By Netera Landar
Let’s head into 1890 Creede, Colorado, a role-playing community loosely based on a real town in the Upper Rio Grande Valley in southwestern Colorado, near the headwaters of the Rio Grande River.
First, you should learn about the original town. Henri McKeenan provides the history lesson. She, along with Robby Lock, established 1890 Creede, Colorado, in Second Life.
“In the mid-1800s, an influx of settlers from New Mexico and homesteaders from the East drove out many of the native, nomadic Ute people. By the 1870s, the area became a tourist destination. Stage services and the Denver & Rio Grande Railway provided a way for eager tourists to enjoy fishing, hot springs, and mining opportunities,” explained McKeenan.
“In 1890, Nicholas Creede discovered a high-grade silver deposit in the Willow Creek area. Thus, the rush was on. The town’s population quickly swelled to 10,000 – compared to just 850 full-time residents in Mineral County today,” added McKeenan. “Just as Creede was booming, the city of Denver was experiencing legal reform against gambling houses and saloons. As such, many of Denver’s gambling establishments relocated to the central business district of Creede. This vibe has been reproduced in 1890s Creede, Colorado, with the Soiled Dove Saloon and the Silver Mine Hotel.”
Lock and McKeenan created their Moderate/Mature Second Life sim in 2015. Henri said they were discouraged by other Western role-play experiences that involved a hearty helping of drama. They decided to turn their existing sim into a western role-play experience with a no-tolerance policy for drama. They just wanted to have fun. The sim offers the vibe of a booming mining town without gun battles and crime.
Henri said that in February 2024, a Homestead Sim was annexed to the sim in order to create a mining district where residents could explore.
“The project included a major overhaul of the original sim, which included improvements, such as additional or improved buildings, creation of more immersive experiences, and a touch of whimsy,” she said, adding that mesh has allowed them to do more with less impact.
The Holy Moses Mine is named after the Creede, Colorado, mine during its heyday. Near the mine, you’ll find a mining office, a tent city, and homes. Henri said that tent cities were the first homes for miners until permanent houses could be built.
“Also, there is a mineral water operation, Ute Chief Bottling Company, named after an establishment in Manitou Springs, CO, just west of Colorado Springs. The mineral water is said to cure biliousness,” said Henri.
Next came the Creede Opera House, a newspaper office, an upgraded hotel, and other building upgrades.
The population increased, as well, and people began attending their weekly dance hall night at the Soiled Dove Saloon, Tuesdays, 6 to 8 p.m. They came to the annual rodeo and the 2-day Fall Festival in an outdoor circus setting with live music, DJs, games, photo opportunities, dancing, and a freak show.
Creede has three real businesses and several for roleplay. Henri said that “real” shopping is across the road from Town Hall. Amori dei Fiori sells household and garden items. Tangerine Studios sells period household items, cabins, and photographs. The Violet Rose is a wedding planning service that also sells wedding jewelry.
As for roleplaying businesses, you’ll find: a general store, barber shop, blacksmith and stable, bath house, Soiled Dove Saloon, Silver Mine Hotel, Post Office, Fancy a Nibble Bakery, The Creede Courier Newspaper Office, Assayer Office, Joe’s Feed & Seed, Chinatown Store & Laundry, Chinatown Opium Den (disguised as a Chinese laundry), Gunsmith (with a Western hat vendor inside), Silver Spur Restaurant and Bar, Medical Clinic, Apothecary Shop and Creede Opera House.
There are no specific storylines at this time. Here’s a glimpse at Creede’s main characters.
1. Robby Lock - Sheriff of Creede. Originally from Illinois, the son of a Union Colonel. Instead of going to medical school, Sheriff Lock traveled, found his calling after winning a fight in Creede, and was immediately chosen as sheriff by the locals.
Let’s head into 1890 Creede, Colorado, a role-playing community loosely based on a real town in the Upper Rio Grande Valley in southwestern Colorado, near the headwaters of the Rio Grande River.
First, you should learn about the original town. Henri McKeenan provides the history lesson. She, along with Robby Lock, established 1890 Creede, Colorado, in Second Life.
“In the mid-1800s, an influx of settlers from New Mexico and homesteaders from the East drove out many of the native, nomadic Ute people. By the 1870s, the area became a tourist destination. Stage services and the Denver & Rio Grande Railway provided a way for eager tourists to enjoy fishing, hot springs, and mining opportunities,” explained McKeenan.
“In 1890, Nicholas Creede discovered a high-grade silver deposit in the Willow Creek area. Thus, the rush was on. The town’s population quickly swelled to 10,000 – compared to just 850 full-time residents in Mineral County today,” added McKeenan. “Just as Creede was booming, the city of Denver was experiencing legal reform against gambling houses and saloons. As such, many of Denver’s gambling establishments relocated to the central business district of Creede. This vibe has been reproduced in 1890s Creede, Colorado, with the Soiled Dove Saloon and the Silver Mine Hotel.”
Lock and McKeenan created their Moderate/Mature Second Life sim in 2015. Henri said they were discouraged by other Western role-play experiences that involved a hearty helping of drama. They decided to turn their existing sim into a western role-play experience with a no-tolerance policy for drama. They just wanted to have fun. The sim offers the vibe of a booming mining town without gun battles and crime.
Henri said that in February 2024, a Homestead Sim was annexed to the sim in order to create a mining district where residents could explore.
“The project included a major overhaul of the original sim, which included improvements, such as additional or improved buildings, creation of more immersive experiences, and a touch of whimsy,” she said, adding that mesh has allowed them to do more with less impact.
The Holy Moses Mine is named after the Creede, Colorado, mine during its heyday. Near the mine, you’ll find a mining office, a tent city, and homes. Henri said that tent cities were the first homes for miners until permanent houses could be built.
“Also, there is a mineral water operation, Ute Chief Bottling Company, named after an establishment in Manitou Springs, CO, just west of Colorado Springs. The mineral water is said to cure biliousness,” said Henri.
Next came the Creede Opera House, a newspaper office, an upgraded hotel, and other building upgrades.
The population increased, as well, and people began attending their weekly dance hall night at the Soiled Dove Saloon, Tuesdays, 6 to 8 p.m. They came to the annual rodeo and the 2-day Fall Festival in an outdoor circus setting with live music, DJs, games, photo opportunities, dancing, and a freak show.
Creede has three real businesses and several for roleplay. Henri said that “real” shopping is across the road from Town Hall. Amori dei Fiori sells household and garden items. Tangerine Studios sells period household items, cabins, and photographs. The Violet Rose is a wedding planning service that also sells wedding jewelry.
As for roleplaying businesses, you’ll find: a general store, barber shop, blacksmith and stable, bath house, Soiled Dove Saloon, Silver Mine Hotel, Post Office, Fancy a Nibble Bakery, The Creede Courier Newspaper Office, Assayer Office, Joe’s Feed & Seed, Chinatown Store & Laundry, Chinatown Opium Den (disguised as a Chinese laundry), Gunsmith (with a Western hat vendor inside), Silver Spur Restaurant and Bar, Medical Clinic, Apothecary Shop and Creede Opera House.
There are no specific storylines at this time. Here’s a glimpse at Creede’s main characters.
1. Robby Lock - Sheriff of Creede. Originally from Illinois, the son of a Union Colonel. Instead of going to medical school, Sheriff Lock traveled, found his calling after winning a fight in Creede, and was immediately chosen as sheriff by the locals.
2. Henri McKeenan (aka Rev. Henri) is the daughter of French immigrants. She runs the saloon/brothel and is also the minister of the town church. Henri has a unique philosophy: you must take care of a man's physical needs before you can take care of his spiritual needs. She is married to Wylie McKeenan, whom she met when she and her horse and buggy got caught in a sudden snowstorm. He travels between Creede and the Denver area, where he helps on the family ranch near the Wyoming border.
3. Cindy Wellerman - resident of Creede, working under cover for a secret company. Her job is to keep an eye on someone who may or may not have committed a crime. We know she may be from Boston, but we're not sure.
4. Dr. Raven DuPre' - town physician and veterinarian. Hails from Chicago and was educated in Boston. There she met Henri, who was studying theology. They became fast friends and traveled to Creede together.
5. White Flower (named "Elizabeth" or "Betty" by her white, adopted family) - White missionaries snatched her from her native home and brought her into Colorado City for "education." Longing for her Ute family, she stole a horse and escaped back up to her village. Knowing the authorities would charge her with stealing a horse, the elders helped her to escape to Denver, where she caught a train to Creede. She participates in the ceremonies of the Ute people, who live peacefully in Creede.
6. Maggie/Mags - a homesteader from out east, Mags was married to a wealthy tyrant known for a cruel temper. He died under mysterious circumstances, and after the legal proceedings, she became a wealthy woman. Mags escaped to Creede, where she's now discovering she’s not the only one hiding secrets!
7. Miss Lindee - also hides a secret or two, mostly about a certain barn that blew up due to one of her steam-engine "experiments." Her father's money and power were used to hush the whole affair, but because of her carelessness, he put Lindee on a train to Denver. She ended up in Creede, where she could work and hide her past.
8. Caron Parnall - escaped Detroit from a cruel father and cold-hearted mother. With only a carpet bag in hand, she ended up in Creede, CO, where work for young girls was scarce. She became one of the saloon "doves," but then met Joseph "Joe" Parnall, the town's blacksmith. Joseph looked past her employment situation and accepted her as the sweet young woman inside the outer shell. They became husband and wife at a great celebration that included the entire townsfolk.
An interesting fact is that Henri came up with the idea of Creede Radio. Henri said that music streams come and go, and it’s always hit or miss whether they are active.
“Robby did some research, and we formed Creede Radio. It is now up to about two weeks of non-stop music, streaming 24/7. Three DJ’s participated in building 2-hour sets of various genres: DJ Caron, DJ Henri, and DJ Una. Each DJ has her own unique style that makes the station rich with diverse genres and sounds,” said Henri.
Follow the station here:
· In World – http://radio.shoutcheap.com:8320
· VLC: http://radio.shoutcheap.com: 8320
· iTunes: http://radio.shoutcheap.com:8320
3. Cindy Wellerman - resident of Creede, working under cover for a secret company. Her job is to keep an eye on someone who may or may not have committed a crime. We know she may be from Boston, but we're not sure.
4. Dr. Raven DuPre' - town physician and veterinarian. Hails from Chicago and was educated in Boston. There she met Henri, who was studying theology. They became fast friends and traveled to Creede together.
5. White Flower (named "Elizabeth" or "Betty" by her white, adopted family) - White missionaries snatched her from her native home and brought her into Colorado City for "education." Longing for her Ute family, she stole a horse and escaped back up to her village. Knowing the authorities would charge her with stealing a horse, the elders helped her to escape to Denver, where she caught a train to Creede. She participates in the ceremonies of the Ute people, who live peacefully in Creede.
6. Maggie/Mags - a homesteader from out east, Mags was married to a wealthy tyrant known for a cruel temper. He died under mysterious circumstances, and after the legal proceedings, she became a wealthy woman. Mags escaped to Creede, where she's now discovering she’s not the only one hiding secrets!
7. Miss Lindee - also hides a secret or two, mostly about a certain barn that blew up due to one of her steam-engine "experiments." Her father's money and power were used to hush the whole affair, but because of her carelessness, he put Lindee on a train to Denver. She ended up in Creede, where she could work and hide her past.
8. Caron Parnall - escaped Detroit from a cruel father and cold-hearted mother. With only a carpet bag in hand, she ended up in Creede, CO, where work for young girls was scarce. She became one of the saloon "doves," but then met Joseph "Joe" Parnall, the town's blacksmith. Joseph looked past her employment situation and accepted her as the sweet young woman inside the outer shell. They became husband and wife at a great celebration that included the entire townsfolk.
An interesting fact is that Henri came up with the idea of Creede Radio. Henri said that music streams come and go, and it’s always hit or miss whether they are active.
“Robby did some research, and we formed Creede Radio. It is now up to about two weeks of non-stop music, streaming 24/7. Three DJ’s participated in building 2-hour sets of various genres: DJ Caron, DJ Henri, and DJ Una. Each DJ has her own unique style that makes the station rich with diverse genres and sounds,” said Henri.
Follow the station here:
· In World – http://radio.shoutcheap.com:8320
· VLC: http://radio.shoutcheap.com: 8320
· iTunes: http://radio.shoutcheap.com:8320
SURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/xFire/89/60/21
Netera Landar
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