At church, a young Mary met John Elitch and he courted her with daily notes delivered to her by her 10-year-old brother, Edward.

[2] They settled in San Francisco and John managed the restaurant in the California Theatre, where they met many entertainers and developed a love of the theater.

"On August 6, 1886, John opened the Elitch Palace Dining Room, located at 1541 Arapahoe Street.

"[2] After five years of searching, in 1887 John and Mary purchased the 16-acre Chilcott farm in the town of Highland, just West of downtown Denver.

Barnum, actor James O'Neill, Denver Mayor Wolfe Londoner, Colorado senators Edward O. Wolcott and Horace Tabor.

The troupe played in many Colorado theatres before moving on to California, where John contracted pneumonia and died on March 10, 1890, leaving Mary a 35-year-old widow.

[4] After John's passing, Mary assumed management of the park and ran the zoo, the gardens and the theatre.