been led to believe, but a madame at the most notorious brothel in Cripple Creek. Horrified, she refused to have anything to do with the funeral and immediately left. Despite her success as a madame, de Vere's estate could not afford her a proper burial. Some of the clientele of the Old Homestead had suggested selling the expensive gown that she had been wearing when she had died to cover the funeral expense. Being a well-liked figure, many of the townspeople and miners, sought to make arrangements for her burial until a letter arrived in the mail from the gentleman who had given Pearl her gown. The letter asked that she be buried in the gown and included a check for $1000 to pay for her funeral. She had the most lavish funeral procession in Cripple Creek. The band played the appropriate somber tunes on the way to the cemetery as many townspeople watched, either out of respect or curiosity. After her burial, they continued to play while heading back into town but lightened the mood with "There'll be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight". De Vere was buried at the Mt. Pisgah cemetery with a wooden marker. By the 1930s, her grave-site had been all but forgotten. However, as tourism for Cripple Creek picked up, her grave marker was replaced with a marble stone. The original wooden headstone can now be seen hanging on the wall in the Cripple Creek District Museum. Posthumous From 1897 to 1916, "The Old Homestead" continued its operation under the proprietorship of Hazel Vernon. It later became a boarding house, then a private residence. In 1957, the owners discovered many original items that they wished to share with the tourist public. In June 1958, the residence opened as a museum. References Bibliography External links Pearl de Vere Pearl de Vere of Cripple Creek(Wayback) 1859 births 1897 deaths 19th-century American businesspeople 19th-century American businesswomen People from Evansville, Indiana People from Cripple Creek, Colorado American prostitutes American brothel owners and madams Businesspeople from Indiana People of the American Old West Drug-related deaths in Colorado