Tellurium or Was It Whitecross

Tellurium or Was It Whitecross. . , Tellurium's history, like that of many mining camps, consisted of booms and busts. From its initial occupation in 1875, it boasted as having two groceries and a post office (1876), but in an unusual statement for a mining camp, it did not have a saloon, Archeological evidence, however, suggests that an ample amount of alcohol was consumed in the community., Tellurium's miners worked at either small, one-person operations, or at larger nearby mines, including the Mountain King, Cashier, Allen Dale, Troy, Providence, Bon Homme, Mehle Placer, Tabasco, or the Del Norte. After an initial population of fifty to one hundred residents, Tellurium's population faded in the early 1880s. By the late 1880s, however, it boomed again as miners worked a number of nearby mines. At this time, the name of the community was changed to Whitecross and included a post office, store, hotel, boarding house, and two stables with pack animals. Archeological evidence of the stables included bailing wire and a horse tooth., Whitecross's residents worked predominantly as miners, but individuals also served the community as the blacksmith, storekeeper, assayer, and postman. Many of the buildings functioned as both businesses and residences as was evidenced by specialized tools discovered during archeological excavation., By 1912, the post office had closed and Whitecross was in its final decline., Captions , 1. Post office in Whitecross in 1889. Archeological evidence suggests that this building had a domestic function; however, a few mining artifacts were also excavated at this site. In addition, a large amount of ammunition found suggests that the occupants practiced target or recreational shooting outside or from the deck. , -Photo courtesy of Lake City Museum - Hinsdale County Historical Society, C.E. Wright Collection, 2. "This burg was christened about the beginning of the present rainy season containing at that time several cabins and camps, a population of less than five hundred men, and enough valley vocalists [burros] to make night hideous." , - Silver World, July 17, 1875, 3. Tellurium/Whitecross residents were mostly male miners, however, a few women and children also called this settlement home. Archeological excavation unearthed a few female related objects including a cold cream jar. In 1876, James Caroll's wife gave birth to the communities first baby. The girl was christened "Tellurium" by the miners and they presented her with a purse filled with gold., 4. Post office in Whitecross in the late 1880s. Left to right, C.E. Wright (age 3), H.E. Wright (father), Lena Wright (mother), Rena Wright, and Fred Davidson. , -Photo courtesy of Lake City Museum - Hinsdale County Historical Society, C.E. Wright Collection, 5. Letterhead for the Tellurium House was initially marked as "Burrows Park," the name encompassing the surrounding geographic area. It was later stamped "Tellurium." , -Letterhead courtesy of Lake City Museum - Hinsdale County Historical Society, Archeological work in 2000 has answered some questions about the population, gender, ethnicity, and quality of life of the residents of Tellurium/ Whitecross. You can help protect this site by camping in other locations, not damaging historic structures, and leaving historic artifacts where you find them., Caption , Volunteers helped excavate the townsite of Tellurium in July 2000. , -Photo by Durango Archaeological