The cripple creek mining district lies on the southwestern flank of 14,115 foot high pikes peak. Gold mining in colorado, a state of the united states, has been an industry since 1858. Now long out of print we have acquired a few very good copies of this long out of print piece of cripple creek history. Cripple creek, co mines, mine companies, mine owners and mine information. How the survivors of one of the worst disasters in coalmining history brought suit against the coal companyand won by gerald m. Colorados last great mining bonanza was underway, and cripple creek would go on to lead the world in gold production. Gold was discovered in 1890 by ranch handturnedprospector, bob womack.
Bob womack and his brother william emigrated from kentucky with their parents and sister to colorado city now colorado springs, a thriving town east of pikes peak. Cripple creek, colorado mining claims and mines the. The shenandoahdives mining company was active in the san juan mountains from the 1930s through the 1960s. James harlan moved to the cripple creek gold mining district not long after it had been founded in april 1891.
Facts concerning the significant mining men, mining operations, promoters, businesses and towns of the. From 1890 to 1910, more than 22,400,000 ounces of gold were extracted from 500 mines in the cripple creek mining district, which included cripple creek and the neighboring town of victor. Seeking their fortunes, thousands of men arrived in the. Names of mines, mining companies, mining districts, lodes, veins, claims, and tunnels are indexed with page number. Abandoned buildings in old mining town cripple creek, co. The colorado guide to mountain ghost towns, mining camps, boomtowns, and historic sites. Colorado mining history is a chronology of precious metal mining e. The mha tours in 2003 covered many of the highlights of its mining history photo gallery 1. The cripple creek historic district received national historic landmark status in. Includes first and last name, county, name of mine, date of accident, and type of accident.
Cripple creek mining boomcripple creek mining boom began in the early 1890s southwest of pikes peak in colorado, on a former cattle ranch. Cripple creek, colorado, rare books, western americana. It also played a key role in the establishment of the state of colorado explorer zebulon pike heard a report of gold in south park, presentday park county, colorado, in 1807 gold discoveries in colorado began around denver. Willow creek mining company of denver, colorado 1 mining. At the turn of the century, colorados cripple creek district captured. Willow creek mining company is a corporation claimant based in denver, colorado for 1 closed claim.
The town became part of the cripple creek mining district, stretching for several miles east and south of cripple creek, including the smaller towns of victor and goldfield. Short line to cripple creek, colorado rail annual no. This coin is from the historic colorado mining series, featuring the the first gold rush 1858 series. City of influence by brian levine, a quick history. Ghosts of cripple creek, colorado legends of america. Hollister presents an expansive history and summary of the area and those who came to mine it. One of colorados great historians leland feitz published this quick history on the railroads originally in 1968 and was reprinted several times. Rare mining books, cripple creek mines, rare geology books, geoscience. Around every corner and on every street you can explore the remnants of the 1890s gold rush that made cripple creek famous.
Cripple creek mining district, the great gold camp of colorado relief shown pictorially. Indexes of mining accidents occurring in colorado from 1884 to 1981. This is the fascinating story of the great cripple creek gold mines. Feb 25, 2020 cripple creeks gold rush was late in colorado historystarting in the early 1890s. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the gold mining history of colorado. Brief history of the cripple creek gold mining district from the first gold discovery to early 1894. Colorado mining camps, ghost towns, boomtowns, mines. Less than 20 miles away from cripple creek, cruise scenic destinations in the open air with great outdoors adventures. Jensen field trip stops geological society of america. Sep 16, 2017 explore lajeangreesons board independence mine, cripple creek mining district, winfield scott stratton. Koschmann prepared in cooperation with the colorado geological survey board and the colorado metal mining fund contributions to economic geology, 1947 pages 1958 1849a century of conservation1949 united states. The headframe and other surface buildings stand on.
As one of the largest mining operations in the region during the twentieth century, the companys history exemplifies the boom and bust cycles and. I made friends right away, there was sue kolb, loretta milner, phyllis akin, the mullins girls norma, ruthie, sparky, and a. The museum houses two floors of artifacts, books, exhibits and photographs depict the. This work is considered as the best publication on cripple creek.
If you are visiting historic cripple creek, colorado for the first time or you are one of those who fell in love with the blue skies, mountain air and local heritage. Apply to research scientist, operations associate, general foreman and more. Relatively meager placers led to the discovery of rich vein deposits. Smith, colorados foremost historian, particularly in the mining history of the state, produces two great gems. In the high country beyond pikes peak is the cripple creek mining district, dotted with historic mine shafts, headframes, and tumbling down miners cabins. Cripple creek, co mines us mining has mines, mining. Hundreds of mines in the district supplied a total of over 22 million ounces of gold in 25 years. Men of note affiliated with mining in the cripple creek mining district. Located eight miles from the arkansas river, the camp is associated with early mining history in the clear creek canyon area. To show more of the mining history and its heritage structures, these additional photos have. Cripple creek railroads mining history colorado mining books. Independence mine, cripple creek mining district, winfield. Cripple creek, colorado, books, antiquarian books, old maps, old photographs, cabinet cards, stereo views, gold mining, railroad books. Western mining history is your source for over 116,000 mines in the western states.
Mines, mining and miners denver public library history. During the late 19th century, gold fever roared through colorado like wildfire, and mining camps and towns were literally born overnight. The program sessions and social functions were held at the womack center in the cripple creek parks and recreation center. Coal creek was first settled in the early 1870s just after coal was discovered. A, rickard, state geologist of colorado and provides a history of cripple creek. Colorado mining history colorado foundation for agriculture. The cripple creek and victor mining district is so extensive that it is difficult to see it all in a single day.
Ajax mine, cripple creek mining district, teller co. He opened his first photographic studio in the town of barry, a settlement in squaw gulch, surrounded by gold, raven and beacon hills, among some of the earliest producing mines. The city of cripple creek is a located in teller county, colorado. Many photos in this book were those of the authors and not found anywhere else. Also, history of the first gold rush to the territory, mining and milling processes, development and conditions of the mines.
From the miners cough to ladies of the tenderloin, to the great fires of cripple creek, this is a wonderful book filled with memories from her childhood growing up in cripple creek during the gold rush. It is said that the two were building a shelter near the creek when the assistant accidentally discharged his weapon. The portland mine colorado cripple creek mining history mining books. Teller county, colorado mines western mining history. Colorado history cripple creek mining district, by. For many years the cripple creek mining district was a series of underground mines. The city of cripple creek is a statutory city that is the county seat of teller county colorado united states. What a great author and account of history in one of our colorado towns. On the front is the great american bald eagle trimmed in 24k gold including the rim, the eagles talonsare clinging to gold twigs. Stratton staked the independence claim that was to bring him wealth and preeminence as. Many of those travelling west to california would have had their first experiences in the mines of colorado. Legends of lost mines, train robbery gold, caves of. In 1891, winfield scott stratton made the first major strike of gold in the cripple creekvictor area.
Cripple creek and victor are two of the most important and historic mining towns in america. On october 8th, 1881 about 65 citizens of the village of coal creek decided to petition to become incorporated. The first plat maps were filed by william and henry teller in fremont andarapaho county in november of 1878. The city of cripple creek and maid of orleans mine. Imagine moving from chicago to such a small town such as cripple creek, colorado. Colorado mining stories is a collection of tales depicting the hazards, heroics and humor of hardrock mining in colorado. A, rickard, state geologist of colorado and provides a history of cripple creek, its development and future potential. Often sought after by collectors of cripple creek mining stocks, historical publications, and other historical ephemera. While cripple creek, colorado is not a ghost town, it was one of the most important mining camps in colorado. A novel, the sinclair sisters of cripple creek book 1. See more ideas about cripple creek colorado, colorado and history.
He provides detailed specifics to location and quantities of minerals recovered. Cripple creek, colorado, books, antiquarian books, old maps, old. Cripple creek, bob womack and the greatest gold camp on earth. The portland mine colorado cripple creek mining history. Robert womack, a cowboy who prospected occasionally, discovered a promising vein of gold in january 1891. The most intensive period of development of the mine. This company out of woodland park, co provides you with offroad, onroad and ebike options to help you explore more the areas you love in pikes peak. Abandoned buildings in old mining town cripple creek, co check out tripadvisor members 1,596 candid photos and videos of cripple creek. The rest of the work is a detailed record of the more than 400 cripple creek mining companies incorporated prior to 1900.
Usmining provides information on mines, operators, and minerals mined in cripple creek, co. The colorado gold rush, also known as the pikes peak gold rush, occurred in the late 1850s. The ajax mine was one of the more productive mines in the cripple creek victor district and one of the last significant underground operations. Battle mountain mines, cripple creek the library of congress. Ten years after the pikes peak gold rush of 1859, silver and gold in the san juan mountains transformed this unique area. Cripple creek is a former gold mining camp located 44 miles 71 km southwest of colorado springs near the base of pikes peak. Geology of the cripple creek goldtelluride deposit, colorado. See more ideas about winfield scott, colorado and cripple creek colorado. History is our life we live and work in a century of gold mining our homes and.
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