Jefferson Randolph Smith, a bunco artist, moved from Texas to Colorado in the mid-1880's. A master of the art of "slight of hand", he followed the carnival to Leadville with his shell game and other slick tricks designed to relieve the unsuspecting of their hard earned cash.

The name "Soapy" was gained from wrapping a small cake of soap with a 10 to 50 dollar bill, and then re-wrapping the bar and shuffling it into a large pile of identically wrapped cakes. In turn he would sell these for 1 to 5 dollars apiece. Of course many of the bill wrapped bars were taken out of the pile un-noticed by the players.

Soapy moved to Denver and set up his soap scam near Union Station. He soon added card gambling to his list of talents and enlisted others to work for him for a piece of the action.

An incident in Denver added to his notoriety in the state. The Glasson Detective Agency had attempted to force a confession from a pretty young girl. On hearing about this Soapy raided their office with pistols in hand and accused them of mistreating the little girl. He became a hero over night.

In 1892, on hearing about the big silver strike in Creede, he moved there for a piece of the action. His notoriety in Denver preceded him and he was welcomed in Creede as a celebrity.

Soapy opened his Orleans Club and quickly set up a dictatorship, ruling this small mining town from his saloon.

A visiting preacher to the town was robbed of his collection and his trousers one night and Soapy immediately collected $600 from townfolks to repay the man and build a church in Creede.

The famous hoax of the "petrified man" named "McGinty" (cement over some skeletal remains) was purchased by Soapy and was set up in the Orleans Club with a charge per viewer. He later leased out the creature to a traveling circus.

Soapy later moved to Skagway, Alaska and was killed in a gunfight in 1898.

Of "the dirty little coward who shot Mr. Howard" fame, Robert Ford moved to Colorado in 1884.

He had made a deal with then Governor, Thomas T. Crittendon of Missouri in 1882 to kill Jesse James for a $10,000 reward.

Since James was a hero among many folks, Bob was continually badgered by angry citizens over the killing. He decided it was in his best interest to leave the state.

Ford operated a successful saloon and gambling hall in Walsenburg, Colorado for awhile, and later moved on to Creede after hearing about the big silver strike there in the late 1880's.

He opened the Creede Exchange saloon and was noted for fair dealing and generosity in the community. His whiskey had the reputation of being the best for miles around.

On June 8, 1892, at the age of 32, he was shot down by Edward O. Kelly, over a dispute, much in the same way as he had killed Jesse James.

At his funeral in Creede the preacher, unable to think of anything good to say about him, said... "Charity covereth a multitude of sins."

Ed O. Kelly was immediately arrested for murder and sent to the Colorado Prison in Canon City. He was paroled in 1902 and killed 2 years later by a policeman in Oklahoma City.

"At my age I suppose I should be knitting", said Alice in later years..."I would rather play poker with 5 or 6 experts than eat."

Alice Ivers was born in Sudbury, England in 1851. She and her family moved to Virginia when Alice was in her late teens, eventually moving to Colorado where Alice married a mining engineer.

She and her husband settled in Lake City in 1875. Gambling being a way of life in many mining camps, she accompanied her husband to the gambling parlors and soon started sitting in on the games.

Alice's husband was later killed in a mining accident and she began to play poker for a living, earning the name of Poker Alice.

She worked gambling rooms in Alamosa, Central City, Georgetown and Leadville...once breaking the bank at Silver City. During this time she acquired a taste for cigars and was seen constantly puffing on black stogies.

Unlike some of the wild women of the old west, she dressed fashionably and was neat in appearance.

Poker Alice moved to Oklahoma working the gambling tables in Guthrie and other places, but returned to Colorado on hearing about the new mining camp of Creede in 1890.

She managed tables for 8 hour shifts at Bob Ford's Creede Exchange and became a well known figure on the gambler's circuit. Because of her up bring she always refused to play on Sundays, even though it was a popular day for miners coming to town for their one day off.

Poker Alice left Creede and moved to South Dakota later, dying in Rapid City in 1930.

Martha Jane Cannary was born in Princton , Missouri in 1852, or 1844 ...depending on who you believe.

She was notorious for telling big stories of her adventures, most of which are probably not true, such as serving as a scout for General Custer.

Calamity traveled the west extensively, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Arizona, California, to name a few places. She claimed to have married her friend Wild Bill Hickok, had a child by him, and later giving him a divorce. This is widely disputed but she did end up being buried next to him according to her wishes.

An expert card player, she always wore men's clothing. It's said that she could ride like a road agent, flourish 2 guns like a desperado, and drink in any bar in the west.

If she had money in her pocket she would stop at the first saloon she came to, walking through the swinging doors and shout..."I'm Calamity Jane and the drinks are on me!"

She married Clinton Burke in Texas in the mid-80's and they moved to Boulder, Colorado to manage a hotel there for about 3 years. They divorced shortly after that time.

Calamity Jane, on hearing about the big strike at Creede drifted into town and settled there for awhile to play poker at the local saloons.

Calamity Jane died in Deadwood, South Dakota in 1903 after failing health from years of alcohol abuse.