As the largest historic district in colorado, you can be sure the history of breckenridge is rich and colorful. The pikes peak gold rush brought unprecedented numbers of people into the region and that in turn led to powerful social, economic, and political changes that brought about the creation of colorado territory in 1861, culminating in the. Breckenridges rich and colorful history is full of gold finds and mining, exploration and adventure, brothels, saloons, booms and busts. Placer mining, the process of mining for gold in the stream and river beds, was the. As you ski and ride keystone, youll see some strange lift and trail names like lower gassy, jackwhacker, and saw whiskers. Arts district without question, arts are alive in breckenridge. Fall and spring bring their own delights, and offer chances to tap into breckenridges more cultural side as well from fun, familyfriendly activities like a stop at the breckenridge heritage alliance for a glance back in time at the towns storied past. Helen was very interested in mining laws and spent time researching her novels by hiking through mining areas. Along with a fun and historical mine tour in breckenridges only real open mine, you can also experience life as it was in the late 1800s. Breckenridge ski resort colorado skiing breckenridge. The year was 1859, two years before colorado became a territory and. Boasting the largest historic district in colorado, breckenridge offers more than 250 historic structures. Get a feel for brecks distinct foothold in mining, cowboy and ski history on a guided walking tour and be sure to snap a heavenly instagram envy shot from. The towns historic district is one of the largest in the state of colorado and is a defining element of breckenridge s identity.
French creek gold mining history breckenridge, colorado. Detailed histories of each site make this book a must for successful exploring. Helen then published the willow bender in 1950, which dealt with family and mining strikes in colorado. Colorado rascals, scoundrels, and no goods of breckenridge, frisco, dillon. Prospectors came to summit county during the gold rush of 1859. So many promising mining towns are just a footnote in history today. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading breckenridge victorian tour, colorado.
Thought i was buying a mining history book but ive read about trappers, indians. Many of those travelling west to california would have had their first experiences in the mines of colorado. Alpenrose press summit county colorados hiking and. The towns historic district is one of the largest in the state of colorado and is a defining element of breckenridges identity. Barney was successful in mining in his early days in.
I have coauthored three books on breckenridge mining history in the past three years. Founded in 1859 by a small group of prospectors, the towns gold rush brought droves of settlers seeking their fortunes. Gold is where you find it and you can find almost everything about the summit county gold rush in the pages of this book. Found throughout breckenridge, historic sites include old homes, mines, dredge boats, museums and more. Check out brecks timeline to discover the places, events and characters that make this the perfect mountain town. Plan your stay at one of the premier colorado ski resorts.
During the 1860s as the placers ran out and the civil war raged, breckenridges population began to dwindle. And if your visit brings you here during our fabulous winters, be sure to ask us about discount ski rentals and where to find discount lift tickets to the breckenridge ski resort. Explorer zebulon pike heard a report of gold in south park, presentday park county, colorado, in 1807. Lamour came to colorado in 1926 and found a job in mining for awhile. Usmining provides information on mines, operators, and minerals mined in breckenridge, co. Today, downtown breckenridge boasts one of colorados largest historical. Breckenridge consists of one of the largest historic districts in colorado, including 250 historic and victorian structures, 6 operating museums spread throughout the town, each with its own unique take on the history of mining, skiing, breckenridge, and rocky mountain history. Breckenridge gold mine tours breckenridge, colorado. Connect with breckenridge, colorado history part 2. Home to the largest historic district in colorado, breckenridges rich and colorful history is full of gold finds and mining, exploration and adventure, brothels, saloons, booms and busts. He provides detailed specifics to location and quantities of minerals recovered.
City of influence by brian levine, a quick history. Centuryold gold dredge still tells the story of breckenridges mining past. As part of its educational mission, the society sells books written by its. Gold mining in colorado, a state of the united states, has been an industry since 1858. Alpenrose press summit county colorados hiking and history. Breckenridge grand vacations welcomes you to the perfect family resort in the perfect mountain town breckenridge, colorado. Frederick the great, emperor, queen of the forest, elephant, and others. Breckenridge ski rentalsnowboard rentalsave 20% when you.
He says its a testament to a time in colorados history where the ends justified. The towns early days were spent prospering from the pikes peak gold rush of 1859, with the breckenridge mining district producing approximately 31,000 kilograms of. The colorado gold rush, also known as the pikes peak gold rush, occurred in the late 1850s. The valuable ore brought out of the country boy mine and the hundreds of others mines in the area played a significant role in shaping the west and bringing prosperity to the u.
Stepbystep driving directions, clearlyillustrated topo maps, photographs and statistics, such as peak elevation and jeep road classification, help ghost town explorers to actually find the hideaway townsites they seek. For decades, weve published biographies of notable coloradans, anthologies of colorado writers, cultural studies, guides to our community museums, and indepth looks at communities past and present. Breckenridge had plenty of elbow room to grow, and the community was formally incorporated in 1880. Book your breckenridge vacation rental with book breck lodging to see all the historic buildings in person. The town is rooted in colorados rich mining history, and the streets of downtown stay true to this heritage by preserving the original buildings that have lined main street since gold was plucked from the beautiful surrounding mountains. The discovery of rich silver and lead carbonates in the hills nearby put the breckenridge district on the map, and fortune hunters invaded.
History colorado publishes books on the history of colorado and the american west. Gold mines sprouted along the blue river which later transformed into hard rock mining. The towns rich mining history and friendly local vibe will make you want to move here. About breckenridge breckenridge co lodging information. Colorados most renowned historians, with five books on the 1800s mining mecca. Along with a fun and historical mine tour in breckenridge s only real open mine, you can also experience life as it was in the late 1800s. Take a historic tour, explore a mine, pan for gold, or enjoy a guided hike of breckenridge, colorado. Breckenridge, colorado is one of the premier ski destinations in north america. Breckenridge is known for legendary winter activitiesour slopes offer one of the best skiing experiences in the worldbut, as the locals say, youll come for the winter and stay for the summer.
You can also join the facebook group finding gold in colorado to get colorado gold prospecting and mining news. Hollister presents an expansive history and summary of the area and those who came to mine it. Mining was and still is an integral part of colorados and our nationss history. Men like john traylor and ben stanley revett ventured to summit county with big plans. Offering something for everyone, this wide variety of talks and tours touches on music, architecture, victorian tradition, paranormal hauntings, gold mining history and native plants. The early 1860s saw the introduction of largescale hydraulic placer mining to the area, and breckenridge was engrossed in a new mining phase. Home to the largest historic district in colorado, breckenridge s rich and colorful history is full of gold finds and mining, exploration and adventure, brothels, saloons, booms and busts. From a rough and tumble mining camp, to a civilized victorian town, to a hippie haven, and now an international resort destination, theres history on every corner. Summit county, colorado has a lot of activities to offer all year round and breckenridge is the ideal centralized location to easily access what the high country has to offer, with starrated holiday homes, restaurants and unique shops the towns rich mining history and friendly local vibe will make you want to move here. Timeline of breckenridge history breckenridge, colorado. Home to one of the largest and most popular ski resorts in the country breckenridge is a yearround destination offering adventure. The origin of the majority of mountain towns in the colorado rockies was the rich mining land these ranges used to be, so learn a little bit about the areas past and catch some amazing views doing so. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Endless trails allow you to enjoy the abundant sunshine and spectacular scenery. This is schoppes second book on colorado railroad history, and. Breckenridge was primarily a placer mining district in its early years. During the 1860s as the placers ran out and the civil war raged, breckenridge s population began to dwindle. Author of a book also called finding gold in colorado tm. Breckenridge, co mines, mine companies, mine owners and mine information. Mining was far and away the most significant industry in nineteenth and early twentiethcentury colorado and has remained important since that time. One of our favorite past times during the fall season in breckenridge is exploring all of the historic mines and sites in the area. Larger scale hydraulic mining sustained the industry until the late 1870s when hardrock mining took over. We have five historic trains to transport you back to the days of cowboys and gold mining.
The book was set in the colorado rockies, which was known for its rough terrain. We offer guided walking tours, hikes, and snowshoe adventures as. This was a common theme among towns in colorado in the mid 1800s. Breckenridge, co mining, mines, mine owners and mine. Currently we are working on a book on swandyke, colorado, another ghost town that was inhabited by hippies in the 1970s. Gulches, hydraulic mining in and around breckenridge, colorado. The history of the men who owned these mines is as boomandbust as it gets. Larger scale hydraulic mining sustained the industry. A jeepers guide to the famous mines and elusive ghost towns around breckenridge, colorado.
Breckenridge history, a ski town with a historic past book breck. The book is worth reading as colorado history and worth owning for all those interested in summit county. Because of the rich mining history in breckenridge, you can still find the remnants from this generation spread around town. Discover breckenridge gold mine tours that reveal this fascinating history to todays visitors. Search breckenridge, colorado co online yellow pages by names and numbers find local business listings. Escape to breckenridge ski resort worldclass skiing and riding and an authentic mining town. Many of them reflect the areas rich logging and mining history, and some were named after the people who lived here a long time ago. Take a step back in time as you walk along main street, past the authentic buildings that have stood for over 100 years. Colorado mining history in 1849 and 1850, several parties of gold seekers bound for the california gold rush panned small amounts of gold from various streams in the south platte river valley at the foot of the rocky mountains in then western kansas territory, now northeast colorado. Join a local expert to explore the history of breckenridge. Summit county mining history runs deep after prospectors first struck. Bookstore welcome to summit countys online bookstore for history.
A selfguided pictorial walking tour tours4mobile, visual travel tours book 3 kindle edition by mercer, lisa. It also played a key role in the establishment of the state of colorado. The history of breckernidge, co breckenridge heritage alliance. Breckenridge s rich and colorful history is full of gold finds and mining, exploration and adventure, brothels, saloons, booms and busts. Connect with breckenridge, colorado through a special event, history tour or talk offered by the local experts at the breckenridge heritage alliance. Great store with delightful owners and a great selection of books i am thoroughly enjoying summit. We offer guided walking tours, hikes, and snowshoe adventures as well as mine tours and victorian teas. The book is as full of riches as summit county was full of gold. In 1879, breckenridge found itself an important hardrock mining location and prominent supply center. By 1862, the civil war and increasing difficulty in locating free, accessible gold began to clear the camp of prospectors. Take a trip on our colorado gold rush tour with live actors, and learn more about mining towns in the old days. From a familyfriendly day to an adrenalinepumping biking excursion, here are 50 things to do in breck this summer.
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