Rose was born to a farming family in the Colorado territory in the 1840’s. She was very mischievous as a child and disliked daily chores with a passion. From the time that Rose was a child she always knew that she was destined for something more than farm life. At the age of 14, Rose ran away from home with nothing more than the clothes on her back and a twinkle in her eye. She was bound for the big city. Rose was taken in by the dance hall girls and song birds not long after reaching the biggest city that her tiny feet would carry her to. After learning the arts of song and dance, Miss Sapphire Rose as she was now known by, became one of the best Can Can dancers in the territory.