While the initial boom at Independence was in the early 1880s, evidence suggests of a
mining and business resurgence in 1898. The Hunter Pass Mining Company leased two veins still offering significant gold ore and workers reoccupied buildings in . . . — — Map (db m153200) HM
Archaeological evidence indicates that at least 47 businesses served Independence during its boom, suggesting it was well on its way to becoming a significant mining town. R. Bailey opened a branch of the Bank of Pitkin County and George C. Hickey . . . — — Map (db m153206) HM
The first travelers over Independence Pass came from the east because most of western Colorado was Indian territory until the relocation of the White River Utes in 1881. Prospectors from the Leadville area explored the Roaring Fork Valley in the . . . — — Map (db m152918) HM
Panning: Panning for gold is a manual technique in which a large shallow pan is used to swirl the water, sand and gravel around, letting the heavier gold nuggets drop to the bottom of the pan. This is the easiest way to find gold and, while not . . . — — Map (db m153208) HM
History
The Independence Pass Foundation (IPF) was founded in 1989 by Aspen teacher and biologist Bob Lewis (1921-2005). IPF is a tax-exempt nonprofit that is supported entirely by grants and private donations.
Mission
IPF's mission . . . — — Map (db m152917) HM
Founded July 4, 1879 when gold was discovered, Independence was the first community in the Roaring Fork Valley. A thriving mining camp, stagecoach and layover stop for all travel across Hunter’s Pass, it became a ghost town in the late 1800’s when . . . — — Map (db m152910) HM
The demographic of Independence was a mixture of prospectors, miners, and entrepreneurs as well as some families. While many single men were transient and used tents, some settled in log cabins. Archaeological records indicate most cabins had at . . . — — Map (db m153205) HM
Purpose
The "Top Cut” of Independence Pass refers to the section of road directly across the valley from this viewpoint. During the 1920s, highway construction and subsequent
erosion heavily damaged the slopes above and below the road. . . . — — Map (db m152914) HM
Early mining camps were typically temporary until the mining industry of the area proved successful. Material evidence from the archaeological survey indicates Independence was a classic example of such camps, with a large tent population rather . . . — — Map (db m153221) HM
The Continental Divide is the topographic line that separates the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean drainages. The Divide in North America runs down the spine of the Rocky Mountains between Alaska and Mexico over the highest points between the drainages. . . . — — Map (db m152921) HM
The Independence Pass corridor is home to irreplaceable natural habitat, much of which is protected by federally-designated Wilderness Areas. Wilderness is off-limits to motorized recreation and mountain bikes but provides important low-impact . . . — — Map (db m152924)
The Ute Indians
The Rocky Mountains are the center of the Ute's world. According to legend, the Ute were the mountains' first people. They spent their lives migrating with the seasons and following the animals that fed them, clothed them, and . . . — — Map (db m152908) HM
Legend has it that prospectors discovered the Independence Gold Lode on July 4, 1879 giving the town its name. Shortly after a tent city sprang up and by the summer of 1880 there were 300 people in camp.
It's difficult to imagine building a town . . . — — Map (db m152912) HM
The log ruin that you see is all that remains of this once important stopover for teamsters and prospectors on their way to the high country. Janeway, known as "Mobley's
Camp” until 1877, was renamed for Mary Jane Francis, a local innkeeper . . . — — Map (db m152851) HM
