Cripple Creek in Teller County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Cripple Creek: City of Influence

— The Gold Belt Tour —

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 1, 2024

1. Cripple Creek: City of Influence Marker

Inscription.
The "World's Greatest Gold Camp" had a sleepy start. The area's first gold discoveries happened in 1873, but Broken Box Ranch cattle still grazed the valley in 1890. It was the spring of 1891 before several promising mining claims started producing gold. Equipment and supplies began to flow into the valley and the nucleus of a community took shape.

Broken Box owners Horace W. Bennett, Julius A. Myers, and Alexander Houseman platted their ranch to form the town of Fremont on November 4, 1891. Within three months, the Hayden Placer Group turned their mining property just east of Fremont into a townsite. The two rival towns weren't consolidated into the single municipality of Cripple Creek until 1893.

By 1900, Cripple Creek boasted a population of 13,000 people, making it the fourth largest metropolitan area in Colorado. The City acted as marketing and financial center for the gold district. Within its limits, 52 stockbrokers, 3 banks, 3 stock exchanges, 10 insurance agents, 9 jewelers, 49 grocers, 68 saloons, and numerous gambling halls plied their trade.

Can you imagine that you hear the swishing of ankle-length

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dresses along the boardwalk, the sound of hoofbeats on the hard-packed streets, and the persistent murmur of voices from the saloons - punctuated by lively laughter as miners give up their hard-earned money?

[Captions:]
Bennett Avenue, 1897: Looking east from the intersection of 2nd and Bennett

Historic Commercial Core Tour
1. Palace Block. 2. Bimetallic Bank. Building. 3. L'Abbe Block. 4. Jamison Block 5. Weinberg Block. 6. Fairley Bros.&, Lampman Building. 7. Old Homestead Parlour House. 8. Midland Terminal Depot. 9.Studio of Schedin & Lehman. 10. Gold Mining Stock Exchange. 11. J. S. Neall Block. 12. Cripple Creek City Hall. 13. Becker & Nolon Block. 14. Pittsburg Building. 15. Roseberry Block. 16. T. R Lorimer Block. 17. Coors Building. 18. Turf Club. 19. Tutt Building. 20. A & K Block. 21. Carr Building. 22. Bell Bros. Building. 23. Teller County Court House.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Colorado, Cripple Creek Gold Belt Tour series list. A significant historical date for this entry is November 4, 1891.

Location. 38° 44.789′ N,

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 1, 2024

2. Cripple Creek: City of Influence Marker

Cripple Creek Parks and Recreation is in the background to the right

105° 10.785′ W. Marker is in Cripple Creek, Colorado, in Teller County. It is at the intersection of East Bennett Avenue and First Street, on the left when traveling west on East Bennett Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 131 E Bennett Avenue, Cripple Creek CO 80813, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Colorado High Rockies and in Pikes Peak Region.

It is also in the American Mountain West.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Hallett Block 1896 (a few steps from this marker); Bell Bros. Building 1896 (within shouting distance of this marker); World War (within shouting distance of this marker); Teller County Courthouse 1904 (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Carr Building 1896 (about 500 feet away); Tutt Building (about 600 feet away); L'Abbe Block (about 700 feet away); A&K Block (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 1, 2024

3. Cripple Creek: City of Influence Marker

The Butte Theater and fire station in the background across Bennett Ave.

in Cripple Creek.

More about this marker. Located at the sidewalk grass strip in front of the Cripple Creek Parks and Recreation.

Also see . . . Cripple Creek, Colorado. Advisory Council on History Preservation entry for Cripple Creek

Cripple Creek (pop. 650) was the center of finance, politics, and entertainment for a major gold mining district on the southwest side of Pikes Peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Rumors of “color” on the Womack Ranch were largely ignored until the rancher’s nephew, Bob, made the first major gold strike in the spring of 1891. Young Womack rode to Colorado City (now Colorado Springs) and went on a binge, celebrating his new wealth. He sold his claim for $500, never dreaming that more than $350 million in gold ultimately would come from it and the claims that followed. By late 1891 the “$300 million cow pasture” was crawling with prospectors... Over 500 mines in the Cripple Creek Mining District produced 21 million ounces of gold, surpassing the production of the California and Alaska gold rushes combined.

(Submitted on July 3, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

Additional keywords. Mining

The city of Cripple Creek looking east on West Bennett Ave. and North 'A' Street image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 1, 2024

4. The city of Cripple Creek looking east on West Bennett Ave. and North 'A' Street

Credits. This page was last revised on July 6, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 3, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 599 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 3, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.