A Child Strikes Gold (The Story of Lotta Crabtree)
By Gillian Gombis
Travelling west was a big deal in the 1840’s and 1850’s. Families would pick up their homes and travel to the West in order to strike it rich in the Gold Rush. The Crabtree family joined the bandwagon and headed to California with hopes to find their fortune. Lotta Crabtree was a young girl when her family arrived in Rabbit Creek, California. She lived in a log cabin with her mother and father. Unfortunately, Mr. Crabtree was an unlucky gold miner who had not been successful in his search for wealth so the family was very poor.
When Lotta would finish her daily chores at the mining camp, she would play with the other children. They had the whole frontier, it seemed like, as their playground. They explored creeks, hiked up hills, raced across fields on ponies, and spent long hot days at the swimming hole. After the sun went down, sometimes the children would dance to music.
Mart Taylor, the Crabtree’s neighbor, was the owner of the little theater in that particular mining camp (every camp had a theater). One day, Mart Taylor noticed that Lotta had such an incredible sense of rhythm when she danced. He also observed Lotta’s pleasant and winning personality. Mart took Lotta under his wing and taught her some dances. He then persuaded her mother to let Lotta perform in the theater for all the miners and their families. In 1855, when Lotta was just seven years old, she debuted on stage for the miners in Rabbit Creek theater. The theater was packed with miners as she stepped onto stage for the first time. Candles lined the stage and the room was filled with tobacco smoke. Lotta courageously danced for the audience and they loved her. They roared with applause and even threw her nuggets of gold! Lotta Crabtree’s career had begun.
Besides dancing, Lotta also learned how to sing mining songs and play the banjo. Mrs. Crabtree allowed Lotta to travel to other mining camps and perform in their theaters. With her winning personality and stage acts, she became a star throughout the West. Together, Lotta and her mother toured through the mining camps performing for the miners. In between her performances, Lotta would play with her dolls, for she was still very young. By the time she was nine years old, she had her own performing company!
Lotta Crabtree continued to travel and perform throughout her childhood. She had become America’s highest paid actress. When she died in 1924, she left an estate of $4 million. Lotta had struck gold in the West!
Comprehension Questions
- Why where families flooding to the West in the 1840’s and 1850’s?
- Where was Lotta Crabtree’s first performance?
- How did Lotta know that the audience liked her performance?
- What other stage acts did Lotta add to her performances?
- What other types of entertainment do you think the miners had in the 1840’s and 1850’s?
- What kind of chores do you think the children had in the mining camps?
A Child Strikes Gold (The Story of Lotta Crabtree)
By Gillian Gombis
1)Outline:
Suggested props: a banjo, a golden nugget, a doll, map of the West
I.. Travelling West
A.. 1840’s and 1850’s
B. Gold Rush
C. Crabtree family goes to California (Lotta, mother, father)
D. Mr. Crabtree was unlucky
II. Free time at the camps
A. Children would play
B. Children would dance
III. Mart Taylor owned the theater
A.Taylor noticed Lotta’s skills and personality
B. Taylor taught Lotta to dance
C. Lotta performed in Mart’s theater at age 7
D Lotta was loved by the miners
IV. Lotta’s Career
A. Learned to sing and play banjo
B. Traveled to other mining camps and performed.
C. Lotta owned a company at age 9.
D. Lotta became very successful.
E. Died in 1924.
2) Answers to Comprehension Questions:
1. Families were flooding west because they desired to strike it rich in the Gold Rush.
2. Lotta’s first performance was in Mart Taylor’s theater in Rabbit Creek, California.
3. Lotta knew the audience loved her because they roared with applause and threw gold nuggets at her.
4. Lotta also added singing and playing the banjo to her stage performance.
5. Answers will vary.
6. Answers will vary.
3) Source used: Children of The Wild West by Russell Freedman