In the late 1800s, vast ore deposits were discovered in this vicinity of the San Juan Mountain Range. This resulted in a need for dependable transportation to move the precious minerals down to regional towns and the connecting rail depots. . . . — — Map (db m303429) HM
Cattle and sheep have grazed the National Forest high country for many years and on occasion you can still glimpse sheep grazing in the meadows across the road. In the late 1800s, Longhorn cattle grazed the San Juan high country during the warm . . . — — Map (db m303435) HM
Winter comes early in the fall and stays late into the spring atop
Lizard Head Pass. Most of its 25 inches of annual precipitation
falls in the form of snow Travel can be hazardous due to snow
drifts that can reach up to 15 feet high.
The . . . — — Map (db m303433) HM
Rio Grande Southern Railroad You are standing on the route of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad that was constructed from Ridgway to Durango in 1890 and 1891. This 172-mile narrow gauge railroad initially served the silver mining towns of . . . — — Map (db m292697) HM
The people who came before us, the Nuche who traversed the San Juans without hindrance and occupied these mountains for as long as stories have been told. They and their families utilized the resources as needed. They did not take for granted the . . . — — Map (db m293399) HM
In 1891 a simple 100 H.P. alternating current generator, housed in a small wooden shack at Ames near Telluride, began transmitting power to run the mill at the Gold King Mine, 2.6 miles away. It was the first long distance transmission of A.C. . . . — — Map (db m282986) HM
An official project commemorating Colorado's 100th year of Statehood and the United States' 200th Year of Independence. Endorsed by the Colorado Centennial-Bicentennial Commission Joe M. Lacy, Chairman Richard D. Lamm, Governor — — Map (db m283114) HM
In the fall of 1887, work on the San Miguel County Courthouse was completed. This was just nine months after the original courthouse, located on the southeast corner of Fir and Colorado burned to the ground on January 13, 1887. The bricks from the . . . — — Map (db m283094) HM
The first county courthouse was built on this site in 1885. It was destroyed by fire on March 9, 1887. These bricks and the iron tension rod are from the original building and were recovered during the excavation for the present building. — — Map (db m292792) HM
The lure of gold brought hydraulic placer mining to Keystone Hill in the 1880's. Hydraulic mining, as the name implies, required tremendous amounts of water to wash ore-bearing gravel from a hill. The San Miguel River was dammed, diversion . . . — — Map (db m292962) HM
Across the San Miguel River are remnants of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad, Telluride Branch. This branch provided rail service from Durango to Ridgway from 1890 through the early 1950's. Prior to 1880, the foothills west of Telluride were Ute . . . — — Map (db m292898) HM
From 1901 to 1904, Telluride was besieged with serious labor disputes. The first labor strike occurred at the Smuggler-Union Mine to protest the newly instituted contract system, which resulted in longer hours for less pay. On July 3, 1901, . . . — — Map (db m292799) HM
Mining activity in the Telluride area began in the early 1870's. Hundreds of prospectors crossed the treacherous Ophir Pass from Silverton in search of precious metals. In 1875, John Fallon filed a claim on the Sheridan Mine, located on the great . . . — — Map (db m293001) HM
Telluride's grand New Sheridan Hotel and bar was built in 1897 by Brickson and Kippler. The hotel was famous for its elaborate decor and gourmet cuisine. The original hotel had only two floors and a west side annex. In 1899 a third floor was added. . . . — — Map (db m282995) HM
The New Sheridan Hotel figured prominently in the life and times of early Telluride. In 1903, William Jennings Bryan, while running for President, gave his “Cross of Gold” speech in front of the hotel. The building withstood the fire of . . . — — Map (db m292698) HM
Newspapers in 1889 reported this robbery to be the most brazen and daring bank robbery in the history of Colorado. It was the first robbery by two legends of the wild west. Matt Warner ( Willard Erastus Christiansen) would later pay his debt to . . . — — Map (db m119408) HM
The 1889 robbery of the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride was one of the most brazen and daring bank robberies in the history of Colorado. Butch Cassidy (Robert Leroy Parker) and Mart Warner (Willard Erastus Christiansen) successfully got away . . . — — Map (db m292899) HM
Built before 1886, this is one of Telluride's oldest commercial buildings, and one of eight structures in Town that has a conventional false front. This building is significant because it is a standing example of Telluride's early boomtown . . . — — Map (db m292699) HM
The important role of social lodges in the Telluride community is one of the untold stories of early life in the San Juans. As mining families settled in Telluride, social lodges emerged. Some clubs were local chapters of national organizations, . . . — — Map (db m293094) HM
Has been designated a Registered National Historic Landmark Under the provisions of the Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935 this site possesses exceptional value in commemorating and illustrating the History of the United States. . . . — — Map (db m283206) HM
Prior to Spanish exploration in the Telluride region, Native Americans of the Ute tribe used this area as a seasonal hunting ground. In the 1870's, however, mining ventures and a substantial population growth displaced the Utes further Southwest . . . — — Map (db m282984) HM
The Depression of 1929 struck Telluride swiftly and mercilessly. The president of the Bank of Telluride, Charles D. Waggoner, knew the bank faced an inevitable collapse. With the nation's sudden economic decline, the bank's assets were wiped out; . . . — — Map (db m292696) HM
In 1904, this building housed the Tomboy Gold Mine's company office, and was reportedly later used as the law offices of Congressman Herschel Hogg. In the early 1900's, the Western Colorado Company became the San Miguel Power Association. SMPA used . . . — — Map (db m292886) HM
Transportation has always been a persistent problem for Uncompahgre country. The first prospectors travelled to Telluride on foot or by mule over precipitous mountain trails. The steep slopes and treacherous paths made all transportation in and out . . . — — Map (db m282988) HM
