Ladies Relief Society of Denver : Index To Residents of the Old Ladies Home 1897-1980

              Ladies Relief Society of Denver
Index To Residents of the Old Ladies Home 1897-1980
In 1872, several dedicated and Christian ladies of the Trinity Methodist Church, inspired by Mrs.
B. T. Vincent (wife of the pastor), dreamed a dream.
They envisioned a home for the care of "homeless aged and infirm women."
The Ladies Relief Society was formed and incorporated under the laws of the Territory of
Colorado as a non-profit, charitable organization, and a Trust Fund set up for the purpose of
providing such a home.
The first quarters were donated at E. 8th Ave. and Logan in 1874 and the cornerstone laid by the
Masonic Fraternity in 1875.
The entire block of land on West 38th Ave. was acquired in 1897 and the present building
completed in 1899. In the early 1900s the home sheltered forty women "alone in the world."
Mrs. John Evans, wife of a Governor of Colorado, was on the Board of Trustees. Boarders were
charged $12.00 a month, but by 1916 this had been raised to $25.00 a month, due to increased
living costs. Requirements for "life-care" contracts were $500.00 and a "good black silk dress."
Through the years many interested and civic-minded businessmen and citizens have contributed
much to the physical plant of the home as well as to the care and comfort of the ladies resident
there. Every name deserves mention, but the list is far too long to be included here.
In 1919 the hospital was erected through a gift from Mr. & Mrs. Channing Sweet and later
enlarged through a gift from Governor William E. Sweet. Portraits of these family members hang
in the hallway of the hospital and the name over the entrance doorway reads the "Emeroy S.
Sweet Hospital." Today this portion of the home is operated as an Intermediate Care Facility
since it does not conform to present day codes for hospitals.
The Ladies Relief Society home is unique in the history of Colorado, and a pioneer of its kind in
the entire United States. In fact, there are great doubts that its counterpart may be found
anywhere.
This index has been compiled through the efforts of several people: Marguerite Barrett, who was
"relief manager" of the home in the late 1970s; Kay and Al Jennison, Society members and
active volunteers in the home from the time his mother became a Contract resident in 1964; Eula
H. Rosvall, President of the Society, 1974-1979; Allene "Skotti" Bush, Treasurer, 1975-1979.
Although the Society provided "food, shelter and care" from its beginnings in 1872,
unfortunately there are no existing records of those so helped. Susie Baker, who died in 1910,
had lived in the home 23 years, so evidently was resident in the previous home in 1887. A Mrs.
Mink or Minth? was admitted in 1898, and Margaret Cox in 1899, the year the present home was
built. All other records start with 1900.