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Seely, Donna

Fiancée to Carl Jimson in Silver Springs,[1] New Mexico Territory in 1878. (May 12, 1845 – April 4, 1929).[2]

In 1874,[2] Donna Seely was living in Clovis,[1] Arizona Territory. She had been hired as a school teacher for Mormon and indigenous Indian children. In November of that year,[2] she met Bret Maverick,[1] who had traveled to Clovis to collect an old gambling debt.[2] The two found they were attracted to each other and a romantic relationship ensued.[1] Over the course of several weeks of Bret  trying to collect his debt,[2] Donna found she had fallen in love with him.[1] Finally, Bret succeeded in collecting his money and felt it was time to move on. Not ready to settle down, he broke it off with Donna. Heartbroken at the time, Donna still understood Bret's reasons. The two remained friends, often writing warm letters to each other across the vast western distances.[2]

Donna left Clovis in 1877[2] to move to Silver Springs. There, she met and fell in love with local businessman and saloon owner Carl Jimson.[1] His relationship with Donna provided the unscrupulous Jimson with an assumed air of respectability, which he manipulated to his social and political advantage. After the tallies came in on Election Day, Jimson proposed to Donna. She eagerly accepted, unaware of his dishonest business dealings.[2]

In July of 1878[2] Bret traveled to Silver Springs to expose Jimson's Square Deal Saloon as a brace joint. There, he and Donna rekindled their old friendship. Bret was saddened to learn Donna was engaged to Jimson, the very man he had traveled so far to expose, but he did not allow his friendship with her to stand in the way of his intention. Shortly after Bret met Jimson, he shot Bret in the shoulder over a dispute in a poker game. A week later, Bret had recovered enough to confront Jimson over the matter. A gunfight broke out between them, and one of Jimson's shots accidentally hit Donna in the chest. Jimson accused Bret as her assailant but when she recovered, she identified Jimson as the one that had truly shot her. She did not press charges but then aware of his deceptive nature, she broke off her engagement with him. Though Jimson left Silver Springs in disgrace, Donna took over his former business affairs and became one of the most respected and prosperous women in town.[1]

See: Relic of Fort Tejon