Dr. Frederick J. Bancroft, her grandfather, was a Colorado pioneer and surgeon. In 1879 he was co-founder and first president of the Colorado Historical Society, originally called the State Historical and National History Society of Colorado. He served as president for 17 years.{{cite book|author1=Marilyn Griggs Riley|author2=Thomas J. Noel|title=High Altitude Attitudes: Six Savvy Colorado Women|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gmfKN36ijkkC&pg=PA104|year=2006|publisher=Big Earth Publishing|isbn=978-1-55566-375-9|page=104|chapter=Caroline Bancroft}} The 13,000 foot Mount Bancroft is named for him, below which is Lake Caroline, which is named for her.{{cite book|author1=Marilyn Griggs Riley|author2=Thomas J. Noel|title=High Altitude Attitudes: Six Savvy Colorado Women|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gmfKN36ijkkC&pg=PA101|year=2006|publisher=Big Earth Publishing|isbn=978-1-55566-375-9|page=101|chapter=Caroline Bancroft}}

George's wealth ebbed and flowed as he explored mining enterprises in Mexico and the western United States. Ethel rented out the second floor of their home at 1081 Downing Street to help support her two daughters, Caroline and Peggy, who was born in 1905.{{cite book|author1=Marilyn Griggs Riley|author2=Thomas J. Noel|title=High Altitude Attitudes: Six Savvy Colorado Women|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gmfKN36ijkkC&pg=PA107-108|year=2006|publisher=Big Earth Publishing|isbn=978-1-55566-375-9|page=107|chapter=Caroline Bancroft}} For entertainment, Caroline liked to ride horses that the family kept at a Corona Street livery or at the family's 2,500 acre summer home in Bear Creek Canyon. The ranch and summer home, purchased by Frederick Bancroft, were located between Kittredge and Evergreen. In 1923, the buildings were donated to the Evergreen Conference Historic District.{{cite web | url=http://citymtnviews.com/neighborhoods/evergreen/index.html | title=Jefferson County Neighborhoods: Evergreen | publisher=City Mountain Views | access-date=October 4, 2016 | archive-date=December 20, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220130912/http://citymtnviews.com/neighborhoods/evergreen/index.html | url-status=dead }} She also like to travel to her father's Clover Knoll Farm by Barnum trolley.

File:Caroline Bancroft (1900–1985) in the Smith College Class Book 1923.png

Bancroft received her Bachelor of Arts from Smith College and attended the University of Denver where she attained a master's degree in history. Central City, Colorado, was the subject of her master's thesis.

File:CAROLINE BANCROFT HOUSE-1079-1081 Downing Street.JPG, 1079-1081 Downing Street, Denver, Colorado is on the National Register of Historic Places.]]

Standing six feet tall, she often wore paper flowers in braids that wound on the top of her head. She was friendly and witty to many. She called herself a social historian because she enjoyed being around her friends. Bancroft was known to say, "I'm Caroline. It rhymes with sin, gin, and jasmine. Take your pick." Some found her without humor, sour, and forthright, which meant that she also made enemies.

Bancroft worked as a cruise ship teacher and as a journalist for The Denver Post.{{cite book | url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/51678/51678-h/51678-h.htm | chapter=About the author | title=Unique Ghost Towns | year=1961 | publisher=Gutenberg Project }} She published nine booklets on Colorado History that sold nearly a million copies. They captured the "drama and spirit" of Colorado's history, but she may have occasionally taken poetic license in her storytelling. David H. Halaas, a historian for the Colorado Historical Society said "Caroline was—and is—a force in Colorado history." Bancroft was particularly interested in the history of the Tabor family, Leadville, and Central City, Colorado. Daniel K. Peterson was the photographer and map illustrator for her on the booklet on ghost towns.

Bancroft had tuberculosis three times, had cancer four times, and was blind for one year. Yet she continued to travel. Bancroft died in Denver on October 5, 1985.

In her will, Bancroft left her estate to the Colorado Historical Society and the Western History Department of the Denver Public Library,{{cite book|author1=Marilyn Griggs Riley|author2=Thomas J. Noel|title=High Altitude Attitudes: Six Savvy Colorado Women|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gmfKN36ijkkC&pg=PA100|year=2006|publisher=Big Earth Publishing|isbn=978-1-55566-375-9|page=100|chapter=Caroline Bancroft}} which awards an annual literary prize in her name "to the author of the best book on Colorado or Western American History". The Denver Public Library's Western History and Genealogy Department makes the annual monetary award, which in 2016 will be a $1,000, and non-monetary honor book awards.{{cite web | url=https://history.denverlibrary.org/caroline-bancroft-history-prize| title=Caroline Bancroft History Prize|publisher=Denver Public Library|access-date=October 3, 2016 }} Her estate also funds the Caroline Bancroft History Project Award, which is made annually by the Colorado Historical Society, now called History Colorado. It is awarded to "an individual, organization or museum that has contributed to public awareness, interest or involvement in Colorado history, or to its advancement." For example, in 2013 it was awarded to the Chimney Rock Interpretive Association (CRIA) that operates the Chimney Rock National Monument's interpretive program.{{ cite news | url=http://www.pagosasun.com/cria-receives-caroline-bancroft-history-project-award/ | title=CRIA receives Caroline Bancroft History Project Award | author=Nadia Werby | newspaper=The Pagosa Springs SUN | access-date=October 3, 2016 }} An oil portrait of Bancroft is in the Denver Public Library, and link to a photograph of her standing in front of the portrait is in the External Links section below.

• {{cite book | title=The Brown Palace in Denver | publisher=Bancroft Booklets | location=Denver}}
• {{cite book | title=Glenwood's Early Glamor | publisher=Bancroft Booklets | location=Denver}}
• {{cite book | title=Silver queen, the fabulous story of Baby Doe Tabor | year=1950 | publisher=Golden Press | location=Denver | lccn=50004168 }}
• {{cite book | title=Historic Central City, its complete story as guide and souvenir | url=https://archive.org/details/historiccentralc00banc | url-access=registration | orig-year=1951 | year=1957 | publisher=Bancroft Booklets | location=Denver | lccn=57037163}}
• {{cite book | title=Photo story of the Matchless Mine and Baby Doe Tabor | year=1953 | publisher=Golden Press | location=Denver | lccn=53010689 }}
• {{cite book | title=Famous Aspen, its fabulous past--its lively present | year=1954 | publisher=Golden Press | location=Denver | lccn=54002920 }}
• {{cite book | title=Augusta Tabor: Her Side of the Scandal | year=1955| publisher=Bancroft Booklets | location=Denver}}
• {{cite book | title=The Unsinkable Mrs. Brown | publisher=Golden Press | location=Denver | lccn=57007491}}
• {{cite book | title=Colorful Colorado, its dramatic history | publisher=Sage Books | location=Denver | lccn=59006261 | year=1959 }}
• {{cite book | title=Denver's lively past, from a wild and woolly camp to Queen City of the Plains | year=1959 | location=Boulder, Colorado | publisher=Johnson Books | lccn=59016951}}
• {{cite book | title=Gulch of Gold | orig-year=1959| year=2003 | location=Boulder, Colorado | publisher=Johnson Books | isbn=1555662994 }}
• {{cite book | title=Colorado's Lost Gold Mines and Buried Treasure | publisher=Bancroft Booklets | location=Denver | year=1961}}
• {{cite book | title=Unique ghost towns and mountain spots | year=1961 | location=Boulder, Colorado | publisher=Johnson Books | lccn=61065703 }}
• {{cite book | title=Six Racy Madams of Colorado | publisher=Bancroft Booklets | location=Denver | year=1965}}
• {{cite book | title=Estes Park and Trail Ridge, their dramatic history | location=Boulder, Colorado | publisher=Johnson Books | year=1981 | isbn=0933472188 }}
• {{cite book | title=Tabor's Matchless Mine and Lusty Leadville | publisher=Bancroft Booklets | location=Denver | year=1990}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.babydoe.org/bancroft.htm Caroline Bancroft interview] about Baby Doe Tabor
• [https://www.librarything.com/bookaward/Caroline+Bancroft+History+Prize Caroline Bancroft History Prize]
• [http://www.gettyimages.com/photos/miss-caroline-bancroft?sort=mostpopular&excludenudity=true&mediatype=photography&phrase=miss%20caroline%20bancroft Photographs of Caroline Bancroft]
• {{Librivox author |id=12064}}
• {{Gutenberg author |id=46149}}

{{Colorado Women's Hall of Fame}}

{{National Women's Hall of Fame}}

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Category:1900 births

Category:1985 deaths

Category:20th-century American women journalists

Category:American women historians

Category:20th-century American historians

Category:Journalists from Denver

Category:The Denver Post people

Category:Smith College alumni

Category:University of Denver alumni

Category:20th-century American philanthropists

Category:20th-century American journalists