A GUIDEBO COLORADO EUGENE PARSONS for Vut f bundling if 9. SpUigjiiii, jffl^ Coloity' Bought with the income of the William C. Egleston Fund 191H A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO THE SKYLINE DRIVE. CANON CITY 800 FEET BELOW. (On the road to the top of Royal Gorge. This drive is part of the proposed " Rainbow Route " for automobiles.) Fkontispiech. See p. 352 A Guidebook to Colorado By Eugene Parsons Author of " The Making of Colorado,'' etc. With Maps and Illustrations BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY PUBLISHERS Copyright, 1911, By Little, Brown, and Company. All rights reserved Published, October, 191 1. Electrotyped and Printed by THE COLONIAL PRESS C. H. S intends <5r» Co., Boston, U.S.A. PREFATORY NOTE This book is a concise and handy guidebook to Colorado. It tells the visitor where to go and what to see. It gives information that will enable the traveler to take a vacation trip to best advantage and with fullest enjoyment. It furnishes details especially intended for those seeking rest, health, sport, pleasure, or knowledge, so that they may travel understandingly. It will further serve as a useful work of reference to persons seeking homes in the Centennial State. Make use of the Index on page 385, and consult the Map of Colorado facing page 390. INTRODUCTION Scenically Colorado is one of the most remarkable divisions of North America. It is unequaled in natural wonders and beauties by any other locality of the Union, except California. There is no other State like Colorado, which is literally " colored," as its name denotes, and has more red rocks than any other place in the country. Here is sublimity in the superlative degree. Europe affords no captivating pageant like the ranges of the Rockies, with their lofty peaks and precipitous defiles. The wanderer through the Alps findj no stupendous gorges like the canons of the Arkansas and the Gunnison. Great is St. Peter's Cathedral at Rome, but it is not so great as the majestic mountain mass of Sierra Blanca. The dweller in a flat country has no idea of the pleas ure in store for him when he visits a mountain region for the first time. His heart leaps up at sight of the massive folds of earth tilted skyward. He finds more ozone in the air a mile high, which gives him new life. He is rejuvenated by the waters of Colorado's mineral springs, which the Indians considered " heap good medicine." " " There is a spirit of energy in mountains," says Francis Parkman, " and they impart it to all who approach them." This is especially true of the mighty ranges that form the backbone of the continent. A summer spent here puts more backbone into a man. viii INTRODUCTION Mountain landscapes must be seen to be appre ciated. Photographs and paintings fall far short of reproducing their tremendous heights and depths. The man who has always lived in the Mississippi Valley or some other comparatively level district can have no adequate conception of the Rockies, till he finds himself in the presence of snow-crowned domes and yawning chasms. After traveling a thousand miles to Colorado, he can revel in the magnificence of nature. The curious rock formations, the riot of color in trees and flowers, the flashing rivulets tumbling down the slopes, and the thundering waterfalls awe and exhilarate. The lure of the mountains will for ever after draw the New Yorker or Chicagoan who spends a month or two in central Colorado. A Colorado summer with the eternal hills, beneath a turquoise sky, is an unforgetable experience. The worn-out city man who comes here for a breathing spell returns home benefited by his vacation in the Rockies. Travel is the wine of life. The wandering impulse seizes the modern man much as it did Ulysses' of old. Travel brings education as well as excitement. New trains of thought are started as one glides over the rails, or tarries for a brief sojourn in a strange environ ment. The man of to-day is a pendulum between civilization and the wilderness. This reiselust is not sat isfied at eastern resorts, which have not, and never can have, the great physical features of Colorado's natural parks. The motto of the American should be, " See America first!" Let him become familiar with the historic places and scenic features of his native land before going abroad. California is not so easily accessible to the majority INTRODUCTION ix of Americans as is Colorado. This wonderland has been rightly named " the nation's playground," for it is indeed the picnic ground of the country and the world's vacation quarter. While Colorado is not so rich in traditions and ro mantic associations as England or France, with their famous cities and battlefields, its history has many stirring pages. The names of Pike, Fremont, Gunni son, Marcy, Lupton, St. Vrain, the Bents, Dick Woot- ton, Kit Carson, and Jim Baker recall the explorations and thrilling events of its storied past. It has been the theater of adventures of trappers, hunters, freight ers, and pioneers. Within its borders lies many a mining camp that is historically interesting. The climate of Colorado is almost ideal. This immense sanitarium in the mother range of the Rock ies must forever be a magnet to health-seekers and those who wish to get away from the hurry and fret of the home, school, or office. To these and to lovers of the picturesque, a trip by rail or auto up and down the highways and byways of Colorado breaks up the monotony of life, and to one whose years have been passed in a " plains " country it brings a change of air and scene. No man or woman who has the opportunity can afford to miss an outing in " The Switzerland of America." Every day's journey brings fresh vistas and novel experiences. Long ago Bayard Taylor remarked of the varied scenery of Colorado: " Each day's travel, and almost every landscape of each day, has its own individuality." The different ranges of the Rocky Mountains, " with their varying but never discordant undulations, are as inspiring to the imagi nation as they are enchanting to the eye." x INTRODUCTION Denver is a city of many fascinations, not the least of which is its superb view of the Rockies, whose cloud-wreathed ridges and shimmering snow-fields, variegated with rugged ramparts, fill the horizon to the west. " Long's Peak," wrote Taylor, " just fills the vista of the principal street." It is always there, and it may be seen, sometimes, by the pedestrian walking down the left-hand side of Sixteenth and Eighteenth Streets. From elevated points on Capitol Hill the spectator may see the frowning battlements of Long's Peak, about sixty miles northwest of Denver, and Pike's Peak, some eighty miles to the south, standing like a beacon sentinel of the plains. It is a memorable half-hour that the visitor spends in the Capitol dome, gazing out upon the panorama of city and surrounding country. From the Queen City the tourist may take one-day trips, by steam or trolley cars, to Boulder and Golden. The railroads offer special accommodations for pleas ure excursions to Greeley, Fort Collins, Morrison, Sulphur Springs (and other points in Middle Park), and to Silver Plume. From the latter town the trav eler may be carried by rail to the crest of Mount McClellan. The journey from Denver to Colorado Springs and back may be made in a single day. However, there is so much to see in the renowned Pike's Peak region it is better to take three or four days, at least, and allow a day besides for a ride over the Short Line to Cripple Creek. The stranger needs a whole week for the wonderful itinerary of the Garden of the Gods, Glen Eyrie, Blair Athol, Cheyenne Canons, and other attractions in the vicinity of Manitou. The ascent of the " Grand Peak," either on foot or in the obser- INTRODUCTION xi vation car of the Cog Wheel Route, is a fitting climax of sightseeing in this picturesque locality. The famous tour, " Around the' Circle," includes most of the other " show " places and mountain re sorts of the Centennial State, or they may be easily reached by a short ride on horseback or carriage from the railroad. The thousand-mile auto route, starting at Denver, crosses and recrosses several ranges of the Rockies, winding its way through and among many well-known cities of Colorado, viz: Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Walsenburg, Alamosa, Del Norte, Wagon Wheel Gap, Creede, Silverton, Ouray, Montrose, Delta, Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Leadville, Buena Vista, South Park, and Manitou. The great circle is com pleted at Colorado Springs, whence the original route between here and Denver is again traveled. Motor ing parties can cover the entire distance in a fortnight, but it is better to consume an entire month on this enjoyable journey, and also to make side trips to the Cliff Dweller ruins and other interesting localities. Radiating from Denver are good roads to various objective points for motorists who have time for other sightseeing trips. The scientist may make more leisurely pilgrimages, observing the flora and fauna of the Rockies, or study ing some of the celebrated mineral districts. " To the geologist," says Hayden, " Colorado is almost encyclopedic in its character, containing within its borders nearly every variety of geological formation." A month out of doors in Colorado seems like an age — so much is crowded into it — and yet it goes all too soon. It is a season of unsurpassed delight, of beautiful days and brilliant heavens at night. The adi INTRODUCTION enjoyment of foreign tours is frequently marred by rain and fog. Clear skies and almost continual sun shine are the rule in Colorado during the summer months. Some practical suggestions are added. Usually travel by daylight, and no more than twelve hours without a stop. Cumber yourself with no heavy bag gage other than a suitcase, with one package perhaps for the other hand. Don't forget to put a clothes- brush into your grip, for there is a quantity of dust in Colorado. Be ready for emergencies by having needle and thread and buttons. Have a supply of pecans or goobers or raisins in one of your pockets when you take a ramble in the foothills or the moun tains; thus fortified for a long jaunt, you need not bother to get back to the hotel at dinner time. An umbrella may be dispensed with — thanks to Colo rado's dry air. Wear your winter clothes; take wraps and overcoat along. Often at night, even in midsum mer, the temperature hovers around freezing point in Telluride, Cripple Creek, Leadville, and other towns, from a mile and a half to two miles high. If you expect to have the time of your life, you must rough it oc casionally and not dress too stylishly. An old pair of kid gloves comes handy to wear when scrambling over the rocks or climbing steep slopes. If you intend to clamber in rocky gullies or arroyos, put on a pair of hobnailed boots that reach hajf-way to the knees. Remember that jumping on rocks is different from alighting on soft ground; otherwise you may be laid up for a few days with a sprained foot or ankle. Pro vide yourself with a good walking stick. Don't be afraid of bears or mountain lions; they will leave you alone, if you leave them alone. INTRODUCTION xiii Hunting in Colorado is not what it used to be. Big game is scarce and wary. The eastern sportsman needs the services of an experienced guide, one familiar with the country and the haunts of game. Hunting outfits may be obtained or rented at Denver, Glen wood, Rifle, Dunton, and other points in the western and northwestern parts of the State, where the best hunting may be found. September is the best time for a Nimrod's outing. You can get fishing tackle and cameras in Colorado. In the summer months there is first-class fishing in Colorado's lakes and pools. Trout are found in abun dance at or near Cumbres, Wagon Wheel Gap, Rico, Silverton, Telluride, Gunnison, Sapinero, Wolcott, De Beque, Eagle, Glenwood, Leadville, Estes Park, Palmer Lake, Platte Canon, Wood's Lake and Moffat Lake. Speckled beauties lurk in many a mountain brook and river. Denver, Colorado, January, 1911. CHRONOLOGICAL OUTLINE OF COLORADO HISTORY I. Period of Exploration and Fur Trading, i 804-1 860 1 804-1 805. James Pursley, a Kentuckian, trades with Indians on the plains and ventures into the virgin wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. 1 805-1 8 1 2. Territory of Louisiana. 1 806-1 807. Expedition of Captain Zebulon Mont gomery Pike, U. S. A., on the plains and in the Rockies. 1808-1819. Beginnings of the fur industry in the trans-Missouri West. 1820. Expedition of Major Long, Dr. James, and others. 1821-1835. Growth of the fur trade. ' Fort Bent, Fort Lupton, and other posts erected. 1836-1855. Fur trade on the decline. 1 83 6-1 845. Southeastern Colorado a part of the " Republic of Texas." 1842. Trading post started at Pueblo. First expedition of Fremont. 1 843-1 844. Fremont's second expedition. Luis Lee and other men of New Mexico receive grants of land for colonies in southern Colorado. xvi CHRONOLOGICAL OUTLINE 1845. Fremont's third expedition. Annexation of Texas makes a part of Colorado United States territory. 1848. Fremont's fourth expedition, under pri vate auspices. Western Colorado ceded by Mexico to the United States. 1853. Expedition of Captain Gunnison. Fifth expedition (private) of Fremont. 1854. Territory of Kansas organized; extends westward to the Rockies. 1855. Arapahoe County, K. T., nominally organized. 1857-1858. Captain R. B. Marcy's expedition through the mountains of Colorado. 1858. Discovery of gold by members of the Green Russell expedition. The Lawrence party prospect streams in the Pike's Peak region. Settlements started at Cherry Creek, Boulder, and other places. 1859. Rush to Pike's Peak. Mining towns spring up in the mountains. 1 860. Another remarkable migration to " Cherry Creek and Pike's Peak." Placer gold obtained to the value of #2,000,000. II. Territorial Period, 1861-1876 1 861. Treaty of Fort Wise concluded. Terri tory of Colorado formed, and William Gilpin, of Missouri, appointed Governor. A regiment of Colorado's citizen-soldiers distinguish themselves in two bloody engagements with Confederates in New Mexico, breaking " the far left wing of the Rebellion." CHRONOLOGICAL OUTLINE xvii 1862. John Evans, of Illinois, succeeds Gilpin as Governor. 1863. Fire in East Denver. First telegraph line completed to Denver. 1864. Disastrous flood along Cherry Creek. Discovery of rich silver ore in McClellan mountain. Premature attempt to make Colorado a State. 1865. Alexander Cummings appointed Gov ernor. Valuable silver lodes discovered in Summit County. 1 864-1 869. Troubles with the Indians of the plains. Invasions of migratory locusts. 1867. Alexander Cameron Hunt appointed Governor. Little gold mined. 1868. Smelter opened at Black Hawk. Quartz mining picks up. 1869. Edward M. McCook appointed Governor. 1 870-1 882. Rise of the cattle industry. Irrigation epoch begun. Rapid development of the mining industry. Great influx of settlers; colonies started, towns built, and activity in railroad construction. 1870. First railroad completed to Denver. Colonies planted at Greeley and in the Wet Mountain Valley. Colorado has a population of 39,864 souls. 1 87 1. Longmont and Fort Collins started; Colorado Springs laid out. Beginning of Denver and Rio Grande Railway. 1873. Samuel H. Elbert appointed Governor. 1 874-1 876. Hard times due to grasshopper scourge and monetary depression. Extermination of the bison on the plains. xviii CHRONOLOGICAL OUTLINE 1874. Edward M. McCook reappointed Gov ernor. Discovery of cliff dwellings in Mancos Canon. School of Mines es tablished at Golden. Colorado College begins at Colorado Springs. J875- John L. Routt appointed Governor. III. State Period, 1876- 1876. Colorado admitted into the Union as the Centennial State. State motto, Nil sine Numine. John L. Routt first State Gov ernor. 1877. Discoveries of valuable deposits of lead- silver ore in California Gulch. State University opened at Boulder. 1878. Boom at Leadville. 1879. Frederick W. Pitkin Governor. Uprising of White River Utes. 1880. The United States census gives Colorado 194,327 inhabitants. 1881. Removal of Utes to reservations in Utah. The Uncompahgre and Grand Valleys thrown open for settlement. Pitkin again Governor. 1882. Burlington Railway enters Denver. 1883-1894. Decline of range-cattle business; influx of agricultural settlers. Enormous silver production in Colorado. Growth of spiritual life. Many churches built. Colorado becomes known as a health re sort. Denver a " Convention City." 1883. James B. Grant Governor. 1885. Benjamin H. Eaton Governor. CHRONOLOGICAL OUTLINE xix 1887. Alva Adams Governor. 1889. Job A. Cooper Governor. 1890-1910. Reclamation of "Great American Des ert " by irrigation and " dry farming." 1890. Discovery of gold at Cripple Creek. Colorado has a population of 412,198. 1 891. Cooper again Governor. Cog Wheel Route on Pike's Peak opened for traffic. 1892. Mining boom at Creede. 1893. Davis H. Waite Governor. Right of. suffrage extended to women. 1 895-1906. Gradual passing of the open range; growth of intensive farming. 1895. Albert W. Mclntyre Governor. 1896. Coloradoans make a strong fight for silver coinage. 1897. Alva Adams again Governor. 1898. Beginning of the beet-sugar industry. 1899. Charles S. Thomas Governor. Sugar fac tories built at Rocky Ford and Grand Junction. 1900. Colorado the most populous of the Rocky Mountain States; has 539,700 inhabitants. 1901. James B. Orman Governor. 1902 Arapahoe County divided into Adams, Arapahoe, and Denver Counties. 1903. James H. Peabody Governor. "Moffat Road " begun. 1905. Governorship contest; Adams unseated, Peabody Governor one day, succeeded by McDonald. 1907. Henry A. Buchtel Governor. 1908. Denver, Laramie and Northwestern Rail way begun. xx CHRONOLOGICAL OUTLINE 1909. John F. Shafroth Governor. Opening of the Gunnison Tunnel. 1 910. Important discovery of zinc carbonates at Leadville. The Newhouse and Roosevelt drainage tunnels completed. Colorado the seventh State of the Union in area, the thirty-second in population, with 799,024 souls, an increase of 48 per cent, in ten years; the second gold-pro ducing State. Denver, 213,381 in popu lation, the twenty-seventh city in the United States. 191 1. Shafroth again Governor. Campaign for good roads. Creation of Moffat and Crowley counties. FACTS ABOUT COLORADO Colorado lies between 37 and 41 north latitude, and 102 and 109 west longitude. Its breadth is 276 miles; the length of its southern boundary is 387 miles, and of its north boundary 366 miles. There are 18 forest reserves in the State, comprising over 22,000 square miles. The coal area of Colorado exceeds 18,000 square miles, or about 17 per cent, of the total area, 103,948 square miles. The gold district of Colorado embraces about 20 counties in the central and western mountainous parts of the State. Silver is distributed in place's within the same area. Some gold and silver ores carry lead and copper in varying quantities. The eastern third of Colorado is composed of high plains; the middle third, of the Rocky Mountains; and the western third, of plateaus and valleys sloping unevenly toward the Utah line. The principal mountain chains are Front Range, Park Range, Sawatch Range, San Juan Range, and Sangre de Cristo Range. The Continental Divide jumps from one range to another, varying in elevation from 10,000 feet to 14,436 feet above sea level. The largest river in Colorado is the Grand; the second largest, the Arkansas; the third largest, the South Platte; the fourth largest, the Gunnison. The mean temperature at elevations between 4,000 xxii FACTS ABOUT COLORADO and 6,000 feet is from 480 to 540, which is about the same as that in Maryland, western Virginia, central France, central Turkey in Europe, northern Japan, and northern California on the coast. The average annual precipitation is about 16 inches. The plains region is semi-arid, the average annual rainfall ranging from 10 to 18 inches. The rainfall on the western slope runs from 8 to 19 inches. The mountains have more rain and snow than the plains. The average annual precipitation in the Rockies is from 15 to 40 inches, depending on the lo cality. The snowfall on Front Range is heavier on the western slope. The maximum depth of snow is said to be near timberline, just above 11,000 feet. In the mountain districts snow falls during nine months of the year. The percentage of possible sunshine varies at dif ferent points in the State from 65 to 80. Colorado's production of the precious metals up to January 1, 191 1, was #1,117,778,631, the amount of gold being #487,491,998 and that of silver #424,- 541,469. The oil fields at Florence and in Boulder County have 300 wells, producing 1,500 barrels of petroleum daily. The number of farms in 1910 was 45,839, against 24,700 in 1900. The United States census of 1900 gave Colorado 1,611,271 acres of irrigated lands. The irrigated area in 1910 was 2,100,000 acres. The staple crops are hay and alfalfa, sugar beets wheat, and fruit. Colorado produced 299,900,000 pounds of sugar in 1909, from 121,698 acres. FACTS ABOUT COLORADO xxiii Colorado's coal output in 1910 was 12,089,447 tons. In 1910 Colorado had 2,229 schoolhouses, employed 5,500 teachers, and the total enrollment of pupils was 162,660, of whom 13,540 were in high schools. CONTENTS PAGE Prefatory Note v Introduction vii Chronological Outline of Colorado History xv Facts About Colorado xxi CHAPTER I. Adams County i II. Arapahoe County 4 III. Archuleta County 8 IV. Baca County .12 V. Bent County . . 16 VI. Boulder County 21 VII. Chaffee County 25 VIII. Cheyenne County 3° IX. Clear Creek County 34 X. Conejos County . . .... 39 " XI. Costilla County .... ... 46 XII. Custer County . .... -S3 XIII. Delta County 59 XIV. Denver, City and County ... .63 XV. Dolores County 84 XVI. Douglas County 89 XVII. Eagle County 94 XVIII. Elbert County °9 xxvi CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XIX. El Paso County 103 XX. Fremont County 112 XXI. Garfield County 122 XXII. Gilpin County .128 XXIIL Grand County 134 XXIV. Gunnison County 140 XXV. Hinsdale County 148 XXVI. Huerfano County 155 XXVII. Jackson County 162 XXVIII. Jefferson County 166 XXIX. Kiowa County 174 XXX. Kit Carson County 177 XXXI. Lake County 182 XXXII. La Plata County 190 XXXIII. Larimer County 195 XXXIV. L.as Animas County 202 XXXV. Lincoln County . 208 XXXVI. Logan County 212 XXXVII. Mesa County 216 XXXVIII. Mineral County 221 XXXIX. Montezuma County 226 XL. Montrose County 232 XLI. Morgan County 237 XLII. Otero County 242 XLIII. Ouray County 247 XLIV. Park County 253 XLV. Philleps County 259 XLVT. Pitkin County 262 XLVII. Prowers County 267 XLVIII. Pueblo County . • • . . 270 XLIX. Rio Blanco County .... 279 CONTENTS xxvii PAGE L. Rio Grande County 284 LI. Routt County 288 LII. Saguache County 294 LIII. San Juan County 299 LIV. San Miguel County 303 LV. Sedgwick County 308 LVI. Summit County 312 LVII. Teller County 318 LVIII. Washington County 325 LIX. Weld County 328 LX. Yuma County ... 336 LXI. An Automobile Trip Through Colorado . . 341 Game Laws . . 365 Distances and Rates From Denver to Other Points 366 Hotel Directory 377 Colorado's Yield of Gold and Silver . . . 381 Gold and Silver Output in 1910 .... 382 Altitudes of Prominent Peaks and Passes . 383 Index 385 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE The Skyline Drive; a part of the proposed " Rainbow Route " for automobiles . Frontispiece Golden Pheasants, Game Farm, Littleton ... 4 Born's Lake, near Pagosa Springs .... 4 Birds-eye View of the City of Boulder . 5 Eldorado Springs ... .22 University of Colorado and Chautauqua Grounds, Boulder . . .... . . 23 Buena Vista and Mt. Princeton 28 Salida, with Sawatch Range . . ... 29 Georgetown and Griffith Mountain .... 36 Idaho Springs . 37 Toltec Gorge . . ... . . 46 Sierra Blanca, one of the highest mountains in Colorado 47 Main Street, Delta . . .... 64 Denver, the Queen City of the Plains . 65 Welcome Arch, Denver Depot 68 Denver Public Library 69 The Capitol, Denver 76 Bronze Group on Capitol Grounds, Denver ... 77 xxx LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Mount of the Holy Cross, Sawatch Range ... 96 Canon of the Grand River 96 Pike's Peak, from Woodland 97 Pike's Peak Avenue, with Antlers Hotel, Colorado Springs ... .... . . 106 Manitou; Pike's Peak in background 107 The Garden of the Gods no Cascade,, in Ute Pass in Green Mountain Falls in Cameron's Cone 114 View between Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek 114 Looking across the great fruit orchards at Canon City 115 Royal Gorge, Grand Canon of the Arkansas . . .120 Royal Gorge .... 120 Glenwood Springs on Grand River 121 Hanging Lake, East of Glenwood Springs . . .124 Rollins Pass . . . 125 Tunnel 5 from Tunnel 4, Moffat Road .... 132 James Peak from Rollins Pass . ... 132 Gore Canon . . I33 Grand Lake I38 Sulphur Springs I38 Black Canon : . . . . 139 Curecanti Needle, Black Canon I46 Lake City I47 Golden, and the Plains to the East of Table Rock . 168 Park of Red Rocks, Morrison 169 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xxxi PAGE " Slabs of the Ages," Morrison 169 Kit Carson 180 Leadville and Mt. Massive 181 Twin Lakes and Red Mountain 188 Granite Canon ... 188 Needle Mountains and Rio Animas 189 DURANGO . . ig2 Fern Lake, Estes Park 193 Flat Top Mountain and Mt. Hallett, from Bieestadt Lake 193 Long's Peak and Estes Park Village 200 Beet Sugar Factory at Grand Junction .... 201 Formations in the Wheeler National Monument . .228 Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park . . . 229 Spruce Tree House, Mesa Verde National Park . .229 Ouray 250 Street Scene, Montrose 251 Hartsel and South Park 254 Cycle Park, Platte CaSon 255 Seven Castles 264 Woods Lake 264 Aspen 265 Main Street, Pueblo 272 Scene in Northwestern Colorado 273 Fishing Scene along the line of the Moffat Road . . 273 Cathedral Spire, Ophir Loop 3°° Sultan Mountain, from Baker Park 3QI xxxii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Mystic Falls, near Telluride 306 Trout Lake 307 Breckenridge and Mt. Hamilton 316 Cripple Creek Gold Camp .317 Scene on South Flank of Pike's Peak .... 346 Loveland and Estes Park Auto Road, on the Big Thomp son River 347 The Rio Grande, near Creede 347 MAPS Location of Principal Hotels in Denver .... 66 Map of the Mt. Morrison Region 172 Map of the Leadville District 184 Map showing the Canons and Principal Rivers in the Mesa Verde National Park 230 Map of the Cripple Creek District 320 Map of Colorado 39° A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO CHAPTER I ADAMS COUNTY Surface. This county was originally a part of Ara pahoe County, which was settled in 1858 by gold- hunters. It was organized in 1902, with an area of 1,253 square miles. The surface consists of rolling plains, well adapted for grazing and general farming. In the river bottoms north of Denver, truck-farming is carried on extensively. Wheat and other grains are raised successfully on irrigated lands, and the begin nings of beet culture have been made near Brighton. In 1910 the irrigated area amounted to 145,000 acres. Rainfall. The elevation of Adams County is from 4,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level. The mean annual rainfall is about 15 inches, and the mean annual temperature from 450 to 500. Population in 1910 was 8,892. Railroads. The county is traversed by several railroads: Union Pacific from Denver to Cheyenne; Union Pacific from Denver to Kansas City; Rock Island; Burlington; Colorado and Eastern; Colorado and Southern; Denver, Laramie, and Northwestern; and Denver, Northwestern, and Pacific (" Moffat 2 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Road "); also by the Interurban line connecting Den ver and Boulder. County Seat. The county seat is Brighton, a thriving town on the Union Pacific, 19 miles north of Denver. The place is prettily situated on the east bank of the South Platte River, and is the center of a rich agricultural district. Brighton was platted in 1881; population in 1910 was 850. Other towns are Welby and Celeryvale. History. The line of the Union Pacific follows closely the route of the exploring expedition of Major Long and party. On July 4, 1820, their camp was at a point near the present site of Brighton, and they proceeded up the river to a spot within the corporation limits of the Denver of to-day. Fremont, on his second expedition, traversed this section. In his journal for July 7, 1843, he says: " We made this morning an early start, continuing to travel up the Platte; and in a few miles frequent bands of horses and mules, scattered for several miles about, indicated our approach to the Arapaho village, which we found encamped in a beautiful bottom, and consisting of about one hundred and sixty lodges. . . . Con tinuing in the afternoon our route along the mountains, which were dark, misty, and shrouded — threatening a storm; the snow peaks sometimes glittering through the clouds beyond the first ridge. " We surprised a grizzly bear sauntering along the river, which, raising himself upon his hind legs, took a deliberate survey of us that did not appear very satis factory to him, and he scrambled into the river and swam to the opposite side. We halted for the night a little above Cherry Creek." Parties of Southerners bound for California in the ADAMS COUNTY 3 mid-century occasionally passed that way. There was then a broad, beaten trail along the river, which had long been known to freighters and trappers; it was also the route of military expeditions going back and forth between Fort Union and Fort Laramie. Fish Hatchery. The State Fish Hatchery is 9 miles north of Denver, near the Platte. On the way, at the mouth of Clear Creek, is the site of Fort Vasquez, built in 1823, which was garrisoned by hunters and trappers in the days of Indian scares, fifty years ago. Just beyond the northern limits of Denver is the Riverside Cemetery, on the east bank of the Platte. CHAPTER II ARAPAHOE COUNTY Area. Arapahoe County originally extended to the Kansas line. In 1902 it was divided into 3 counties, viz: Adams County, the City and County of Denver, and Arapahoe County. The area of this county was then reduced from 4,723 to 823 square miles, by the creation of Adams and Denver Counties and by the enlargement of Washington and Yuma Counties. Discovery of Gold. In July, 1858, the first important discovery of gold in what is now Colorado was made in Arapahoe County. Green Russell and a dozen com panions (mostly Georgians) had left their camp near the mouth of Cherry Creek and were prospecting up the Platte, when one of them, James H. Pierce, found a sand bar that panned out a hundred dollars' worth of free gold. A short time afterward they came across a rich deposit of pay dirt in Dry Creek, a small tributary of the Platte, about a mile south of Denver. Here they obtained placer gold to the value of #400. Rush to Pike's Peak. The news of the find was carried to the States, and the rush to Cherry Creek and Pike's Peak followed in the spring of 1859, about 100,000 people crossing the plains that year. Arapahoe County was then a part of Kansas Territory. In 1861 Colorado Territory was organized, and Arapahoe was one of the original 17 counties of the Territory. It Copyright by W. F. Kendrick. Denver, Colo. GOLDEN PHEASANTS, GAME FARM, LITTLETON. See p. 5 Courtesy of Denver & Rio Grande R. R. born's LAKE. (Near Pagosa Springs.) ARAPAHOE COUNTY 5 got its name from a tribe of plains Indians. The word Arapahoe is said to mean " Big Nose." Farming. The Russell party discovered all the gold there was in Arapahoe County; at least, no colors to amount to anything ever rewarded the search of other prospectors in the vicinity of Denver (although a trace of float gold may to this day be washed out of the gravel of Cherry Creek). However, the county is rich in dairying and agriculture, having a cultivated area of 30,000 acres. It is traversed by the Union Pacific, the Rock Island, the Colorado and Southern, the Denver and Rio Grande, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroads. The population of Arapahoe County in 1910 was 10,263. County Seat. The county seat of Arapahoe County is Littleton, 10 miles south of Denver, on the Colorado and Southern and other railways. Its altitude is 5,358 feet. The population in 1900 was 738, and 1373 in 1910. Other towns in the county are Aurora, Byers, Engle- wood, Sheridan, and Deer Trail. The military post of Fort Logan is about 9 miles south of Denver, on the Colorado and Southern Rail way. It is the headquarters of the Department of Colorado, several companies of soldiers, the Twenty- first Infantry, being stationed here. The Loretto Academy is at Loretto Heights, a mile north of Fort Logan. Take train on Colorado and Southern. Game Preserve. Near Littleton is the largest game preserve in the world. Here are the Kendrick pheasan- tries and the rearing fields of peacocks, geese, quail, partridges, and other wild fowl. On the west bank of Platte River, between Littleton and Fort Logan, stands a log cabin erected in 1859 by 6 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Sam R. Brown. It is a suggestive reminder of bygone days. On Bear Creek is a trapper's cabin. Starting from Denver the route of a natural auto drive traverses the western part of Arapahoe County along the wooded bank of Bear Creek, then winds through Turkey Creek Canon and turns north to Mount Falcon and other scenic features about Morrison CHERRY CREEK IN 1 842 (From Rufus B. Sage's Rocky Mountain Life) " Sept. 10th. Arrangements being completed for resuming my journey, I left Fort Lancaster [Fort Lupton] in company with four others, intending to proceed as far as Taos in New Mexico. . . . " Following the trail leading from the Platte to the Arkansas, or Rio Napeste, we continued our way some thirty-five miles, and halted with a camp of free traders and hunters, on Cherry Creek. " This stream is an affluent of the Platte, from the southeast, heading in a broad ridge of pine hills and rocks, known as the ' Divide.' It pursues its course for nearly sixty miles, through a broad valley of rich soil, tolerably well timbered, and shut in for the most part by high plats of tableland, — at intervals thickly studded with lateral pines, cedars, oaks, and shrubs of various kinds, — gradually expanding its banks as it proceeds, and exchanging a bed of rock and pebbles for one of quicksand and gravel, till it finally attains a width of nearly two hundred yards, and in places is almost lost in the sand. The stream derives its name from the abundance of cherry found upon it. . . . " Our route bore nearly due south for twenty miles, following the Platte bottom to the mouth of Cherry ARAPAHOE COUNTY 7 Creek, thence southeast, continuing up the valley of the latter. The Platte presented heavy groves of timber upon both banks, as did also its islands, while its bot toms appeared fertile. " The mountains [foothills], some fifteen miles to our right, towering aloft with their snow-capped summits and dark frowning sides, looked like vast piles of clouds, big with storm and heaped upon the lap of earth; while the vapor scuds that flitted around them, seemed as the ministers of pent up wrath, in readiness to pour forth their torrents and deluge the surrounding plains, or let loose the fierce tornado and strew its path with desolation. " Three or four miles before reaching our present camp, we passed a village of the Arapahos on its way to the mountains, in pursuit of game. . . . " The Arapahos are a tribe of prairie Indians, in habiting the country bordering upon the South Fork of the Platte and Arkansas rivers. " Their territory embraces an extent of about forty- five thousand square miles, a portion of which is well watered and interspersed with numerous fertile spots. Timber is rarely found, except in the creek bottoms and among the mountains. A large section of it, how ever, is dry, sandy, and sterile, and almost entirely timberless and destitute of water. The game of these regions includes all the varieties common to the moun tains, which are quite abundant. The territory also possesses large mineral resources, and includes, among its stores of hidden wealth, gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, coal, soda, nitre, salt, and sulphur, with vast beds of gypsum." CHAPTER III ARCHULETA COUNTY Spanish Expedition. In August, 1776, the Spanish expedition under Padre Francisco Escalante marched in a northwest course from Santa Fe, passing through what is now Archuleta County in Southern Colorado. The Spaniards gave names to the various streams they crossed - — the Rio San Juan, Piedra, etc. These old names still cling, although no permanent Spanish settle ments were made here. Piedra is Spanish for " rock " or " stone." In 1848 a broad stretch of territory extending from the Rio Grande to the coast was ceded by Old Mexico to the United States. It comprised a considerable portion of Colorado, viz: the western slope and a wide strip west of Alamosa, including Archuleta County, which was organized in 1885. In 1861, when Colorado Territory was admitted to the Union, Conejos County embraced all of the land west of the Rio Del Norte to 107th parallel. In the mid-century and later a number of Mexican ranchers settled along the rivers of Archuleta, whose valleys are admirably adapted to cattle and sheep grazing. Area. The county was named in honor of Senor J. A. Archuleta, a prominent man of New1 Mexico. The western half was formerly a part of the southern Ute Reservation. Archuleta County is bounded on the ARCHULETA COUNTY 9 south by New Mexico; on the west by La Plata County; on the north by Hinsdale, Mineral, and Rio Grande Counties; and on the east by Conejos County. Its area is 1,209 square miles. Its surface is irregular, much of it being valleys separated by spurs of moun tains. The altitude varies from 5,000 to 8,000 feet, except in the mountains. The greatest elevation is Summit Peak (13,323 feet), in the San Juan Range, which forms the boundary between Archuleta and Conejos Counties. This range is a part of the Con tinental Divide. Other lofty eminences are Blackhead Mountain (12,514 feet) and Banded Peak (12,860 feet). The county is well watered, being drained by the San Juan River and its tributaries. The average annual precipitation is fifteen inches, and the mean annual temperature is 400. In 1890 Archuleta had 826 inhabitants; in 1900 they had increased to 2,117; the population in 1910 was 3,302. Resources. The San Juan Mountains in the eastern and northern parts of Archuleta have rich deposits of gold and silver; iron ores abound, also many varieties of sandstone. These resources have not yet been developed. There are extensive coal fields west of the San Juan River. In the timbered portions are pine, spruce, cedar, and other trees of enormous size. County Seat. The county seat is Pagosa Springs, situated on the northern bank of San Juan River. It is the terminus of a branch of the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, and is 400 miles from Denver. The altitude of the place is 7,095 feet. It was first settled in 1876, and a village soon grew up. In 1900 it had 367 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 669. Thermal Fountains. The wonderful thermal foun tains at Pagosa Springs were known for centuries to 10 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO the Utes and other Indians, who resorted thither to drink and bathe in the " great medicine waters." They were discovered in 1859 by an exploring expedition under Captain J. N. Macomb, U. S. A. Within a basin 70 feet long and 50 wide the water bubbles up at a temperature of 1530 Fahrenheit. Near by are 4 other springs formed by alkaline deposits. Pagosa is an Indian word meaning " hot springs." Summer Resort. Hundreds of invalids resort to these springs every year. Sufferers from rheumatism, stomach disorders, and kidney diseases have been greatly benefited. " The climate is mild and ex hilarating, the scenery thereabout very beautiful. The great peaks of the San Juan Mountains lie to the north ward. To the east and west are the verdure and forest- clad plains of the valley, stretching far away into New Mexico." In summer many people bring tents, and camp in the pleasant groves that fringe the river, while taking treatment. The springs are supposed to be the remains of an old geyser. The rock formations in the vicinity of Pagosa Springs are of special interest to geologists. The wanderer who delights in mountain scenery may revel in the magnificence of Nature. Prehistoric Remains. The region to the west, once the abode of Cliff Dwellers, is a fertile field of study for antiquarians. The origin of this peculiar people (who long ago inhabited Southern Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico) is lost in the misty past. They may have descended from the Mound Builders of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. Hunting. Hunting in Colorado is not what it used to be. In the valleys of the San Juan country, quail are fairly plentiful, but there will be no open season for ARCHULETA COUNTY 11 Bob White till 1924. In the heart of the mountains, grouse, ptarmigans, sage-hens and other game birds are to be found. In the foothills to the north of Chama the hunter may occasionally run across deer and black bear. There are good hunting grounds 10 miles north and east of Pagosa Springs. The sportsman looking for big game can have a mix-up that will test his prowess. Cinnamon bears and mountain lions are common. Grizzlies survive, though few. There is no open season for mountain sheep, and elk have been exterminated in the fastnesses of the Rockies in Southern Colorado. There is fine fishing in the creeks and rivers. CHAPTER IV BACA COUNTY Settlement. This county was named after a Mexi can of that name who was one of the original settlers in the southeastern part of Colorado; his ranch was on Butte Creek. Baca (Spanish word meaning " berry ") is bounded on the east by Kansas, on the south by Oklahoma, on the west by Las Animas County, and on the north by Bent and Prowers Counties. In the '6o's and '70's it was settled along the streams by isolated ranchers. The rapid settlement of Baca County dates from 1887; in 1889 it was created out of the eastern part of Las Animas County, with an area of 2,53 1 square miles. In 1890 it had 1,479 inhabitants, mostly Americans. The population in 1910 was 2,516. Industries. The county is well watered by the Cimarron and by other tributaries of the Arkansas.1 Its surface consists of rolling prairies, with sand hills in the southern portion. For many years the chief industry has been the raising of beef cattle. Dairying is carried on to some extent. Angora goats are grown successfully. Along the watercourses are some good farms where wheat, oats, rye, corn, alfalfa, and other field crops do well. The county has some timber and building stone. The climate is mild and pleasant; 1 Arkansas, Indian word said to mean " bow on smoky water ; " Cimarron, Spanish word, "wild." BACA COUNTY 13 the average rainfall is 17 inches, and the mean tem perature from 50° to 550. County Seat. Baca is the only county in Colorado that has no railroad. The county seat is Springfield, situated on Bear Creek, a little north of the geographi cal center of the county. It is 233 miles from Denver. Its population in 1900 was 44; it had grown to 50 in 19 10. Its altitude is 4,000 feet. There are several small country villages in the county — Blaine, Brook- field, Stonington, etc. Coronado. The southeastern corner of Baca County is historic ground. It is conjectured that Coronado in 1542 may have set foot on the soil of what is now Baca County. The route of his expedition was southward from Kansas into New Mexico, and possibly he marched up the Cimarron River over a portion of the Santa Fe Trail while returning from his search for the fabled Quivira. Santa Fe Trail. It was in Baca County that the Old Santa Fe Trail crossed the borders of the Centen nial State. This great thoroughfare for the commerce of the prairies in early days traversed diagonally the north side of the Cimarron River for a distance of nearly 20 miles. Then it crossed the southern boundary of Baca into what is now Oklahoma. Three granite markers show its course in Baca County. The beginnings of trade between the States and the ancient capital of New Mexico date back to 1824. In that year a large caravan of traders, riding in wagons, made the trip from Missouri to Santa Fe. The traffic grew, and in the '30's innumerable trains of freighters passed to and fro between Independence (Missouri) and Santa Fe. The trail generally followed, then and in the mid-century, was nearly 800 miles long. It 14 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO bore westward from Kansas City (Westport) in a meandering course to the Arkansas River, which was crossed 300 miles or more from the Missouri line; then the path veered to the southwest, entering what is now Baca County at a point a little north of the Cimarron. It then continued in a southwesterly direction into Oklahoma and New Mexico. For more than fifty years there was a stream of travel over the Santa Fe Trail; the completion of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad, in 1880, brought it to an end. Border Days. " In the early portion of the century," says W. F. Cody (" Buffalo Bill "), " the Old Trail was the arena of almost constant sanguinary struggles between the wily nomads of the desert and the hardy white pioneers, whose eventful lives made the civiliza tion of the vast interior region of our continent possible. Their daring compelled its development, which has resulted in the genesis of great States and large cities. Their hardships gave birth to the American homestead; their determined will was the factor of possible achieve ments, the most remarkable and important of modern times. " When the famous highway was established across the great plains as a line of communication to the shores of the blue Pacific, the only method of travel was by the slow freight caravan drawn by patient oxen, or the lumbering stage-coach with its complement of four or six mules. There was ever to be feared an attack by those devils of the desert, the Cheyennes, Comanches, and Kiowas. Along its whole route the remains of men, animals, and the wrecks of camps and wagons, told a story of suffering, robbery, and outrage more impressive than any language. Now the tourist BACA COUNTY 15 or business man makes the journey in palace cars, and there is nothing to remind him of the danger or desola tion of Border days; on every hand are the evidences of a powerful and advanced civilization." CHAPTER V BENT COUNTY Pike's Expedition. Some picturesque events marked the early history of what is now Bent County. While on his second expedition through the newly acquired Louisiana, in 1806, Zebulon Montgomery Pike traveled up the valley of the Arkansas (pron. " Arkansaw ") in Colorado. The little band of explorers were riding along the south bank of the river, and on the afternoon of November 15 they reached a point near the con fluence of the Purgatory (or Las Animas) River with the Arkansas. " Here the mountains are first seen," is the brief comment on Pike's map. With Dr. Robinson he was riding in advance of the party when he got his first glimpse of the mountain that bears his name. By air line it was nearly 1 10 miles distant to the northwest. In Pike's "Journal of a Voyage to the Sources of the Arkansaw " is this interesting entry: — Discovers the "Grand Peak." "Marched early. Passed two deep creeks and many high points of the rocks; also large herds of buffalo. At two o'clock in the afternoon I thought I could distinguish a mountain to our right, which appeared like a small blue cloud; viewed it with the spy-glass, and was still more con firmed in my conjecture, yet only communicated it to Doctor Robinson, who was in front with me, but in half an hour they appeared in full view before us. BENT COUNTY 17 When our small party arrived on the hill they with one accord gave three cheers to the Mexican Mountains. Their appearance can be easily imagined by those who have crossed the Alleghany; but their sides were whiter, as if covered with snow or a white stone. Those were a spur of the grand western chain of moun tains, which divide the waters of the Pacific from those of the Atlantic oceans." Captain Pike was then about two miles east of Las Animas. The Wet Mountains lay ioo miles due west, and the sixteen men marched toward them until they arrived at the mouth of the Fontaine Qui Bouille. Then the venturesome soldier-explorer and three companions set out on foot northward toward the rugged sentinel of the plains, with the intention of ascending the " Grand Peak." He got no nearer to it than 15 or 16 miles. However, history gives him the credit for the so-called discovery of this mountain, which figures so largely in Colorado history. Bent's Fort. In the early part of the nineteenth century trappers and fur-traders invaded the wilderness of the northwest. Among the hardy and enterprising frontiersmen engaged with the American Fur Company in the Rocky Mountain country were the brothers Charles and William Bent. In 1826-27 they erected a temporary stockade on the Arkansas River, about 20 miles west of where Pueblo now stands. The next year this site was abandoned, and another fort was founded nearly 100 miles down the valley, where game was more plentiful. Itwas a substantial adobe structure, finished in 1832. At first it was named Fort William; afterward it became generally known as Bent's Fort. It was located north of the Arkansas River, near the east boundary of Bent County. This was the first 18 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO permanent trading post in southern Colorado. For many years it remained a rendezvous for trappers and voyageurs to Santa Fe and the mountains. In the mid-century Colonel William Bent was the sole owner of the fort. In a moment of passion he set fire to the old landmark, and some kegs of powder within it exploded, shattering the thick walls. It was destroyed in 1852. Says Hall, in his History of Colo rado: " The remains of this once noted structure stand to this day, melancholy relics of an epoch that marks the primordial settlement of white men upon this division of the continent." Fort Lyon. In 1853 Bent built another fort, about 30 miles west of the old trading post. It was situated on the north bank of the Arkansas, at a point then known as " Big Timber," not far from the town of Las Animas. In the fall of 1859 this fort was leased to the government and occupied by troops. The following spring Colonel John Sedgwick (who was killed in the battle of Spottsylvania, Va., May 2, 1864) began the construction of officers' buildings and company quar ters, all of stone, and christened the place Fort Wise, for Governor Wise of Virginia. In 1861 the name was changed to Fort Lyon, in honor of General Lyon, who fell in the battle of Wilson's Creek, Missouri. After the flood of 1866, which undermined the walls of Old Fort Lyon, the camp was moved to higher ground a mile or so to the north, and a new Fort Lyon was erected. It is at present used as a hospital for United States sailors afflicted with tuberculosis. Colonel Bent. In 1874 Bent County was set apart from Greenwood County. It was named after William Bent, who had played so conspicuous a part in the primitive history of the Arkansas Valley. After the BENT COUNTY 19 fur business declined, this masterful man spent several years trading among the Indians, with whom he lived on terms of friendship, having married a Cheyenne maiden (the daughter of a chief). In 1859 he held the position of agent for the Cheyennes and the Arapahoes. Then he freighted goods for the United States govern ment from Leavenworth to Fort Union, New Mexico. Bent County. When first created, Bent County cov ered about 9,500 square miles, including Otero, Kiowa, and Prowers Counties, also portions of Lincoln and Cheyenne Counties. Its present area is 1,497 square miles. It is bounded by Kiowa County on the north, by Prowers County on the east, by Baca and Las Animas Counties on the south, and by Otero County on the west. Its surface is of undulating plains. The mean annual rainfall is 12 inches, and the average temperature from 500 to 550. Crops. In early days, also in the '70's and '8o's, beef, mutton, and wool were the chief products of the lower Arkansas Valley in Colorado. The development of agriculture proper dates from the '90's, when irriga tion began to be practiced on a large scale. Enormous crops of small grains, corn, alfalfa, melons, and sugar beets are raised in the bottom lands that are irrigated. The cultivated area in 1909 was 45,000 acres. Sand stone and gypsum are abundant along the Arkansas and Purgatory Rivers, which are lined by cotton- woods and box-elders. For a score of years the growth of population in the county was slow. In 1890 the inhabitants numbered 1,313; in 1900 they had increased to 3,049, and the population in 1910 was 5,043. County Seat. The county seat is Las Animas, founded in 1869 on the south bank of the river, opposite 20 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Old Fort Lyon. It is situated on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, 200 miles from Denver. In 1873-1874 it was the western terminus of this railroad. The town is a strong commercial center, having a sugar-beet factory. In 1900 it had 1,192 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 2,008. The altitude is 3,884 feet. Rock Picture. " A curiosity, whether natural or not remains to be seen, is found on the Purgatory, twenty miles from its mouth. It consists of a life-size picture of a cinnamon bear delineated on the face of the cliff. History nor tradition has been able to give the date of its appearance, or a date when it was not there. The Indians testify that it was there when they came to the country. A common theory with the whites is that it is a photograph made by the lightning at an opportune moment as Bruin was passing, and while the face of the rock under some atmospheric condition was sensitized. Others argue more plausibly that it is the work of some Indian artist. It is at least a curiosity, well deserving a visit from the tourist." {History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, 1881, p. 827.) CHAPTER VI BOULDER COUNTY The first settlers in this county found boulders so numerous that they named it Boulder. Boulder County is bounded on the north by Larimer County, on the west by Grand County, on the south by Gilpin and Jefferson Counties, and on the east by Adams and Weld Counties. Long's Peak. The surface of Boulder County con sists of rolling plains, valleys, hills, and mountains. In the Front Range forming the western border are several lofty summits — Arapahoe, Audubon, Smith's, and Long's Peak. The latter mountain is the " Ameri can Matterhorn." It has an elevation of 14,271 feet. The area of Boulder County is 751 square miles. In 1900 it had 21,544 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 30,330. The mean annual rainfall is 17 inches, and the average temperature from 400 to 500. Attractions. " This little county," says a local historian, " embraces all the attractions of sunny cli mate, clear and exhilarating air, pure waters, magnifi cent waterfalls, and majestic scenery that have made the Colorado Mountains so much sought as a summer resort. Its foothills are high and graceful in outline, and its peaks of the Sierra Madre are lofty, near and very accessible. Between are mountain lakes and lakelets, glade's and parks, and numberless streams of 22 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO cold and crystal waters. The mineral springs near Jamestown are by analysis almost identical with the celebrated Seltzer Springs of Germany." First Settlement. Boulder was one of the 17 original counties of Colorado Territory when it was admitted to the Union in 186 1. In the summer of 1858 a party of Georgians led by Green Russell prospected Boulder Creek, getting no colors to speak of. On the 17th of October of the same year a score of gold-hunters from Nebraska arrived at the mouth of Boulder Canon. They found an encouraging " prospect " and pitched their tents. With faith in the future they built log cabins for shelter. Game was abundant, and they suffered no severe hardships or privations. This was one of the first permanent settlements in Colorado (or Jefferson Territory, as it was known for about two years). The cluster of rude-built huts formed the nucleus of the Boulder of to-day. Discovery of Gold. The winter was mild, and a party of the newcomers penetrated the adjacent canon, looking for gold. By a happy chance they " struck it rich " at a point about 12 miles from the entrance of the canon. The gulch yielded pay dirt to the value of $100,000 the first season. The discovery was made on January 15, 1859, a short time after George A. Jackson found float gold in Chicago Creek near Idaho Springs. Resources. In the spring of '59 a crowd of adven turers flocked to the diggings of Gold Hill, as the new camp in Boulder Canon was named. In consequence the little settlement founded in the fall grew into a brisk community yclept " Boulder City." In the summer a number of farmers settled nearby and a few miles to the north, in the fertile bottom lands of Courtesy of Colorado and Southern Ry. ELDORADO SPRINGS. UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AND CHAUTAUQUA GROUNDS, BOULDER. (Saddle Rock in the background.) BOULDER COUNTY 23 St. Vrain Creek. The northern part of the county was then in Nebraska, and the southern part in Kansas. To this day the western portion of Boulder County is a rich gold-bearing country. It has also produced many million dollars' worth of silver, coal, and tung sten. In 1909 the output of gold was $161, 838; silver, $25,621 ; and coal, 1,356, 739 tons. The county boasts of extensive quarries of sandstone and gypsum, fire brick and pottery clays, oil fields, gas wells, and other valuable resources. Crops. The eastern part of Boulder County rivals Weld County as an agricultural region, being famous for the cereals, potatoes, and sugar beets. Sheltered by the range of foothills, it is well adapted for fruits, such as apples, plums, cherries, and berries. The irri gated area in 1909 was 120,000 acres. The county seat is Boulder, which had 6,150 in habitants in 1900; the population in 1910 was 9,539. The altitude is 5,350 feet. Boulder is 29 miles north west of Denver, on the Colorado and Southern, the Colorado and Northwestern, and the Union Pacific Railroads; also on the Denver and Interurban Railway. State University. The pioneer settlers of Boulder were intelligent people, and they raised by subscription $1,200 for a schoolhouse. A one-room frame building was erected, in which the first public school of Colorado was held in the fall of i860. In the early '6o's they started the movement that resulted in the establishment of the State University, opened in 1877. The buildings of the University of Colorado are clustered on the south side of Boulder Creek. It is the seat of a summer Chautauqua. Sanitarium. The Place Sanitarium is a branch of the sanitarium at Battle Creek, Michigan. The 24 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO neighborhood has many picturesque attractions, and there is good fishing in the streams. Longmont and Other Resorts. Of the prominent towns of the county the largest is Longmont, which was settled by a Chicago colony in 187 1. A 1200- ton beet-sugar factory was erected here in 1903. Ward and Eldora (on the " Switzerland Trail ") are popular mountain resorts. Lyons is an attractive place for picnic excursions. Ni Wot is the center of a thriving farming section. It was named in honor of an Arapahoe chief Ni Wot (meaning Left Hand), who was friendly to the whites. Corona. Corona, on the border of Boulder and Grand Counties, is the highest station in Colorado. It is situated above timberline on the Continental Divide. Here the steel rails of the Moffat Road make the last climb, at an elevation said to be 11,660 feet. CHAPTER VII CHAFFEE COUNTY Pike's Itinerary. Captain Pike's Rocky Mountain itinerary took him through what is now Chaffee County. On December 18, 1806, the exploring party marched through the Park Range by Trout Creek Pass (9,800 feet high) to the Arkansas, which Pike then supposed to be the Red River. In his Journal he says it " was about 25 yards wide, ran with great rapidity, and was full of rocks." He ascended the river and camped in the shadow of Mount Harvard. Leaving the main party here, he and two men climbed to a high point of the mountain where he sighted the sources of the Arkansas to the west of Leadville. Probably he was then somewhere between Twin Lakes and Granite Station. This was the farthest north reached by the expedition. Then the half-starved explorers returned down the Arkansas and spent a miserable Christmas in camp, north of Salida. In the mountain fastnesses near Brown's Canon they succeeded in killing eight buffaloes. Pike and his soldiers must have perished had they not run across this herd of bison wintering in the mountains. Pioneer Prospectors. A half-century passed, and Colorado was still a trackless wilderness. Then the lure of the yellow metal brought a host of adventurers to the " Pike's Peak Country." The eager fortune- 26 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO hunters that came to Denver in '59 and '60 scattered to the foothills and mountains. Possessed by the gold fever, they penetrated the virgin wilds of central Colorado, turning up the sands and gravels in the streams and gulches wherever they went. Some of the pioneer prospectors crossed Park Range and discovered placers in the northeast corner of Chaffee County and elsewhere. Mining camps sprang up one after another, and ranchers, finding it profitable to raise hay and vegetables, settled in the fertile lands of the upper Arkansas Valley. Decline in Mining. Long ages ago a huge glacier slowly plowed its way down this valley, and its grinding movement deposited the fine free gold in creek beds. This was the gold found by miners in the early '6o's. As years passed, the gulches yielded up their glittering grains. Then men traced the outcropping veins and lodes into the rock-ribbed hills. The quest was successful, but with their crude appliances they were unable to extract the gold in refractory ores. As a result, California Gulch and other mining districts were deserted. For nearly a dozen years (1868— 1879) Granite was the county seat of Lake County. Leadville Boom. A new era began with the dis covery of carbonates at Leadville in 1878. The boom attracted a large population. New towns were started, and in 1879 Chaffee County was set apart from Lake. It had a steady growth and is considered one of the great mining counties of Colorado. It has produced enormous quantities of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. In 1909 the yield of gold was $30,000; copper, $67,830; and zinc, $71,000. Chaffee. The county was named after Jerome B. Chaffee, for many years a prominent figure in Colorado CHAFFEE COUNTY 27 politics. Chaffee and Teller were the first United States senators from the Centennial State. High Peaks. Chaffee County is bounded on the south by Saguache County, on the west by Gunnison County, on the north by Lake County, and on the east by Park and Fremont Counties. It is hemmed in by Park (Mosquito) and Sawatch Mountains. The eastern line is the summit of the divide separating the waters of the Platte and Arkansas Rivers. The western boundary is the Sawatch Range, which forms a section of the great Continental Divide. Here are some of the loftiest peaks in Colorado — La Plata (14,342 feet), Harvard (14,375), Yale (14,187), Princeton (14,196), Antero (14,245), -and Shavano (14,239). The gulches and little valleys on the eastern slope of the Continental Divide offer the geologist a fine field for the study of glacial action. Area. The county is of irregular shape, being from 8 to 30 miles wide and about 45 miles long. The area is 1,224 square miles. The surface consists of moun tains, high plateaus and valleys. It is drained by the Arkansas River and its tributaries, some of them being noted as trout streams. The mean annual rainfall is 12 inches, and the average temperature from 40° to 50°. Chaffee had 7,085 inhabitants in 1900; the population in 1910 was 7,622. Crops. In the southern part of the county is the Valley of the Arkansas, with a width of 6 to 10 miles. It once formed the bed of an immense lake. The soil is exceedingly fertile and productive. The irrigated portions yield large crops of hay, wheat, oats, peas, and potatoes. The cultivated area in 1909 was 25,000 acres. Buena Vista. The county seat, 135 miles southwest 28 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO of Denver, is Buena Vista (" Beautiful View "), on the Denver and Rio Grande, the Colorado and Southern, and the Midland Railways. It was founded in 1879, and is a handsome mountain town, situated amid striking scenery. The altitude is 7,958 feet. In 1900 it had 1,006 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 1,041. There are granite quarries in the neighbor hood. Fifteen miles west a desirable locality for hunting big game may be reached on horseback. Cottonwood Springs. Six miles west of Buena Vista are the Cottonwood Hot Springs, whose waters possess curative properties for cases of catarrh, inflammatory rheumatism, lead poisoning, etc. The altitude is 7,950 feet. The surroundings are of remarkable love liness, the majestic heights of the Collegiate Range forming an imposing background. Salida. The largest town in the county is Salida (Spanish for " outlet "), first settled in 1880. It is situated on the Arkansas River, at an altitude of 7,038 feet. It commands views of unsurpassed grandeur, and is noted for the healthfulness of its climate. The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad's repair shops are located here; also a big smelter mill. Salida is 215 miles from Denver via Pueblo and Canon City. In 1900 it had 3,722 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 4,425. Iron, marble, building stone, and lime have been found in the vicinity. There is granite of the best quality in the hills to the north. Poncha Springs. Five miles southwest of Salida, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, are the Poncha Hot Springs, famed for their mineral waters. Ninety- nine springs burst out of the mountain-side. The temperature of the water varies from 90° to 1850 Fahrenheit. The sanitarium here is a favorite resort BUENA VISTA AND MT. PRINCETON ON THE COLORADO MIDLAND RY. SALIDA. (Sawatch Range [Continental Divide] in background.) See p. 28 CHAFFEE COUNTY 29 for invalids suffering from chronic diseases. The analysis of the waters shows that they are chemically similar to those of the Hot Springs in Arkansas. Princeton Springs. Nine miles southwest of Buena Vista are numerous mineral springs in the shadow of Mount Princeton. Alpine. Alpine, on the crest of the Continental Divide, is the highest station on the Colorado and Southern Railway. Its altitude in 11,596 feet. It is 162 miles from Denver. Bear, deer, bobcats, and mountain lions are common hereabouts. There are some grouse and sage-hens. CHAPTER VIII CHEYENNE COUNTY Name. This county takes its name from the tribe of red men who for centuries roamed over the great plains between the Arkansas and Platte Rivers. Chey enne is said to mean " enemy; " also " scarred arm." The county was the theater of thrilling events in 1859 and later years. During the rush to Pike's Peak a tide of fortune-hunters streamed across the prairies by the Smoky Hill Route, which crossed the Divide in what is now Cheyenne County. The line of travel west of Fort Wallace got the name of " Starvation Trail," for here many of the " Pilgrims " ran out of supplies. Some of them underwent untold agonies from the pangs of hunger and the tortures of thirst before they reached the land of gold. Others never got in sight of the glittering pinnacle that was their beacon-star; they perished by the way, and their bones whitened the plains. Here and there in the arid waste could be seen a broken-down schooner with the grim inscription: " Pike's Peak or Bust! ! Busted by Thunder! ! ! " Early History. In the late '6o's ranchers settled here and engaged in stock growing. They also planted crops in wet seasons, but not on a large scale. The Cheyennes and Arapahoes made frequent raids in that region, and drove off cattle and horses, sometimes in broad daylight. It was no uncommon thing for the CHEYENNE COUNTY 31 savages to attack ranch houses, and many a pioneer lost his life in these fierce encounters. During the construction of the Kansas Pacific Railway, in 1869, detachments of soldiers were needed to protect the workmen from the murderous redskins. The historic Smoky Hills, in the northeast corner of the county, were for a long while the main headquarters of hostile bands. From these hills or bluffs the war parties sallied forth to waylay caravans of freighters and the Concord coaches of the Leavenworth and Pike's Peak Express. At one time or another every stage station in the county was burnt. Eastern Colorado was indeed a " Dark and Bloody Ground," as was western Kansas. Finally the plains warriors were rounded up, and the remnants of the tribes were placed on reservations in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. Thenceforth this part of the Centennial State was comparatively free from depredations of copper-skinned marauders. How ever, the Utes continued to make hunting expeditions there, and in the summer of 1878 a rancher living in Cheyenne County was killed by them. Just what the trouble was has never been learned. There seems to have been a running fight in which two of the bucks were slain. After the Ute uprising of 1879, Colorado had peace and entered upon a new era of industrial and agricultural development. Area. Cheyenne (pron. " Shyan ") County was organized in 1889 from parts of Bent and Elbert Counties. It is bounded on the east by Kansas, on the south by Kiowa County, on the west by Lincoln County, and on the north by Kit Carson County. The surface consists of high rolling plains, drained by the Big Sandy and Rush creeks. The county is approxi mately 60 miles long and 30 miles wide (north and 32 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO south). The area is 1,787 square miles. The mean annual rainfall is about 15 inches, and the average temperature from 500 to 550. In 1900 the population was 501; in 1910 it had increased to 3,687. Cheyenne Wells. The county seat is Cheyenne Wells, a dozen miles or so from the Kansas boundary. The town was started in 1869, but previous to that it had been a station on the overland stage line. In 1900 it had 179 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 270. The altitude of Cheyenne Wells is 4,300 feet. It is 178 miles southeast of Denver, on the Union Pacific Railway. Other places of importance are Arapahoe and Kit Carson. The latter town, named after the celebrated frontiersman, was in 1 869-1 870 a great trading and shipping point, containing from 1,500 to 2,000 people. Grazing County. " For more than thirty years," says Hall in 1894, " the tract embraced by Cheyenne County, and indeed the entire eastern border, has been a feeding ground for great herds of cattle. In none of the counties organized upon that strip, until recent years, has any considerable attention been given to agriculture. Cattle and wool growing were enormously profitable in favorable seasons. The difficulty and expense of providing irrigating canals, since there are no large water courses, deterred such as may have been inclined to farming, hence the region has never been thickly populated, and has always been dominated by the grazing interests." {History of Colorado, Vol. IV., p. 88.) Dry Farming. While this account was true ten or fifteen years ago, it does not accurately represent the situation to-day. Of late years settlers have been pouring into Cheyenne County, and the population has CHEYENNE COUNTY 33 more than trebled since 1900. The cultivated area is nearly ten times that of 1894. Although irrigation can be practiced only on small patches of ground, arid-land agriculture is accomplishing wonders in this once desolate country. When the rainfall is copious, as happens in some years, excellent crops are raised. In dry seasons farming can be made a success by planting durum wheat and other drouth-resisting grains. In 1883 an attempt was made to utilize the underflow by sinking an artesian well at Cheyenne Wells. At a depth of 1,700 feet an abundant supply of water was obtained. In time it is expected that the underground waters will be turned to account for irrigation. CHAPTER IX CLEAR CREEK COUNTY The first important discovery of placer gold in the Rocky Mountains was made in Clear Creek County by George A. Jackson. He was a Missourian who had been to California and knew something about mining. In January, 1859, he was prospecting at the mouth of Chicago Creek, a right-hand branch of Clear Creek. He had been out on the trip about two weeks, and supplies of provisions had run low, except the meat he got by hunting. It was cold weather, but the man was used to roughing it. Discovery of Gold. " Good gravel here," Jackson cheerily writes in his diary (January 5, 1859); " looks like it would carry gold. Wind has blown snow off the rim, but gravel is hard frozen. Panned out two cups; nothing but fine colors." The next day he built a big fire on the rim of the rock to thaw out the gravel. On January 7 he says: " Removed fire embers and dug into rim on bed rock. Panned out eight treaty cups; found nothing but fine gold; ninth cup got one nugget of coarse gold. Feel good to-night." Jackson Bar. This find, near the present site of Idaho Springs, was an event of vast moment in the history of the West. When winter was over, Jackson returned to the spot at the head of a party of 22 men. On May 7 the Chicago Mining Company, headed by CLEAR CREEK COUNTY 35 Jackson, began placer mining on Jackson bar, the first large deposit of gold ever uncovered in the Rocky Mountains. In one week they washed out nineteen hundred dollars' worth of the shining dust. Gregory Diggings. At the same time John H. Gregory, of Georgia, was prospecting a few miles away and discovered free gold in the gulch that bears his name. The Jackson Diggings and the Gregory Diggings were located some 35 miles west of Denver. Rush of '59. As soon as the news spread, a resistless tide of " Pilgrims " surged up the winding banks of Clear Creek, in search of " the golden fleece." In the summer of '59 the gulches and canons of Front Range were alive with miners and prospectors. These were the beginnings of the mineral industry of Colorado, which now leads all the States of the Union (except California) in the production of the yellow metal. Clear Creek. Clear Creek County was organized soon after Colorado was admitted as a Territory, in 1 86 1. It got its name from the brawling stream that winds eastward through the canon of the same name and empties into the South Platte River. It is said that the waters of Clear Creek were then almost transparent and that every pebble in its depths could be seen; now it is anything but clear. Area of County. Clear Creek County is bounded on the east by Jefferson County, on the south by Park County, on the west by Summit County, and on the north by Grand and Gilpin Counties. It is one of the smallest counties in the State, its area being 425 square miles. The surface consists of mountains, spurs, and narrow valleys. The Front Range forms the western boundary. But little land is cultivated, and mining interferes with grazing to such an extent that not much 36 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO live stock is kept here. The mean annual rainfall is 15 inches, and the average temperature from 400 to 450. In 1900 the county had 7,082 inhabitants; the popula tion in 1910 was 5,001. Mines. In its mines Clear Creek County finds the chief source of wealth. The first discovery of Colorado silver made by American prospectors was near George town, in i860. The Georgetown district is a section of an extensive mineral belt that stretches from Boulder southwest to a point beyond Leadville. Around Georgetown silver-lead-zinc ores predominate. Around Idaho Springs gold is a leading feature in the ore bodies.' Clear Creek's output of the precious metals during the past half-century (1 859-1909) exceeds $90,000,000. Of late years its annual production of metallic treasure has varied between $900,000 and $2,000,000. In 1909 its yield of gold was $484,000, and that of silver $235,- 000. The mineral deposits of this county are far from being exhausted. Georgetown. The county seat is Georgetown, which nestles among the mountains of the Front Range. In the early '6o's it was a mighty gold camp. Then placer and gulch mining for free gold played out, and a period of stagnation followed. With the building of smelters the era of lode mining began. The white metal now could be profitably handled. In the '70's Georgetown became the center of a great silver-producing district and was dubbed the " Silver Queen of the Rockies." To-day the town is surrounded by mines that have a world-wide reputation. Environs. In 1900 Georgetown had 1,418 inhabit ants; the population in 1910 was 950. It is situated on the Colorado and Southern Railway, 52 miles west of Denver. Its altitude is 8,507 feet. At no great Courtesy of Colorado & Southern Ry. GEORGETOWN. GRIFFITH MOUNTAIN TO THE RIGHT. Courtesy Colorado & Southern Ry. IDAHO SPRINGS. CLEAR CREEK COUNTY 37 distance are the towering peaks — James, Gray's, Torrey's, McClellan, Evans, Rosalie and other massive heights. The pedestrian or rider can choose one of several trails and steep burro paths leading to romantic spots in the neighborhood. A nine-mile drive over the highest wagon road in the world takes one to Argentine Pass, which affords a superb panorama of rugged moun tains and emerald valleys. The sportsman may go by stage (over Berthoud Pass) to Middle Park, a hunter's paradise. Idaho Springs. Idaho Springs, 38 miles west of Denver on the Colorado and Southern, is the largest town in the county and a popular resort, on account of its mineral fountains. The waters are mild solutions of carbonate and sulphate of soda, having a temperature of 750 to 1200. They rival the renowned Carlsbad waters of Bohemia. The place is a veritable mountain elysium. Its altitude is 7,556 feet. In 1900 the "Saratoga of the West" had 2,502 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 2,154. There are several mills that handle ores from mines nearby. Silver Plume. Silver Plume is a well-known mining town, having an altitude of 9,189 feet. The far-famed " Loop," between Georgetown and Silver Plume, is a wonderful piece of railroad engineering. The scenery in the vicinity is of the wildest description. The mines of this district produce high-grade ores. The markers that follow the so-called Santa Fe trail in this State, from Holly to Trinidad, were made of Silver Plume granite. Newhouse Tunnel. The Newhouse Tunnel was driven more than 20,000 feet northward from Idaho Springs into Gilpin County, intersecting some of the richest veins of this section — the Gem, Saratoga, Old 38 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Town, Sun and Moon, etc. The completion of this engineering work, in 1910, means the reclamation of many deserted mines. It was named for Samuel New- house, a millionaire mine-owner. The tunnel is 21,968 feet in length from the portal at Idaho Springs to the opening at Central City in Gilpin County. It cuts veins of rich ore from 1,500 to 1,800 feet in depth. CHAPTER X CONEJOS COUNTY Pike in Spanish Territory. One object of Pike's Rocky Mountain expedition was to learn something about the debatable borderland to the southwest, between the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and the northern provinces of New Spain. So, after ex ploring the headwaters of the Platte and Arkansas Rivers, he set out (January 14, 1807) southward through the Wet Mountains. A fortnight later the party emerged from the Sangre de Cristo Range, and, skirting the base of Sierra Blanca, they finally reached the Rio Grande del Norte near the present town of Alamosa. Thence they descended the river to the Rio Conejos. Going up this tributary of the Rio del Norte about 5 miles, they halted at a bend of the Conejos on the north bank, near a thermal spring. Here Pike established himself in a stockade (built of cottonwood logs) and awaited developments. Site of Pike's Camp. The site of Pike's blockhouse, about 7 miles northeast of La Jara, is a notable spot in Western history. On February 5, 1807, he and Dr. Robinson went out hunting deer. " We ascended a high hill which lay south of our camp," he writes, " whence we had a view of all the prairies and rivers to the north of us. It was at the same time one of the most sublime and beautiful inland prospects ever presented 40 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO to the eyes of man. The prairie, lying nearby north and south, was probably 60 miles by 45. The main river (Rio Grande) bursting out of the western moun tain [San Juan Range], and meeting from the northeast a large branch [San Luis Creek] which divides the chain of mountains, proceeds down the prairie, making many large and beautiful islands, one of which I judge con tains 100,000 acres of land, all meadow ground, covered with innumerable herds of deer. . . . The great and lofty mountains, covered with eternal snows, seemed to surround the luxuriant vale, crowned with perennial flowers, like a terrestrial paradise shut out from the view of man." This is the first record, in English, of an American traveler in the section now known as Conejos County. Captain Pike's journeyings in what is now Colorado were about at an end. He was now in Spanish territory, and soon afterward was captured by Spanish dragoons. He went willingly with them to Santa Fe, whither Dr. Robinson had preceded him. An extended Mexican tour followed, lasting more than four months, before Pike's return to the United States. It has been conjectured that General Wilkinson was mixed up in Burr's conspiracy, and contemplated the possibility of invading New Mexico in the summer of 1807; if so, he wished to learn the route to Santa Fe. Perhaps Pike was orally instructed to try to enter Spanish territory and report to his superior officer concerning the land and people. Fifteen years afterward Jacob Fowler and his com panions hunted and trapped in this intermountain region. On the 19th of February, 1822, he jotted down this interesting record (quoted verbatim) : — " We Set out Early up along the West Side of the CONEJOS COUNTY 41 River In camped about two miles up Pikes forke [Conejos River] of Del hort and about three miles below His Block House Wheare He Was taken by the Spaniards — this fork is oppen ocationed by the large Warm Springs Spoken of in Pikes jurnal " " Satterday Aprile 20th 1822 " Caught 2 Bever and two gees Weather Warm the grass begins to appeer a little moved up the River about Seven miles Seen about twenty Elk Robert Shot one but it went off With the Rest — the moun tains are Still Covered With Snow tho none In the valeys." " Friday 26th aprile 1822 [Just above the present city of Alamosa.] " Set out down the River We are gitting Scarce of Powder Haveing to Shute So much at gees for Want of larger game — killed two Caberey [antelope] and one elk — maid Eight miles." On April 26 they were a little north of Alamosa. For a score of years or more thereafter San Luis Park was the rendezvous, off and on, for venturesome spirits such as Bill Williams, Kit Carson, Dick Wootton, and other noted frontiersmen. About the year 1842 the Mexican government granted Luis Lee and Narciso Beaubien of Taos a tract of 1,200,000 acres in San Luis Valley for colonization purposes. On account of Indian raids, but few Mexican settlers could be induced to come and remain here. First Colony in County. Conejos and Costilla Counties were included in the tract ceded by Mexico in 1848. One of the earliest settlements in Colorado was made in Conejos County. It was colonized in 42 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO 1854, when it was a part of New Mexico. Major Lafayette Head, at that time a resident of New Mexico, gathered a colony of about 50 Mexican families and located them on lands north of Rio Conejos (pronounced Conehos). In the vicinity of the present county seat, Conejos, it is related that they built adobe houses and engaged in stock raising and growing crops. This settlement was called Guadalupe. Bands of Utes and Arapahoes attacked them, but they held their ground. Later some of the ranchers got discouraged and left. At one time the colony was reduced to 12 families. Then came better times, and the husbandmen of this fertile valley prospered. Major Head remained their leader and counselor. For some years he was an Indian agent, and in 1 876-1 877 he held the office of Lieutenant- governor of Colorado. Mexican Settlers. Of the early Mexican settlers Hall says: "They were a simple-minded, mainly uneducated community, isolated from the world and requiring but little government." While capable stockmen, their methods of farming were rather primi tive, and they were not especially enterprising. Irriga tion was not extensively practiced in the county until 1884, after American farmers had located in the San Luis Valley (named for one of the patron saints of Spain). Spanish Names. Spanish influence is seen in the names given to the ranges, rivers, and towns of this part of Colorado: Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ), Sierra Blanca (White Ridge), San Juan (Saint John), Culebra (Snake), Conejos (Rabbits), Costilla (Rib), Rio Grande del Norte (Great River of the North), Alamosa (Poplars), La Jara (Rock Rose), etc. Conejos County. The county of Conejos was one CONEJOS COUNTY 43 of the original 17 counties of Colorado, organized soon after the Territory was admitted in 1861. It then covered a wide stretch of country south of Lake County and west of the Rio Grande to the Indian Reservation. At that time the Southern Ute Reserva tion was much larger than it is now and extended as far east and north as Pagosa Springs. The county was first named Guadalupe, after the patron saint of Mexico; seven days later the name was changed to Conejos. Area. Conejos County is part of the San Luis Valley. It is bounded on the south by New Mexico, on the west by Archuleta County, on the north by Rio Grande and Costilla counties, and on the east by Costilla County. Its area is 1,407 square miles. The altitude is about 7,500 feet (the western rim being higher). The annual rainfall is 15 inches, and the mean annual temperature 40°. The number of acres cultivated in 1900 was 98,960; the cultivated area in 1909 was 125,000 acres. The soil is a rich, sandy loam, and the climate healthful. Population. In 1900 Conejos County had 8,794 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 11,285. While there is still a large Spanish element, the number of Americans and of European immigrants has greatly increased during the past two or three decades. County Seat. The county seat is Conejos, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, 280 miles southwest of Denver. The town was started about i860, when three Germans came and engaged in dairying. Its population in 1900 was 348; the number of inhabitants in 1910 was 562. Until the coming of the railroad it was chiefly settled by Mexicans. These pioneers lived in adobe huts and one-story houses, some of which are 44 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO still standing. In various ways the influence of Spanish character and customs is pronounced. Alamosa. The principal town in the county is Alamosa, founded in 1878. It is situated on the west bank of the Rio Grande del Norte, about in the center of San Luis Park (or Valley), at an elevation of 7,536 feet, with a panorama of mountain views skirting the plain. The town site is almost as level as a house floor, and the land to the south (once a waste of sage brush) is almost perfectly flat. Alamosa is a distrib uting point for the surrounding counties and especially for the mining camp at Creede. In 1900 it had 1,141 souls; the population in 1910 was 3,013. Crops. In 1878 a colony of Mormons established the village of Manassa on the Rio Conejos. In time it became the center of a wealthy agricultural community. It now contains upward of 1,000 people. Nearby are other Mormon settlements. The Mormons are good farmers; they have an extensive system of irrigating canals along the Rio Grande in this county. Other prominent places are Antonito, Romeo, Sanford, and La Jara (" La Hairra "). South of La Jara, and in other sections away from streams, artesian wells are sunk and sufficient water is often obtained to irrigate small fields. On these lands farmers get extraordinary crops of wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, alfalfa, and peas. Hogs are fattened on peas, being turned loose into the fields to harvest the crop themselves. Toltec Gorge. In the San Juan Mountains on the southern border of Conejos County are many interesting sights, the most celebrated of which is Toltec Gorge, with its awe-inspiring solitude and majesty. At the mouth of Toltec Tunnel memorial services were held CONEJOS COUNTY 45 on September 22, 1881, the day when the murdered Garfield was laid to rest. Afterward a beautiful monu ment was erected on the spot, in honor of the martyred President. Big Game. Near Cumbres sage-hens and grouse are fairly plentiful in the foothills. Raccoon, lynx, bear, deer, and mountain lions are to be found in the fastnesses of the San Juan Range. CHAPTER XI COSTILLA COUNTY The soil of Costilla County is historic ground. The Spaniards were here in the sixteenth century. Proceed ing northward from Santa Fe, they explored San Luis Valley from end to end and the mountain ranges sur rounding it. This was no great achievement, for they found trails over the passes that the Indians had traveled for hundreds of years. Spanish Expeditions. About the year 1600 Juan de Oiiate and his men found gold near the site of Fort Garland. They prospected the streams of the western slope of Sangre de Cristo Range and then crossed the San Juan Mountains. They were certainly persistent in their search for the precious metals, but history tells us nothing of any valuable mines discovered by them. Other expeditions, outfitted in Mexico, followed them, in the 17th and 18th centuries; they traversed a great part of the mountain country of Colorado. Inflamed by the lust of gold, they endured many hardships and privations, and likely had an occasional brush with Indians. Traditions have come down to us of Spanish diggings in the Continental Divide, and yet it may be doubted that they did much mining, either of gold or silver, in the mineral belt of southern Colorado. Mexican Colonies. Then came the fur trappers, who camped on the streams and lakes of the Rockies. In TOLTEC GORGE. See p. 44 Courtesy of Denver & Rio Grande R. R. SIERRA BLANCA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS IN COLORADO, FROM THE SAN LUIS VALLEY, ON THE DENVER & RIO GRANDE R. R. See p. 48 COSTILLA COUNTY 47 the '20's, 73o's, and '40's they reaped a rich harvest of beaver pelts. The period of colonization began in 1849, on the tract known as the Sangre de Cristo Grant, which embraced about 750,000 acres in southern Colorado and a portion of New Mexico; in 1864 it passed into the hands of Governor Gilpin. The first settlements were made in the southern part of the county; in the early '50's colonies were planted on the Trinchera River, and, farther north, Chama and San Francisco were settled, in 1854-1855. The pioneer settlers were mostly Mexicans. A few Americans and Germans opened stores in the villages. Fort Garland. In 1852 the United States govern ment established Fort Massachusetts in the sheltered valley under Sierra Blanca. The old log fort stood on the west bank of Ute Creek. Six years later the post was moved a short distance, an adobe structure built and christened Fort Garland. For a long period com panies of soldiers were stationed here to protect the settlers from Indians. In 1 865-1 866 Kit Carson was in command of the post. In 1883 it was abandoned and the fort dismantled. The ruins still remain, an object of interest to the stranger. The second fort was named for Colonel John Garland, who served in the Mexican War and afterward on the frontier. Gunnison. In August, 1853, Captain Gunnison's expedition spent some time at Fort Massachusetts. Thence the leader took a side trip through San Luis Valley to Taos, New Mexico. He found but little grass in the valley, but everywhere sage-brush was growing in profusion. Leaving the fort, the party traveled northward, winding their way in sight of the immense hills formed by the wind blowing the loose sand. The dunes with wavy outlines rise to a height of 48 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO 700 or 800 feet. Captain Pike saw them in 1807, and he described them as " appearing exactly like the sea in a storm, except in color." Blanca. The magnificent mountain mass of Sierra Blanca, with its sharp edges and needle pinnacles rising 3,000 feet above the valley, aroused the en thusiasm of the explorers. The summit of Blanca has an elevation of 14,390 feet; it is one of the highest points in Colorado, two-thirds of its height being above timber line, desolate and bare (except in winter, when it is covered with shimmering white, having the appear ance of a glittering cloud). Marcy. It was through the valley of the Rio del Norte that Captain R. B. Marcy's little detachment of soldiers and mountain men marched (or rather crawled), after their terrible experiences in the Rockies; they arrived at Fort Massachusetts, more dead than alive, in January, 1858, two months after they set out from Fort Bridger in southwestern Wyoming. '58ers. In the summer of 1858 some members of the prospecting party from Lawrence, Kansas, did a little placering in Grayback Gulch, north of Fort Gar land. They heard of the " Cherry Creek Diggings " and at once gave up the quest. Costilla County. Costilla is one of the 17 counties created by act of the Territorial Legislature, November 1, 1 86 1. New Mexico borders it on the south, the Rio Grande del Norte separates it from Conejos County on the west, it is bounded on the north by Saguache and Huerfano Counties, and the crest of the Sangre de Cristo (or Culebra) Range is the east boundary. This range forms a segment of the backbone of the Rocky Mountains. Area. The county takes its name from the Costilla COSTILLA COUNTY 49 estate, which formed a large part of the Sangre de Cristo Grant. Costilla has an area of 1,746 square miles. The eastern third consists of mountain lands — : spurs, canons, and ranges of hills — presenting evi dences of volcanoes and glaciers in ages past. Culebra Peak (14,069 feet) is the greatest promontory, after Blanca, in the range. The other two-thirds are plains or mesas, gently sloping eastward from the Rio del Norte. The altitude is 7,500 feet in the western portion of the county. The mean annual rainfall is 13 inches, and the average temperature 400 to 500. The popula tion in 1910 was 5,498. Crops. In 1900 the cultivated area of Costilla County amounted to nearly 80,000 acres; it was about 100,000 acres in 1909, and, with increased facilities for irrigation, as many more acres can be successfully farmed. The land is fertile, and (when artificially watered) brings forth abundant crops of wheat, oats, rye, barley, potatoes, cabbages and other vegetables. The mineral resources of the mountain region have not yet been developed. It is noted for picturesque scenery. County Seat. The county seat is San Luis, 17 miles south of Fort Garland. Its altitude is 7,946 feet. For a sweep of 100 miles the eye takes in the floorlike stretch of country about it. In 1900 the village had 350 souls; the population in 1910 was 1,150. Other places are Chama, Blanca, Placer, and Fort Garland (227 miles from Denver on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway). Game. The sportsman in search of big game can find it in the mountains — deer, bear, bobcats, and cougars. Trout are plentiful in the brooks heading in the ranges forming the east border of the county. 50 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO THE SAN LUIS VALLEY " Colorado Territory is an auriferous region, trav ersed by ranges of the Rocky Mountains spreading out and enclosing beautiful tablelands called Parks, ele vated several thousand feet above the sea. The San Luis Park in the southern portion is an immense ellip tical bowl, the bed of a primeval sea, elevated by vol canic agency. Its bottom, seemingly smooth as water surface, embraces an area of 9,400 square miles. It is watered by mountain streams, descending from an encircling rim of snow-capped peaks and ridges, ex hibiting a remarkable symmetry of configuration. The scenery, everywhere sublime, presents the ever varying phases of the kaleidoscope; successive escarp ments of terraced hills terminate in an amphitheatre of mountains enclosing an area of 18,000 square miles. Upon their rugged sides the point of cessation of all arborescence is clearly distinguishable, above which the naked granite and snow mark the reign of perpetual winter. The atmosphere is perfectly pure, transmitting the wondrous beauty and variety of the scenery, and the vivid and gorgeous colorings of the sky, iris-like, playing in interchanging lights and shades as varied and copious as the altering angles of the solar rays. There is scarcely any spring or autumn, the year being divided between a winter and a summer, both char acterized by mildness of temperature and narrow range of barometric and thermometric oscillation. The clouds, incessantly formed upon the crest of the Sierras, rarely interrupt the genial sunshine, but refract the rays, clothing the canopy with a silver sheen intense and enchanting. They serve to irrigate the flanks of the mountains, however, and call into being those immense forests of pine, fir, spruce, hemlock, aspen, COSTILLA COUNTY 51 oak, and cedar, which protect the sources of springs and running streams. These alternate with moun tain meadows, covered with luxuriant and nutritious grasses. The depressed elevation of the interior surface of the park condenses these clouds sufficiently for the growth of grasses, which furnish pasturage the year round, but not enough for growth of trees. This ele vated region, with pure atmosphere, is eminently salubrious. " The San Luis Park forms a sort of geological cabi net. From the primary rocks, outcropping at the mural summits, to the sedimentary drift, covered with soil and varnished with vegetation, around San Luis Lake, all the elements of the geologic series seem to be represented. The crevices of the secondary rocks on the mountain sides are charged with richest ores, the source of the golden detritus found in the gulches below. " These deposits become diluted and impoverished as the geologic series ascends and as the slope of the mountain descends. The descending terraces present a fauna and flora increasing in richness and variety; cereals, flax, vegetables, and fruits flourish upon the plain; sheep and cattle attain superior development upon the hills of luxuriant grass. The products of the dairy, the orchard, and the garden give promise of value yet to be realized by a systematic industry. Beneath the soil is a subsoil of peat, which not only moistens the surface but stores an exhaustless supply of fuel in the very improbable exigency of a final destruction of the magnificent forests. The middle region of the plain forms a crater of twenty miles diameter, enclosed by an almost circular wall or ' bar ranca ' five hundred feet high, composed of lava, 52 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO pumices, calcined lime, metamorphosed sandstone, vitrified rocks, and obsidian. This barranca is per forated by the rivers Rio del Norte, Culebra, and Costilla; corrosive forces have also, in places, broken it into hills. The bottom of the crater is filled with soils, resulting from the abrasion and disintegration of the various strata, brought down by the streams and beveled to a perfect level. It is of matchless fertility and thoroughly drained by underlying porous forma tions. Access to the park is facilitated by natural passes through the mountain rim. Northward are three other parks, named in their ascending order South Park, Middle Park, and North Park; they are smaller in size and less variegated in beautiful scenery, yet not unworthy of association with San Luis Park." Joseph S. Wilson (Report written in 1867). CHAPTER XII CUSTER COUNTY Name. This county was named in honor of the cavalry leader, General George A. Custer, who dis tinguished himself in the Civil War and later in Indian fighting on the plains. It was formerly the southern third of Fremont County, from which it was taken in 1877. Boundaries. Custer County extends north and south from 15 to 25 miles, and the widest part (from the northeast corner to the summit of Sangre de Cristo Range) is nearly 40 miles. Pueblo County lies to the east of it, Huerfano County on the south, Saguache County on the west, and Fremont County on the north. Area. Its area is 696 square miles. The surface is mostly mountainous, except in the Wet Mountain Valley. In the eastern section is the Wet Mountain Forest Reserve of 374 square miles. In 1900 the county had 2,937 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 1,947. The mean annual rainfall is 17 inches, and the average temperature from 400 to 500. Wet Mountain Valley. In 1900 Custer County had a cultivated area of 23,111 acres, mostly in the Wet Mountain Valley. This valley (or plateau), situated in Fremont and Custer Counties, is 30 miles long, with an average width of 7 miles of arable land. It has an 54 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO average elevation of 7,500 feet, and is drained mainly by Grape and Texas Creeks, emptying into the Arkansas River. It is a prosperous agricultural region. The soil is fertile and the climate favorable for growing hay and grain. Much of the rough country, not suited for plowing, is admirably adapted for stock-raising. Silver Cliff. The county seat is Silver Cliff, near the center of the county. It is a place of some com mercial importance, being the gateway to the mining district. In 1900 it had 576 inhabitants; the popula tion in 1910 was 250. Westcliffe. Westcliffe, one mile west of Silver Cliff, is the terminus of a branch of the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, and is 209 miles south of Denver. The town was started in 1881, the year the railroad was completed to this point. Its altitude is 7,849 feet. The Federal Census of 1900 gave it 256 souls; the population in 1910 was 232. Other places in the county are Querida and Rosita. The latter place was at one time the county seat. Ula is the oldest town in the county. Pike's Wandering. The Wet Mountain Valley used to be a favorite camping ground of the Ute Indians, game being plentiful there and grass abundant for their ponies. The first white Americans to invade its solitudes were Captain Pike and his comrades. Leaving two men in charge of the camp near the site of the Canon City of to-day, the little party of ex plorers started (January 14, 1807) to " find the Red River." Pursuing a southerly course along Grape Creek through the Wet Mountains, they reached a point in the Wet Mountain Valley about 6 miles north of Silver Cliff. It was difficult traveling. They were on foot, and each man carried a load of about 70 pounds. CUSTER COUNTY 55 Marching in a southeasterly direction, they came to Rosita, or not far from this mining camp. Turning toward the southwest, the gallant young officer rashly led his poorly-clothed, half-starved soldiers to the edge of Sangre de Cristo Range, somewhere in the south west corner of Custer County. In recrossing the creek, they got their feet wet, and before they halted for. encampment at eight o'clock in the evening the feet of 9 men were frozen. That night the thermometer stood i8j/£ degrees below zero. The party were without food, and but for the buffalo wintering in the Wet Mountain Valley, not a man would have escaped with his life. Pike ought to have known better than to " buck against " the Rockies in dead of winter, with his miserable outfit. Within three days after starting, their slender stores of provisions were gone. In this desperate plight, Pike and Robinson took the field to hunt something to preserve existence. Not finding any game that day, the two men stayed out all night, — they had not the heart to return to camp empty-handed. The next day they had the luck to kill a buffalo. They butchered the animal, and took as much of the flesh as they were able to carry. They saw smoke rising and knew there was the place of the encampment. With difficulty the weakened hunters trudged thither. " On the coun tenances of the men was not a frown, nor a desponding eye," remarks Pike; " all seemed happy to hail their officer and companions, yet not a mouthful had they eaten for four days." Here they remained two days, while Pike recon- noitered to find a place where they might cross the Sangre de Cristo Range. Then another start was made. Two poor fellows, John Sparks and Thomas 56 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Dougherty, were abandoned, their feet being so badly frostbitten they could not proceed. They parted with tears, Pike promising to send relief as soon as possible. Two others were able to walk " only without loads, by the help of a stick." On the following day (January 23) they tramped southward along the base of the mountains, and reached the ultimate forks of Grape Creek. Again they were without food; all the meat they had, except enough for one meal, was given to the two crippled soldiers left behind. To add to the horrors of the situation, they were snow-bound. While on the march, it snowed so hard that Pike could not see ten yards before him and had to guide his course by the compass. With some pine boughs they made a little shelter for the night. " We lay down," writes the leader, " and strove to dissipate the ideas of hunger and misery by thoughts of our far distant homes and relatives." Things had come to a crisis, and the next day Pike was discouraged; for the first time on the expedition his resolute spirit failed him. To add to his troubles one of the worn-out, emaciated soldiers gave vent to a murmur of discontent, which the captain passed by in silence at the time. By good luck a buffalo was shot, and they were saved. After the men had feasted sumptuously, Pike gave the offender a severe repri mand, threatening him with instant death should he ever use seditious language again. Three more buffalo were killed, and strips of beef were dried to carry on the march. Mountain Men. In the 72o's and for a score of years thereafter the mountain men trapped and hunted all through this region. The Utes becoming troublesome in the mid-century, Kit Carson led a small force of CUSTER COUNTY 57 mounted Mexicans and Americans against them. During this campaign the whites built a loosely con structed fort, now in ruins, at the head of Grape Creek Canon (near Dora), as a base of supplies. Here Carson with a handful of men repelled the attacks of a large band of warriors. After the rush to Pike's Peak, a party of gold-seekers prospected along Hardscrabble Creek, finding quartz ore carrying gold and silver. It was low-grade ore, and they returned to Pueblo. Colonies. The first settlers in Wet Mountain Valley came in 1869. They erected cabins and began tilling the soil. The following year a German colony of 367 persons, led by Carl Wulsten, located in the southern half of the Wet Mountain Valley, then a part of Fre mont County. A small colony of Mormons and others established homes in the valley. Rosita. In the early '70's prospecting for gold was renewed, and rich strikes made. A mining camp sprang up 7 miles southeast of Silver Cliff and grew into a town named Rosita, which is said to have had a popu lation of 1,500 in 1875. Nearly all the buildings were destroyed by fire in 1881, and the place thenceforth declined. Boom Days. Custer County saw boom days in 1 879 and 1 880. The large yields of gold and silver mines in the western slope of the Wet Mountains attracted crowds of adventurers. According to the United States Census of 1880, Silver Cliff was the third largest town in the State, having a population of 5,087. It was then only a year old. The first important discovery in the vicinity was made in 1877 by R. S. Edwards. The following year he and two men, Robert Powell and George S. Hafford, camped at the base of the cliff and 58 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO located several valuable mines. Hafford was a Pike's Peaker who crossed the plains in 1859, pushing his few belongings in a wheelbarrow. Mines. The production of Custer County's mines has greatly fluctuated. Some years the output of the precious metals exceeded half a million dollars; in recent years it fell to less than one hundred thousand dollars annually. However, it is now entering upon a period of development; its mines, old and new, are worth exploiting. The yield of gold in 1908 was $3 5,000, and that of silver $33,000. Huerfano (pronounced " ooerfahno ") is a Span ish word meaning "orphan;" Juan (" hooan " or "wahn"), "John;" Pueblo, "village;" Querida (" kereedah "), "darling;" Rosita (" roseetah "), " small rose." CHAPTER XIII DELTA COUNTY Boundaries. Delta County is in western Colorado. It is bounded on the east by Gunnison County, on the south by Montrose County, and on the west and north by Mesa County. It is drained by the Gunnison River and its tributaries. The ground gently slopes toward the river from plateaus on the north and south. The sources of the Gunnison River are in the Sawatch Mountains; it is also fed by the Uncompahgre River, heading in the San Juan Mountains. It empties into Grand River at Grand Junction. Its waters are used to irrigate the Uncompahgre Valley in Montrose County, as well as the bottom lands of Delta County. Area. The county has an area of 1,201 square miles, of which 38,016 acres were cultivated in 1900; the cultivated area in 1909 was 60,000 acres. The mean annual rainfall is about 11 inches, and the average temperature 45° to 500. Surroundings. Delta County is favored in having lovely and impressive surroundings. The valleys of the Gunnison and the Uncompahgre Rivers are from 3 to 12 miles wide, and back of them is tableland from 30 to 50 feet high. On the northern border is Grand Mesa, to the east loom the rugged mountains of the Elk ranges or groups, to the south are the snow-crowned 60 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO peaks of the Uncompahgre Range, and to the south west is an extensive timbered area. Growth. Delta is one of the counties taken from Gunnison County in 1883. The growth of the county, as in Montrose, was for a score of years almost at a standstill because of the limited supply of water avail able for irrigation purposes. Since the United States government undertook the Gunnison Tunnel project, in 1904, settlers have been pouring into the Uncom pahgre Valley. In 1900 Delta County had 5,487 inhabitants; they had increased to 13,688 in 1910. Its soil and climate are eminently suited for farming and fruit-raising. Its agricultural and horticultural in terests are enormous, and are rapidly growing. County Seat. The county seat is Delta (so named because here is the meeting-place of the Gunnison and the Uncompahgre Rivers). It is 372 miles from Denver, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, which was built through this section in 1883. The town lies almost due west of Colorado Springs. A branch line of the Denver and Rio Grande connects it with Somerset, in the western part of Gunnison County. The altitude of Delta is 4,970 feet. In 1900 it had 819 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 2,388. The town site was surveyed in December, 1881, soon after the removal of the Ute Indians. For several years it was only a small cluster of log cabins and adobes. Hotchkiss and Paonia are centers of flourishing com munities of farmers and fruit-growers. Other places are Reed, Cedaredge (14 miles north of Delta), and Crawford. The latter village was named for Hon. George A. Crawford, one of the foremost men of the western slope in the '8o's. Gunnison's Expedition. In September, 1853, Gun- DELTA COUNTY 61 nison's exploring party traveled down the Uncompahgre Valley. Captain Beckwith, who prepared the report of the expedition, says: " The stream is lined with cottonwood trees, willow, and buffalo-berry bushes, and, crossing it where it was thirty feet wide by one deep, we found an abun dance of grass and encamped; marched 12.30 miles, descending 87.7 feet to the mile for the last ten miles. . . . The country is in all respects like that passed yesterday [northwest of the town of Montrose] — cottonwood, willow, grass in narrow bottom, and near it heavy sage; but the great mass of the valley land is nearly destitute of vegetation — light, clayey, and arid to such an extent that it is disagreeable to ride over it, as it sends up clouds of dust at every step. . . . Alkali is seen in these hills, as it is also in the plain, and is doubtless the chief cause of the barrenness of the soil." (Explorations for a Railroad Route from the Mississippi River to the Pacific, Vol. II.) At that time they were in what is now Delta County, and the description was accurate enough then. This once arid waste by means of irrigation has become one of the most productive regions in the world. First White Settler. Having crossed the river (afterward named in honor of Gunnison), they came to the ruins of Roubideau's log-built trading post, about 5 miles west of the present town of Delta. A creek flowing into the Gunnison perpetuates the name of Antoine Roubideau, who traded with the Utes in the '40's. This adventurous Frenchman was the first white inhabitant of Delta County. About 1845 the Indians fell out with the trader and drove him away. Removal of Utes. From time to time the explorers saw friendly parties of Utes, who roamed at will over 62 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO the western slope, which had been the home of the tribe for centuries. The Uncompahgre band remained here until 1881, when their reservation was thrown open for settlement. Their removal to another reser vation, in Utah, was due to a train of circumstances related in Chapter XLIX. CHAPTER XIV DENVER, CITY AND COUNTY Founding Denver. In the fall of 1858 a settlement of miners and prospectors grew up in the vicinity of the " diggings " where the Green Russell party found gold. The confluence of the Platte and Cherry Creek made a natural site for a town. In the winter of 1858-1859 there were a hundred log cabins on the east and west banks of Cherry Creek. The village on the west side of the little stream was called Auraria; that on the east side was named Denver, after James W. Denver, then governor of Kansas Territory (which extended westward to the Rockies). For a year the two towns maintained a separate existence, and then were united into one burg with the name of Denver City; thence forth " Auraria " passed into history. Queen City. The spring of 1859 brought an enor mous influx of " Pike's Peakers," and Denver suddenly sprang into an important city. It became a base of supplies for the mountain towns and mining camps. As the years rolled by, it forged ahead and outstripped all its rivals in Colorado Territory. In the '6o's Denver was dubbed " The City of the Plains." In the '70's it was recognized as the metropolis of the Rocky Mountain country and got the nickname " Queen City of the Plains." In 1881 it was chosen as the permanent capital of the Centennial State. 64 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Growth. The growth of Denver in the past fifty years has been remarkable. In i860 it had about 2,500 inhabitants; in 1870 they had increased to 4,759. In 1880 the Federal Census gave Denver 35,629; in 1890 the population was 106,713; and I33>859 in 1900. According to a United States Census Bulletin issued in 1906, Denver had 151,920 souls, and was the 25th city in the Union in point of population. The number of inhabitants in 1910 was 213,381. Area. The city of Denver and the county of Denver have the same boundaries, the area being 59M square miles. The Platte River and Cherry Creek divide the Queen City into four parts — the North Side and the South Side, the East Side and the West Side. Southeast Denver (that is, the district south of the Platte and east of it) embraces the greater portion of the munici pality. The down-town section lies east of Cherry Creek, between the Capitol and Union Depot. Union Depot. The Union Depot is located at the foot of Seventeenth Street, south and east of the Platte, with a maze of railroad tracks between it and the river. Welcome Arch. From the depot grounds the traveler makes his exit under the glittering Welcome Arch, which spans the foot of Seventeenth Street. The arch is constructed of bronze and iron, is 86 feet high, 65 feet wide, and has 2,000 incandescent lights. It was built, in 1906, by public subscription and cost $22,500. On the side fronting the depot is the word Welcome. On the reverse side is Mizpah (The Lord watch over thee). Leaving the arch behind, the visitor finds himself MAIN ST., DELTA. See p. 60 DENVER, THE QUEEN CITY OF THE PLAINS. (Courthouse in foreground at the left of Sixteenth St. Snowy Range in background.) DENVER, CITY AND COUNTY 65 in Wyncoop Street. Here he may take a cab or street car to his destination. Cab Fares. Cab fares are 25 cents a mile from the Union Depot (or any other Cab Stand) to any point in the city, for each passenger. Cabs can also be en gaged at one dollar an hour. At the branch office of the Denver Omnibus and Cab Co., in the Union Depot, excursion parties can learn rates for coaches or other vehicles. In the heart of the city the streets do not run to the points of the compass. Seventeenth and parallel streets run northwest to southeast. Wyncoop and parallel streets run from Cherry Creek to northeast. Wyncoop, Blake, Larimer, Lawrence, and other streets were named after pioneers. House numbers run (even numbers on the right) from 1 to 100 to a block. Thus 1713 Wazee Street is on the left-hand side, between Seventeenth and Eighteenth Streets. The streets crossing Larimer start at Broadway, and the numbers increase as you go in a northwesterly direction toward the river. Street Cars. The Depot Loop lines, the Seven teenth Street, the Seventeenth Avenue, and the Colfax Avenue lines are those most used by tourists to reach the various points of interest. From the Welcome Arch walk one block up Seven teenth Street to the Depot Loop street-car line in Wazee Street. The Depot Loop cars make a circuit of that part of the city included between Wazee and Broadway and from Fifteenth to Eighteenth Streets. At Wazee and Seventeenth the traveler may board a Depot Loop car and ride up Eighteenth Street, past the Windsor Hotel, the Lothrop, the Keeley Institute, the Graymont Hotel, the Adams, the Navarre, to 66 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Trinity M. E. Church (on Broadway). Fare, 5 cents. A short walk up the hill (on Eighteenth Avenue) takes one to the Y. W. C. A. and El Jebel Shrine Temple (in Sherman Avenue). After leaving the Union Depot at the foot of Seven teenth Street, board the Seventeenth Street car, which runs to Broadway, passing the railroad offices and the principal hotels — ¦ the Oxford, the Grand Central, the Elk, the Alamo, the Columbia, the Brunswick, the Warren, the Clayton, the Markham, the Midland, the Albany, the Albert, the Denver Clubhouse, and the Brown Palace (on Broadway). Fare, 5 cents. At Seventeenth Street and Wazee, one block from Union Depot, take the Seventeenth Avenue car up Seventeenth Street to Broadway (which runs north and south). Here the car turns east on Seventeenth Avenue, passing the Savoy Hotel, the Shirley, the Central Presbyterian Church (in Sherman Avenue), the Capitol Hill Hotel, the Perrenoud, and on to the City Park. Fare, 5 cents. Leaving the depot grounds at the Sixteenth Street entrance, the visitor may climb the steps to the viaduct and take a car bound for the North Side; or he may walk in the opposite direction to Wazee and get on a Seventeenth Avenue car, which goes up Sixteenth Street, one of Denver's leading business thoroughfares, past the Golden Eagle department store, the Daniels and Fisher Store, the Post-office and Federal Building (corner Arapahoe), Tabor Opera House, Joslyn Dry Goods Store, Masonic Temple, . Kittredge Building, Tremont Hotel and County Courthouse. Fare, 5 cents. Get off the car at Court Place and walk west three blocks to the Mint, then up Colfax Avenue, past the Public Library and Gatlin Institute, to Broadway; I CALIFORNIA ? aiyaanoiizin CHAMPA [Q]h ?!( ! ; ST. [- i. Oxford 3- Elk LOCATION OF PRINCIPAL HOTELS IN DENVER. 18. St. James 33. Brown Palace 21. Hotel Law 34. Metropole 6. Inter-Ocean 22. Albany 35. Savoy 8. Columbia 23. Graymont 38. Plymouth Hotel 14. Clayton 27. Adams 41. Plaza 15. Markham 29- Albert 45- Lewis 17. Abbott 30. The Belvedere 46. Malvene DENVER, CITY AND COUNTY 67 then north past the Pioneer Monument, then walk up Broadway north, past the Plymouth, and walk one block up Seventeenth Avenue to the Y. M. C. A. building, the Central Christian Church, and the La fayette Hotel. Farther up the avenue are Temple Emanuel, the Clarkson, and the Belvoir. From the depot grounds, Sixteenth Street entrance, the visitor may get on a Colfax Avenue car and ride one block on Wyncoop Street to Fifteenth Street, thence up this street by the Central Loop, the Mining Exchange Building, Gas and Electric Building, the Denver Dry Goods Store, the Carlton Hotel, the Belvedere, the Plaza, the Courthouse, the Tours Hotel, the State Capitol, the Mercy Hospital, and on past the City Park. Fare, 5 cents. The tourist who wishes to see the Auditorium may get off the car at Curtis Street or Champa and walk one block to Fourteenth Street. Central Loop. On Fifteenth Street, between Law rence Street and Arapahoe, is the Central Loop. From the Loop as a central point the cars radiate in all direc tions. There is an extensive system of transfers on the tramway lines. Carfare 5 cents to all points within the city. Tramway Lines. The street railways of Denver comprise over 30 lines, having a total length of 223 miles. The Tramway Company operates lines as follows: Argo, Aurora, Berkeley, Broadway, City Park, Depot Loop, Eleventh Avenue, Englewood, Fairmount, Fourth Avenue, Golden, Kalamath, Lari mer Street, Lawrence Street, Leyden, Madison Street, Nineteenth Avenue, Park Hill, Pearl Street, Riverside Cemetery, Rocky Mountain Lake, Sixth Avenue, Seventeenth Avenue, Seventeenth Street, Stout Street, Thirteenth Avenue, Thirty-fourth Avenue, Thirty- 68 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO eighth Avenue, Thirty-second Avenue, Twenty-fifth Avenue, University Park, West Twenty-ninth Avenue, Washington Park, West Forty-fourth Avenue, and West Thirty-eighth Avenue. Seeing Denver. " Seeing Denver " trolley cars make a two-hours' trip through the city. Fare, 50 cents. " Seeing the Foothills " cars are run over different lines, giving the visitor an excellent oppor tunity to see the city and its environs to the West. The trip covers 51 miles and lasts 3 hours. Fare, one dollar. Trips start from Tremont and Seventeenth Streets. " Seeing Denver " autos make special trips for large parties of tourists. Fares, 50 and 75 cents and one dollar. " Touring Denver " automobiles make trips through the finest residence streets and boulevards of Denver. Every trip lasts \)/2 hours and covers 18 miles. The route includes Cheesman Park and City Park. Fare, 75 cents. " Touring Foothills " trip, 28 miles. Fare, 75 cents. "Seeing Foothills," 40 miles, $1.25. Suburbs. Suburban cars connect Denver with out lying points. Take car for Arvada at Central Loop. Fare, 10 cents. Take car for Golden at Central Loop, or on Arapahoe between Fourteenth and Fifteenth. Fare, 25 cents. Theaters. Denver's leading theaters are: Audi torium; Broadway, 1764 Broadway; Pantage's, 1721 Curtis; Empress, 1615 Curtis; Orpheum, 15 13 Wel-> ton; Tabor Grand Opera House, Sixteenth and Curtis; Tivoli (German), Tenth and Larimer Streets. Summer Resorts. There are 5 summer theaters and pleasure resorts: Elitch's Gardens, West Thirty-eighth Avenue and Tennyson; Lakeside Park, between West Forty-fourth and West Forty-eighth Avenues, at north- WELCOME ARCH, DENVER DEPOT, FOOT OF SEVENTEENTH STREET. See p. 64 DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY. DENVER, CITY AND COUNTY 69 western edge of city; Manhattan Beach, West Twenty- fifth Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard; Tuileries, 3449 South Broadway, at the end of the Englewood car line; Luna Park, West Byron Place and Sheridan Boulevard. The Mammoth Skating Rink is at 1520 Clarkson. The Public Bathhouse and Gymnasium is at the corner of Twentieth and Curtis; cost of building, $72,000. Churches. Among the prominent churches of Den ver may be named the following: Central Christian Church, Sixteenth Avenue and Lincoln; Central Presbyterian, Seventeenth Avenue and Sherman; Plymouth Congregational, Fourteenth Avenue and Lafayette; Christian Science, Fourteenth Avenue and Logan; First Baptist, Stout near Eighteenth Street; People's Tabernacle, Twentieth and Lawrence; Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Colfax Avenue and Logan; St. John's Cathedral, Clarkson between Thirteenth and Fourteenth Avenues; Temple Emanuel, Sixteenth Avenue and Pearl; Trinity Methodist, Eighteenth Avenue and Broadway; and Unity, Nineteenth Avenue and Broadway. Y. M. C. A., etc. The Young Men's Christian Association is at the corner of Sixteenth Avenue and Lincoln. The building was finished in 1907 and cost $360,000. The Young Women's Christian Association is at the corner of Eighteenth Avenue and Sherman. The Masonic Temple is at the corner of Sixteenth Street and Welton; erected in 1890, at a cost of $500,000. The Chamber of Commerce is at 1728 Champa Street. El Jebel Temple. El Jebel Temple is at the corner of Eighteenth Avenue and Sherman. This imposing structure was built by the Masonic order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at a cost of $150,000. It is the 70 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO largest and most beautiful building in America de voted exclusively to the work of Shriners; finished in 1906. The Denver Courthouse occupies the block bounded by Fifteenth and Sixteenth Streets, Tremont Street, and Court Place. It was built of sandstone from a quarry near Canon City. The corner-stone was laid in 1881, and the edifice completed in 1883, at a cost of $300,000. Judge Lindsay holds Juvenile Court in Room 26. The City Hall is at the corner of Fourteenth and Larimer Streets. Here are housed the Fire and Police Departments of the city, and other officials. The building was erected in 1883, at a cost of $225,000. The City and County Jail is on Kalamath Street, between West Fourteenth and Colfax Avenues. Libraries. The Public Library is on Colfax Avenue near Bannock Street. The building was completed in 1909, at a cost of $252,000, of which Andrew Carnegie donated $200,000. The library contains over 130,000 volumes. All departments are open from 9 o'clock in the morning till 9 in the evening; Sundays, 1 to 9; closed on holidays. The State Library is in the Capitol Building. Hours: 9 to 12, and 1 to 5. The Library of the State Historical Society, in the Capitol base ment, is open from 9 to 5. It contains many books, pamphlets, and old newspapers relating to Colorado history; closed Saturday afternoons. The Colorado Scientific Society maintains a free reading room at 15 10 Court Place. It has a large collection of books, geological specimens, etc. Auditorium. The Auditorium is on Fourteenth Street, between Curtis and Champa. This massive building was erected at a cost of $537,000, and was DENVER, CITY AND COUNTY 71 finished in time for the Democratic National Conven tion of 1908. The hall contains 10,000 seats. It is 266 feet long, 175 feet wide, and 125 feet high. In the winter months free band concerts are given Sunday afternoons and evenings. Hospitals. The County Hospital is located at Sixth Avenue and Cherokee Street. There are several other hospitals, viz.: Denver Maternity and Woman's Hospital, 2221 Downing Avenue; Mercy Hospital, 1619 Milwaukee Street; Metropolitan Hospital, Wyan dot Street and West Twenty-eighth Avenue; Park Avenue Hospital, Park Avenue and Humboldt Street; St. Anthony's Hospital, Quitman Street and West Sixteenth Avenue; Steele Memorial Hospital, 702 Cherokee Street; St. Joseph's Hospital, Eighteenth Avenue and Humboldt Street; St. Luke's Hospital, Nineteenth Avenue and Pearl ; Mount Airy Sanitarium, East Twelfth Street and Clermont Street; and the National Jewish Hospital for Consumptives, Colfax Avenue and Jackson. The Adams Memorial Home is at 2875 West Thirty- third Avenue; Agnes Memorial, Sixth Avenue and Quebec Street; Belle Lenox Nursery, 2949 West Thirty-seventh Avenue; Ladies' Relief Home, Quit man Street and West Thirty-eighth Avenue; Oakes Home, West Thirty-second Avenue and Decatur Street; Florence Crittenton Home, 4901 Colfax Avenue; Colorado Children's Home, 3545 Raleigh Street; Cottage Home, 427 Fairfax Street; Denver Orphans' Home, Albion Street and Colfax Avenue; Home League Orphanage, Newton Street and West Fiftieth Avenue; State Home for Dependent and Neglected Children, 2309 South Clarkson Street; Byers Home for Boys, 64 West Alameda Avenue; 72 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Industrial Training School for Girls, 1148 Broadway; Detention School, 2844 Downing Avenue; House of the Good Shepherd, West Maple Avenue and South Delaware Street; North Side Neighborhood House, 3410 Pecos Street; Samaritan Refuge (rescue work), 2217 Market Street; Young Woman's Christian Home, 1761 Washington Avenue; Scandinavian Y. W. C. A., 2445 Glenarm Street. Clubs. Denver has more than a dozen clubs: Colorado Golf Club, Denver and Intermountain Rail way; Colorado Traffic Club, 1010 Seventeenth Street; Democratic Club, 1435 California Street; Denver Athletic Club, 1325 Glenarm Place; Denver Chess, Checker, and Whist Club, 3 Masonic Temple; Denver Club, Glenarm and Seventeenth Street; Denver Country Club, First Avenue and Franklin; Denver Motor Club, Fourteenth Street and Colfax Avenue; Denver Press Club, Seventeenth and Champa; Elks, Mining Exchange, Fifteenth and Arapahoe; Gentle men's Driving and Riding Club, 1525 Curtis; Knights of Columbus, Fourteenth and Glenarm; Progress Club, 2047 Glenarm Place; University Club, Seven teenth and Sherman; Woman's Club, 1437 Glenarm Place. The Colorado Pioneers' Association is in the Charles Building, Fifteenth and Curtis. The Pioneer Monument (MacMonnies Fountain) is at Broadway and Colfax; completed in 1910 at a cost of $75,000 (raised by popular subscription). The crowning figure is the statue of Kit Carson. Schools. Denver has four high schools: East Side High School, Nineteenth and Stout; West Side, Fox and West Fifth Avenue; North, Twenty-ninth Avenue and Firth Court; and the Manual Training High School, Franklin and Twenty-seventh Avenue. DENVER, CITY AND COUNTY 73 Colleges. The professional schools of the Universty of Denver are in the heart of the city, near Fourteenth and Arapahoe. The collegiate departments and the Chamberlin Observatory are at University Park. Observatory open to the public Tuesday evenings. Take University Park car at Central Loop. West minster University is northwest of the city limits. Take Denver and Interurban car near Fifteenth and Arapahoe; or board a coach of the Colorado and South ern Railway at Union Depot, distance 6 miles. The Colorado Woman's College is located at Mont clair. Take Colfax car or Montclair car at Central Loop. The Jesuit College is at West Fiftieth Avenue and Lowell Boulevard. Wolfe Hall (Ladies' Seminary) is in Clarkson Street between Thirteenth and Four teenth Avenues. The Miss Wolcott School is at 1400 Marion Street. City Park. Denver has 29 public parks, with an aggregate area of 1,083 acres. Of these the largest is City Park, containing 320 acres of woodland and water. Attractive features are the Burns statue, the electric fountain, the conservatory, shaded drives, bicycle track, and floral designs. There are extensive Zoologi cal Gardens, with birds and animals of the plains and mountains — eagles, bears, cougars, wolves, elk, deer, antelopes, buffaloes, etc. Ducks, geese, and other waterfowl disport in the lakes. Here is the largest pheasantry in the world, containing 1,000 birds. There are more than a dozen varieties of pheasants whose habitat is Japan, China, India, England, and other foreign lands. The Museum of Natural History has large collections of mounted groups showing many of the individuals native to the Rocky Mountain region. In the basement are the Campion gold collection and 74 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO other mineral exhibits. In the Art Gallery may be seen loan collections of valuable paintings and other works of art. On summer afternoons and evenings band concerts are given in the Park, affording free entertainment to thousands of people. Take Seven teenth Avenue car, the Madison Avenue car, or the Colfax Avenue car for City Park. Take Park Hill car for the Museum of Natural History and the Driving Club. Museum open on week days, 10 a.m. to 4.30 p. m.; Sundays, 1 to 4.30 p. m. Stock- Yards. The Denver Union Stock-yards are located on Lafayette Street between Forty-sixth and Forty-ninth Avenues, near the Platte River. Here are the packing houses, the horse market, and the yards for sheep, hogs, and cattle. The Stock Show is held in the amphitheater, Forty-sixth Avenue and Lafayette. Take Stock-yards car or Stout Street car at Central Loop. The smelters are for the most part in North Denver. Take Argo Line, or Stout Street car from Central Loop. Express Offices. The leading express companies have offices in Denver, viz.: Adams, 1640 Arapahoe; American, 1612 Stout; Globe, 1620 Stout; Pacific, 1620 Stout; Southern, 1640 Arapahoe; United States, 1715 Stout; Wells Fargo, 1616 Stout. The Denver telegraph offices are: A. D. T. Com pany, 1413 Champa; Postal Telegraph, 920 Seven teenth Street; Western Union, 1116 Seventeenth Street. The general office of the Telephone Company is at 141 3 Champa Street. Railroad Offices. The railroad offices in Denver are: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe, Welton and Seven teenth; Burlington Route, Seventeenth and California; DENVER, CITY AND COUNTY 75 Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul, 821 Seventeenth Street; Chicago and Northwestern, Seventeenth and Stout; Colorado and Southern, 701 Seventeenth; Denver and Inter-Mountain, 1426 Arapahoe; Denver and Interurban, 1401 Arapahoe; Denver, Laramie, and Northwestern, 915 Seventeenth; Denver, North western, and Pacific. (" Moffat Road "), 907 Seven teenth Street; Denver and Rio Grande, Stout and Seventeenth; Florence and Cripple Creek, Boston building, Seventeenth and Champa; Illinois Central, 805 Seventeenth Street; Midland Route, Seventeenth and California; Missouri Pacific, 731 Seventeenth Street; New York Central, 1017 Seventeenth Street; Pennsylvania Lines, 907 Seventeenth Street; Rock Island Lines, Seventeenth and Curtis; Salt Lake Route, 823 Seventeenth Street; Union Pacific, Seven teenth and Curtis; and the Wabash, Seventeenth and Champa. One-Day Trips. From Denver the tourist may take some pleasant one-day excursions, viz. : To Greeley, 99 miles, over the Colorado and Southern, "Around the Horn," or via Union Pacific, 51 miles; to Boulder, 29 miles, Colorado and Southern; to Fort Collins, 74 miles, Colorado and Southern; to Eldora, 63 miles, Colorado and Southern, the " Switzerland Trail; " to Ward, 55 rriles, Colorado and Southern; to Lyons, 48 miles, Burlington Route; to Silver Plume, 54 miles, Colorado and Southern, the " Serpentine Trail; " to Mount McClellan, 70 miles, Argentine Railway; to Morrison, 17 miles, Colorado and Southern; to Corona (on the Continental Divide), 60 miles, Denver, Northwestern, and Pacific (" Moffat Road"); to Palmer Lake, 52 miles, Denver and Rio Grande; to Manitou, 80 miles, Denver and Rio Grande 76 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO (and to the summit of Pike's Peak via Cog Wheel Route, 9 miles). Mint. The United States Mint is located on Colfax Avenue and Thirteenth Street. It was constructed of granite and cost over $800,000; equipment, $425,000. Hours for visitors, 10 to 3. The Government Land Office is on the third floor of the Federal Building, Sixteenth and Arapahoe. The Colorado State Board of Immigration has rooms in the Capitol. Baker Homestead. A historic spot is the Baker Homestead on West Colfax Avenue, near the Larimer Street viaduct, about a mile west of the City Hall. In early days this was a meeting place of plainsmen, and Indian powwows were not infrequent here. Take Larimer Street car. A landmark of pioneer days is the log cabin of William H. Clark, a '58er residing at 5041 Pearl Street. This interesting relic of bygone years stands almost in the shadow of the Globeville smelter. Take Stock yards car. A pioneer Methodist Church, erected in 1864, stands at the corner of Fourteenth and Lawrence Streets. The building is now used for Salvation Army barracks. A list of the hotels and their rates will be found in the appendix. THE STATE CAPITOL The Capitol is situated on Capitol Hill, ij^ miles from Union Depot and about one mile from the Post- office. It is reached by the Broadway and the Colfax cars. The latter ascend the hill. One may get off the Depot Loop car at the corner of Fifteenth Street and Cleve- THE CAPITOL, DENVER. INDIAN HUNTER. (Bronze Group on Capitol Grounds.) See p. 82 DENVER, CITY AND COUNTY 77 land Place, and walk two blocks to the Capitol grounds. The offices in the Capitol building are open daily, except Sundays and holidays, from nine to four. The session of the Legislature is biennial, beginning the first Wednesday of January (odd years) and lasting ninety days. The Assembly halls are open from ten to half-past four. Occasionally evening sessions are held, at irregular hours. During most sessions visitors are allowed on the floor and in the galleries of the House and Senate chambers, if they are not already crowded. There are 65 representatives and 35 senators. The corner-stone of the Capitol was laid July 4, 1890. Although the building was not completed in 1895, the Tenth General Assembly met in it. Some of the decorative details of the State House were not finished until 1900. The cost of construction exceeded $2,500,- 000. Mr. E. E. Myers of Detroit was the architect. The Capitol site includes 10 acres of land, given to Colorado Territory by the late Henry C. Brown. The building stands in the center of a beautiful terrace. The west front faces Broadway; the north front faces Colfax or Fifteenth Avenue (the entrance being directly opposite Sherman Avenue); the east front faces Grant Street; and the south front faces Four teenth Avenue. The Colorado Capitol is a majestic edifice, cruciform in shape. It was built of native granite, and finished inside with Colorado onyx. The structure is of the Doric order of classic architecture, with Corinthian ornamentations. In its general appearance it is char acterized by simplicity and severe grandeur. The interior decorations are tasteful and artistic. The Capitol is 384 feet long from north to south, 313 78 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO feet wide, and 102 feet high from the ground to the cornices. The distance from the ground line to the top of the globe on the dome is 276 feet. The building contains altogether 160 rooms. The basement story has a height of 15 feet. Here are the rooms of the State Bureau of Agriculture and Horticulture, the Museum of War Relics, the State Bureau of Mines, and the State Historical and Natural History Society. On the first floor or story are the apartments of the Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and other State offices. These rooms are spacious and have a height of 21 feet. On the second story are located the Legislative halls, the Supreme Court room, the State Library, and the Law Library. These apartments have a height of 42 feet. The Senate Chamber is at the south end and is 64 feet long by 37 feet in width. The Hall of Repre sentatives occupies the west front, being 63 feet long and 52 feet wide. The State Library is 67 by 50 feet, and the Law Library 48 by 32 feet. The Capitol is situated on a rise of ground one mile above sea level. It commands a panoramic view not only of the city, but of the plains and mountains for an immense distance. From the upper landing' of the Rotunda can be seen (on a clear day) Long's Peak 60 miles to the northwest and Pike's Peak 80 miles to the south. A magnificent feature of the State House is the Rotunda, which has a diameter of 45 feet and a height of more than 200 feet above the main floor. Dome. The noble dome of the Capitol contains 16 colored portraits painted in honor of well-known DENVER, CITY AND COUNTY 79 Coloradoans. In this galaxy of historic worthies are: William Gilpin, the first Territorial governor; John Evans, the second Territorial governor; - Bela M. Hughes, a pioneer connected with the overland stage line, and later with the construction of the first railroad in Colorado; William N. Byers, the founder of the Rocky Mountain News; Nathaniel P. Hill, pioneer in the smelting industry; Alexander Majors, commercial pioneer; Kit Carson, the renowned frontiersman; John L. Dyer, a pioneer missionary; Ouray, the magnanimous Ute chief; Jim Baker, the noted scout and Rocky Mountain guide; James W. Denver, the Kansas governor after whom the city of Denver was named; William J. Palmer, railroad builder and public benefactor; Mrs. Frances Jacobs, philanthropist; Casimero Barela, the veteran legislator from Las Animas County; Richard G. Buckingham, a pioneer leader of public affairs; and Benjamin Eaton, State governor and pioneer irrigator. The portrait of the brilliant orator, Edward O. Wol cott, adorns the Senate Chamber, and in the corridor is the full-length figure, in stained glass, of Otto Mears, the railway builder of the San Juan country. Pediment Group. In the pediment over the west portico is an allegorical group of several figures, in high relief, representing the wealth, progress, and leading industries of the Centennial State. In the basement corridor leading from the west entrance and in the room adjoining are the displays of farm products and orchard fruits gathered from different parts of Colorado by the State Bureau of Agriculture and Horticulture. These exhibits are open to the public on week days from nine to four. War Relics. Across the hall is the Museum of War 80 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Relics, open from ten to four. Here are weapons, bullets, shells, flags, and a thousand other mementoes of the Civil War. Among the pieces of artillery are 4 brass howitzers buried by General H. H. Sibley, C. S. A., near Albuquerque, N. M., after the defeat of the Con federate forces at the battle of Glorieta, in 1862. There are a number of tattered banners captured by Union troops. One of these dates back to i860, being the first Confederate flag (made in Charleston, S. C). A unique interest attaches to the flag of Fort Sumter, the first United States flag fired upon by the rebels, April 12, 1861. When Major Anderson evacuated the fort, this storm flag fell into the hands of the South Carolina Militia. It was afterward presented to ex- Congressman L. C. Carpenter of Denver. Among the curiosities highly prized is the playbill of Ford's Theater, April 14, 1865, the night of Lincoln's assassination. Another object that recalls a historic occasion is the inkwell used by General R. E. Lee in signing the articles of surrender at Appomattox. An interesting relic of frontier days is Kit Carson's rifle, a long-barreled weapon with which he shot 29 Indians. Later it was used by " Old Scout " Wiggins. Thirty-six brass tacks in the stock represent that num ber of red men killed by Carson and Wiggins with this gun. Mineral Museum. The rooms of the State Bureau of Mines and the corridor adjoining contain cabinets of specimens that give the visitor some idea of the vast wealth of Colorado's mines and quarries. Every county that lies in the Mineral Belt is represented — Archuleta, Boulder, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Dolores, Eagle, El Paso, Fremont, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Lake, Larimer, Las DENVER, CITY AND COUNTY 81 Animas, Mineral, Mesa, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel, Summit, and Teller. There is an entire case of gold nuggets and specimens of float gold, in their native state, as found in the rock-ribbed hills and in beds of streams. Note the big pieces of rich gold ore from the Independence Mine of Cripple Creek. One nugget of native silver from the Mollie Gibson Mine near Aspen weighs 397 pounds, 90 per cent, pure silver; if coined, it will make 6,630 silver dollars. The collection embraces many varieties of ores, lead, copper, zinc, etc. Besides the precious metals, there are samples of coal, marble, onyx, granite, sandstone, and other kinds of building stone, also of precious stones, such as amethyst, topaz, and turquoise. Cliff Dweller Exhibits. In the east basement are the botanical, anthropological, and zoological collec tions of the State Historical and Natural History Society. The place of honor is given to the Cliff Dweller relics from Mancos Canon in southwestern Colorado. In the cases may be seen many interesting remains — • such as skulls, bones, dried-up skeletons, etc. — of the strange people who lived on the lofty plateau of the southwest long before Columbus dis covered America. There are numerous exhibits of pottery, woven baskets, pieces of cloth, stone hammers, and other articles taken from the ruined cliff dwellings in the Mesa Verde region of the Southern Ute Reserva tion and Montezuma County. The cabinet compartments of the corridor and adjoining rooms contain mounted specimens of the birds and wild animals of Colorado, nearly every known species being represented. There are also fossils of extinct monsters of a far-off time, when huge dino- 82 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO saurs swam through the lakes that once washed the base of the Rocky Mountains. There are many Indian relics, such as bows and beaded moccasins; objects that possess a historical interest, such as a felt hat worn by Josie Meeker during her captivity among the Utes in 1879, the first Denver mint used in making gold coins in i860, also portraits of General James W. Denver, Colonel John M. Chiv- ington, and others. Pike's Sword. A treasure of priceless value is the sword worn by Brigadier-General Zebulon Montgomery Pike on the day when he met a soldier's death leading the assault on York (now Toronto), Canada, April 27, 1813. On the lawn bordering Broadway is the flagstaff erected in honor of the Colorado Volunteers of 1898, by the Sons of the Revolution in the State of Colorado, June 14, 1898. At the crest of the slope stands the Soldiers' Monu ment, erected by the State of Colorado to the memory of the Colorado soldiers who fell in the Civil War. It is flanked on either side by brass cannon from the Rock Island Arsenal. These two pieces of artillery formerly belonged to the Ninth Massachusetts Battery in the War of the Rebellion. East of the Capitol is Preston Powers' bronze group of an Indian hunter standing over a slain buffalo. This impressive statue was unveiled in 1892. Prominent among the peaks visible from the Capitol dome (and from elevated points on the plains to the east of Denver) are Pike's Peak, at the south end of Front Range, Platte Mountain, Devil's Head, Mount Rosalie, Evans, Squaw Mountain, James, Arapahoe, Audubon, Smith's, Long's, Estes Cone, DENVER, CITY AND COUNTY 83 Hague's Peak, and Bald Mountain. Though it appears to be one range, the stretch of mountains, extending about 130 miles north and south (in plain sight of the spectator when the view is not obscured by clouds or smoke), is composed of 3 ranges, viz.: the Foothills, or Rampart Range, from 12 to 16 miles west of Denver; the middle range, or cluster of still higher eminences; and the Snowy Range, or Continental Divide, with some of the tallest crests in Colorado. The latter is sometimes called Front Range, and is 50 miles or more west of Denver. In the center of the State are two other ranges of the chain of mountains known as the Rockies. None of the mountains of Park and Sawatch Ranges can be seen from Denver. CHAPTER XV DOLORES COUNTY Spanish Prospectors. In the eighteenth century a number of Spanish expeditions traversed the mountain country of southwestern Colorado. The story of their wanderings in search of the precious metals reads more like romance than real history. They did make some finds. American prospectors long afterward ran across traces of mining operations carried on by Spaniards in the vicinity of Rico and other places in the mineral belt of the San Juan district. However, there is no evidence to show that these daring fortune-hunters made any important discoveries here. The treasure- trove lay there in the ledges under their feet, and they could have found it had they gone about it intelli gently as do the prospectors of to-day. It was reserved for another time and another people to open and develop this El Dorado of the southwest. Trappers. In 183 2-1 83 3 a party of about 60 men, in the employ of the St. Louis Fur Company, trapped beaver and other fur-bearing animals in the streams of what is now southwestern Colorado. They spent some time in the valley of the Rio Dolores, and were probably the first Americans who ever visited it. Still, it was only a temporary camping-place, for in the fall of 1833 they continued their journey northward to gather a harvest of furs in other regions of the West. DOLORES COUNTY 85 Baker Expedition. The next white men to appear on the scene were the members of the ill-starred Baker expedition, who left California Gulch in i860 and pros pected the streams to the southwest as far as the Animas Valley near where Durango now stands. An other party arrived there in March, 1861, and joined in the quest for the glittering dust. The enterprise was doomed to failure. Finds in 1869. In 1866 a company of Americans came up from Arizona and penetrated the wilds of what is now Dolores County, on their way to the mining settlements east of the Snowy Range. Three years later two prospectors, Sheldon Shafer and Joe Fearheiler, left Santa Fe with the intention of going through the mountains to Montana. They made valuable discoveries near the present town of Rico and erected a cabin to live in. Other adventurers, in 1870, found their way to the Dolores country and located claims. The Indians now took a hand in the game, and the intruders had to make themselves scarce. Fearheiler was shot by them after he and his partner had started for Fort Defiance. In 1872 a large party of Americans and Mexicans reached the deserted Rico camp and did some mining in the vicinity. Disappointed in the results, they returned to Santa Fe. In 1874 Hayden's geological surveying party spent some time here, and were let alone by the red men. San Juan Opened. Meanwhile parties had been prospecting different localities of the San Juan country, although it was then included in the Ute Reservation. In 1873 the Brunot Treaty was arranged, and a big slice of land was carved out of the aborigine's ancient domain. Miners and prospectors now swarmed in the 86 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO valleys and gulches of the San Juan Mountains. Placers and mines were found, and settlements grew up. Hins dale and La Plata Counties were added to the map in 1874, San Juan County in 1876, and Ouray County in 1877. The Rico district was worked in 1878, and the beginning of the town really dates from the summer of that year. Dolores County. In 1881 Dolores County was taken from the southwestern part of Ouray County. It is bounded on the west by Utah, on the north by San Miguel County, on the east by Ouray and San Juan Counties, and on the south by Montezuma County. It has an area of 1,000 square miles, of which only a small fraction (2,000 acres) is cultivated. The eastern part is mountainous. The western half of the county is a semi-arid plateau through which the Rio Dolores cuts a canon. The river rises in the western group of the San Juan Mountains (sometimes called La Plata Mountains); it flows northward through Dolores, San Miguel, Montrose, and Mesa Counties, and empties into Grand River in eastern Utah. The mean annual rainfall of the county is 23 inches. The average tem perature is 450 to 500. In 1900 Dolores had 1,134 inhabitants; the population in 1910 had fallen to 642, owing to the decline in mining. Rico. The county seat is Rico, in the eastern part of the county. The town is located in the crater of an extinct volcano. It is surrounded by lofty and precipitous mountains — Wilson, Freeman, Elliott, Anchor, Telescope, Mount Dolores, and others. Rico is situated on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, 443 miles from Denver. Its altitude is 8,725 feet. In 1900 it had 811 inhabitants; the population in 1910 had fallen to 368. DOLORES COUNTY 87 Mines. While the Rico mining district has not been so large a producer of the precious metals as Ouray or Silverton, the total output of its mines since 1878 runs into the millions. During the past decade the yield of silver has exceeded that of gold. Copper and lead are extensively mined. Of late years zinc has become an important by-product of the camp. The Dunton camp has recently yielded considerable gold ore. Dolores County production in 1908 exceeded $200,000, as follows: Gold, $36,000; silver, $84,000; lead, $42,000; zinc, $34,000; and copper, $5,000. Hunting. In the spring and fall Nimrods may find sport in hunting ducks and geese around the ponds at some distance from the railroad. Grouse are to be found not far from Rico. Thirty miles northwest of this town is a wild country where all kinds of big game can be bagged. The scenery is striking, and the air bracing. Hunters travel from Coke Ovens by stage to Dunton; thence pack animals are used as transport to the hunting grounds in the San Miguel Mountains, which border Dolores County on the north. Prehistoric Remains. In the western part of the county is a field awaiting exploration by archeologists. Old-timers tell of cliff dwellings, pottery, and other remains discovered and still existing. The section where the architectural ruins have been .found can be reached in a roundabout way by carriage, but it would be much better for the tourist to go on horseback from Rico. Says a resident, Mr. Adolph Laube: Route to Ruins. " As assessor of the county, some ten years ago I enjoyed several trips to the western part of the Disappointment Valley, but the ruins are farther out toward the Utah line. The route I took, and which would be the proper way to reach the ruins, 88 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO was from Rico to Dunton, then down the West Dolores River to the mouth of Fish Creek, then up Ground Hog Canon and across what is termed ' The Park,' which is a large plateau, covered with rich grasses in the summer, nourished by the snow-capped mountains lying to the north. Coming to the west line of this plateau a won derful panorama presents itself to view. Here the plateau ends abruptly and the character of the country is entirely changed. Looking to the north, east, and south, you see the land thickly covered with tall forests or deep grasses, and here and there, above timberline, patches of snow on the mountain peaks; but to the west everything looks dry and barren — no snow upon the mountains, no sign of verdure on the slopes, and gazing far down into the Disappointment Valley, the mountain cliffs around standing out like castles built by hand, the Blue Mountains of Utah in view in the distance, the transformation, the strange contrast, is amazing to behold." Plata (pronounced " plahta ") is a Spanish word meaning " silver " or " silver plate; " Rico (" reeco "), " rich; " Rio Dolores, " river of grief " or " river of sorrows; " San Miguel (" migeel "), " Saint Michael." CHAPTER XVI DOUGLAS COUNTY Long's Expedition. It was in 1820 that the Long Expedition camped on the site of the Denver of to day. Then, moving in a southwesterly direction, they marched up the Platte to the mountains of the Front Range. Dr. Edwin James and several comrades crossed the river and did a little mountain climbing. " This extensive range, rising abruptly from the plain," writes James, " skirts the base of the mountain [Mount Evans] like a vast rampart, and, from a person standing near it, intercepts the view of the still more grand and imposing features of the granite ridge beyond. ... It is difficult, when contemplating the present appearance and situation of these rocks, to prevent the imagination from wandering back to that remote unascertained period when the billows of the primeval ocean lashed the base of the Rocky Mountains." The next day the exploring party resumed their journey, traveling eastward in what is now Douglas County. While proceeding up Plum Creek, they came across dams of willows and cottonwoods built by beavers. Castle Rock. In the course of their wanderings, a detachment came to enormous masses of sandstone, which appeared to be the colossal ruins of a castle, with columns, porticoes, and arches. From its striking 90 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO resemblance to a work of art, they called it Castle Rock, a name that it retains to this day. Casa Blanca. Casa Blanca is the name of another pile, of similar appearance, near the southern border of the county. It is a massive white rock, iooo feet long and 200 feet high. It surmounts a hill commonly known as Wild Cat Mountain. Old Trail. Fremont's itinerary in 1843 took him through the eastern part of the county on his way to Pueblo. In the mid-century military expeditions passed back and forth between Fort Union and Fort Laramie, pursuing an old bison path that had become a well- beaten track. For some distance it ran along Cherry Creek. The same trail was traveled by occasional wagon trains of Argonauts trekking via the Arkansas River route to the gold fields of California. Russell Expedition. The historic expedition of gold-seekers led by Green Russell drove down Cherry Creek to its confluence with the Platte. They camped on the site of Denver, where not a sign of any human habitation was to be seen. That was in June, 1858. These were the first American prospectors in Colorado. Douglas. In the spring of 1859 the first saw-mill in Colorado was set up in the pineries of Plum Creek. The first frame houses in the infant city of Denver were made of boards sawed by this mill, which D. C. Oakes brought from the Missouri River. The same year a few pioneers settled in Douglas County, which was one of the 17 counties organized in 1861 by act of Colo rado's first Territorial Legislature. It was named in honor of Stephen A. Douglas. The county then ex tended from the Platte eastward to the Kansas line. In the '6o's the Santa Fe stage line, operated by Barlow, Sanderson and Company, passed through DOUGLAS COUNTY 91 this county along the right bank of Cherry Creek. Until the building of the railroad the Concord coaches regularly made the trip from Denver to the capital of New Mexico. Douglas County is bounded on the west by Jefferson County, on the north by Arapahoe County, on the east by Elbert County, and on the south by El Paso and Teller Counties. It is watered by the South Platte River and its tributaries (Plum and Cherry Creeks). Area. Douglas has an area of 889 square miles, of which 7 per cent., or 39, 165 acres, was under cultivation in 1900. In the eastern and central portions the surface consists of high, rolling plains. The western part is traversed by the foothills and by the mountains of the Front Range. In the southwestern corner is a con siderable tract of timber belonging to the Pike's Peak Forest Reserve. In 1900 the county had 3,120 inhabitants; the popu lation in 1910 was 3,192. The mean annual rainfall is 18 inches, and the average temperature from 50° to 55°. County Seat. The county seat is Castle Rock, 32 miles south of Denver, on the Santa Fe and the Denver and Rio Grande Railroads. Its altitude is 6,206 feet. In 1900 the place contained 304 souls; the number in 1910 was 365. Nearby are large quarries of building stone. The town got its name from a bold promontory rising out of the plain to the east. Castle Rock was incorporated in 1881. Perry Park. Other places in the county are Sedalia and Larkspur. Four miles west of the latter station is the charming pleasure resort, Perry Park, at the head of Plum Creek. The park is admired for its fantastic rock formations. 92 .A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Franktown, a small village on Cherry Creek, was the first capital of Douglas County. Parker, 23 miles southeast of Denver, is a station on the Colorado and Southern Railway (elevation, 5,861 feet). Wolhurst. Wolhurst, 13 miles south of Denver, was the summer home of the late Senator E. O. Wolcott, and later the residence of the millionaire mining man, Thomas F. Walsh. Industries. Douglas County's chief industries are quarrying and dairying. From the nature of the country there is not much opportunity for irrigation. It is better adapted for grazing than for general farming or fruit-growing. Every point in it commands a noble view of the Rockies. Pioneers. " While this county is situated in what is termed the plains country, it is traversed by a spur of the Rocky Mountain Range which separates the head waters of the tributaries of the South Platte and the Arkansas Rivers. This Divide is an elevated range lying in northern El Paso, southeastern Douglas, and southwestern Elbert, having an average altitude of about 7,000 feet and embracing an area of 500 to 600 square miles. The pioneers of Douglas County were among the truest and bravest that came to Colorado; none were so frequently exposed to Indian depredations, horse and cattle thieves. Widely scattered, they became an easy prey to both. But they were generally equal to the emergency. For defense against savages they built forts and stockades for the protection of their women and children, and with trusty rifles them selves drove their enemies across the border. As for the white desperadoes, they were pursued and shot, or, if captured, hanged to the nearest tree. In the fulness of time all these harassments have disappeared, and the DOUGLAS COUNTY 93 people have laid the foundations broad and deep for an enduring prosperity." (Hall, History of Colorado, Vol. III., P. 337-) Decker's Resort. A 15-mile stage-ride from Platte Canon, on the Colorado and Southern Railway, takes the traveler to Decker's mountain resort, which has a romantic situation in the out range, 45 miles southwest of Denver. This secluded place offers every oppor tunity for just such pleasure and recreation as the city dweller craves. The sportsman may fish in Trout Creek. The drive to Cheesman Dam is very enjoyable. The pedestrian may ramble by himself among the hills or up precipitous slopes, listening to the music of mountain rills and studying the rugged rock forma tions. The mineral springs at Decker's are noted for their curative power. They were frequented by Indians from the mountains and the plains, who appreciated the " medicine waters." CHAPTER XVII EAGLE COUNTY Surface. Eagle County is situated in the north central part of Colorado. It is bounded on the east by Summit County, on the south by Lake and Pitkin Counties, on the west by Garfield County, and on the north by Routt and Grand Counties. The surface consists chiefly of lofty plateaus rising eastward to Park Range, which forms the eastern boundary of the county. The Sawatch Range begins in this county with the Mount of the Holy Cross as its northern limit. Name. The northwestern corner of the county is traversed by Grand River, and Eagle River flows through the central part from east to west. This river was named after the proud bird of freedom. The Golden or Rocky Mountain Eagle is frequently seen here, and grows to an immense size, although not so large as the eagles of the Andes. The Bald Eagle is not so common. Area. In the '40's and the '50's parties of trappers penetrated the wilds of what is now Eagle County, but no permanent settlement was made before 1879. It was set apart from Summit County in 1883. Its area is 1,586 square miles, of which two per cent., or 20,000 acres, are under cultivation. The mean annual pre cipitation is 15 inches, and the average temperature EAGLE COUNTY 95 about 40°. In 1900 the population was 3,008; it was 2,985 in 1910. County Seat. The county seat is Redcliff, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, 293 miles from Den ver. The altitude is 8,598 feet. The town was founded in 1879. In 1900 it had 256 inhabitants; the popula tion in 1910 was 383. Other stations on the Denver and Rio Grande Rail road are Dotsero, Gilman, Minturn, and Wolcott. Ruedi is a station on the Colorado Midland Railway, which runs along the southern border of the county. McCoy is located on the Moffat Road, close to the northern boundary of the county. From here sports men can conveniently reach Trappers' Lake or Gore Range. Mining. Eagle County has never been a large pro ducer of the precious metals. In the year 1900 the yield of gold, silver, lead, and copper amounted to nearly half a million dollars, while the output of 1909 was about $176,000. Gilman. The principal mining camp is Gilman, perched high up on the slope of Battle Mountain, 2 or 3 miles north of Redcliff. The first claims were staked in 1879. " The causes which incited permanent settlement here," says Hall, " were the same as those that led to the peopling of Leadville, Gunnison, Ten Mile, Aspen, and most of the other mining towns — the discovery and development of silver mines. There was not room enough in Leadville, nor mines enough to accommodate all of the surging thousands that gathered there, hence the surplusage sought other fields and found them across the ranges to the northwest and south. As we have seen, the earlier prospectors found valuable mines on Battle Mountain, then and now the 96 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO principal" seat of production. The lofty and rugged slopes became scenes of wonderful activity. Some great veins and deposits of rich mineral have been opened, among them the Ida May, Little Duke, Ground Hog, the latter an extraordinary producer of gold in nugget form, deposited in strange cavities called ' pockets; ' the Belden, Iron Mask, May Queen, King fisher, Little Chief, Crown Point, Little Ollie, and others. A number of camps were established, as Coronado, Ore Creek, and Horn Silver." According to tradition, Battle Mountain got its name from a bloody encounter between war parties of the Utes and Arapahoes, fought about 1849. , Seven Castles. Nine miles east of Basalt is a cluster of sandstone cliffs shaped like castles. About 30 miles southeast of Glenwood, on the Mid land Railway, is a group of massive cliffs of red sand stone, shaped like Gothic castles. Near Dotsero is an expanse of black lava. Short excursions, by carriage or rail, can be taken from Glenwood to other, wonder works of creation, interesting alike to the geologist and the unlearned tourist. About 10 miles to the west is the burning mountain of New Castle. Tennessee Pass is in the southeast corner of the county. Here the railroad scales the Continental Divide at an elevation of 10,229 feet- The beauty and sublimity of the scene transcend the power of descrip tion. Mount of Holy Cross. About 10 miles southwest of Redcliff is the Mount of the Holy Cross, made famous by the magnificent painting of Thomas Moran, who visited this picturesque region in 1874 an^ took sketches on the spot. This mountain (altitude, 14,170 feet) bears upon its bosom a cross of snow formed by deposits MOUNT OF THE HOLY CROSS IN THE SAWATCH RANGE. CANON OF THE GRAND RIVER. See p. 04 PIKE S PEAK FROM WOODLAND, ON THE COLORADO MIDLAND RY. See p. 104 EAGLE COUNTY 97 in transverse canons. The upright portion is 1500 feet in length, and nearly straight; the arms are 750 feet long. Except in midsummer snow may be seen in these natural trenches the year round. The colossal emblem is on the southeast flank of the mountain. " The Omnipotent hand has placed its seal upon this land. Yonder upon the wondrous mountain of the Holy Cross — in the clefts of the eternal granite — the Almighty with everlasting snow has painted the symbol of masonry — the cross of Christianity. Like the cross that blazed in the heavens above Constantine, this emblem of faith and purity shines from the pin nacles of the mountains to lead us to a higher and a more holy destiny." (Alva Adams.) THE MOUNT OF THE HOLY CROSS " Most faithful friend, All-loving God, Who marked for us the path we trod, The grandest of Thy gifts appears Outlined among these snowy tiers. We followed fate, we followed Thee, But doubtful, weak, and worn were we. No guiding light before us shone, No prophet led securely on. We faced the wind, the rain, the hail, The dogs of hell that crossed our trail; We lined the plain with dust and graves And slaked our thirst in bitter waves; At night the coyote laughed aloud Beneath the dead man's flapping shroud, And o'er the river of the hills The ravens hung like gathering ills. They told us there that Thou wert far, And dead and stern as some cold star; But white above the sullen storms Thy Cross upheld its saving arms. 98 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO O Thou to whom all things are one — The lone, dim plain, the mine, the sun — Who best can tell what pain it cost Here for the death-fires of the lost, To light on Christian hearth the flame More mighty than a world of shame, — We crave no island lapped in balm Nor lazy valley's dreaming calm, But life, the stirring and the sweet, The track that bounds with flying feet. Give back the trusted and the true; The vanished friends whom once we knew, The strength that laughed in danger's face, The youth that breathed of primal days; Life, life, Eternal Life bestow, And welcome be the Cross below! " — Marion Muir. CHAPTER XVIII ELBERT COUNTY Boundaries. Elbert County was taken from Green wood County in 1874 and named for Samuel H. Elbert, who was at one time governor of Colorado Territory. It is bounded on the west by Douglas County, on the north by Arapahoe County, on the east by Lincoln County, and on the south by Lincoln and El Paso Counties. Divide. The area is 1,852 square miles. The sur face is undulating. From the northern portion the land slopes in a series of swells southward to the ridge of hills known as the Divide. This watershed between the Platte and the Arkansas Rivers is the highest- point on the plains from the Gulf to Canada. In Elbert County it has an elevation of about 7,500 feet. From the lay of the land irrigation is out of the question, except in small fields that border creeks. In the northwestern corner of the county the hills are crowned by clumps of white pine trees from 10 to 20 feet high, and along some of the streams are strag gling woods. Elsewhere the country may be described for the most part as treeless plains and knolls. A seam of coal runs through the western part of the county, from north to south. Farming. In the '70's and '8o's Elbert County was sparsely settled by stockmen, who owned large herds 100 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO of cattle that grazed on the open range. Then came the era of farming proper. Fields were fenced, and crops raised (mostly without irrigation). Some years the rainfall is sufficient to produce abundant yields of hay and grain and potatoes. However, the average pre cipitation is only about 17 inches. In 1900 there were 40,160 acres under cultivation. Little fruit is raised other than plums, gooseberries, and raspberries. In 1900 the county had 3,101 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 5,331. County Seat. The county seat is Kiowa, 7 miles east of Elizabeth (on the Colorado and Southern Rail way). In 1900 it was a village of 116 souls; the popu lation in 1910 was 100. Its altitude is 6,400 feet, or 1,200 feet lower than that of Sidney, about a dozen miles to the south of it. Elizabeth. Elizabeth is a thriving town 39 miles southeast of Denver. It is surrounded by a community of dairy farmers, who grow patches of wheat (yield, 15 to 20 bushels an acre) and oats (20 to 30 bushels). The cuttings of alfalfa are from 2 to 3 tons an acre during the season. Corn is raised only for fodder', being shocked before the frost. The town had a population in 1910 of 194. Elbert. Another important place is Elbert, on the Colorado and Southern, 52 miles southeast of Denver. Around Elbert is a potato belt, 10 miles wide and 20 miles long. Potatoes of fine quality are grown, the yield being from 80 to 125 bushels an acre. Wheat and oats are successfully raised. Elbert had 250 inhabitants in 1910. Godfrey. The eastern part of the county is traversed by the Rock Island and the Union Pacific Railroads. Agate and Godfrey are small stations on the Union ELBERT COUNTY 101 Pacific. The latter place was named for a noted frontiersman, Hollen Godfrey, who came to the West long before there was a settlement on the banks of Cherry Creek. In the '6o's Godfrey had charge of a stage station, which he successfully defended against the attacks of redskins. In the days when Indian raids were common day and night, this was the only one of the stage stations on the Overland and Smoky Hill routes that was not captured and burned by the savages. View of the Rockies. The view of the Rockies from the northwestern corner of Elbert is much admired. It was graphically described by Samuel Bowles, who in 1865 crossed the plains in a stage-coach. He got his first glimpse of the mountains in the morning, when he was far out on the plains to the east of Denver. " Over all and illuminating all floated an atmosphere so pure, so rare, so ethereal, as pictured every object with a pre-Raphaelite distinctness, made things appear near, and sent the horizon far away in an unbounded stretch of slightly rounding green earth. . . . Now the morning sun lights up the mountains, and the long embattlement of snow and rock rises abruptly in the distance to end the Plains and marshal in new scenery and new experiences. No vision could be more grand and imposing, — none was more welcome to eyes weary with the monotony of plains and tired with a week's sleepless travel. From Long's Peak in the north to Pike's Peak in the south, — a full hundred miles of mountains, continental in position, continental in hight and breadth and majesty, — spread before our eyes and lifted us up from selves to a new conception of the Infinite. The roll and richness of prairie began again as we neared the mountains, and their waters flowed 102 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO out freer and purer in different directions. And soon we exchanged greetings with Denver, under the shadows of the hills, the commercial and political capital of Colorado. . . . Her central location, under the Moun tains, in the Plains section of the State, gives Denver a fine climate the year through; is favorable for trade to all parts of the State; secures to her the outgo and the income of the mining districts; makes her also the chief market for all the productions of the farming counties, and the focal point for all travel to and from the Mountains, as well as north to the. Railroad, and south to New Mexico; and endows her with a. scene of mountain panoramic beauty, one hundred miles long, now touched with clouds, now radiant with sunshine, then dark with rocks and trees, again white with snow, now cold, now warm, but always inspiring in grandeur, and ever unmatched by the possession of any other city of Europe or America. The finest views of these Mountains are obtained farther out on the Plains, where the more distant peaks come into sight, and the depth and variety, as well as the hight and beauty of the range, are realized; and wider and older travelers than I, — who have seen the Cordilleras of South America from the sea, as well as the Alps from Berne, — join in the judgment that no grand mountain view exists that surpasses this, as seen from the high roll of the prairie just out of Denver, and over which the town is fast spreading, and so on for twenty to forty miles farther east." {Our New West, pp. 42 et seq.) CHAPTER XIX EL PASO COUNTY A notable event in Western history was Zebulon Pike's brave attempt to tramp to the top of the moun tain that perpetuates his name. This event was the occasion of the unique historical celebration held in Colorado Springs during the last week of September, 1906. It was on November 15, 1806, that the heroic soldier-explorer got his first view of the great " White Mountain." A week later the expedition reached the forks of the river at the site of Pueblo. Here they encamped and put up a rude log breastwork for defense. This done, Pike and three companions started (on the afternoon of November 24) for a side trip northward, with the view of ascending to the crest of the rugged sentinel of the plains. First Attempt to Climb Pike's Peak. Pike found the distance far greater than he had expected. He thought an afternoon's walk would bring him to the foot of the mountain. Two and a half days passed, and they reached an intervening mountain that may have been Mount Rosa or a neighboring peak. The following day (November 27) Pike made this memorable entry in his journal: " Arose hungry, dry, and extremely sore, from the inequality of the rocks, on which we had lain all night, but were amply compensated for toil by the sublimity 104 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO of the prospects below. The unbounded prairie was overhung with clouds, which appeared like the ocean in a storm, wave piled upon wave and foaming, whilst the sky was perfectly clear where we were. Commenced our march up the mountain, and in about one hour arrived at the summit of this chain; here we found the snow middle deep; no sign of beast or bird inhabiting this region. The thermometer, which stood at nine degrees above zero at the foot of the mountain, here fell to four degrees below zero. The summit of the Grand Peak, which was entirely bare of vegetation and covered with snow, now appeared at the distance of fifteen or sixteen miles from us, and as high again as what we had ascended, and would have taken a whole day's march to have arrived at its base, whence I believe no human being could have ascended to its pinnacle. This, with the condition of my soldiers, who had only light overalls on, and no stockings, and every way ill- provided to endure the inclemency of the region; the bad prospect of killing anything to subsist on, with the further detention of two or three days, which it must occasion, determined us to return. The clouds from below had now ascended the mountain .and entirely enveloped the summit on which rest eternal snows. We descended by a long deep ravine with much less difficulty than contemplated. Found all our baggage safe, but the provisions all destroyed. It began to snow, and we sought shelter under the side of a projecting rock, where we all four made a meal on one partridge and a piece of deer's rib the ravens had left us, being the first we had eaten in that forty-eight hours." Pike estimated the height to be 18,581 feet above sea level. Its altitude is now reckoned to be 14,108 feet. EL PASO COUNTY 105 " In our wanderings in the mountains," he says, " it was never out of our sight (except when in a valley) from the 14th of November to the 27th of January." First Ascent by James. What seemed impossible to Captain Pike in winter was accomplished in summer by Dr. Edwin James and three other men belonging to Long's expedition, who surmounted the pinnacle of Pike's Peak on July 13 and 14, 1820. They were the first, so far as known, to make the ascent. But Pike was the first American to discover the mountain; at least, he was the first American who made it known to the world. He gave it a place in geography — one might almost say " a habitation and a name." To the Indian it had been for ages a mysterious mountain, the abode of the god Manitou, but no recorded tradi tion tells of any red man foolhardy enough to climb its dome. For centuries it had been a landmark to adven turous Spaniards, but none of them gave to mankind a description of it. To Pike rightly belongs the honor of being the discoverer of the ever-watching warden of the plains. Its celebrity dates from his expedition to the Rocky Mountains. For a score of years after James made the ascent the mountain was called James' Peak. Sometimes on early maps it was dubbed Long's Peak. So long ago as 1840 the trappers and mountain guides had christened it Pike's Peak, but this name did not supersede all others until after the Pike's Peak craze of 1858-1859. Rush to Pike's Peak. In July, 1858, gold was dis covered in the South Platte and in the stream beds of its tributaries. The following spring saw a great influx of gold-seekers bound to reach " Pike's Peak or Bust." That was the common name of the region until the new territory of Colorado was organized in 1861. By that 106 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO time the " grim sentinel of the Rockies " had passed into history. Cog Wheel Route. In 1873 the. United States government established a meteorological station on the summit of Pike's Peak. In October, 1890, the Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway was finished, and the first passenger train made the trip to the top on June 30, 1891. El Paso County. El Paso County was one of the original 17 counties of Colorado Territory, defined in 1861. The name is Spanish, meaning The Pass, re ferring to Ute Pass north of Pike's Peak. The county is wooded in the western part. Being on the Divide, it is watered by creeks that are tributaries of both the Arkansas and the Platte. The largest of these streams is the Fontaine Qui Bouille or Fountain Creek, empty ing into the Arkansas. Area. El Paso County is bounded on the south by Pueblo County, on the east by Lincoln and Elbert Counties, on the north by Elbert and Douglas Counties, and on the west by Teller and Fremont Counties. The surface consists of rolling plains in the eastern part and of mountains in the western part. The area is 2,134 square miles, of which 4 per cent., or 62,408 acres, were under cultivation in 1900; the cultivated area in 1909 was estimated to be 100,000 acres, mostly without irrigation. The mean annual rainfall is 15 inches, and the average temperature from 45° to 500. The county had 31,602 inhabitants in 1900; the population in 1910 was 43,321. Colorado Springs. The county seat is Colorado Springs, 75 miles south of Denver. The elevation is 5,878 feet. It is an important railroad center, being entered by 6 different lines. The place contains smelters Courtesy of Colorado Midland Ry. PIKE'S PEAK AVE., COLORADO SPRINGS. (Antlers Hotel at end of avenue. Pike's Peak in background.) Courtesy of Colorado Midland Ry. MANITOU. (Pike's Peak in background, Cameron's Cone to left.) See p. 109 EL PASO COUNTY 107 and reduction mills, and is the seat of Colorado College (established in 1874). The town was founded in 1871. Since then it has been gradually growing, and from time to time more territory has been annexed. In 1900 it had 21,085 souls; it was 29,078 in population at the time of the census of 1910. Health Resort. Colorado Springs is a tourist town of the first rank. Health advantages as well as scenic attractions make it an ideal residence city. The weather is pleasant the year round, there being scarcely a day without sunshine. But little rain or snow falls from September to March; it is, therefore, a fine winter resort. The average percentage of humidity is 47. The place is well adapted for persons troubled with asthmatic and lung complaints. Referring to dry aseptic air and other conditions favorable to the cure of tuberculosis, Dr. Bellamy (in the Medical News, July 11, 1903) says: " Colorado Springs, a city of 25,000 inhabitants, with an altitude of 6,022 feet, offers, in my opinion, the greatest all-around advantages of any place in the country. Its days of perpetual sunshine, its charming life, its great dryness (and I do not recall now one cloudy day in the spring and summer of 1894), its environs, delightfully hospitable people — everything done for the invalid by those who are now cured — make it stand foremost to my mind as an ideal place." Not far from the corporation limits are a number of sanitariums — the Cragmor, that on Nordrach Ranch, and one on the Ambler Ranch. The latter institution is maintained by Modern Woodmen for consumptives of that order. Other institutions are the Printers' Home and the national home of letter carriers. 108 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Points of Interest. Among the points of interest around Colorado Springs are Palmer and Monument Parks to the north, and Stratton's Park to the south west. Near Cheyenne Mountain are romantic spots loved by " H. H.," Mrs. Helen Hunt Jackson (183 1- 1885). " My Garden," 4^ miles southwest of Colorado Springs, was a favorite retreat of the gifted authoress, whose home was for some time in this city. Her grave is in Evergreen Cemetery. South Cheyenne Canon is about a mile long, and very beautiful and restful. " The canon ends abruptly at the Seven Falls, a series of cascades or falls which are now world renowned. ... A series of steps leads to the falls and gives the spectator an opportunity to get a close view of the Bridal Veil and other divisions. . . . A few steps from the spot [where a pile of stones marked the place of Mrs. Jackson's grave in 1886] is Point Inspiration, where it is said the author of Ramona used to sit and write the stories that will live for the real life she has put in her characters. From this point a wonderful view of Colorado Springs can be seen." Colorado City. Colorado City is a historic town. It sprang into being in 1859. This was the goal of the " Pike's Peakers." The caravans of gold-seekers headed their canvas-covered wagons (or prairie schooners) for the mountain that was their Ultima Thule. So a cluster of log cabins grew up at the base of Pike's Peak, although no gold to speak of was ever found here. This was the first capital of Colorado Territory, and the dilapidated building where the legislators met for four days in 1862 is said to be now used as a Chinese laundry. Colorado City has 4 re duction mills treating gold ore from Cripple Creek, and the Midland shops are located here. In 1900 the EL PASO COUNTY 109 town had people to the number of 2,914; the popula tion in 1910 was 4,333. " I do not know of any other portion of the West where there is displayed so much variety in the geology as within a space of ten miles square around Colorado City." (F. V. Hayden.) Manitou. Nestling at the foot of Pike's Peak is the famous pleasure resort called Manitou (Indian name for the " Great Spirit "). It is about 75 miles south west of Denver. Its altitude is 6,307 feet. In 1910 its population was 1,357. The place is renowned for its mineral springs, which were known to the aborigines from time immemorial. Every summer the tribesmen made pilgrimages to the spot to partake of the healing waters and to worship Manitou. The town is built in the V-shaped vista where the narrow defile of Ute Pass widens into a mountain valley. A rocky stream winds through the place, and, from the bubbling springs .flowing into its depths, was called Fontaine Qui Bouille by the French trappers of old days. Down the northern slope of Pike's Peak, near Mani tou, tumbles a brawling brook named Ruxton Creek after an adventurous Englishman who wandered through the Rocky Mountain country in 1847-1848. He hunted deer in the vicinity of the stream, which is a tributary of Fountain Creek or Fontaine Qui Bouille (" spring that bubbles "). Scenic Features. In the environs of Manitou are many picturesque walks and drives: Williams' Canon, Cliff Dwellers' Canon, Grand Caverns, Cave of the Winds, etc. A carriage ride of 3^ miles takes the visitor to the magnificent country-seat of the late William J. Palmer, who lavished over half a million dollars on the residence and grounds of Glen Eyrie. The tourist fond of mountain climbing can take trips to 110 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Cameron Cone or to some other of the summits of the Pike's Peak group of mountains, which belong to the Front Range. They are named in order, from right to left: Pike's Peak, Cameron Cone, Bald Mountain (12,500), Mount Rosa (11,427), and Cheyenne Moun tain (9,407). Cascade. Cascade Canon, 6 miles northwest of Manitou (on the Midland Railway), is the seat of the Colorado Baptist Summer Assembly. Ute Pass. The picturesque Ute Pass trail from Cascade to Manitou has a legendary interest. Over this rugged mountain path generation after generation of Indians bore their sick to the iron and soda springs of Manitou. In this vicinity the warriors of the mountains had occasional encounters with bands of Arapahoes and other plains tribes that were hostile to the Utes. Garden of the Gods. North of the car line con necting Colorado Springs and Manitou is the Garden of the Gods, celebrated in song and story. This natural park, comprising 480 acres, is said to have been given this strange appellation by a member of a party of prospectors who camped on the site of the present Colorado City in January, 1859. The immense tract is crowded with fantastic rock formations. Among other fascinating objects are Balanced Rock, Cathedral Spires, and the majestic Gateway. The two rocks forming the Gateway are enormous masses of sandstone that rise to the height of over 300 feet. On the face of one of the rocks are carved the names of adventurers who came here in 1858, some of them being H. Hunt, A. C. Wright, J. Hinman, and others of the Lawrence party. Blair Athol. The lovely glen known as Blair Athol Courtesy of Denver & Rio Grande Ry. GARDEN OF THE GODS. tPike's Peak in the background.) CASCADE, IN THE UTE PASS. (Seat uf Baptist Summer Assembly.) GREEN MOUNTAIN FALLS. (On the Colorado Midland Railway.) EL PASO COUNTY 111 lies 6 miles to the northwest of Colorado Springs. " I do not believe that in all the earth is a spot to be found more beautiful than Blair Athol, unless possibly it may be some wild flower-garden nestled at the base of the Dolomites in the Tyrol." (H. H. Jackson.) " Sightseeing " autos, starting from Colorado Springs and Manitou, take trips of two hours over routes that include the principal scenic attractions of the whole Pike's Peak region. Fare, $i. Crystal Park. Crystal Park at the base of Cameron Cone is reached by an exhilarating auto ride of 10 miles through scenery of entrancing loveliness. The late John Hay lived one summer in Crystal Park, occupying a little log cabin, in which he worked on the life of Lincoln. This, valley is an ideal spot for picnic parties wishing to spend the whole day in an enjoyable outing amid wild mountain fastnesses. The State road from Colorado Springs to Canon City is scenically one of the finest highways in the world. Pike's Peak. But the object of transcendent interest and enthusiasm is Pike's Peak. The man or woman who has never before seen mountains is amazed by the stupendousness of this giant mountain mass. Mrs. James H. Holmes, one of the party of prospectors from Lawrence, Kansas, is said to have been the first woman to ascend Pike's Peak, August 5, 1858. Since then the crest has been scaled by an innumerable multitude of pedestrians and parties mounted on horses or burros. . Hundreds of thousands of tourists have been carried to the pinnacle by the Cog Wheel Route, which over comes an elevation of 7,518 feet in 9 miles. The dis tance up the government trail is 10 miles. One not used to mountaineering finds it a formidable under taking to walk up the trail to the summit, and the 112 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO ordinary tenderfoot gives out after a mile or two — it takes his breath away. It is steady upgrade all the time, an average of 800 feet to the mile. Those who have the patience and endurance to walk to the top will ever afterward look back to it as a memorable experience. Contrary to the popular conception, the pinnacle is not a cone but a 70 acre tract of uneven ground that may be roughly described as a wilderness of rocks promiscuously piled about with snowbanks between. It is not, however, snow-crowned in July and August. The apex commands a splendid panoramic view of plains, valleys, and mountain ranges. On a clear day the Spanish Peaks are visible to the south, and Long's Peak to the north (more than 100 miles away). Palmer Lake. Near the north border of the county is Palmer Lake, a popular health resort, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway. After Manitou (the most celebrated resort in the earthly paradise of Colorado), no spot in El Paso County is more delightful and accessible than Palmer Lake. About a mile distant from the lake is Glen Park, the seat of the Colorado Summer Chautauqua. Ute Legend of the Flood. " The Tabeguaches, like all other races of people, have a tradition of the Deluge, and, while not in accord with the Scriptural account, is nevertheless quite unique. They believe that the Ark or boat which contained all the people and all the animals to be saved from universal inundation landed, „ not on Mount Ararat, but on top of a spur of moun tains just back of Palmer Lake, 52 miles south of Denver, and that when the waters subsided and the dry land appeared, they departed from the boat and went down upon the plain. There they pitched their tepees, EL PASO COUNTY 113 and the animals went with them. In the course of time the warriors went out to explore the country to great distances, leaving an old woman in charge of the settlement. She was extremely cross, high-tempered and irritable, this old woman. One day, while clearing up the camp, preparatory to the return of the warriors, the animals getting in her way and hindering her work, flying into a rage, she brandished her willow broom about so violently and scolded so furiously, the animals became frightened and fled, and that is the reason the Indians have ever since been obliged to hunt them." (Hall.) CHAPTER XX FREMONT COUNTY Name. This county was named in honor of John Charles Fremont, who crossed Colorado (or portions of it) half a dozen times in the '40's and '50's. While returning home, on his second expedition, the Path finder traveled down the Arkansas River from its head waters in Park Range, and finally emerged from the mountains near the present site of Canon City. On his third expedition, in 1845, the cavalcade passed through this county again. Pike's Wanderings. But Colonel Fremont was not the first explorer of the Rocky Mountains. Captain Pike was here nearly forty years before him. On December 5, 1806, his little party camped in the shadow of the Rockies, near the eastern end of the Grand Canon of the Arkansas. Then they journeyed northward and knocked about in the mountains, under going great hardships and privations. A month later they were all back in the Canon City camp, having wandered around in a circle. On January 4 and 5, 1807, they had a terrible time of it in the Royal Gorge. The sixteen men of the expedition were divided into eight straggling parties. The supply of provisions was exhausted and the half-starved soldiers were in a desperate plight. Traveling was difficult, and their progress was slow. Says Pike: Cameron's cone, on the Colorado mujland ry. See p. in BETWEEN COLORADO SPRINGS AND CRIPPLE CREEK. (The Cripple Creek Trip.) See p. 108 LOOKING ACROSS THE GREAT FRUIT ORCHARDS AT CANON CITY. See pm 118 FREMONT COUNTY 115 " I marched about five miles on the river, which was one continued fall through a narrow channel, with immense cliffs on both sides. Near night I came to a place where the rocks were perpendicular on both sides. . . . Hungry, weary and dry." Route Southward. At last all the members of the party found their way out of the canon in safety. On the north bank of the river they built a blockhouse. Then the dauntless Pike prepared for the trip south ward to " find the Red River." Two men were left in the Canon City camp to look after the animals and the baggage, while the others set out on foot, heavily laden with arms, provisions, and Indian presents. Pursuing a southerly course up Grape Creek, they struggled through the mountain ranges and turned up finally in San Luis Valley, where the Spaniards gathered them in. " From the date of the first modern settlement to the present epoch," says Hall, " the inhabitants of Fremont County have taken infinite pride in pointing out to the strangers within their gates Pike's original encampment near the mineral springs which form so inviting and valuable a feature of their domestic institutions, and his route southward." Visit of James in 1820. The next record we have of Fremont County is that in the report of Long's expedi tion. On July 18, 1820, Dr. James and Captain Bell, with two men, left the encampment at Pueblo and rode up the Arkansas on horseback to the base of the mountains. The seven mineral springs near the mouth of the Royal Gorge were named Bell's Springs, in honor of the discoverer. " In ascending the Arkansas," says James, " we found the rock to become more inclined and of a redder 116 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO color; as we approached the primitive, until at about half a mile from the springs, it is succeeded by the almost perpendicular gneiss rock, which appears here at the base of the first range of the mountains. We have noticed that this particular spot is designated in the language of hunters as ' the place where the Arkansa comes out of the mountains,' and it must be acknowledged that expression is not entirely inappli cable. The river pours with great impetuosity and violence through a deep and narrow fissure in the gneiss rock, which rises abruptly on both sides to such a height as to oppose an impassable barrier to all further progress." They found no trace of the wooden breast work that was erected near here by Pike's soldiers seventeen years before. The detachment then retraced their course down the Arkansas Valley, which James describes as " a dreary expanse of almost naked sand, intermixed with clay enough to prevent its drifting with the wind, but not enough to give it fertility." They had no idea of the wonderful transformation to be wrought by irrigation in this semi-arid region, now famous for gardening and fruit-growing. Trappers. Not long afterward (in 1824) the moun tain country hereabouts was penetrated by trappers and hunters. The beautiful park on which Canon City stands was their camping place; it was also the winter quarters of bands of Indians. First Settlers. The first actual settlement in the county was made in 1830. A Frenchman named Maurice erected a rude fort, and a number of Mexicans established homes near by. Their wants were few and easily supplied by hunting and by a little labor at tilling the soil. For years a trading-post was maintained FREMONT COUNTY 117 at a point some miles east of Florence. Here gathered from time to time the Bents, St. Vrain, Lupton, Max well, Carson, and other frontiersmen of the fur-trading period (in the '30's and the '40's). In the mid-century there were scarcely any white inhabitants left, if any. Pike's Peakers. The years 1859 and i860 saw a tremendous influx of gold-seekers into the Pike's Peak country, a region that extended, roughly speaking, from Long's Peak southward to the Arkansas River where it emerged from the mountains. A town grew up near the mouth of the great canon and was named Canon City. Like other villages of Colorado Territory it had its ups and downs. After a year or two of growth Canon City was almost deserted, placer mining having played out. Fortunately, petroleum was discovered in the county, and thousands of gallons were sold at high prices to the people of other settlements. Fresh arrivals in 1864 gave the place a new lease of life. They were substantial, enterprising citizens, who laid the foundations of an enduring prosperity. In 1868 Canon City had achieved some prominence, and the Terri torial Penitentiary was located here. Boundaries of County. Fremont County is in the south-central part of Colorado. It is bounded on the west by Chaffee County, on the south by Saguache and Custer Counties, on the east by Pueblo and El Paso Counties, and on the north by Teller and Park Counties. It is traversed from west to east by the Arkansas River, part of the way in a deep canon (6 miles long). Except in the eastern part (consisting of plains country), the surface is mountainous. Park Range and its spurs extend over much of the county west of Canon City. The mountain slopes are wooded; the valleys between are grassy. 118 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Area: The area of the county is 1,478 square miles, of which over 3 per cent., or 36,000 acres, were under cultivation in 1909. The mean annual rainfall is 12 inches, and the average temperature from 400 to 450. In 1900 the county had 15,636 inhabitants; the popu lation in 1910 was 18,181. Resources. Fremont is an important county, having vast resources, agricultural and mineral. It is the fourth coal-producing county in the State, ranking after Las Animas, Huerfano, and Boulder. The pro duction of coal in 1909 was 612,803 tons. The yield of the precious metals is small. The county contains immense deposits of lime, cement, gypsum, and marble. Canon City. The county seat is Canon City, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, 160 miles south west of Denver. Its altitude is 5,332 feet. In 1900 it had 5,775 souls; the population in 1910 was 5,162. The place is widely known as a health resort, on account of the mineral springs, the dry air, and the bright sunshine, exhilarating and invigorating. Environs. Its delightful situation makes Canon City a mecca for nature-worshippers. It is within easy reach of natural parks and picturesque canons. An eight-mile drive takes the visitor to the top of Royal Gorge. On the brink of this mighty chasm has been erected a monument to John W. Powell, whose trips down Grand Canon in 1869 and 1872 were exploits of perilous venture. Short walks bring the sightseer to places possessing interest. On Talbot Hill and nearby Professor Marsh and other scientists exhumed petri fications of immense trees and the bones of extinct species of animals, " compared to which in proportions and importance the mastodon sinks into insignificance." The fossils were found in rock upheaved long years FREMONT COUNTY 119 ago. One of the bulky skeletons dug up here was afterward set up in the museum of Yale College. The old Ute burying ground is a romantic spot. Florence. Florence is one of the leading towns of the Arkansas Valley. It is the heart of the oldest oil field in Colorado, petroleum having been discovered here so long ago as 1862. This is the largest oil district in the State, 3,000 barrels being produced daily. The town is situated on the Denver andRioGrandeRailway, and a branch line — Florence and Cripple Creek Rail way — brings the gold ore of the celebrated Cripple Creek district to the mills and smelters at Florence and Canon City. In 1900 Florence had 3,728 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 2,712. Royal Gorge. Fremont County is highly favored in respect to scenic attractions. The Royal Gorge, in the Grand Canon of the Arkansas, is one of earth's wonders. Says Grace Greenwood: " It is grander than the Yosemite, because of its color, which is everywhere dark, with rich porphyry tints. ... To me it is infinitely more impressive than Niagara." Grape Creek Canon. Temple Canon and the canons of Eight Mile Creek and Grape Creek, though not so stupendous and terrific as the chasm of Royal Gorge, are entrancingly beautiful. Perhaps the best of these for the traveler to explore is Grape Creek Canon, of which Major Pangborn has left a magnificent descrip tion: " On either hand, the walls loom up until only the slender opal of a narrow strip of sky forms' exquisite contrast with the pine-covered heights. Rifled boulders every now and then wall in the road on the river side, their base washed by the creek, wild and beautiful in its whirl and roar. Here the perpendicular piles of 120 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO rock are covered with growths of trees that ascend in exact line with the wall, and cast their shadows on the road below. Nature's grapevines trail along the ground and cling around the trunks of the trees, hanging like Arcadian curtains and making bowers of the most exquisite character imaginable. Between these, we catch bewitching glances of the creek on its merry, tempestuous way to the Arkansas, its sparkling surface throwing back rapid reflections of masses of green foliage and trailing vines. Deep pools give back the blue of the cloudless sky, and as base accompaniments come in the dark shadows of the canon walls, with their sharply drawn ridges and truncated cones. Here and there all along the wild way are rushing cascades, tortuous twists of the stream, gaily lichened or dark, beetling rocks, mossy nooks or glowing lawns, and overhead the cottonwoods, mingling their rare autumnal splendors of red and gold with the somber green of pine and cedar. The canon is beyond question the most beautiful in marvelous coloring, wondrous splendor of foliage, picturesque cascades and winding streams of any in Colorado. The Grand Canon of the Arkansas is deeper, but it is awful as seen from the only point of view, that from the top, and the sensa tions caused in strongest of contrast with those ex perienced in Grape Creek Canon. The walls of the latter are so gorgeous a variety of colors as to fairly bewilder with their splendor; red, from the darkest tinge of blood to the most delicate shades of pink; green, from the richest depths to the rarest hues of the emerald; blue, from the opal to the deepest sea, variegated until almost defying the rainbow to excel in exquisite blending. These glorious transitions of color meet one at every turn, and the contrast formed ROYAL GORGE, GRAND CANON OF THE ARKANSAS. (View from the bottom looking up.) THE ROYAL GORGE, AT THE TOP, LOOKING DOWN 2627 FEET. (This poinl is reached via a splendid driveway from Canon City, 8 miles.) 1 ^^^^^ ii BBi^^Si^^^^s^^^W -. '• - - - . . ¦'¦.. . ¦. • j 1 ij X 4 /.:vi?i *s% ii F 1*21 ' "";-?v» ^fet - - j^- - ; ^^^SMt^^ .:./¦' -^00' ..>. .":" "" Courtesy Colorado Midland Ry. GLENWOOD SPRINGS ON GRAND RIVER. See p. 124 FREMONT COUNTY 121 every now and then by tremendous walls of bare, black rock, or broad seams of iron ore set in red or green, renders all the more striking the singular beauty of the canon. Over the walls on either side, the grapevine, from which the canon takes its name, climbs in won derfully rich profusion, and in autumn, when the leaves become so delicately tinted, and the vines hang thick with their purple fruit, the effect is something to call to mind, but never to describe. Added to the indescribable beauty of the vines are the many-colored mosses which paint the rocks in infinite variety of hue, ofttimes growing so high and rank as to reach to the very pinnacle of the topmost rocks, and fringe their craggy brows so lavishly as to render them almost symmetrical in appearance, as seen below. At different points, these moss-covered walls rise to the height of a thousand feet." CHAPTER XXI GARFIELD COUNTY Name. This county was named in honor of James A. Garfield. It was taken from Summit County in 1883, soon after his assassination. A granite monu ment in memory of the martyred President was erected in Toltec Gorge, Conejos County. Mount Garfield, in the San Juan Range, was named for him. First Settlers. Up to 1881 Garfield County was a part of the Ute Reservation. It rapidly filled up after the removal of the tribesmen to Utah. In 1879 some small parties of prospectors explored portions of the mineral lands. " Resolved to prosecute the search, but fearing attack and expulsion should the rightful owners — the Utes — find them on forbidden ground, they built a rude fort of pine logs and named it Fort Defiance. This was located some ten miles southeast of the camp, subse quently named Carbonate City, and the latter six miles west from the junction of the Roaring Fork with Grand River. Another account says it was twenty miles nearly due west from the confluence of the Eagle River with the Grand at Dotsero, and about sixteen miles northwest from the mouth of the Roaring Fork, on the high plateau between Grand and White Rivers." (Hall.) GARFIELD COUNTY 123 Carbonate City. Carbonates were found, and miners flocked to the place. It was named Carbonate Camp, and the village that grew up there was later called Carbonate City. No valuable metalliferous mines were discovered in the vicinity or elsewhere in the county. Garfield's output of the precious metals has been insignificant. However, it has extensive coal fields. Farming. The placers were soon cleaned out, the ledges were found to contain low-grade ores that could not be worked to advantage; so the mining excitement died out, and the settlers turned their attention to the more profitable pursuits of stock raising and fruit growing. In some sections general farming is carried on successfully. Of late years sugar beets have been a bonanza to ranchers in the bottom lands. Garfield County adjoins Utah on the west. It is bounded on the north by Rio Blanco County, on the east by Routt and Eagle Counties, and on the south by Pitkin and Mesa Counties. It is of irregular shape, and the surface is varied, consisting of valleys, plateaus, and mountains. For a considerable distance it is traversed by Grand River, the largest river in the State. Area of Garfield County. Garfield is a large county, having an area of 3,049 square miles, of which 45,000 acres, or 3 per cent., are under cultivation. The valley of the Grand is a noted agricultural and horticultural region. Crops and small fruits do well in the Grand and Roaring Fork valleys. The sections away from the rivers are admirably adapted to grazing, especially for cattle and sheep. Population. The mean annual rainfall of Garfield County is about 11 inches, and the average tempera- 124 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO ture from 45" to 500. In 1900 it had 5,835 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 10,144. Glenwood. The county seat is Glenwood Springs, first settled in 1882. The original name of the town was Defiance; it was changed to Glenwood Springs in 1883. The city has picturesque surroundings, being embosomed in the mountains. To the east of Glenwood for some 15 miles is the Canon of Grand River, a deep gorge with frowning battlements and castellated tur rets. Glenwood has an altitude of 5,747 feet. It is 360 miles from Denver on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, which was completed to this point in 1887. It is also situated on the Colorado Midland, 288 miles northwest of Colorado Springs. In 1900 Glenwood had 1,350 souls; the population in 1910 had increased to 2,019. Mineral Springs. Glenwood is justly famed as a health and pleasure resort. It may be called the Colorado Spa. Here are the greatest hot springs in the world. One, the Yampah, is said to have the flow of 2,000 gallons a minute. There is an immense bath house, and nearby are vapor caves used for bathing. The swimming pool is 700 feet long and no feet wide. The sulphur-saline water used for drinking and bathing is pleasantly warm, having a temperature over 100 degrees. It builds up the system of the person who is run down, and is especially efficacious in cases of rheumatism and lead poisoning. Hotels and private houses furnish ample accommodations to visitors. The Hotel Colorado, built in 1893, is one of the largest hostelries in the country. Points of Interest. Among points of interest near Glenwood are No Name Canon, Cardiff Coke Ovens, Devereaux Ranch (having a band of elk), and Fairy MOSS COVERED WALL OE THE HANGING LAKE, EAST OP GLENWOOD SPIUNGS. See p. 125 GARFIELD COUNTY 125 Caves. A visit to the summit of Mount Lookout, up a winding trail, can be made only on foot. From here one enjoys a superb panorama view of mountains, valleys, and plateaus. The trip consumes a half day. Hanging Lake. Ten miles east of Glenwood, near Shoshone Station, is one of Nature's miracles, the Hanging Lake in a rocky basin of its own making. In Dead Horse Canon two cliffs reach upward to the height of nearly 2,000 feet, and out of a crevice near the top there gushes a spring of water carrying so large a percentage of mineral that it petrifies everything it flows over, and has formed a hollow receptacle during the passing centuries. To the sightseer looking upward, this hanging lake is like a great waterfall that has been caught in a giant's cup and is continually over flowing the edge. Trees are lying in it that appear to be petrified to the heart. Seven Castles. About 30 miles southeast of Glen wood, on the Midland Railway, is a group of massive cliffs of red sandstone, shaped like Gothic castles. Near Dotsero is an expanse of black lava. Short excursions, by carriage or rail, can be taken from Glenwood to other wonderworks of creation, interesting alike to the geologist and the unlearned tourist. About 10 miles to the west is the burning mountain of New Castle. Beaver Dam. A place of unique fascination is a beaver dam, with flashing waterfalls, in Rifle Creek. For centuries the industrious beavers have been at work building a dam now more than 90 feet high. All the wood in the dam has become petrified by the action of the water, which is strongly impregnated with mineral. 126 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Hunting Grounds. The finest hunting grounds of Colorado are in the northwestern part of the State, in Garfield, Rio Blanco, and Routt Counties. It is a rough country, thinly settled away from the railroads. , Prairie chickens, so scarce elsewhere, may still be hunted here, also grouse, ptarmigans, plovers, and sage- hens. In spring and fall, ducks and geese are found in the lakes and streams. Big game is abundant. The great reputation of this region is partly due to Roose velt's hunting tours here. On one of his expeditions his headquarters were at Marvine Lodge, which is reached by stage from Rifle. Trappers' Lake. A four hours' journey to the north east of Glenwood brings the hunter to Trappers' Lake, where he may find capital sport shooting ducks and other waterfowl. This beautiful sheet of water at the head of White River was much frequented in the '50's by the mountain men, who came here to trap beaver and other fur-bearing animals. In this way it got its name. Jk Big Game. Enjoyable sport can sometimes be had nearer the railroad, in case the traveler should not have much time to spare. To the south of Carbondale deer and bear hunting is in easy reach. An exciting mix-up with bear may be looked for on Battlement Mesa, 10 or 15 miles south of Parachute. Twenty miles north west of De Beque is Roan Plateau, a hunter's paradise. Bears, black and brown, may be shot within a dozen miles of Glenwood. Big bobcats and panthers are frequently seen a few miles to the southwest of Sun light. The Nimrod from the East may get a hunting outfit at Glenwood, New Castle, or De Beque. He needs the services of an experienced guide, one familiar not GARFIELD COUNTY 127 only with the country but with the haunts and habits of game. Fishing. White River, especially the south fork, affords some of the best trout fishing in Colorado. The canon on the south fork can be reached on horse back from Glenwood. CHAPTER XXII GILPIN COUNTY First Prospecting. The story of the first prospecting in Gilpin County is a thrilling chapter in the romance of mining. John H. Gregory blazed the path, and others followed. The first comers into the virgin wilderness endured privations; they braved hardships of weather; they ran risks of snowslides and of drowning in treach erous mountain streams; they faced dangers from grizzlies and redskins. The prospectors and miners of early days in Colorado met with many adventures, and saw the seamy side of frontier life. Only a few were successful in winning riches. Fortune was ap parently capricious in distributing her gifts. Gregory Finds Gold. While Jackson and others were washing out placer gold in Clear Creek County, Gregory, a Georgian miner, prospected for the yellow metal along a creek then known as Vasquez Fork (now Clear Creek). He had been over the ground before and found traces of float gold, but was obliged to return for lack of supplies. The man was about discouraged, for he was poor to the verge of destitution. At this crisis in his life he chanced to meet a Hoosier who had just come to Golden with a wagon load of provisions. David K. Wall " grubstaked " Gregory, and he set out with two companions for another prospecting tour in the hills. GILPIN COUNTY 129 The stranger's confidence was not misplaced. John Gregory was an experienced miner, and his practiced eye told where to expect " colors." He found his way back to the spot where he had seen indications of gold the previous winter. He climbed the hill to a point about where the wash would naturally come. After shoveling off the snow, they scraped away the leaves and grass. Then Gregory dug up a panful of dirt. It washed out four dollars' worth of gold dust. The joy of the discovery overcame him, and he gave vent to his feelings in strong language. That night Gregory could not sleep — he was so dazed by his good luck. He realized better than his companions the extent of the treasure. " My wife shall be a lady," he repeated over and over to himself. The discovery of Gregory Lode occurred on May 6, 1859. The next day the three men panned out $40. Then they staked out claims and returned for their friends in the valley. Ten days later Gregory was there again. During one week he worked 5 hands, taking $972 out of the ground. Gregory was now a rich man. From poverty he had suddenly attained to affluence. He sold his claims for $21,000 and engaged at prospecting for others at the munificent salary of $200 a day. On the 8th of Sep tember he left Denver with dust valued at $25,000, and he had previously forwarded $5,000 to his family. Russell Gulch. About the first of June, Green Russell arrived at Central with a company of 170 followers. Immediately he struck out for the neigh boring hills, and soon he located the gulch that bears his name. At the end of the season he took back $21,000 worth of free gold. Others made valuable 130 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO finds. However, the discovery was that of the Gregory Lode, which afterward yielded millions of dollars. Was it chance, or superior judgment, that led Gregory through a maze of broken mountains to a ravine 2 or 3 miles in length? In this gulch and on its bordering hills he found the heart of one of the richest mining regions in the world. Birthplace of Colorado. The discoveries of Jackson and Gregory settled the fate of the new commonwealth. The section of the eastern slope embracing Clear Creek and Gilpin Counties is called the birthplace of Colorado. Says Hall: " I have often wondered whether any permanent settlement would have been formed in our time, in the Rocky Mountains, had it not been for the discovery of rich gold-bearing placers and richer quartz lodes in and about Gregory Gulch. It will be comprehended by those of our readers who have followed the narrative thus far, that it was the national panic of 1857 that drove multitudes of the poverty-stricken from the border States out upon the plains, together with the frail promise of fortune held out by Green Russell's ' goose-quill findings ' in the sands of Cherry Creek and neighboring streams. Russell made no discovery worth mentioning until after John Gregory led the way to the source of gold deposits in the mountains. The few strikes that occurred at Gold Hill above Boulder, and upon the gravel bars of South Clear Creek in 1859-1860, were worked out and mostly deserted before the close of 1861; those at Tarryall, Fairplay, in California and Georgia Gulches soon snared the same fate. The occupation of every placer in the country which had no rich fissure veins behind it to justify permanent settlement ceased as soon as the more GILPIN COUNTY 131 valuable deposits had been gathered. Agriculture was chiefly limited to gardening until after the construction of our great systems of irrigating canals in the epoch between 1875 and 1890. For more than fifteen years the major part of our farm supplies was imported from Kansas and Nebraska. Denver and Pueblo were but straggling villages until after 1870. The permanency of the fissure veins of Gilpin County was the sheet anchor, the abiding hope, indeed the only influence which held the country together and preserved the autonomy of Colorado from 1861 until after the meager products of bullion from that source were supplemented by the products of silver mining at Georgetown, and the establishment of the Boston and Colorado Smelting Works at Black Hawk in 1 867-1 868. Gilpin County, by virtue of its inexhaustible and innumerable deposits of the yellow metal, became not only the keystone of the arch but the arch itself, for had it contained only ephemeral placers, it would have been deserted and abandoned like all its contemporaries. What then would have been left to build a State or even a Terri tory upon? It was the only section in the mountains that was not drained to a mere insignificant fraction of its people between 1861 and 1866, and had not its neighbor, Clear Creek, come to the rescue with millions of silver, there would have been no State organization in 1876. At no time prior to 187 1 did the entire yearly production of precious metals in Colorado exceed $3,500,000, and in 1866-1867 it fell to less than $1,800,- 000, more than two-thirds from the stamp mills in and about Black Hawk." Gilpin. Gilpin County was one of the original 17 counties of Colorado Territory, formed in 1861. It was named in honor of William Gilpin, the first governor 132 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO of Colorado Territory. It is bounded on the south by Clear Creek County, on the west by Grand County, on the north by Boulder County, and on the east by Jeffer son County. Area. Gilpin is the smallest county in the State, save that of Denver. Its area is 130 square miles, of which only 3,000 acres are cultivated. The surface is mountainous. The mean annual rainfall is 15 inches, and the average temperature 400 to 450. In 1900 Gilpin County had 6,690 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 4,131. Although a little county, less than 12 miles square, Gilpin has played a prominent part in Colo rado's history. Central City. The county seat is Central City, founded in 1859. At one time, in the '6o's, it was a rival of Denver, having between 2,000 and 3,000 people. It boasted the first stone schoolhouse built in Colorado; it was erected in 1870, at a cost of $20,000. Central City is situated on the Colorado and Southern Railway, 40 miles west of Denver. Its altitude is 8,516 feet. In 1900 it had 3,114 souls; the population in 1910 was 1,782. Black Hawk. Black Hawk, on the Colorado and Southern Railway, is an important town. It was started in 1859, and named after the noted Indian chief of Illinois. In the early '6o's it had a population of 2,000 or more. The census gave it 1,200 in 1900; the population in 1910 was 668. The first Colorado smelter was opened at Black Hawk in 1868. This was the beginning of a new era in the mining industry. The old Colorado Central Railway was completed from Denver to Golden in 1870. It was extended to Black Hawk in 1872, and to Central City in 1878. The line is now a part of the Colorado and Southern system. TUNNEL 5 FROM TUNNEL 4 ON THE MOFFAT ROAD. JAMES PEAK FROM ROLLINS PASS, MOFFAT ROAD. THE DEPTHS OF GORE CANON, THE MOFFAT ROAD. See p. 13s GILPIN COUNTY 133 Mines. During the twenty years, 1 859-1878, the placers and mines of Gilpin County yielded more than $28,000,000 of the precious metals, chiefly gold. In the past half century they are credited with a pro duction of $90,000,000. Fissure Veins. The geological structure of the Gilpin mining region is primarily metamorphic granite. The veins or lodes are of the class known as " fissures." Near the surface the ores are highly oxidized, and yield readily to treatment by stamp mills. At lower depths gold is found in sulphide ores, mixed with lead, zinc, and copper. The deepest vertical shaft is 2,220 feet, in the California Mine on Quartz Hill. There are hundreds of shafts in the county varying from 100 to 1,600 feet in depth. Output of 1908. Gilpin County mines are still pro ducing. Their output in 1908 was: Gold, $1,099,000; silver, $140,000; copper, $82,000; zinc, $37,000; lead, $24,000. Men are to-day making rich strikes in the historic gulches first trod by the Fifty-niners. The discoveries made in 1908 in the 1,400-foot levels of the Bobtail and Fisk Mine opened the eyes of outsiders to the permanency of Gilpin's fissure veins. The com pletion of the Newhouse Tunnel (in 1910) means the discovery and development of veins and ore bodies for a long time to come. Tolland. Tolland, 47 miles northwest of Denver on the Moffat Road, is a noted summer resort. It is favored in situation, having a refreshing air and wild surroundings. It nestles on the eastern slope of the Continental Divide at an elevation of 8,889 feet. A summer school is held here by professors of the State University. Courses are offered by specialists in mountain field biology, botany, and other subjects. CHAPTER XXIII GRAND COUNTY Name. This county takes its name from the beauti ful river that rises within its borders. It was originally a part of the domain of the northern Ute Indians. In 1868 the tribesmen reluctantly relinquished Middle Park. This sheltered valley had been for ages their favorite camping and hunting ground. Deer, elk, bison, antelope, and other kinds of game abounded there, and the red men highly appreciated the hot mineral springs in the park. The mountain range also served as a protection against the incursions of their ancient enemies, the Arapahoes and other plains tribes. Grand County was organized in 1874, being taken from the northern part of Summit County. It then had a much larger area than at present; it included North Park and what is now Routt County. Area. Grand County is in the north central part of the State. It is bounded on the east by Boulder County, on the north by Larimer County, on the west by Routt County, and on the south by Eagle, Summit and Clear Creek counties. Its area is 1,873 square miles, of which 2 per cent., or 25,000 acres, were under cultivation in 1909. Mountain Park. The mountains form a wall around GRAND COUNTY 135 Grand County; within the rim of mountains is the elevated valley called Middle Park. This natural park has an altitude of from 7,700 to 9,000 feet. It is hemmed in by lofty ranges, viz.: on the north, by a spur of the Continental Divide named Rabbit Ear Range; on the east, by Front Range; on the south, by Williams River Mountains; and on the west, by Park Range. The open country of Middle Park is a table land of some 20,000 acres, once covered by luxuriant grasses and bright flowers; now much of it is plowed. The little valleys between the spurs are unsurpassed for pastoral purposes. The nights are too cold for corn, and the season too short for grain to mature. Grand River. The county is watered by Grand River and its tributaries — the Blue River (flowing from the south), also Frazer River and several creeks from the north. The Grand heads in the western slopes of Front Range. The fall of the stream is rapid for three-fourths of its course through Middle Park, and it has no alluvial bottom; in the lower 10 miles it winds its way through a rich arable basin about a mile wide. For many miles the Moffat Road was built along Grand River and through Gore Canon. Gore Canon. Gore Canon, in Park Range, through which Grand River escapes from Middle Park, was named after Sir George Gore, an Irish nobleman who with 40 retainers went on a private expedition to the Rocky Mountains in 1854-1856. His object was to hunt big game. Gore Pass (altitude, 9,570 feet) was named for him, and a short chain in Eagle County is called Gore Range. Population. Grand County has a mean annual rainfall of 16 inches. The average temperature is from 136 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO 400 to 450. In 1900 it had 741 inhabitants; the popu lation in 1910 was 1,862. Industries. The chief industries are stock raising and agriculture. Lumbering is carried on to some extent. Years ago the mountain slopes were heavily timbered with spruce and pine. Forest fires have sadly reduced the wooded area. The edges of the county lie within the metalliferous belt of Colorado. As yet its gold and silver mines have not been ex tensively worked, owing to their isolation; and, in some cases, because of low-grade ores. Grand County has iron, coal, petroleum, building stone, and other natural resources. County Seat. The county seat is Sulphur Springs, no miles northwest of Denver, on the Denver, North western, and Pacific Railway. The springs attracted visitors in the '6o's; for a long while travelers could reach the spot only by the wagon and stage road from Georgetown, or on horseback. In 1900 the place had 106 inhabitants; the population in 19 10 was 182. Its altitude is 7,600 feet. The wonderful springs of sulphur water, long known to the red men, were dis covered by the paleface in the early '6o's. The medici nal properties of the waters have given them a world wide reputation, and the town of Sulphur Springs holds an unrivaled position as a health and pleasure resort. There are 6 springs that boil up from the base of a cliff on the west bank of Grand River. Samuel Bowles, who spent two days here in the sum mer of 1868, says: " The water is of the temperature of no0 Fahrenheit, — as hot as human flesh can bear, — and pours over a ledge of rock ten feet high into a pool below with a stream of four to six inches in diameter." GRAND COUNTY 137 For some years William N. Byers, the first editor of the Rocky Mountain News, had his home at Sulphur Springs. A peak in Park Range was named in his honor, and a ravine is called Byers Canon. Grand Lake. Grand Lake, at the head of Grand River, is a very popular summer resort. It is situated in the northeastern part of the county, about 10 miles west of Long's Peak. It is easily reached from Granby, on the Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway. The town was founded in 1879, and at one time was the county seat. The lake is said to be one of the largest natural sheets of water in the State. It is 2 miles long and over a mile wide. Its greatest depth has never been sounded, and to all appearances is bottom less. It is supposed that the basin of the lake is the crater of a volcano long ago extinct. The waters are alive with speckled beauties. Hunting is good in the vicinity. The altitude of Grand Lake is over 8,000 feet above sea level. It has been aptly denominated " The Gem of the Rockies." Kremmling. An important town is Kremmling, situated at the mouth of Blue River. The Moffat Road was completed to this point in 1905. The popu lation in 1910 was 141. Middle Park. A 5 hours' ride from Denver, over the Moffat Road, brings the tourist into the heart of Middle Park. If not a sportsman's paradise, as it used to be, this is still a capital place for Nimrods and lovers of grand scenery. It is an ideal place for a summer vacation. The spruce odors are a balm for lung com plaints and hay fever. Indians. Piah, the chief of the Middle Park band of Utes, was a friend of the whites and kept his braves from going on the warpath against the white race. As 138 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO savages go, they were a pretty good sort of Indians. So Mr. Bowles found them when on his saddle and camp trip through the park in 1868. Berthoud Pass. " After three or four hours' hard riding, from the upper Clear Creek, we suddenly came out of the trees into an open space of scanty green, bordered by snow, a gap or sag in the mountains, — and behold we are at the top of Berthoud Pass. The waters of the Atlantic and Pacific start from our very feet; the winds from the two oceans suck through here into each other's embrace; above us the mountain peaks go up sharp with snow and rock, and shut in our view; but below and beyond through wide and thick forests lies Middle Park, a varied picture of plain and hill, with snowy peaks beyond and around. To this point, at least, I would advise all pleasure travelers in Colorado to come; it is a feasible excursion for any one who can sit in the saddle; it can be readily made with return in a day from Empire, Georgetown or even Idaho; and it offers as much of varied and sublime beauty in mountain scenery, as any so comparatively easy a trip within our experience possibly can. . . . Scenery in Middle Park. " A short ride brought us into miles of clear prairie, with grass one to two feet high, and hearty streams struggling to be first into the Pacific Ocean. This was the Middle Park, and we had a long twenty-five miles ride northerly through it that day. It was not monotonous by any means. Frequent ranges of hills break the prairie; the latter changes from rich bottom lands with heavy grass, to light, cold gravelly uplands, thin with bunch grass and sagebush; sluggish streams and quick streams alternate; belts of hardy pines and tender-looking aspens (cottonwood) lie along the crests or sides of the hills; farther away GRAND LAKE. (Along the Line of the Moffat Road.) SULPHUR SPRINGS. (On the Moffat Road.) BLACK CANON. See p. 141 GRAND COUNTY 139 are higher hills fully wooded, and still beyond the' range that bounds the Park and circles it with eternal snows. The sun shines warm; there are wide reddish walls of granite or sandstone along many of the hills; some of the intervales are rich with green grass; and the sky is deep blue; and yet the prevailing tone and impression of the Park is a coldish gray. ... It was a broad, fine vision. Right and left, several miles apart, ran minia ture mountain ranges, — before, six miles away, rose an abrupt gray mountain wall; just beneath it, through green meadow, ran the Grand River; up to us a smooth, clean, gradual ascent; along the river bank, a hundred white tents, like dots in the distance, showed the encampment of six to eight hundred Ute Indians, awaiting our party with ' heap hungry ' stomachs; in the upper farther corner, under the hillside, a faint mist or steam in the air located the famous Hot Springs. . . . The Hot Sulphur Springs of the Middle Park are both a curiosity and a virtue, and its chief distinction. . . . The springs for bathing, and the rivers for fishing, are the two great attractions. . . . The waters look and. taste precisely like those of the Sharon Sulphur Springs in New York. The difference is that these are hot, those cold. They have deposited sulphur, iron, and soda in quantity all about their path, and these are probably their chief ingredients. . . . Utes. " These Utes are a good deal higher grade of Indian than I had supposed. They are above the aver age of our Indian tribes in comeliness and intelligence; and none perhaps are better behaved or more amenable to direction from the whites. There are seven bands or- tribes of them, who occupy the Mountains and Parks of Colorado and adjoining sections of New Mexico and Utah." {Our New West, pp. 107, et seq.) CHAPTER XXIV GUNNISON COUNTY Gunnison's Expedition. This county was named in honor of Captain John W. Gunnison, who in 1853 made an expedition to the Rocky Mountains to ascer tain a feasible route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. His course lay up the Arkansas River to Bent's Fort, then to the southwest, and through Sangre de Cristo Pass into San Luis Park. After leaving the park, through Cochetopa Pass, the explorers entered what is now Gunnison County. They had to blaze a path in the trackless wilderness. It was often necessary in narrow defiles and on steep slopes to build a road for the wagons. Finally they found themselves in the medley of volcanic peaks known as the Elk Mountains. These mountains were so named because bands of wapiti abounded there. The party feasted on wild game and heartily enjoyed the mountain trip, notwithstanding their arduous labors. The air exhilarated them like wine. It was not long before the Utes detected the presence of strangers in their mountain fastnesses. " A large smoke ascending from our last camp," writes Gunnison in his journal (September 8), " from the grass taking fire after we left it, a larger counter-smoke was seen during the day directly on our route ahead, made doubt- GUNNISON COUNTY 141 less by the Utah Indians, in the heart of whose country we have been traveling for several weeks, and whom we expect daily to meet, as we are approaching their summer hunting-grounds — the elk, which they follow both north and south in the winter, migrating here at this season." In passing, it may be said that elk are now scarce in the Gunnison country, as elsewhere in central and northern Colorado. Retracing their steps southward to the river named in honor of the leader, they halted, yonder-struck, at the precipitous portals of the gloomy chasm that has been aptly denominated Black Canon. The Indians declared it to be impassable to man; so Gunnison turned aside from the gorge west of Sapinero. Accord ing to Bancroft, this is the grandest canon in Colorado. Black Canon. " Black Canon, on Gunnison River, which is a branch of Grand River, itself a branch of the great stream of the West, with the longest and deepest canon in the world, is the grandest of them all [the eight principal canons of Colorado]. So many aspects has it that any mood may be satisfied in re garding its varied features. The walls have an average width of three hundred feet, the rock being stratified, and continuing miles. In places it rises one, two, or three thousand feet, with level summits, surmounted by a second wall of prodigious height. The level of the Gunnison River at Mountain Creek, above the canon, is 7,200 feet above the sea, that of the mesa on the north side 8,000, the wall of the canon here being 1,600 feet, and a little'lower, on the opposite side, 1,900. Still farther down, the wall rises 3,000 feet, the lower 1,800 being of gneiss rock. The elevation of the mesa at this point is 9,800 feet. But these figures repre sent only height and depth; they convey no impression 142 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO of the gorge itself, which sometimes narrows down to the width of the river, and is all gloom and grandeur, and again broadens out into a park, with waterfalls dashing down its enclosing walls, needles of highly- colored sandstone pointing skyward, trees growing out of the clefts in the palisades, huge rocks grouped fan tastically about, curious plants sheltering in their shadows, and the brilliant, strong river darting down in swift green chutes between the spume-flecked boulders, dancing in creamy eddies, struggling to tumble down some sparkling cataract, making the prismatic air resound with the soft tinkle as of merry laughter. Again, it surges along in half shadows, rushing as if blinded against massive abutments, to be dashed into spray, gliding thereafter more smoothly, as if rebuked for its previous haste, but always full of light, life, and motion. The grandeur, beaut}r, and variety of the views in Black Canon make doubly interesting the reflection that through this channel poured the waters of that great primal sea which once spread over western Colorado. A rival to it is the canon of the Uncom pahgre, in the same division of the State." First Prospecting. In the early '6o's the Gunnison country was penetrated by venturesome miners. One party of seven had a desperate fight with a large band of Indians, and was wiped out. The spot where the bloody encounter took place is known as " Dead- man's Gulch." It is a small ravine leading into Taylor River. In 1872, while the Gunnison region was for the most part embraced in the Ute Reservation, a little company of prospectors boldly entered it, in search of pay dirt. They found some silver lodes near Rock Creek and re turned. The following year they got up a larger ex- GUNNISON COUNTY 143 pedition and prospected the mountains until they ran up against the Utes. Chief Ouray's influence was all that saved them. Richardson. The geologist of the expedition was Dr. Sylvester Richardson. On the site of Gunnison City he satisfied himself by an astronomical observa tion that they were east of the 107th meridian, there fore outside of the reservation. It being a natural location for a town, they decided to return and establish a settlement in the beautiful Gunnison Valley. There was excellent grazing ground for sheep and cattle, and they firmly believed in the mineral possibilities of the mountainous region roundabout. Colony of 1874. In the spring of 1874 Richardson led a colony to the place, and a town was laid out. Most of the colonists, losing faith or lacking grit, de parted. The few who remained had their reward. Con siderable tact was required to get along with their next-door neighbors, the Utes, who viewed with sus picion the steady advance of the paleface into their old hunting-grounds. History. In 1877 tne county of Gunnison was set off from Lake County. Its growth was slow for two years. In the spring of 1879 the first important dis covery of silver in Colorado, that of the Forest Queen Lode, was made in the hills west of Crested Butte. A few days after the mine was discovered, a half interest in it was sold for $100,000. There were other finds, and scores of mining camps sprang up. The rush to Gunnison was a repetition of the Leadville excitement. The railroad was extended to Gunnison and Crested Butte in 1881. In 1882 Gunnison was dubbed " Colo rado's Bonanza County." It then extended to the Utah line and included Delta, Mesa, and Montrose Counties, 144 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO more than 10,000 square miles. It was, indeed, a vast inland empire. Boundaries. Gunnison County is bounded on the east by Chaffee County, on the south by Saguache and Hinsdale Counties, on the west by Ouray, Mont rose and Delta Counties, and on the north by Mesa and Pitkin Counties. The surface consists of moun tains, with valleys and plateaus between. The short range of Elk Mountains extends into the northern portion from Pitkin County; there are groups of these mountains in the western part of the county. The crest of the Sawatch Range forms the eastern boundary. Area. Gunnison County has an area of 3,277 square miles, about three-fourths of the size of the Nutmeg State. In 1900 it had 5,330 inhabitants; the popula tion in 1910 was 5,897. Live Stock. In 1900 the cultivated area of the county was 28,163 acres; in 1909 it was estimated to be 40,000 acres. There are over 60,000 acres of grazing land. After agriculture, live stock is the chief interest. Sheep and cattle and horses feed out on the range the year around, except in spells of severe weather lasting per haps a fortnight or less. County Seat. The county seat is Gunnison, on the Denver, and Rio Grande Railway, 288 miles from Den ver, and 202 miles from Denver on the Colorado and Southern. The town is set in the midst of a magnifi cent landscape. Its altitude is 7,673 feet. At one time in the '8o's it contained 6,000 people. Then came a period of depression. In 1900 the number of inhab itants had dwindled to 1,200; the population in 1910 was 1,026. A State Normal School was built in 1910. Crested Butte. Crested Butte got its name from a castellated eminence nearby. The town is situated on GUNNISON COUNTY 145 the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, 28 miles north of Gunnison and 318 miles southwest of Denver. Its altitude is 8,867 feet. It is the center of a rich mining district, in which gold, silver, iron, and coal are leading features. In 1900 it had 988 souls; the population in 1910 was 904. Hunting. From Crested Butte the hunting-grounds in the Elk Mountains can be conveniently reached. Bear, bobcats, and deer are plentiful. Few elk and mountain sheep survive. There is capital hunting in localities at no great distance from Gunnison. Fishing. Fishing is good in Gunnison River and in the streams that empty into it or the mountain brooks that feed its tributaries. Among other places attractive to anglers Cimarron and Sapinero may be named. Mineral Springs. At Cebolla are a number of mineral springs whose waters are excellent for kidney and stomach troubles. Bathing in the hot springs is helpful to cases of rheumatism. The altitude of Cebolla is 7,344 feet. The Waunita Hot Springs are renowned for their curative power. Take stage from Doyle. Noted Mines. The formation of the Gunnison mineral country is described as " porphyry, quartzite, and limestone, or decomposed granite." Some of the noted mines of the '8o's — Forest Queen, Lead Chief, Bullion King, Independence, Monte Cristo, Ruby Chief, and Little Minnie — yielded from $200 to $2,000 a ton. The yellow metal too made a fair show ing. The Golden Queen, one of the few true fissure veins, assayed $60 a ton, mostly gold. Precious Metals. Gunnison County is rich in veins of gold, silver, lead, and zinc. The past decade the output of the precious metals has varied from $256,000 146 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO (in 1900) to $91,000 (in 1908). In this period the average yearly production of gold was $66,000; silver, $56,000; and lead, $25,000. Of late years zinc has forged to the front, the production exceeding $20,000 annually. The gold production of 1909 was $107,860; silver, $15,684. Coal. Gunnison ranks fifth among the coal-bearing counties of the State, after Las Animas, Huerfano, Boulder, and Fremont. The output of coal in 1909 was 597,825 tons. New discoveries of rich veins in the gold zone have been made lately. Tunnels are being driven to great depths and large sums spent in developing the mines. Gunnison will continue to be a large contributor to the mineral wealth of the State. Marble Quarries. For diversity, quality, and extent the quarries of Gunnison County are unsurpassed in the world. Yule Creek for 8 miles is lined with towering cliffs of white and variegated marble. These ledges are the largest and best that have been so far dis covered and opened in Colorado. One cliff of white marble is 240 feet high, and extends over 300 acres. At the upper end of the creek is an exposure of 800 vertical feet of marble, half of it white, without seams or dis- colorations, and the remainder a series of pink, blue, serpentine and variegated marbles of exceeding beauty. From the Aberdeen quarries was taken the granite used in the State Capitol at Denver. Gunnison's sand stones are of the best quality for building purposes, and its grindstone material rivals the finest grades found in Scotland. The Hierro Quarry produces superior lava stone. The slate beds along Yule Creek and Crystal River rival those of Pennsylvania. Captain John Williams Gunnison, after whom " the Courtesy Denver & Rio Grande R. R. CURECANTI NEEDLE, BLACK CANON OF THE GUNNISON. GUNNISON COUNTY 147 (junnison country " was named, was a man of unusual gifts and attainments. He was born at Goshen, N. H., m 1812. He won the highest honors of his class at West Point. After graduation, in 1837, he saw service in Florida (against the Seminoles). For a number of years he was engaged in surveys and explorations in the West. While stationed at Salt Lake City he wrote A History of the Mormons (1850). The expedi tion of 1853 traversed the Uncompahgre Valley and continued westward into Utah. Near Sevier Lake Captain Gunnison and seven comrades were murdered in an early morning attack by a band of savages, said to be Pah-Utah Indians, who approached close to their camp, unobserved, while the whites were eating breakfast. The brave leader was shot down at the door of his tent, calling out to his assailants that he was their friend. CHAPTER XXV HINSDALE COUNTY Fremont's Fourth Expedition. Hinsdale County is a part of the San Juan country, the scene of Fremont's disastrous expedition of 1848. This was a private enterprise, financed by Fremont and Thomas H. Benton, his father-in-law. The object of the expedition was to prove the feasibility of a central railway route to the Pacific. His Rashness. The party got a late start, leaving St. Louis in the middle of October. The trip across the plains was without incident. Arriving at Bent's Fort, Fremont was told that the snows in the mountains were heavier than usual that fall, and he was urged not to " buck against " the Rockies in the most inclement season of the year. Disregarding the warnings of ex perienced mountaineers, Fremont went forward. The man was brave to the point of rashness and over-confi dent. " He thought he could do anything," as one of his followers puts it. It is to be remembered that the " Pathfinder " had an end in view when he chose the winter for his fourth expedition; he wanted to show that railroad travel was possible in the high mountain ranges during the months when the severest storms and the deepest snows were to be encountered. The expedition was well-equipped. Fremont had 33 men and 120 pack-mules when he set HINSDALE COUNTY 149 out from Bent's Fort. At Pueblo he engaged " Old Bill " Williams as guide. On November 26 they entered the mountains. Ill-Starred Enterprise. It was an ill-starred enter prise, and Fremont laid the blame upon Williams. This old trapper had passed many years in the Rocky Mountains, and he knew the passes as well as any one. But, at that time of year, snow had filled the trails and obliterated the usual signs by which Indians and moun tain men pick their way. He blundered, as might have been expected under the circumstances. The explorers pursued a tortuous course, making unnecessarily slow progress, till ruin overtook them in dead of winter. They got to the top of the Continental Divide in the San Juan Mountains, and could go no farther. They were then probably somewhere in the western part of Hinsdale County. "Camp Starvation." Leaving the frozen mules behind and much of the baggage, the weakened men retraced their steps down into the valley of the Rio Grande again. On the bank of a creek probably a left- hand affluent of Del Norte River they established a camp, aptly named " Camp Starvation." The site is supposed to have been some distance west of Wagon Wheel Gap. However, the exact spot of " Starvation Gulch " is not yet settled. They had saved only a remnant of the provisions, and a small party was dis patched to the Mexican settlements for food and animals. They did not return, and (about Jan. 10) Fremont started to meet them. He found the starving survivors, one of them having miserably perished, and they finally reached Taos, New Mexico, where they were succored and cared for. The leader was wel comed at the house of his old boon companion, Kit 150 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Carson. What happened is best described by Fremont in a thrilling letter to his wife, dated Jan. 27, 1849. Fremont's Letter. " My very dear Wife! I write to you from the house of our good friend Carson. This morning a cup of chocolate was brought to me, while yet in bed. To an overworn, overworked, much fatigued, and starving traveler, these little luxuries of the world offer an interest which in your comfortable home it is not possible for you to conceive. . . . " Former letters have made you acquainted with our journey so far as Bent's Fort, and from report you will have heard the circumstances of our departure from the Upper Pueblo of the Arkansas. We left that place about the 25 th of November. . . . About the nth December we found ourselves at the North of the Del Norte Canon, where that river issues from the St. John's Mountain [San Juan], one of the highest, most rugged and impracticable of all the Rocky Moun tain ranges, inaccessible to trappers and hunters even in summer time. Across the point of this elevated range our guide conducted us, and having still great confidence in his knowledge, we pressed onward with fatal resolution. Even along the river bottoms the snow was already belly-deep for the mules, frequently snowing in the valley and almost constantly in the mountains. The cold was extraordinary; at the warmest hours of the day (between one and two) the thermometer (Fahrenheit) standing in the shade of only a tree trunk at zero; the day sunshiny, with moderate breeze. We pressed up toward the summit, the snow deepening; and in four or five days reached the naked ridges which lie above the timbered country, and which form the dividing grounds between the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Along these HINSDALE COUNTY 151 naked ridges it storms nearly all winter, and the winds sweep across them with remorseless fury. On our first attempt to cross we encountered a poudreie (dry snow driven thick through the air by violent wind, and in which objects are visible only at a short distance), and were driven back, having some 10 or 12 men variously frozen, face, hands, or feet. The guide became nigh being frozen to death here, and dead mules were already lying about the fires. Meantime, it snowed steadily. The next day we made mauls, and beating a road or trench through the snow crossed the crest in defiance of the poudreie and encamped immediately below in the edge of the timber. The trail showed as if a defeated party had passed by; pack-saddles and packs, scattered articles of clothing, and dead mules strewed along. A continuance of stormy weather paralyzed all move ment." Fremont's Fifth Expedition. What he failed to do in his fourth expedition, Fremont accomplished in his fifth and last expedition, in 1853. He succeeded in finding passes and canons in the Rockies, between latitudes 380 and 390, where he confidently believed a railroad could be built. In another generation Fre mont's dream came true. The construction engineers of the Denver and Rio Grande and other railroads conquered the mountains of the most inhospitable portions of Colorado. With all his failings, the Path finder had some admirable qualities. His controlling energy and restless ambition make him a notable figure in the annals of exploration. First Prospecting. The San Juan country was •prospected so long ago as 1871, when it was a part of the Ute Reservation. In 1873 it was taken from the Indians and thrown open for settlement. At once 152 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO prospectors and miners flocked to this section by thousands. Many lodes of promise were uncovered, and scores of mining camps grew up. The only im portant town established was Lake City, so named from the lakes in the vicinity. Wagon Roads. To facilitate traffic and the trans portation of passengers to the isolated camps, Enos Hotchkiss and Otto Mears built a wagon road from Saguache to Lake City. The Slumgullion wagon road was the principal outlet from Lake City to Antelope Springs and Del Norte. It crossed the Continental Divide at an elevation of about 1 1,000 feet. Over this long and rugged thoroughfare Barlow and Sanderson's stages passed until the Denver and Rio Grande Railway was completed to Gunnison. Name of County. In 1874 Hinsdale County was organized, and named for George A. Hinsdale, a noted lawyer of Pueblo. The following year Lake City was incorporated as a town. For a number of years the Lake City district had a large floating population, and things were booming in the camps. Then a period of depression ensued that lasted till the extension of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad from Sapinero to Lake City in 1889. Hinsdale County is bounded on the south by Archu leta County, on the east by Saguache and Mineral Counties, on the north by Gunnison County, and on the west by Ouray, San Juan, and La Plata Counties. It is a long, narrow county, nearly 60 miles north and south, and from 15 to 30 miles in width. Surface. The surface consists of mountains and valleys. The county is traversed from east to west by the Continental Divide, and, farther south, by the San Juan Range running in a southeasterly direction HINSDALE COUNTY 153 into Mineral County. Here are the sources of the Rio Grande. Area. The area of Hinsdale is 1,003 square miles, of which about 4 per cent., or 25,000 acres, were under cultivation in 1909. The chief industries are mining and stock growing, with some scattering attempts at general farming. The mean annual rainfall is 15 inches^ and the average temperature 400. The United States census of 1900 gave the county 1,609 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 646; of Lake City, 405. Lake City. The county seat is Lake City, on the Denver and Rio Grande, 350 miles from Denver and 28 miles south of Sapinero. Its altitude is 8,675 ^eet- The town is the trading center and distributing point for the mining camps of the surrounding region, which is rich in deposits of gold, silver, lead, and copper. Scenery. Lake City is hemmed in by the rugged domes and frowning battlements of lofty mountains. Majestic scenery greets the eye on every side. Far to the east stretches the broken line of Cochetopa Hills. Eight miles westward towers the stupendous Un compahgre Peak (14,289 feet high), and other stately peaks, some of them over 14,000 feet, cut the air to the south in the San Juan Range. The approach to Lake City, over the Denver and Rio Grande, is a famous scenic line. The track skirts the tumultuous Lake Fork tributary of the Gunnison, winding through picturesque glens, overhung by towering cliffs, and presenting an ever changing pano rama of chasms and mountains. Mines. The general formation of the Hinsdale mining region is eruptive. The mineral territory around Lake City is divided into 4 districts: Carson, Galena, Lake, and Park. The output of Hinsdale's, 154 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO gold mines has greatly fluctuated from year to year. In 1902 it was upward of $100,000; other years it has fallen below $10,000. During the past decade the annual production of the yellow metal has averaged less than $35,000. The yearly average of the white metal in the same period (1900-1909) slightly exceeded $50,000. Lead has been a large producer; the produc tion of copper in the year 1909 was $65,904. CHAPTER XXVI HUERFANO COUNTY It is not generally known that the land of Colorado has been tracked and trailed by gold-seekers for cen turies. The Spaniards were the original explorers, if not the empire-builders, of the Rocky Mountain country. Moscosco. After De Soto's death, in 1542, the com mand of the intrepid little band devolved upon Luis de Moscosco, who led them westward into Kansas, and, according to some accounts, as far as the Rocky Mountains. Tradition has it that they crossed the Sangre de Cristo Range through Mosca Pass, on the western border of Huerfano County. It is said that this pass was afterward named for Moscosco. However that may be, it is certain that the Spaniards who settled in New Mexico made many excursions through the Rockies in a tireless search for gold. Pike's Peak was the goal of their travels in the Front Range, — so Captain Pike declares. At times they went farther north; one expedition discovered silver near the Georgetown of to-day. Spanish Diggings. It is doubtful if these old Spanish adventurers made any valuable finds. In the mid- century " Uncle Dick " Wootton heard many tales, which were rife among the Mexicans and Indians, of fabulously rich Spanish diggings. Innumerable ex- 156 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO peditions were organized to hunt for these " lost mines," but the fortune-hunters were invariably dis appointed. It was reserved for another time and for another race of men to uncover the treasure-trove hidden in the rock-ribbed hills and mountains of Colorado. The crumbling ruin of an old fort is the only relic of the Spanish occupation in Huerfano County. By whom and when it was erected, is unknown. Pike. Captain Pike's party traversed the north western corner of Huerfano County for a distance of some 5 or 10 miles. Here the handful of men was reduced to n, one soldier, Hugh Menaugh, being left behind somewhere near Sand Hill Pass, by which the explorers crossed the ridge of Sangre de Cristo Moun tains. Perseveringly they struggled up the rugged slope, and at last gained the summit of the mountain pass. " After a hard day's march," Pike writes in his journal (January 27, 1807), " through snows in some places three feet deep we struck on a brook which led west." This depression in the mountains between Huerfano and Costilla Counties is also called "Music Pass and Medano Pass. For two weeks they had floundered through deep snow and endured untold sufferings; now, as they gazed down upon the fair San Luis Valley, they were cheered by the prospect of easier traveling. Zebulon Pike was a forceful character. He recked little of hardships and privations — these were for gotten in the quest of information that would be useful to his country. Deserved honor was paid this patriotic explorer at the time of the centennial celebration held at Colorado Springs in 1906. However, he was not the only hero in that company of men who braved the HUERFANO COUNTY 157 intense rigors of a Rocky Mountain winter. They all shared the dangers and difficulties of the expedition. To a man they were faithful and courageous, knowing how to suffer and endure. Huerfano Butte. Upon this county was bestowed the name of Huerfano (Spanish word meaning " Or phan "), from a solitary butte in the valley of the Huer fano River. It is said that this landmark is all that remains of an immense mass of lava that once extended over the country between Pike's Peak and the Spanish Peaks. It has an altitude of 6,150 feet. Mr. S. N. Carvalho, who accompanied Fremont's last trans continental expedition, in 1853, thus describes it: " After crossing the Huerfano River, we saw an im mense pile of granite rock which rises perpendicularly to the height of four or five hundred feet from a per fectly level valley; it appeared like a mammoth sugar- loaf (called the Huerfano Butte)." Much of the rock is igneous granite. Boundaries of County. Huerfano County is bounded on the east by Las Animas County, on the south by Las Animas and Costilla Counties, on the west by Costilla and Saguache Counties, and on the north by Custer and Pueblo Counties. The Sangre de Cristo Range forms the western boundary. The sur face consists of mountains and valleys (sometimes termed rolling plains). The region east of the mountain range is famous for the fossil remains of animal and vegetable life belonging to remote ages of geological time. Mexican Element. When organized, in 1861, this county was much larger than at present. " In 1865," says Hall, " thirty-five English-speaking people were here associated with three hundred and thirty-six 158 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO voters of the native or Mexican element. These men were content with the profits of a farm or the results of a pastoral life. They were without a town, church, minister, priest, lawyer or doctor, having only one school district, and two or three little stores, each of them containing a handful of merchandise to supply the immediate demands of their patrons. The evidences of success, refinement and social standing were a good horse, saddle and bridle, and a Colt's revolver. The highest social attainment was the Spanish fandango. The life was not without its fascinations, however, but with this the story is told. As the population increased a feverish desire set in for a change in the social status of the incoming people, which has been the occasion of more or less jealousy between the two principal branches of the human family who find a residence in Huerfano County." Area. The area of the county is 1,537 square miles, of which 35,000 acres, or 4 per cent., were under culti vation in 1909. The mean annual rainfall is about 14 inches, and the average temperature 450 to 500. Natural Parks. " In its primal state the county was so inconveniently large, as its settlement progressed it was by common consent of the people divided by an act of the Territorial Legislature in 1867, when the present limits were established Ultimately, it was the good fortune of the county to inherit about an equal quantity of mountain and plain. The contour of the mountains in the western and southern part forms two well defined parks, each drained by one of its principal streams. In these parks dwell many small farmers and stock growers. The Huerfano Park, con taining a considerable population, is drained by the stream of that name and its tributaries, and La Veta HUERFANO COUNTY 159 Park by the Cuchara and the smaller streams that flow into it from almost every direction. For many years this county was exclusively a farming and pastoral community, and its population largely composed of Mexicans from New Mexico. The advent of the Den ver and Rio Grande Railroad, in 1 874-1 875, entirely changed its status in a business point of view. From a primitive people with primitive methods and man ners, it has grown to be one of the most extensive coal mining districts in the State, and some mines of silver, copper and iron are being developed by a population that represents the American race — in other words, a mixture of nationalities. . . . The yield of farm produce is equal to the average standard of other counties. Crops. " Corn, wheat, barley, potatoes, etc., are raised exclusively by irrigation, which limits the amount of acres of land that can be profitably watered. Alfalfa, a species of clover similar in many respects to other varieties that are grown in the Eastern States, but superior in prolific growth and nutriment, is one of the prominent crops. Horses, cattle, hogs and poultry are equally well sustained by its use alone, and this plant is fast becoming the main reliance of the farmers for winter feed for animals. Other grasses are produced in abundance, and shipped to various markets. Beets, pumpkins, squashes, watermelons and tomatoes thrive and yield well with good cultivation, forming a re munerative crop. There is no plant that grows in the temperate zone that cannot be produced here. The vast ranges over which flocks and herds once roamed in great numbers, the property of a few wealthy stock companies, are being divided up by custom, and stock- raising, instead of being the dominant factor, is now 160 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO an auxiliary to the resources of the farmer, in smaller herds and of greater profit to the commonwealth." (Hall's History of Colorado, Vol. III., pp. 488 et seq.) Growth of Population. Huerfano County has en joyed a steady, uninterrupted growth. The census of 1870 gave it 2,250 inhabitants'; the population had almost doubled by 1880, being 4,124; in 1890 it was 6,882, a gain of 66 per cent.; the following decade showed an increase of .22 per cent., the county having 8;395 people in 1900. The population in 1910 was I3'32.°'. Mining. The chief industry other than farming is coal mining. Upward of 2,000,000 tons of coal are taken from Huerfano every year. It ranks second as a coal-producing county, after Las Animas County. The production of coal in 1909 was 1,807,424 tons. The precious metals occur in greater or less quantities, also several varieties of building stone. Walsenburg. The first county seat was Autobees, then Badito. In 1876 it was changed to the flourishing town of Walsenburg. This place is 175 miles south of Denver, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway. Its altitude is 6,187 feet- La 1900 it had 1,033 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 2,423. La Veta Resort. Other towns of some importance are La Veta and Rouse. La Veta (altitude, 7,012 feet) is an ideal place for a summer outing. It is one of the loveliest localities in all Colorado. It has a tonic atmos phere, and nearby are sulphur springs whose waters are a specific for rheumatism and other ailments. Sportsmen can find capital hunting and fishing a few miles away. The mountain region abounds in his torical and romantic associations. Animas is a Spanish word meaning " spirits " or HUERFANO COUNTY 161 " souls; " Costilla, " rib;" Cuchara, "spoon;" Huerfano, "orphan;" Medano, "sandbank;" Pueblo, "village;" Veta, " vein." The Spanish pronunciation of most of these names is different from the American. CHAPTER XXVII JACKSON COUNTY By act of the Seventeenth General Assembly, Jack son County was created out of that portion of Larimer County lying west of the Medicine Bow Range and embracing the mountain-rimmed valley of northern Colorado usually designated as the North Park. The county was organized in 1909, and named in honor of President Andrew Jackson. Boundaries. Jackson County is bounded on the north by the Wyoming State line, on the west by Routt County, on the south by Grand County, and on the east by Larimer County. On three sides the county has the same natural boundaries as North Park, viz. : on the west, the summit of Park or Snowy Range, otherwise known as the Continental Divide; on the south, the section of Snowy Range sometimes called Rabbit Ear Range; and on the east, Medicine Bow or Front Range. Surface. Jackson County has an area of nearly 1,700 square miles. The surface is made up of rolling grazing lands, dotted with groves and small ponds. It is a mountain valley, the basin of North Platte River, or, rather, a series of basins, having an elevation of 7,700 feet in the northern extremity and gradually rising to 8,700 feet in the southern portion. The rills and springs flowing from the shoulders of the bordering mountains JACKSON COUNTY 163 are the headwaters of the creeks that feed the Platte. Geologically speaking, North and Middle Parks rest upon the tertiary formation, through which mountains of volcanic rock were thrust up in the ages long gone. Buffalo Pasture. In fur-trading days this pic turesque region of Colorado was dubbed " Buffalo Pasture," because of the numerous bison found there. Fremont thus described it in 1844: — • " The valley narrowed as we ascended and presently degenerated into a gorge, through which the river passed as through a gate — ¦ a beautiful circular valley of thirty miles in diameter, walled in all around with snowy mountains, rich with water and with grass, fringed with pine on the mountain sides below the snow line and a paradise to all grazing animals. We continued our way among the waters of the park over the foot hills of the bordering mountains, where we found good pasturage and surprised and killed some buffalo. We fell into a broad and excellent trail, made by buffalo, where a wagon would pass with ease; and in the course of the morning we crossed the summit of the Rocky Mountains through a pass which was one of the most beautiful we had ever seen." Settlement. The first permanent white settler in what is now Jackson County was J. O. Pinkham, who (in 1874) erected a log cabin on Pinkham Creek, a right-hand tributary of the North Platte. Discoveries of silver deposits brought an influx of miners. In time settlers turned their attention to stock-growing and agriculture. ¦ Products. For twenty-five years or more North Park has been famous as a cattle country, its beef being of superior quality. Sheep and hogs are raised successfully, The bottom lands are fertile and easily 164 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO irrigated. In 19 10 the irrigated area of Jackson County exceeded 100,000 acres. Barley, oats and rye yield well. Potatoes, carrots, beets and other vegetables grow in profusion. Peas are noted for their flavor. Wild hay is a valuable crop. Alfalfa, clover and timothy produce excellently on the bottom lands. In some sections the sagebrush plains have been trans formed into productive meadows. Native fruits abound in many places, especially currants, gooseberries, rasp berries and strawberries. Timber. Of Jackson County's 1,700 square miles of area, there are approximately 650 square miles of timbered tracts, mostly included in the forest reserves. The mountain slopes are covered with a heavy growth of aspen, spruce and pine trees. A good quality of lumber is obtained from the white and yellow pines. Mining. The mountains of Jackson County have been prospected in various localities. Gold, silver and copper have been found, and mining camps have sprung up only to be deserted because of the lack of transportation facilities, there being no railroad in North Park. Veins of bituminous coal have been uncovered. Limestone and sandstone are plentiful, and clay suitable for brick-making is common. Population. Jackson County is sparsely settled. Its population in 1910 was 1,013. The county seat is Walden, containing 162 inhabitants in 1910. Climate. The climate is healthful. In an atmosphere of slight humidity the extremes of heat and cold are not felt so much as in a moister locality. The winters are for the most part not very severe or stormy. The average annual precipitation is about 15 inches, and the mean temperature is from 400 to 450. Springs. A number of mineral springs of North JACKSON COUNTY 165 Park have a local reputation for their curative prop erties. The soda, iron and magnesia waters were considered " heap good medicine " by the Utes, who roved through this lofty valley in undisturbed pos session before the coming of the whites. Hunting. North Park was formerly a Nimrod's paradise, and it is now a mecca for sportsmen. The wilds are still the haunts of bear, bobcats, cougar, elk, deer, and other game animals. However, hunting is not what it used to be. Waterfowl, sage chickens and other game birds are found. The streams and lakelets afford fine fishing. CHAPTER XXVIII JEFFERSON COUNTY Green Russell Expedition. The history of Jefferson County is contemporaneous with that of Denver. The first notable fact of Colorado's history is the Green Russell expedition. In the spring of 1858 Russell and eight other Georgians, accompanied by thirty Cherokee Indians, set out to prospect the Rocky Mountains for gold. On the way they were joined by a party of Kan- sans who had heard rumors of finds in the South Platte River. In June the united company consisted of 104 persons. They passed up the Arkansas River almost to the forks; then they turned northward, prospecting Fountain Creek, Cherry Creek, and the Platte. Weeks passed, and no important " prospects " were located. From time to time members of the expedition got dis couraged and started back home. Prospecting for Gold. On June 24, 1858, the party camped on the site of Denver. Moving in a north westerly direction, they entered what is now Jefferson County, and prospected Clear Creek, near where the present town of Arvada stands. Colors Found. To the Cherokees belongs the credit of originating the expedition. To the white men of the party belongs the credit of finding gold. The Cherokees lost hope and abandoned the quest. Russell and a dozen comrades had the virtue of stick-to-it-iveness; JEFFERSON COUNTY 167 they stayed longer to prospect the streams of the eastern slope, and their persistence was finally rewarded. No gold to speak of was found at Arvada, but later they uncovered deposits of the glittering dust in the Platte and Dry Creek, a little south of the Denver of to-day. That was the real beginning of Colorado. In the summer and fall of 1858 upward of a thousand men found their way to Cherry Creek and the Pike's Peak country. Some of them panned out the sands of Clear Creek, getting colors to the value of a dollar or so a day, which was not encouraging. They wandered through the foothills, looking for gold nuggets. They found " prospects," but no gold to amount to anything. Golden Founded. At the time Denver was building near the confluence of the Platte and Cherry Creek, two little gold camps (or, rather, camps of gold-seekers) grew up on Clear Creek about 15 or 16 miles farther west. That was in the fall of 1858. The following year Golden City was founded, and at once it became a rival of Denver. It was nearer to the new mountain towns — Central City, Idaho Springs, Boulder, George town, and Breckenridge; and its position as the natural gateway to the mining camps led to greater enterprise on the part of its citizens than was exhibited then by the Denverites. Capital of Territory. " By the close of 1859," says Hall, " there were seven hundred residents in Golden. The influx during the next year or two was steady, though not large. ... In 1 861 the War of the Re bellion and the subsidence of the gold mining excite ment caused the tide of immigration to recede back to its original source. In 1862 stagnation set in. . . . Golden did not greatly improve between 1863 and 1867. It was made the capital of the Territory in 168 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO 1862, and held the well-nigh empty distinction five years, when it was moved to Denver. Governor Cum- mings was the only chief magistrate to make his head quarters there, and he only for a short time." School of Mines. With the building of the railroad, in 1870, a new epoch of progress came, and the town made tremendous advances. Mills were built, a brewery, and various industries established, such as the making of fire-brick and pottery. In 1874 the School of Mines was founded here, and the State In dustrial School for Boys was opened in 1881. Mean while other towns were started in the county, which has for a long time been accorded a place in the front rank of Colorado's counties. Name of County. The county was named in honor of the statesman who penned the Declaration. In early days the Territory itself was called Jefferson. Then the name was changed to Colorado, after the great river of that name whose headwaters are in the Rocky Mountains. Colorado is a Spanish word mean ing " colored " or " colored red." The canon of the Colorado River has many richly tinted rocks and cliffs; hence the appropriateness of the name. Jefferson County is bounded on the north by Boulder County, on the east by Adams, Arapahoe, and Douglas Counties, and on the west by Park, Clear Creek, and Gilpin Counties. The Platte River forms its eastern boundary for a considerable distance. It is wedge- shaped, 72 miles long, terminating at a point at the southern extremity. The northern border is 20 miles long. Surface. The surface is exceedingly varied. The northeast corner consists of rolling plains, suited to agriculture. The hogback, or range of foothills, GOLDEN AND THE PLAINS TO THE EAST OF TABLE ROCK ON THE RIGHT. VOLCANIC ROCKS ON THE LEFT. See p. 167 PARK OF RED ROCKS, MORRISON. See p. 171 SLABS OF THE AGES," See p. 171 MORRISON. JEFFERSON COUNTY 169 traverses the county from north to south. In the southern portion are peaks from n,ooo to 12,000 feet or more in height. Says Captain E. L. Berthoud: " Fully two-thirds is comprised in high mountains and foothills, the remaining third being undulating prairies over 5,000 feet above sea line, and which to-day are occupied for agricultural and pastoral purposes " {History of Jefferson County, p. 353.) Area. The area is 840 square miles, of which 61,224 acres, or II per cent., were under cultivation in 1900. The cultivated area in .1909 was upward of 100,000 acres. The mean yearly precipitation is about 15 inches, and the average temperature 45° to 500. In 1900 the county had 9,306 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 14,231. The industries are varied. Mining, manufacturing, stock-raising, fruit-growing, farming, and gardening are successfully carried on. Resources. The county is rich in natural resources, having coal and petroleum beds, fine clays, kaolin, mica, lime, copper, lead, gold, silver, mineral paint, building and monumental stone, basalt used for paving stone, and rhyolite tuff (an eruptive rock used in buildings). Products. Jefferson might be called a self-sustaining commonwealth, for its products include nearly every thing needed by a civilized people. The cattle on a thousand hills furnish beef. The ground brings forth cereals and vegetables in abundance. Apples, pears, and small fruits do well. First Gardening. Among the '59ers was David K. Wall, of Indiana, who may be considered the father of agriculture in Colorado. In May, 1859, he arrived at the present site of Golden. He brought with him 170 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO garden seed, a plow, and other farming implements. Wall had been to California, where he had seen irriga ting done. In the bottom lands of Clear Creek he plowed and irrigated between two and three acres, where he raised " bonanza " crops of grain and vege tables. Now there are 80,000 acres tilled and artificially watered in Jefferson County. The pioneers found wild cherries and wild plums growing here in profusion and of most delicious flavor. The first fruit trees in the State were planted near Golden, in i860. Now the county has thousands of acres devoted to orchards and vine yards. County Seat. The county seat is Golden, 16 miles west of Denver on the Colorado and Southern Railway. Its altitude is 5,693 feet. In 1900 the town had 2,152 souls; the population in 1910 was 2,477. The pottery and brick manufactories of Golden are especially noted. They obtain in the vicinity superior brick-clay and clay fit for the finest china ware. Golden is a popular picnic ground for Denver excursionists. Chimney Gulch is a picturesque locality. Leaves from Geological Records. The vicinity of Golden was once a volcanic country. Table Mountain- is a portion of what must have been an immense lava bed. This small mesa of lava is 250 feet thick. North of Golden are other lava masses, mute witnesses to the terrible volcanic eruptions that devastated this section ages ago. To the west is the surpassing pageant of mountain scenery, and in other directions one may gaze upon a variety of landscape. In various places between Golden and Denver stumps of palms and palmettos have been found, also fossil leaves of tropical trees, ferns, and other forms of vegetation common in southern Texas and Old Mexico. This district once JEFFERSON COUNTY 171 abounded with luxuriant forests, which later formed the coal beds that lie beneath the surface of Jefferson County, extending from its northern border to Wol hurst. The region about Golden is one of the most attractive places within easy reach of Denver. It is also historically interesting. Up Golden Gate Canon surged the gold-seekers of early days on their way to the mountains. Morrison. Morrison, 17 miles southwest of Denver, was founded in 1874. It is the terminus of a spur of the Colorado and Southern Railway. In 1910 the place had a population of 251. The State Industrial School for Girls was established here in 1887. Morrison has an altitude of 5,766 feet. The " Tent City " and other spots in the environs of Morrison are good places to take the rest cure and build up physically. The bright sunshine by day and the cool nights (even in mid summer) make living a joy. Nearby is excellent fish ing. Fossils. Many fossils have been found near Mor rison. Here have been unearthed some of the richest treasures of paleontology of the West. Among o.ther finds is that of the thigh bone of an atlantosaurus, the largest land animal known to the scientific world; the bone is 9 feet long and 28 inches in diameter. This saurian had ribs 10 feet long and 4 inches thick. It must have been 80 feet in length, and over 35 feet tall, when standing. In the strata of the rocks have been found bones belonging to extraordinary animals and reptiles, such as the extinct Triceratops, which had a skull from 6 to 8 feet long. Scientists have dug up fragments of skeletons of other enormous reptiles of a far-off time when dinosaurs swam the inland seas of this continent. In other localities of Jefferson County 172 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO have been uncovered the teeth of mastodons and bones of monsters that had their day and disappeared long ago. Morrison also boasts of soda lakes. The min eral salts were leached out of the surrounding forma tions. Park of Red Rocks. In the neighborhood of Mor rison are many picturesque and romantic features. At a little distance southwest of the town stands Mount Falcon, and winding up its wooded slopes and defiles to its top is a scenic roadway for autos and carriages. It is known as the Mount Falcon High Line Drive. The Indian Burying Ground is an attraction in the fascinating region between Morrison and Golden. Some 3 miles or so to the south, in Turkey Creek Canon, is a tall rock, where, tradition says, an Indian maiden, crossed in love, leaped to her death, followed by her copper-skinned lover, hence it is called Lovers' Leap. Overlooking the town on the west is the famed Park of Red Rocks, a wonderful aggregation of moss-grown cliffs and massive sandstone formations, with caves and cool grottoes. A mile ride up the Incline Railway to the summit of Mount Morrison (7,900 feet) is a thrilling experience. On this rugged eminence one is favored with enchanting views of the surrounding country. Other towns in the county are Arvada, Edgewater, Evergreen, and Critchell. In the early '6o's the noted scout, Jim Baker, lived a short distance east of Arvada, and kept a toll-bridge over Clear Creek. Troutdale, near Evergreen, has idyllic surroundings. Buffalo and Pine Grove, in the southern part of the county, are adjacent to localities where hunters and fishermen enjoy themselves. The climate of the foothill district has been much praised. " The moment we enter the foothills," says MAP OF THE MT. MORRISON REGION. JEFFERSON COUNTY 173 Berthoud, " the extremes of a continental climate have lost their severe forms, and we reach a delicious blending of continental and Alpine climates, without the rude, unpleasant extremes of either." CHAPTER XXIX KIOWA COUNTY Name. This county was named after a tribe of plains savages that roamed over the country south of the Arkansas River. The Kiowas had the reputation of being pretty bad Indians. They associated with the Comanches and were friendly with them, but were often at war with other tribes. The Utes feared them. Kiowas. The Kiowas committed many depreda tions on freighters crossing the plains in the days before the railroads. In the '30's and afterward they infested the Old Santa Fe Trail, and were sometimes bold enough to attack caravans. However, they generally preferred to avoid open combats; they would prowl in the rear and run off stock as occasion offered. They were adepts at stampeding cattle and horses. Indian War. In the '6o's the Kiowas joined in the Indian War and were mixed up in a number of fights with Custer's troops and other soldiers. By a stroke of diplomacy Custer seized Lone Wolf and Satanta, a renowned Kiowa chief whose fiery eloquence gained for him the sobriquet, " Orator of thePlains." Through the influence of the captive chiefs the Kiowa warriors were induced to settle on a reservation around Fort Cobb in Indian Territory, now the State of Oklahoma. That was done in 1869. Kiowa County. Kiowa County was organized in KIOWA COUNTY 175 1889 from part of Bent County. It is bounded on the east by Kansas, on the north by Cheyenne County, on the west by Lincoln and Crowley Counties, and on the south by Crowley, Bent, and Prowers Counties. Surface. The surface consists of rolling plains, watered by Adobe, Rush, and Big Sandy Creeks, all tributaries of the Arkansas River. Although south of the Divide, Kiowa is sometimes said to be in the Rain Belt. The mean annual rainfall is about 15 inches, and the average temperature 500 to 550. Area. The area is 1,780 square miles, of which 7,000 acres, or less than one per cent., were under cultivation in 1910. A little land is irrigated. In 1900 the county had 701 inhabitants; the next ten years it quadrupled in population, having 2,899 souls in 1910. Eads. The county seat is Eads, on the Missouri Pacific Railway, which was constructed through the county in 1887. Eads is 112 miles northeast of Pueblo, and 150 miles southeast of Denver by air line. Its elevation is 4,209 feet. In 1900 it had 85 people; the population in 1910 was 193. It is the largest town in the county, and became the county seat in 1903. Experiment Farm. The United States Experiment Farm joins Eads on the south. Here experts in agron omy are testing grains and other products of the soil that can be successfully grown by dry farming, that is, without artificial watering. As a result of their in vestigations, agriculture on the plains is being placed on a scientific basis. By putting in drouth-resisting plants, farmers can make the semi-arid wastes pro ductive. The conquest of the " Great American Desert," falsely so named, is about complete. The face of the country is changing, and the monotony of prairie is relieved by groves. Dairying is fast sup- 176 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO planting stock-raising for beef. The open range is a thing 6f the past, and the old cattle trails are over grown with grass. Sand Creek Fight. Other stations in the county are Sheridan Lake, Galatea, and Chivington. The latter place was named for Colonel John M. Chivington, who led a battalion of 900 or 1,000 mounted men against Black Kettle's village of Cheyennes on Big Sandy Creek. There were 130 lodges of Cheyennes and 8 of Arapahoes. After a night march the soldiers sur prised the Indian camp and attacked it at sunrise, on the morriing of November 29, 1 864. The First Colorado Cavalry leading, they charged on the tepees, in which the red men were sleeping. They advanced with yells, firing at the startled braves, old men, squaws, and children as they ran out singly or huddled in groups. The warriors scattered and broke through gaps in the ranks. Although poorly armed and without their ponies, the Cheyennes put up a desperate fight. It was a sanguinary affray. Of the 500 or 600 people in the camp, it is estimated that from 150 to 300 were slain. The victors led away the captured ponies, covered with blankets, robes, and other trophies. The Sand Creek Massacre, as it is called, proved to be a costly mistake; it precipitated a bloody war, or, rather, a series of wars. The battlefield is about 10 miles north of the town. CHAPTER XXX KIT CARSON COUNTY Name. This county was named in honor of the renowned frontiersman, Christopher Carson (usually called Kit Carson), whose name is a household word not only in this State but throughout the Rocky Mountain country. A town- in Cheyenne County and a park in Trinidad have been named for him. His figure in bronze crowns the Denver Pioneer Monument. Kit Carson. Kit Carson was born in Kentucky, in 1809. When scarcely more than a youth he went to Santa Fe, and thence made the trip to California. In 1830 he was trapping on Green and Snake Rivers. He followed the life of a trapper and hunter for a dozen years or so, part of the time at Bent's Fort, which he kept supplied with game. In the use of firearms he had no superior. He was with Fremont on his first, second and third expeditions. Carson served with distinction in the Mexican War, at the head of a company of Rangers, who were mostly employed as scouts and sharpshooters. After the war he spent some years on his ranch in the Taos Valley, New Mexico. In 1854 he was appointed Indian agent for the Utes, with head quarters at Taos. He was often called upon to serve on commissions dealing with Indian affairs, his intimate knowledge of the tribesmen and their languages making him an invaluable adviser. 178 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO During the Civil War, 1861-1865, Kit Carson com manded a regiment of volunteers known as the New Mexico Battalion. In 1 865-1 866 he was in command of the post at Fort Garland, with the rank of brevet brigadier-general. He died in 1868, in his fifty-ninth year. The story of his life and adventures would fill a volume. The man was universally admired for his prowess and for his sterling traits of character. Features of County. Kit Carson County was organized from part of Elbert County in 1889. It adjoins Kansas on the east, Cheyenne County on the south, Lincoln County on the west, and Washington and Yuma Counties on the north. It is situated on the north slope of the Divide, and the altitude varies from 4,000 to 5,000 feet. The county is watered by the south fork of the Republican River, and in the southern portion by the Smoky Hill River. These streams are fed by numerous creeks that are usually dry. When storms occur they are full from bank to bank; in a night, or, maybe, a half-day, the raging current sub sides, and the water is gone. The mean annual pre cipitation is about 15 inches, and the average tempera ture 500 to 55°. Area. The area of the county is 2,168 square miles, of which 19,581 acres were cultivated in 1900; the cultivated area in 1909 was estimated to be 50,000, or less than 4 per cent, of the total area. The county had 1,580 inhabitants in 1900, as compared with 2,472 in 1890. The population in 1910 was 7,483. Cattle Country. In the '70's and the early '8o's the plains country of Colorado was overrun by great herds of cattle. There was no agriculture to speak of in what is now Kit Carson County. It was all wild land, save a small patch plowed here and there near the rivers. KIT CARSON COUNTY 179 The cattle roamed at will from one end of the county to another, where the feed was best. Gradually there came a change, and in another decade the days of the cattle barons were over. Like some other counties of eastern Colorado, Kit Carson showed a decrease of population in the '90's. This was due to other causes besides the fall in the price of silver. In the late '8o's thousands of settlers took up claims on grazing land at some distance from the rivers where water was not to be had for irrigation. Many of the homesteaders on the plains had mistaken ideas about farming in this semi-arid region. Wet seasons brought bountiful harvests. Then ensued dry, lean years. As a result, ranchers got discouraged, and abandoned their claims; they did not know how to make a success of " dry farming." Dry Farming. Now this wide, fertile section is filling up with intelligent farmers who get good crops by the Campbell system of soil culture. The face of the country is undergoing a transformation. The treeless waste, once known as the " Great American Desert," is disappearing. Settlers have planted groves, and the trees serve as windbreaks and for fuel. The water courses containing insufficient water for irrigation, the rancher sinks an artesian well to the underflow. It is now a land of windmill pumps and waving grain-fields, of meadows and pastures for dairy cows County Seat. The county seat is Burlington, 167 miles east of Denver, on the Rock Island Railroad, which traverses the county from east to west. It is an enter prising town, in the midst of a prosperous agricultural community. It has an altitude of 4,163 feet. In 1900 it had 183 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 368. 180 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO In the center of the county, at Stratton (on the Rock Island Railway), is a Catholic colony. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF DRY FARMING IW. C. Palmer, Extension Department Agricultural College, North Dakota.) " I. — Thou shalt plow deep. Lets rain get into soil easily. Lets in big rain without run off. Provides more feeding space for plant roots. More plant food made available. " II. ¦ — Thou shalt keep the surface soil loose. Keeps soil moisture from evaporating. Lets rain get into soil easily. More plant food made available, due to more moisture. Harrow the grain after it is up two inches, or use weeder. "III. — Thou shalt cultivate level. Level soil has the least soil exposed to the air. More evaporation from a ridged soil. Level soil will take in rainfall much faster than ridged soil. On ridged soil the rain runs off through the furrows. The soil in the ridges dries out so that the plant has less moist surface soil to draw on for food and moisture. Ridging the soil is a most effective way for getting rid of both the moisture in the soil and of rainfall. "IV. — Thou shalt summer fallow when rainfall is less than fifteen inches. The summer fallow saves up two years' rain for one crop. The summer fallow kills weeds and plant diseases. The summer fallow should be cultivated. When rainfall is over fifteen inches corn will be as good a preparation for a crop as the bare fallow. " V. — Thou shalt add organic matter to the soil. Holds moisture and plant food. Improves mechanical condition of the soil. Helps make plant food available. KIT CARSON. LEADVILLE, AND MT. MASSIVE, ON THE COLORADO MIDLAND RY. See p. 185 KIT CARSON COUNTY 181 Lessens drifting and blowing of the soil. Lessens wash ing of soil. Stable manure is the best form. Plow weeds under when green. " VI. — Thou shalt keep down the weeds. Weeds use up moisture. Weeds use up plant food. Weeds crowd the plants. Weeds shade the crops. Weeds make it difficult for the plant to grow. Weeds make it hard to work the land properly. " VII. — Thou shalt grow early maturing crops. Growing conditions best in early summer. Winter grains better than spring grains. " VIII. — Thou shalt grow corn every three to five years. The cultivation given corn saves moisture. The cultivation given corn kills weeds. The cultivation given corn kills plant diseases. Corn best preparation for a grain crop. Corn produces fine stock fodder. Corn produces more per acre than other crops. Do not hill up the corn, as this wastes the moisture. " IX. — Thou shalt grow clover or alfalfa every few years. Clover and alfalfa add fertility to the soil. Clover and alfalfa add organic matter to the soil. Clover and alfalfa kill weeds and plant diseases. Clover and alfalfa produce a most valuable hay. Clover and alfalfa produce very valuable seed crops. " X. — Thou shalt keep stock. The most profitable way of marketing grain and fodder is through stock. They produce manure which is very necessary to the soil. They bring about prosperity." CHAPTER XXXI LAKE COUNTY California Gulch. So long ago as 1859 some of the pioneer fortune-hunters found their way to California Gulch at the foot of Mount Massive. They discovered rich gold placers in this timbered ravine and returned, not having time to work them before winter. In April, i860, a party of Georgians wandered over the slope destined to be one of the greatest producers of the precious metals in the world. The surface dirt panned out well, and forthwith they located claims and or ganized a new mining district. Log cabins and stores were built. The camp was christened Oro City (or El Oro), and before a year had rolled by. it boasted of 5,000 residents. Rich Placers. The fame of California Gulch spread far and wide, and in 1861 it was the most populous spot in Colorado Territory. The entire ravine, less than 7 miles in length, was pre-empted, and some of the claims brought large returns of free gold. In a few years between $5,000,000 and $10,000,000 worth of dust had been taken out of the gulch and neighboring gold fields. That was the beginning of Lake County, organized in 1 861 with much larger limits than it has at present. At that time it extended westward to the Ute Reser vation, and to the south it embraced Chaffee and part LAKE COUNTY 183 of Gunnison County. It is now reduced to a tract of mountainous country about 16 by 24 miles in extent. Oro City was then the county seat. After the boom days of the early '6o's, the popula tion dwindled; the miners sought " fresh fields and pastures new." For a dozen years Lake County cut but little figure in Colorado's history. Fresh Discoveries in 1876. In 1874 William H. Stevens went to California Gulch and began operating sluices to recover placer gold that the earlier miners had not obtained with the gold pan and other crude appliances of pioneer days. While doing this, he en countered large masses of carbonate of lead, carrying silver. On investigating, he discovered immense deposits of minerals in the western slope of the Mosquito Range. In 1876 other prospectors joined in the quest and found bodies of high-grade ores. The news spread, and the almost deserted California Gulch again became a scene of activity. A mining camp grew up, and then a town. Rush of 1878. Mr. Stevens may be called the real founder of the " Cloud City," as the place was nick named because of its high altitude, being nearly 2 miles above sea level. In 1877 it was only a cluster of shanties and rude cabins. Almost at a single bound it sprang into the greatest silver camp in the world. Immense treasure vaults were opened in the hillsides. The quiet mountain trails became the highways for caravans of freighters with their precious burdens of ore and merchandise. The spring of 1878 the mad rush began. People coming from all parts of the Union poured into the new mining district. The railroad was completed to the gulch in 1880, and the " wonderful city of Aladdin " had a cosmopolitan population of 184 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO 15,000 within a mile square. It had become the second city of Colorado. It was named Leadville from the argentiferous lead ores found here in great abundance. Carbonate City. In the following years Leadville was the most important silver-producer in the West. During the first decade of its existence, 1 878-1 887, its output of gold, silver and lead exceeded $120,000,000, chiefly silver (estimated at 90 cents an ounce). The silver-lead deposits were found at great depths; they were formed in the geological age before the mountain upheaval at the close of the cretaceous period. These ores furnished the foundation upon which a smelting business could be built, and the " Carbonate City " became a big smelting center. Here is located one of the largest smelters in the world. Slump of Silver. Before the opening of the Cripple Creek mines, Lake County stood first as an ore-pro ducing county. Silver mining was the chief industry of its camps until the slump of the white metal in 1893. The city staggered under the blow dealt by the de monetization of silver. A period of stagnation followed. Then the enterprising citizens of Leadville turned their attention to gold, lead and zinc. Gold mining picked up, and the county enjoyed another era of prosperity. During the decade, 1 898-1907, Lake's output of gold amounted to a total of $15,640,000, next to that of Ouray County. In this decade Lake was the banner county in the production of silver, yielding thirty million dollars' worth. The bulk of Colorado's supply of zinc comes from this county. The past few years its annual production of zinc has ranged from one million to more than four million dollars. The State Bureau of Mines Report for 1908 credits Lake with an aggregate of $5,461,066, distributed as MAP OF THE LEADVILLE DISTRICT. LAKE COUNTY 185 follows: Gold, $1,392,813; silver, $1,699,331; copper, $693,508; lead, $603,664; and zinc, $1,071,750. This was an exceptionally small yield. Up to 1908 the an nual product of Lake County varied from $10,000,000 to $15,000,000. During the thirty years, 1879-1908, Colorado's mines produced silver to the value of more than $400,- 000,000, and over half of it came from the Leadville camp. Silver-lead ores of Colorado average three- quarters silver. Leadville Mines. From 1878 to 1908 the production of the precious metals in Lake County totaled over $300,000,000. Fryer Hill produced $25,000,000; Car bonate Hill, $15,000,000; Iron Hill, $12,000,000; Breece Hill, $12,000,000; and Yankee Hill, $5,000,000. The Camp Bird, the Morning Star, the Catalpa, the Crescent, and the Carbonate produced rich ore from shallow depths, 6 to 20 feet below the surface. London Mine, on the top of the Mosquito Range, overlooking Park County, is one of the largest producers of gold, silver, and lead. The Little Jonny is another famous mine. The A. Y. and Minnie group of mines have yielded many millions. It was at Leadville that Senator H. A. W. Tabor began his spectacular career. In 1878 he was Lead- ville's postmaster. He grubstaked two poor shoe makers of Fairplay, who offered him one-third of what ever treasure they might find. They struck it rich at the apex of Fryer Hill. Erelong Tabor was a mil lionaire, building stately blocks in Denver. Other Coloradoans won fortune and honor during the bonanza era of the Carbonate City. That the Leadville mining country has a great future, is believed by all who are familiar with the geological 186 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO features of the camp. Tunnels are being driven that will develop rich veins and vastly increase the wealth of the district. Lake County. Lake is a central county of the State. It is bounded on the east by Park County, on the south by Chaffee County, on the west by Pitkin County, and on the north by Eagle and Summit Counties. It extends from the crest of Park Range to that of Sawatch Range. It includes the upper valley of the Arkansas River, which contains some sections of arable land suited for vegetables. A few miles apart, on the flanks of Park Range, are the sources of the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers. Area. The area of Lake County is 393 square miles, of which 7,636 acres, or 3 per cent., were under cultiva tion in 1900. The mean annual rainfall is about 14 inches, and the average temperature 400 to 450. Population. Lake's population, like that of other mining counties, has fluctuated with the ups and downs of the mineral industry. The United States census gave it only 522 inhabitants in 1870; in 1880 there were 23,563. The census of 1890 showed a marked decrease, the number being 14,663. There was a gain in the '90's, the figure for 1900 being 18,054. The population in 1910 was 10,600. The county seat is Leadville, on the Midland, the Colorado and Southern, and the Denver and Rio Grande Railways. It is 172 miles from Denver on the Colorado and Southern Railway. It has an elevation of 10,190 feet. The population in 1900 was 12,455. It was 7,508 in 1910. Mount Massive. Leadville lies in the gently sloping valley between the Mosquito and Sawatch Ranges. A dozen miles or so to the southwest stands Mount LAKE COUNTY 187 Massive, one of the highest mountains in the State. Its altitude is 14,424 feet (or 12 feet lower than the pinnacle of Mount Elbert in the southern part of the county). Other majestic peaks rear their crests into the air about it. There is a scenic atmosphere pervading the Sawatch Range that is peculiarly its own; it can be characterized as the embodiment of subdued sublimity, in direct contrast to the rugged grandeur of the San Juan Moun tains and the heart of the Sangre de Cristo. Evergreen Lakes. Six miles southwest of Leadville is the resort known as Evergreen Lakes. These lovely sheets of water afford opportunity for boat-riding and fishing. Here is located the National Fish Hatchery. Soda Springs. A five-mile ride from Leadville takes the tourist to Soda Springs, situated on the slope of Mount Massive at the mouth of Colorado Gulch. The waters are renowned for their medicinal qualities. The traveler interested in the methods of getting the precious metals out of the earth can visit places nearby and see men engaged at placer and lode mining. Sports men can put in the time pleasantly with the gun or fishing-rod. Twin Lakes. A popular resort is that at Twin Lakes, 14 miles south of Leadville. These lakes are fed by terminal moraines. Their altitude is 9,333 feet. The water is of unknown depth. There is capital trout- fishing in the lakes and in neighboring brooks. " Cross ing the river, descending the valley, and then turning up among the western hills," says Bowles, " we sud denly came out over the Twin Lakes and stopped. The scene was, indeed, enchanting. At our feet, a half a mile away, was the lower of two as fine sheets of water as mountain ever shadowed, or wind rippled, or 188 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO sun illuminated. They took their places at once in the goodly company of the Cumberland Lakes of Eng land, of Lucerne in Switzerland, of Como and Maggiore in north Italy, of Tahoe and Donner in California, and no second rank among them all. One is about three miles by a mile and a half; the other, say two miles by one; and only a fifty-rod belt of grass and grove separates them. Above them on two sides sharply rise, — dark with trees and rocks until the snow caps with white, — the mountains of the range; sparsely wooded hills of grass and sagebush mount gracefully in successive benches on a third, — it was over these that we came into their presence; while to the south a narrow, broken valley, pushed rapidly by the moun tains toward the Arkansas, carries their outlet stream to its home in the main river. Clear, hard, sandy beaches alternate with walls of rock and low marshy meadows in making the immediate surroundings of both lakes. The waters are purity itself, and trout abound in them." {Our New West, p. 160.) Fremont's Pass. About a dozen miles northeast of Leadville, on the Dillon branch of the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, is Fremont's Pass, in Park Range. While returning homeward on his second expedition, the Pathfinder crossed the pass that has been named in his honor. " In the afternoon," he wrote in his journal (June 20, 1844)," we continued our road — occasionally through open pines, with a very gradual ascent. We surprised a herd of buffalo, enjoying the shade at a small lake among the pines; and they made the branches crack, as they broke through the woods. In a ride of about three quarters of an hour, and having ascended perhaps eight hundred feet we reached the SUMMIT OF THE DIVIDING RIDGE." '¦ hi HS&& - Ii -'•-¦¦.-¦ : \ ¦¦¦, .,vt, ti: //;¦' ¦ •'¦.>-, •*¦¦•',< ' •?„ ¦ --'¦ ¦ ¦- 1 ¦ . i , »• W •*•¦" ' • ¦-;¦ ¦'¦¦ LJ '''jtffi: ¦'¦¦.' '"%Ms - , '*1*K* >*•- ''& ¦'&¦ ¦ dt if* '*" ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ./¦.-. TWIN LAKES. (On the Colorado Midland Ry. Red Mountain in center.) See #. 187 GRANITE CANON, LAKE COUNTY. (On the Colorado Midland Ry.) & . \ » r- "ftlm-Tifi BHSJL-Mi^iifrjXa, - . ^PKi gSPr.^i' .fJilljSf Sk •¦•'•;¦ . " . ': fe' . * - -^MtZaBraif MB&rarf :3&BSffl3maB tW*' vJrwpl'Hs H$ WKrHSte'iLd&S&sJilwcm^ BMitfeM^ga^wE^^^^B :; ifc|jfcp%ffi Hj£ mBHi'I i^^fMlffii j^ga— BBS Jt^H B;JaH^Hra*TfflRiTllra " Hk-"^^*- " -^^icSHcSffl^H '^Kj*^ v' '¦^¦3 1 ¦JHfv^g^4 ' jr fR%K,!- > !3Hi§&''~ •*.*'. H*"j4iil '* ^ y» A* s^fe^^iSS -y^jJMu NEEDLE MOUNTAINS. (Rio Animas in the foreground.) See p. 191 LAKE COUNTY 189 The elevation of Fremont's Pass is 11,320 feet, and its crest commands a view of striking mountain scenery and awe-inspiring cloud-shapes. To the northwest the traveler can plainly discern the Mount of the Holy Cross with its sacred symbol, a vision calling forth emotions of rapture and reverence. CHAPTER XXXII LA PLATA COUNTY Baker Expedition. It was the spirit of adventure and the lust of gold that led the Baker expedition through the wilds of southwestern Colorado in i860. The enterprise properly belongs to the realm of ro mance, for nothing came of it. The Indians made it hot for them, and at one time starvation stared them in the face. Prospecting. In 1870 San Juan, as the country around the San Juan Mountains was called, was in vaded by another party that traversed what is now La Plata County. After prospecting and making some finds, they returned to Santa Fe. The following year found them again in the San Juan Mountains. Other adventurers entered the region in 1873, finding both placer and quartz gold in La Plata Mountains. Settlement. As soon as the treaty with the Indians was ratified (September 3, 1873), settlers poured into the Animas Valley. The following spring witnessed an influx of miners, ranchers, and business men, who established homes for themselves. Name. In 1874 this county was organized and named La Plata (Spanish, meaning " The Silver " or " The Silver Plate "). It then included an extensive district lying between Utah and Hinsdale County. Out of its LA PLATA COUNTY 191 broad domain were afterward carved San Juan, Ouray, Dolores, Montezuma, and San Miguel Counties. For two years Silverton was the county seat. Natural Features. La Plata County is bounded on the south by New Mexico, on the west by Montezuma County, on the north by San Juan County, and on the east by Hinsdale and Archuleta Counties. The range of La Plata Mountains forms the western boundary. The northern part is mountainous, and spurs of moun tains extend southward from the San Juan Range, with valleys between. The group of Needle Mountains, buttressing the San Juan Mountains west of the Con tinental Divide, contain some isolated peaks about 14,000 feet in height. Here are the sources of the rivers Animas, Florida, La Plata, and other streams. These are tributaries of Rio San Juan, which empties into the mighty Colorado River. The mountains are timbered with spruce, pine, and fir. Area. The area of the county is 1,848 square miles, of which 14,491 acres were under cultivation in 1900. The cultivated area in 1910 was 30,000 acres. Alfalfa, grains, and fruits are grown successfully. The mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches, and the average temperature 50° to 550. Population. The population of La Plata County has rapidly increased since its first settlement. It jumped from 1,110 in 1880 to 5,509 in 1890. The census figures for 1900, 7,016, showed a gain of nearly 30 per cent. The population in 1910 was 10,812, an increase of 53 per cent, in ten years. Mining. The chief industries are lumbering, farm ing, stock-raising, and mining (precious metals and coal). During the 10 years, 1 899-1908, the production of gold averaged about $150,000 a year. Silver is not 192 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO very extensively mined; the output for 1908 being $38,000, and that of 1907 $141,000. County Seat. The county seat is Durango, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, 45 1 miles from Den ver. It was founded in 1880, and the railroad com pleted to the place in 1881. Its altitude is 6,508 feet. In 1900 the " Magic City" had 3,317 souls; in 1910 the population was 4,686. From Durango the traveler who is interested in prehistoric ruins can take the trip by rail to Aztec, 30 miles south; near this place are the decaying remains of 2 underground villages, covering from 8 to 10 acres, once occupied by a mys terious people who disappeared three or four hundred years ago. Trimble Springs. Nine miles north of Durango, on the Silverton branch of the Denver and Rio Grande road, is the famed resort known as Trimble Hot Springs. The place has an elevation of 6,578 feet, and affords delightful vistas of alpine scenery. Legend of Cliff -Dwellers. La Plata County was once densely populated by a race variously styled Cliff- Dwellers and Pueblos. They had reached a cultural stage far superior to that of the Navajos. The section south of the San Juan Mountains, which they inhabited, is an interesting field for antiquarians and sightseers. One story, handed down by the Hopis, from father to son, gives this poetical account of the disappearance of the former denizens of the region. " Formerly, the aborigines inhabited all this country as far east as the headwaters of the San Juan, as far north as the Rio Dolores, west some distance into Utah, and south and southwest throughout Arizona and on down into Mexico. They had lived there from time immemorial — since the earth was a small island, FLAT TOP MOUNTAIN AND MT. HALLETT FROM BIERSTADT LAKE, LARIMER COUNTY- LA PLATA COUNTY 193 which augmented as its inhabitants multiplied. They cultivated the valley, fashioned whatever utensils and tools they needed very neatly and handsomely out of clay and wood and stone, not knowing any of the useful metals; built their homes and kept their flocks and herds in the fertile river-bottoms, and worshipped the sun. They were an eminently peaceful and pros perous people, living by agriculture rather than by the chase. About a thousand years ago, however, they were visited by savage strangers from the North, whom they treated hospitably. Soon these visits became more frequent and annoying. Then their troublesome neigh bors — ancestors of the present Utes — began to forage upon them, and, at last, to massacre them and devastate their farms; so, to save their lives, at least, they built houses high upon the cliffs, where they could store food and hide away till the raiders left. But one summer the invaders did not go back to their mountains as the people expected, but brought their families with them and settled down. So, driven from their homes and lands, starving in their little niches on the high cliffs, they could only steal away during the night, and wander across the cheerless uplands. To one who has traveled these steppes, such a flight seems terrible, and the mind hesitates to picture the sufferings of the sad fugitives. " At the crestone they halted, and probably found friends, for the rocks and caves are full of the nests of these human wrens and swallows. Here they collected, erected stone fortifications and watch-towers, dug reservoirs in the rocks to hold a supply of water, which in all cases is precarious in this latitude, and once more stood at bay. Their foes came, and for one long month fought and were beaten back, and returned day after day to the attack as merciless and inevitable as the 194 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO tide. Meanwhile, the families of the defenders were evacuating and moving south, and bravely did their protectors shield them till they were all safe a hundred miles away. The besiegers were beaten back and went away. But the narrative tells us that the hollows of the rocks were filled to the brim with the mingled blood of conquerors and conquered, and red veins of it ran down into the canon. It was such a victory as they could not afford to gain again, and they were glad, when the long fight was over, to follow their wives and little ones to the south. There, in the deserts of Arizona, on well- nigh unapproachable isolated bluffs, they built new towns, and their few descendants, the Hopis, live in them to this day, preserving more carefully and purely the history and veneration of their forefathers than their skill or wisdom." Twelve miles west of Durango is the Fort Lewis Indian School, now a school of agriculture and mechan ical arts under direction of the State Agricultural College. CHAPTER XXXIII LARIMER COUNTY Spanish Prospectors. About a century ago a party of Portuguese adventurers set out from Mexico and wandered northward along the chain of the Rocky Mountains until they reached the vicinity of Long's Peak. They prospected for gold northwest of Boulder and disappeared, leaving mankind none the wiser. Trappers. Before 1810 the fur-traders had ventured into the wilds of northern Colorado. About the year 1816 a company of 45 " voyageurs " (as the French trappers and hunters used to be called) found their way to a point a little northwest of where Denver stands. They were in the employ of the American Fur Com pany, with headquarters at St. Louis. So Dr. James relates in his narrative of Long's expedition. A score or so of years later Kit Carson and his band of mountain men trapped through Estes Park. Fremont. However, little was known of this region until Fremont passed that way and described it in the report of his first expedition, in 1842. On his second expedition (in 1843), the Pathfinder left St. Vrain's Fort and struck across the country in a northwesterly direction. His route lay up the Poudre River and then along the base of the Medicine Bow Range into southern Wyoming. Although not the first white man to visit this section, he was the first geographer to give 196 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO an account of it to the world. Fremont was an intelli gent observer, and he rightly judged the land northwest of Fort Collins to be fertile and productive. Its ap parent barrenness he attributed to the dryness of the climate. It was midsummer, and he was delighted with the magnificent flora of the eastern slope. He writes: " The slopes and broad ravines were absolutely covered with fields of flowers of the most exquisitely beautiful colors." Mountain sage was abundant, the plant (or bush) growing from 2 to 6 feet in height. First Settler. Not long afterward a French trapper, Antoine Janise, established a trading post just above the present town of La Porte. The Indians generously donated the land. " On the first of June, 1844," he says, " I stuck my stake on a claim in the valley, intending the location selected for my home should the country ever be settled. At that time all the streams were very high, and the country black with buffalo. As far as the eye could reach, scarcely anything but buffalo could be seen. I was just returning from Mexico, and thought the Poudre Valley the loveliest place on earth, and have not since changed my opinion. The gold fever broke out in 1858. ... In the winter of 1 85 8-1 859 settlers and prospectors came flocking in." Near Janise's place on the Poudre River was a small settlement of a dozen or more French mountain men, who had Indian wives. In the early '50's Robert Chambers and son, of Iowa, built a cabin near the mouth of Big Thompson Canon. Chambers Lake was named for the old trapper. Larimer. Such were the beginnings of Larimer County, one of the original 17 counties of Colorado Territory, marked out by act of the Legislature in LARIMER COUNTY 197 1861. The county was named in honor of General William Larimer, one of the founders of Denver. A prominent thoroughfare of the Queen City was named for him. Features of County. Larimer County is bounded on the north by Wyoming, on the east by Weld County, on the south by Boulder County, and on the west by Jackson County. The crest of Front or Medicine Bow Range forms the western boundary. The eastern part of the county consists of rolling plains; the western portion of foothills and mountains. Cache a la Poudre. The north half of the county is drained by Cache a la Poudre River, which rises in Medicine Bow Mountains and empties into South Platte River east of Greeley. Tradition tells of a party of French trappers, who, on their way to the mountains, cached (buried) a quantity of rifle powder in a sandbank close to the stream. So it got the name, Cache a la Poudre River, which is sometimes shortened to Cache la Poudre and Poudre (" powder "). A plain granite monument commemorates the spot where the powder was buried in 1836; it stands in a road near Bellevue about eight miles northwest of Fort Collins. Area of County. Larimer has an area of 2,637 square miles. The mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches, and the average temperature 400 to 500. Population. Larimer County's growth in popula tion has been continuous since the start. The Federal Census of 1880 showed 4,892 inhabitants, as compared with 838 in 1870. The figures for 1890 and 1900 were, respectively, 9,712 and 12,168. The population in 1910 was 25,270. Stock-raising. In the '8o's Larimer was Colorado's leading county in stock-raising. Gradually ranchers 198 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO came to realize the possibility of reclaiming the semi- arid country by artificial watering. Now the eastern part of the county boasts of a diversified agriculture. The cultivated area in 1910 was 125,000 acres, of which 100,000 acres were irrigated. Stock-raising is carried on extensively in the foothills and on the plains. Con ditions are especially favorable for sheep-growing. Horticulture and bee culture are highly remunerative. Mining. Little mining has been done in the county, because deep shafts are necessary, requiring the ex penditure of large sums of money. There are indica tions of immense deposits of carbonates, carrying gold and silver, in the Medicine Bow Mountains. Lumber ing is an important industry, and so is quarrying. Four miles west of Fort Collins is a quarry of red sandstone said to be the best sandstone for building purposes in the United States. Fort Collins. The county seat is Fort Collins, 74 miles north of Denver on the Colorado and Southern Railway. Its altitude is 4,984 feet. Here was a small reservation for friendly Indians in the time of the Civil War. In 1864 a military post was established by Colonel William O. Collins, after whom the town (laid out in 1 871) was named. It was not a fort, only a cluster of log houses and tents occupied by the troops. The camp was abandoned in 1874. At first the growth of the town was slow. The census of 1890 gave it 2,011 inhabitants. In 1900 the population had increased to 3,053. During the past six years the place has witnessed a wonderful expansion, the population of 1910 being 8,210. A large beet-sugar factory was completed in 1903. Gypsum, limestone, flagging, and marble are quarried near the city limits. Agricultural College. Just south of Fort Collins is LARIMER COUNTY 199 the State Agricultural College, opened in 1879. Here scientific farming is taught, and experiments are made in growing plants and raising stock. Loveland. Other places in the county are Berthoud and Loveland. The latter town, located in the valley of Big Thompson River, is the center of a flourishing community of ranchers and fruitgrowers. A 1200-ton sugar factory was built here in 1901. The town was named in honor of a noted pioneer, William A. H. Loveland. Its population was 3,651 in 1910. Mountain Resorts. Cherokee Park, on the north branch of Poudre River, and Zimmerman's Summer Resort Home are favorite resorts with tourists for whom the mountains have a fascination. Besides the in vigorating air and the scenic attractions, guests can enjoy outdoor sports, such as rambling in the foothills, hunting and fishing. Chambers Lake is one of the most picturesque landmarks in northern Colorado. Estes Park. Estes Park, at the base of Long's Peak, is the most beautiful of Colorado's natural parks. It comprises wooded tracts and grassy basins through which a flashing river flows majestically. The main valley rises in smooth undulations from the Big Thomp son to the surrounding hills. Groups of tall spruce dot the wild pastures, and the mountain sides are covered with a forest of sturdy pines. Aspens and willows fringe the beaver streams, where deer come down to drink in the early morning. First Settler. The park was named in honor of Joel Estes, who visited it in 1859 and settled there the following year. In the late '6o's other white men found their way to this lovely valley with its background of semi-circled mountains. Some of them stayed; others came and went. In August, 1868, a party of half a 200 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO dozen men, headed by William N. Byers, succeeded in surmounting the pinnacle of Long's Peak. The ascent was exceedingly difficult and perilous. The precipitous dome had never been scaled before. Major Long, for whom the peak was named, never got within 40 miles of it: Dunraven. In the early 70's Estes Park was known to fame, and attracted many hunters and tourists from home and abroad. The Earl of Dunraven took a fancy to it, and acquired a large slice of the grazing land, for years used as a cattle ranch. Hotels were built to accommodate the increasing crowds of visitors, and some homesteaders located claims. The residents of the district now number about 400. Physical Features. Estes Park is 12 miles in length and from a mile to 3 miles wide. Its surface is broken into rocky ridges and glades variegated with cliffs, trees, and tiny lakes. In the southwest corner are several canons and dells of ravishing beauty. Glaciers. " There are moraines 500 feet high and a mile in length composed entirely of debris and boulders — the flotsam and jetsam of a glacier. . . . Hallet and Sprague glaciers, with their masses of greenish crevassed ice sliding slowly down their slopes, are worth long journeys to behold." (Enos A. Mills.) Attractions. The coolness of the summer climate, the pine-scented breezes, the ever-shifting glories of the mountains, the rosy sunset skies, the moonlight enchantment, the wealth of flora and fauna — these make Estes Park an ideal resting-place for a month's vacation. To the tourist who tramps the trails Nature discloses striking prospects of mountain loveliness and grandeur. Big Thompson River, which sweeps across the park, is a famous trout stream. Not far away, in long's peak. (Estes Park village in the foreground. Long's Peak Inn, Post Office, ranch houses, etc.) See p. 201 BEET SUGAR FACTORY AT GRAND JUNCTION. See p. 219 LARIMER COUNTY 201 North Park, are the haunts of big game. Estes Park is reached by auto from Loveland (34 miles) and from Lyons (23 miles). Take Colorado and Southern to Loveland, or the Burlington to Lyons. Ascent of Long's Peak. From Long's Peak Inn (altitude, 9,000 feet) tourists ride on burros to timber- line, a distance of 5 miles; from here they must climb the last 2 miles to the top of Long's Peak (14,271 feet). The summit of this massive mountain affords a far- spreading, magnificent view. The trip up and down occupies about 10 hours. SWEET ESTES PARK " The road toils up, zigzag, with naught of ease, Around great rocks that twist it into kinks; Now from the gorge's narrow edge it shrinks, Now naught but beetling cafion walls it sees — The goal a rugged crest that irks the knees! Lo ! At the crest the road abruptly sinks Down to sweet Estes Park, where Nature prinks Mid meads and lakes, flowers and birds and trees — A cup of emerald that holds the flow Of shining, silver streams which wind and turn And mirror blue the Colorado sky — A cup of emerald, rimmed with virgin snow, Of amethyst and purple peaks that burn With matchless colors from the Hand on High! " — John Dickinson Sherman.- CHAPTER XXXIV LAS ANIMAS COUNTY Early History. In the late '40's there was more or less travel between Bent's Fort and Santa Fe and other points in New Mexico. In 1846 General Stephen W. Kearny's army marched up the Arkansas to Bent's Fort, whence they proceeded southward through Raton (pronounced " Ratoon ") Pass and thence on to Las Vegas. A few weeks later Colonel Sterling Price, with his little army of about 1,700 volunteers, followed Kearny by the same line of march through what is now Las Animas County, Colorado, into New Mexico, which had been recently annexed with the Republic of Texas. The chronicles of early days tell of the tem porary sojourn, in the grassy valley of Purgatory (or Animas) River, of herders with oxen recruiting for the long jaunt from Missouri to Santa Fe via Bent's Fort. For more than a year, 1846-1847, a wagon- master for Vigil and St. Vrain was a temporary resident in the northern part of Las Animas County. However, no permanent settlement of white men was made here before i860. First Settlers. In November, i860, Albert W. Archi bald, of Kansas, camped where Trinidad now stands. At that time there was only one house, an unfinished log cabin, used as a human habitation in this county. During the winter of 1860-1861 Mr. Archibald and his LAS ANIMAS COUNTY 203 brother Ebenezer helped build the first house erected within the present limits of Trinidad. In the following spring and summer a score or more of settlers arrived in the valley of Animas River. There were seven Americans and one Scotchman; the others were Mexi cans from Taos and Mora, New Mexico. So two widely differing civilizations met and mingled in the first settlements near the southern border of Colorado. As a result, Spanish names of towns, rivers and mountains in this county are prevalent. Trinidad signifies "Trinity"; Raton, "Rat"; Rio de las Animas, " River of Spirits." The county itself takes its name from that of the principal river, called Animas because of a peculiar moaning sound rising from the earth and suggestive of the groans of suffering spirits. Las Animas County. Las Animas was set apart from Huerfano County in 1866. It adjoins New Mexico on the south, Baca County on the east, Bent, Otero, Pueblo, and Huerfano Counties on the north, and Huerfano and Costilla Counties on the west. The summit of the Culebra or Sangre de Cristo Range is the western boundary. Raton Range forms the dividing line between Colorado and New Mexico. On the boundary between Las Animas and Huerfano stand the Spanish Peaks in lonely grandeur. These two isolated promontories have altitudes of 13,620 feet and 12,708 feet, respectively. On the western boundary is Culebra Peak (altitude, 14,069 feet), and Trinchera rises to the height of 13,546 feet. Area. Las Animas is the second largest county in the State, ranking next to Routt County. Its area is 4,802 square miles. The western third is mountainous and broken country. The surface of the eastern portion consists of valleys and tablelands or rolling plains. 204 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO The mean annual rainfall is about 15 inches, and the average temperature 500 to 550. Coal. This county has an extensive area of coal beds. The yearly output of coal represents nearly half of the total quantity mined in the State. The district around Trinidad and El Moro is the largest coal-producing community in the West. Farming. After coal-mining the chief industries are agriculture and stock-raising. The valley of Animas River is from half a mile to two miles wide. The soil is well adapted for alfalfa and other crops. Peaches and other fruits thrive. Growth of Population. Las Animas is one of the most populous counties of the Centennial State. In 1870 it had 4,276 inhabitants. A decade later they had doubled, the number being 8,903. In 1890 the figures, 17,208, showed an increase of nearly 100 per cent. According to the returns of the Federal Census in 1900, it stood fifth (after Teller, El Paso, Pueblo, and Ara pahoe Counties), having a population of 21,842. In 19 10 it was the fourth county in respect to population, having 33,643 inhabitants. Trinidad. The county seat is Trinidad, the most important city of southern Colorado. It is romantically situated on the banks of Las Animas River, near the base of a spur of the Rocky Mountains. " When I first saw it in 1868," says Hall, " it was a large Mexican village, built of adobes, pickets and logs, with scarcely more than twenty-five American inhabitants. This state of things prevailed, with occasional introduction of modern improvements through the gradual, acquisi tion of Caucasian immigrants, until after the arrival of railways in 1878. . . . There are two strangely formed and very conspicuous- peaks on either side of the city, LAS ANIMAS COUNTY 205 that on the north called ' Simpson's Rest,' on the very pinnacle of which lie the remains of George S. Simpson, one of the historic pioneers of the county, and that on the south, ' Fisher's Peak.' " The altitude of the " City of the Holy Trinity " is 5,985 feet. It is 216 miles south of Denver on the Colorado and Southern Railway. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Rail road reached Trinidad in 1878, and the Denver and Rio Grande entered it in 1888. The census of 1900 credited Trinidad with 5,345 souls; its population in 1 9 10 was 10,204. Wootton. A landmark of Trinidad is the old home of Richens L. Wootton, one of the valiant company of trappers and freighters who pushed into the western wilderness. He was a contemporary of Kit Carson, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Lucien Maxwell, John A. Albert, and other noted frontiersmen. After roaming for many years over the plains and through the mountains, "Uncle Dick" settled down on a farm an hour's journey south of Trinidad in a beautiful valley, where he spent his declining years. A station on the Santa Fe Railroad was named in his honor. Markers of Old Trail. In Kit Carson Park, Trinidad, is one of the 27 monuments erected in this State along the historic highway sometimes denominated the " Santa Fe Trail." At El Moro is another granite marker of the old trail, which was much frequented by freighters and travelers in the '50's and '6o's. Its course from the Kansas boundary to the New Mexico border almost coincides with the route of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. The Indian name of the Spanish Peaks (Cumbres Espafiolas) is Wah-ha-ta-gas, meaning " Twins." Baca is the Spanish for " berry " ; Costilla, " rib " ; 206 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Cuchara, "spoon"; Culebra, "snake"; Grande, "great"; Huerfano, "orphan"; Medano, "sand bank"; Moro, "Moor"; Paso, "pass"; Pueblo, " village "; Trinchera, " bowl "; Vegas, " plains." LEGEND OF PURGATORY RIVER (From Richard I. Dodge's Our Wild Indians) " A curious and interesting story was told me by an old Mexican, apropos to the name of what is known on our map as the ' Purgatory River.' " When Spain owned all Mexico and Florida, the Commanding Officer at Santa Fe received an order to open communication with Florida. An Infantry Regi ment was selected for this duty. It started rather late in the season, and wintered at a place which has been a town ever since, and is now known as Trinidad. In the spring, the colonel, leaving behind all camp fol lowers — - both men and women — marched down the stream which flows for many miles through a magnifi cent canon. Not one of the regiment returned or was ever heard of after, their fate being shrouded in mystery. " When all hope had departed from the wives, children and friends left behind in Trinidad, informa tion was sent to Santa Fe, and a wail went up through the land. The priests and people called this stream, ' El rio de las animas perdidas,' ' The River of the Lost Souls.' " Years after, when the Spanish power weakened and Canadian French trappers permeated the country, they adopted a more concise name. The place of lost souls being purgatory, they called the river ' Le Pur- gatoire.' Then came the ' Great American Bull- whacker,' he whose persistent efforts opened and main- LAS ANIMAS COUNTY 207 tained the enormous trade between Santa Fe and St. Louis. Utterly unable to twist his tongue into any such Frenchified expression, he called the river the ' Picket- wire,' and by this name it is known to all frontiersmen and to the settlers on its banks." CHAPTER XXXV LINCOLN COUNTY Name. This county was named after Abraham Lincoln. A massive mountain in Park Range was named in honor of the great Emancipator, and one of the loftiest sheets of water in Colorado is called Lin coln Lake. The Divide. Lincoln County was organized in 1889 from parts of Bent and Elbert Counties. It is a part of the Divide, described by Fremont as an " elevation into which the prairies are gathered and from which the waters flow, in almost every direction, to the Arkansas, Platte, and Kansas Rivers; the latter stream having here its remotest sources." "Cattle Kings." In early days of Colorado there were scattering settlers in the north third of Lincoln County, then included in Arapahoe County. However, they were mostly cattlemen, not agricul turists proper. In the late '70's and the '8o's the livestock industry was a flourishing one on the plains. It reached its height about 1882, when there were a million and a half of bovines in the Centennial State. Those were the days of the " Cattle Kings "; there were thousands of cowboys then engaged in herding. The buffalo had then well-nigh disappeared, while antelope and deer were far from being so common as in former years. LINCOLN COUNTY 209 Gradually Colorado's agricultural possibilities were realized, and ranchers turned their attention more and more to raising field crops. New settlers poured into the State and took up claims. Meanwhile vast areas of the open range were fenced. As time passed, a transformation was wrought in the semi-arid country once supposed to be desert. Passing of the Range. After 1885 the number of dairy cows noticeably increased, and the herds of steers were correspondingly diminished as the extent of pasture lands and grain fields was enlarged, year by year. A pioneer, William S. Smith, who witnessed the change, says: " Very extensive were some of the cattle ranches on the prairies and vast plains, with costly equipment and much invested capital, and every chapter of cow boy life bristles with intensest interest, from riding the range, breaking a bronco, foiling a stampede or dis playing daring in the round-up, the sport of shooting up the town, there was nothing to match it on the planet. But the superannuated cows, old Texas steers and calico colors of former years would not be thought of in the herds of to-day. All has changed as by some magical stroke, and the cowboy is tamed and mild as the gentle zephyrs that lull him to sleep. The wild- eyed, imperious-looking longhorn has yielded place to the gentle Hereford and Shorthorn, and the great ranch that stretched from horizon to horizon has been narrowed down a bit — even to a few sections. The settler came and squatted on the pasture and wrote for his brother and then for all his friends, because generous laws made possible a home for every man who would improve a quarter section, and soon the big cattlemen saw the beginning of a different round-up, 210 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO for each returning sun shone upon still another sod shanty on a claim, and there came steadily the tramp, tramp of homesteaders on the trail of the ranchman. Now, all over prairie and plain it is different. The wild and lonesome life has virtually passed, the peaceful herd ' wind slowly o'er the lea,' and instead of the old veterans of the range crowding the stockyards we see and admire the sleek one and two-year-old steers following up their sisters." Boundaries. Lincoln County is bounded on the north by Washington and Elbert Counties, on the west by Elbert and El Paso Counties, on the south by Otero and Kiowa Counties, and on the east by Kiowa, Cheyenne, and Kit Carson Counties. Rain Belt. It is one of the tier of counties sometimes called the " Prairie Rain Belt." The rainfall is ex ceedingly variable. Some years it exceeds 20 inches; in other years it drops to 12 inches or even less. The average precipitation in Lincoln County is about 16 inches. The mean annual temperature is from 50° to55°- Area. The area of the county is 2,553 square miles, consisting of rolling plains. In 1900 there were 8,195 acres reported to be under the plow. The culti vated area in 1909 was 35,000 acres. Population. The county is traversed by two rail roads — the Rock Island and the Union Pacific. In 1900 it had 926 inhabitants. The population in 1910 was 5,917. Hugo. The county seat is Hugo, settled about 1874. It is 105 miles southeast of Denver, on the Union Pacific Railway. Its altitude is 5,039 feet. In 1900 the place had 120 souls; the population in 1910 was 343. Other towns are Arriba, Bovina, and Limon. LINCOLN COUNTY 211 Arriba is a Spanish name meaning " above "; Bovina, " bovine"; Limon, " lemon." Dry Farming. While a considerable portion of Lincoln County is still wild land, used only for grazing, the territory devoted to agriculture is rapidly growing in size as the possibilities of " dry farming " are realized. The principal crops are hay and winter wheat. Not much fruit is raised. CHAPTER XXXVI LOGAN COUNTY Name. This county was named in honor of General John A. Logan. A village in Arapahoe County was named for this gallant soldier. " Fort Wicked." In the summer of 1820 Long's expedition traveled up the South Platte River, and a score or so of years later Fremont followed in Long's footsteps. In the '6o's this was the route of the Over land stages passing back and forth between Omaha and Denver. The intrepid and resourceful frontiersman, Hollen Godfrey, kept one of the stage stations on the line along the Platte. It was located near Merino. Godfrey was always on the alert, and the redskins never caught him napping. They once swooped down upon his ranch, and a hot encounter ensued. A dozen or more of the warriors were killed or wounded before they were beaten off. After this " brush," the savages named Godfrey's station " Fort Wicked." In the days of Indian fighting this was the only house on the stage line in Colorado that was not burnt. Up to 1869 travel was dangerous on the plains, and immigration to Colorado was checked. Mail coaches were ambushed and fired upon. Some large caravans were attacked. As a result, the Territory's growtfi was almost at a standstill before 1870. Cattlemen. In the '70's Weld County embraced LOGAN COUNTY 213 all of northeastern Colorado. This wide region was then a treeless waste, overrun by immense herds of cattle that fattened on the nutritious grama grass. Settlers were few and far between. The '8o's saw the beginnings of towns in this county. Sterling was started in 1881, and Atwood in 1885. Logan County. In 1887 Logan County was set apart from Weld County. It then extended to the Nebraska line. Two years later Phillips and Sedgwick Counties were carved out of it, so great was the influx of settlers in the late '8o's. That was a period of de velopment for Colorado. The population of the State double'd in the decade, 1 878-1 887. Boundaries. Logan County is bounded on the north by Nebraska, on the west by Weld and Morgan Counties, on the south by Morgan, Washington, and Yuma Counties, and on the west by Phillips and Sedgwick Counties. The South Platte River flows through it diagonally in a northeasterly direction; it is here a wide, shallow stream, with a big wooded island here and there. The county is traversed by the Burlington and the Union Pacific Railroads. The " Short Line " of the Union Pacific, from Julesburg to La Salle, was completed in 1881, and the Burlington road was constructed the following year. Area. The area of the county is 1,733 square miles. The valley or basin of the South Platte is from 3 to 6 miles wide. To either side of the valley are rolling plains or tablelands. In some places may be found eminences that are hundreds of feet higher than the river. The mean annual precipitation of Logan County is about 15 inches, and the average temperature 500 to 55°- Crops. The cultivated area of Logan County in 214 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO 1900 was 57,639 acres; in 1910 it was 100,000 acres, mostly under irrigation. The soil is well adapted to grain and potatoes. The chief crops are hay and sugar beets. Stock-raising is a leading industry. In 1900 Logan County had 3,292 inhabitants. Since then the population has nearly trebled. IA 1910 it was 9,549- Sterling. The county seat is Sterling, 140 miles northeast of Denver. This is the most important town in the county, and was named after a city of that name in Illinois. Sterling is pleasantly situated on the west bank of the river, at the intersection of the Union Pacific and the Burlington and Missouri Railroads. Its elevation is 3,932 feet. The valley in the vicinity was settled in 1871. Being occasionally threatened by roving bands of Indians, the sturdy pioneers built a sod fort, 3 miles northeast of the present tdwnsite. Like the pioneers in other counties, the men worked in squads while sowing and harvesting, and had their guns ready to repel attacks of prowling savages. The first school in the settlement was held in a sod school- house, and dugouts were commonly used for dwellings. Churches, banks, and newspapers were established in the '8o's, and the United States Land Office in 1890. A beet-sugar factory was opened in 1905. In 1900 Sterling had 998 souls; the population in 1910 was 3,044- Other Towns. Other places in the county are Atwood, Merino, and .Iliff. The latter town was so called after John W. Iliff, of Ohio, who came to Colo rado in i860 and engaged in the cattle business, making a large fortune. Cedar Canon. A historic interest attaches to Cedar Canon, a gully about a dozen miles northwest of LOGAN COUNTY 215 Sterling. In the spring of 1864 Captain Jacob Downing was sent out with 2 companies of cavalry to chastise a band of hostiles that had been committing depreda tions in the South Platte Valley. The redskins had vamosed; they were trailed to their hiding-place by Sam Ashcraft, an Indian trader. According to one account, Spotted Horse, a sub-chief of the Arapahoes, was captured and tied to a stake, and a fire kindled around his feet; then the stolid buck cried out that he would tell where the band was hidden. The troops charged them at daybreak, and, after several hours of hard fighting, the tribesmen were routed with a loss of several killed and a large number wounded. One soldier was slain in the engagement, and some were wounded. The troops destroyed the village and cap tured over 100 ponies. CHAPTER XXXVII MESA COUNTY Gunnison's Explorations. In September, 1853, Captain Gunnison and his party passed down the river that now bears his name to its confluence with Grand River. The course of the explorers was then along Grand River westward into Utah. They remarked the striking scenery that characterizes this portion of the western slope. The canons of this region present some of the most wonderful panoramic views to be found anywhere in the Rocky Mountain country. The formations of sandstone comprise almost every conceivable shape. Gigantic cliffs, worn by erosion, have the appearance of castles and Moorish palaces, " Where fancy a thousand wondrous forms descries, More wildly great than ever pencil drew." Striking Scenery. Lieutenant Beckwith writes of " piles occasionally resembling ruins of immense churches and dwellings, and one or two on eminences resembling the ruins of mighty cities of adobe build ings." As they rode along, " from one position a majestic shaft stood out clear against the sky; and chimney rocks were almost hourly presented." Gunnison regarded it a desolate country near the State line. He went on, and in Utah, a month later, met a tragic death at the hands of savages. MESA COUNTY 217 Utes Removed. In the summer of 1881 the Un compahgre Utes were removed, sorely against their will, to Uinta Reservation in Utah. On the 4th of September their old reservation was thrown open for settlement by the whites. The waiting throng of settlers rushed in to spy out the land and select desirable tracts for ranches. Hon. George A. Crawford, of Kan sas, and a party of gentlemen came to the confluence of Grand and Gunnison Rivers and chose it as the site for a town. In passing, it may be said that Mr. Crawford was the promoter of many enterprises inMesa and Delta Counties. Immediatelythe work of building log cabins was begun, and the town thus started in the fall of 1881 was named Grand Junction. That was the beginning of the " Metropolis of the Western Slope." County Name. In 1883 Mesa County was set apart from Gunnison County. It was named Mesa because of the great tableland on its eastern side. Mesas or plateaus are characteristic features of western Colorado. In the northern part of the county is Battle ment Mesa, and Uncompahgre Plateau crosses the southern border. Mesa County adjoins Utah on the west, it is bounded on the north by Garfield County, on the east by Pitkin, Gunnison, and Delta Counties, and on the south by Delta and Montrose Counties. Area. Mesa is one of the large counties of the State, having an area of 3,309 square miles, of which 50,000 acres were under cultivation in 1909. The surface consists mostly of broad valleys and extended plateaus. The mean annual rainfall is about 13 inches, and the average temperature 45° to 500. Population. The population of the county in 1900 218 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO was 9,267, as compared with 4,260 in 1890. It was 22,197 in 1910, a gain of over 146 per cent, in 10 years. Grand Valley. The chief industries of Mesa County are horticulture and agriculture, which are carried on extensively in the valley of Grand River, which is more fertile than the valley of the Nile. The Grand is the largest river in the State; it heads in the moun tains surrounding Middle Park, and flows in a westerly course till it joins the waters of Green River in Utah. Grand Valley lies between this river and Book Cliffs, which rise 4,000 feet or more precipitously above it. Its width varies from 3 to 18 miles, and extends from a point 4 miles east of Palisade westward* to the State line, a distance of more than 35 miles. The valley lies entirely on the right-hand side of the stream, and has an average altitude of 4,500 feet. It is not an open plain, but, rather, a series of basins interspersed with elevated plateaus or uplands. Fruits. Grand Valley is favored with climatic advantages and a rich soil that brings forth all kinds of grains and vegetables in profusion. The mighty river that sweeps by it furnishes abundance of water for irrigation. While the valley is admirably adapted to general farming, it has an-unexcelled reputation for fruit, of which it produces a great variety — cherries, grapes, apricots, plums, pears, etc. Orchards are irrigated, and the fruit business is reduced to a fine art. Grand Valley's fruit crop is worth millions of dollars every year. Its apples and peaches are shipped by the carload to eastern points and bring fancy prices. Alfalfa, wheat, oats, sugar beets, potatoes, and canta loupes are raised with marked success on irrigated lands. Its honey is the finest in the world. MESA COUNTY 219 Mines. Mesa County has a wide strip of coal- bearing land. The yearly output of coal is over 60,000 tons, produced chiefly by the Cameo, Book Cliffs, and Palisade mines. The county is rich in deposits of the precious metals — gold, silver, copper, uranium, etc. Grand Junction. The county seat is Grand Junc tion, 377 miles from Denver on the Colorado Midland Railway and 424 miles on the Denver and Rio Grande. The latter railroad entered the town from the east in November, 1882. The altitude of Grand Junction is 4,573 feet. The mild climate, pure atmosphere, and rugged mountains make it the peer of any health resort in the West. It has over three hundred days of sunshine in the year. The census of 1900 gave the " Hub of the Western Slope " 3,503 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 7,754. An Indian school was opened here in 1886, and named Teller Institute; it became a State Agricultural School in 191 1. In 1899 Colorado's second sugar factory was erected in this queenly city. Other prominent places in the county are Fruita, Mack, Loma, Cameo, and Palisade. Loma is a Span ish name meaning " hill in a plain." Hunting. De Beque, in the northern part of the county, is an outfitting point for the hunting grounds in Garfield, Rio Blanco, and Routt Counties, where roam countless bands of deer. Lynx, bear, bobcats, and mountain lions abound in the White River country, whose charming scenery gratifies the lover of the picturesque. Grouse may be found within 20 miles of Grand Junction, almost any direction, also ducks and geese along Grand and Gunnison Rivers in April and October. 220 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Fishing. There is fine trout fishing in White River and other streams. IN MESA LAND " In Mesa Land the sand dunes stretch afar, The rattler basks unhindered in the sun, And there are battlements that hint of war, And, in the gorges, sullen rivers run. " Aye, there are battlements, from whose high walls A Front de Beuf might send his challenge down, But silence reigns, and no portcullis falls — Unbroken is the desert's somber frown. " In Mesa Land the cloud-ships 'gainst the blue, Are white as any sail viewed from the strand, And all the peace of years envelops you In Mesa Land." — Arthur Chapman. CHAPTER XXXVIII MINERAL COUNTY Early Explorers. The history of this county is unique. There is no telling how many Spanish swash bucklers passed up the valley of the Rio Grande del Norte in the centuries agone. The first white men of the Anglo-Saxon race to travel that way, so far as known, belonged to a party that journeyed from Ar kansas by a circuitous route to the sources of Del Norte, in 1 821-1822. According to the journal of Jacob Fowler, their course lay through Mineral County some time in March, 1822. Tradition says Tom Boggs, a brother-in-law of Kit Carson, farmed near Wagon Wheel Gap in 1840. Fremont. Then there is a gap in the records until Fremont's fourth expedition, which ended in utter failure. In December, 1 848, ruin overtook the explorers on the Continental Divide in the San Juan Mountains. From there their exact route has not been traced. In a general way it may be said that the survivors wandered down to the left bank of the Rio Grande del Norte, and walked on the ice of the frozen river for some distance down stream. Some perished of hunger and cold in San Luis Valley; others finally reached Taos. First Prospecting. From that time to 1889 Mineral County was an unexplored and uninhabited section. 222 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO In the spring of 1890 Nicholas C. Creede, an experienced prospector, while wandering among the mountains above Wagon Wheel Gap, came across a favorable indication of pay ore. He investigated and discovered a mineral vein that he named the Holy Moses. De velopment proved it to be a valuable mine. Meanwhile Charles F. Nelson prospected in the vicinity and located the Solomon and other claims. Rich Finds. Erelong there was a little settlement of prospectors and miners in the narrow, winding canon of Willow Creek, where the town of Creede now stands. Reports of the finds spread, and the spring of 1 891 witnessed a tremendous rush to the new mining camp. The district was at first christened " King Solomon's Mines; " then it was called Creede, in honor of the pioneer discoverer of quartz here. In August he located the Amethyst, whose ore yielded from $35 to $5,000 a ton. From a poor prospector Creede had suddenly become a millionaire. About the same time the Last Chance, another marvel of richness, was discovered in the rocky gulch by Theodore Reinger. Creede Mining Camp. In 1891 an extension of the Denver and Rio Grande System from Alamosa was completed to Creede, which occupies a lofty position on the southern slopes of the Continental Divide. In the winter of 1891-1892 it was a red-hot town, and the influx of newcomers was enormous. Excitement ran high, for the Holy Moses, the Last Chance, and the Amethyst were producing high-grade ores carrying gold, silver, lead, and zinc. The deposits occur in strong fissure veins that are still yielding treasure. Name of County. Early in 1893 the new county of Mineral was organized from parts of Hinsdale, Rio Grande, and Saguache Counties. Nearly all of it MINERAL COUNTY 223 being included in the metalliferous area or mineral belt, it was named Mineral. Mineral County is bounded on the south by Archu leta County, on the west by Hinsdale and Saguache Counties, and on the east by Saguache and Rio Grande Counties. A short range called La Garita Mountains forms the northern boundary. The San Juan Moun tains traverse the southern third of the county. Area. The area is 880 square miles. The surface consists of mountains and foothills, with intervening valleys. It is drained by the Rio Grande del Norte and its tributaries. A little land (about 3,000 acres) is cultivated. The mean annual rainfall of Mineral County is about 1 1 inches, and the average temperature 400. In 1900 the county had 1,913 souls; the popula tion in 1910 had fallen to 1,239. Mines. Mineral is one of the great mining counties of the Centennial State. The deeper the mines are worked, the larger the percentage of gold. For nearly a score of years the county's output of the precious metals has ranged from $1,000,000 to $3,000,000 annually. During the decade, 1 899-1908, the average yearly production of gold was $158,000; that of silver, about $103,000; zinc, $104,000; and lead, $512,000. During the decade, 1898-1907, Mineral ranked third among the silver-producing counties, after Pitkin and Lake; its output of the white metal was $12,350,000 in the ten years. Creede. The county seat is Creede, 79 miles north west of Alamosa on the Denver and Rio Grande Rail way, and 320 miles from Denver. The town was named in honor of the first settler. Its altitude is 8,840 feet. In 1900 it had 938 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 741. 224 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Wagon Wheel Gap. Other towns in the county are Amethyst, Wason, and Wagon Wheel Gap. The latter station, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, has an altitude of 8,437 feet. It got its name from some wagon wheels found by the earliest prospectors in a narrow pass through a range of mountains (or, rather, a cleft through two half hills), with vertical cliffs of yellow, brown, and red rocks. Thereby hangs a tale. After the Baker expedition came to grief, some mem bers of the party found their way back to civilization through this rugged pass. The wagons saw rough usage, and some of the vehicles broke down. One of the vehicles could not be mended, and the wheels scattered along the trail gave the pass its name. A stage station was built in the Gap in 1874. The railroad came in 1881. This romantic summer resort is famed for its impressive scenery, exhilarating air, and hot springs, whose mineral waters surpass those of the cele brated Carlsbad Springs of Bohemia. Within the mem ory of old-timers large bands of Ute Indians gathered at Wagon Wheel Gap to drink and bathe in the healing fountains. Hotels and cottages afford ample accom modation for visitors, and there is an immense bath house with swimming pools of warm water. The Rio Grande del Norte and its tributaries swarm with trout. Big game may be found at no great distance in the foot hills and mountains. Ducks, geese, snipe, curlews, and grouse are plentiful. Wagon Wheel Gap easily holds a place of pre-eminence among mountain resorts. The wayfarer in search of the picturesque can enjoy a surfeit of it here. The diseased man can rid his system of poison and " grow strong with each to morrow." Not far from Wagon Wheel Gap, on the Rio Grande, MINERAL COUNTY 225 is the Phipps Game Preserve, embracing a tract of some 3,000 acres stocked with pheasants and large game. Ten miles to the northwest is the Wheeler National Monument, a geological wonderland. CHAPTER XXXIX MONTEZUMA COUNTY Former Inhabitants. A melancholy interest at taches to the people who once lived on the great plateau of the southwest. Who were they? That they were of the same race as the ancient Mexicans and Peru vians, seems to be pretty well established. It is also conjectured that they were remotely related to the wild Indians of the mountains and plains. They had no Homer, although the epic note was present in their lives. Cliff Dwellers. The history of the Aztecs or Cliff Dwellers, as they are sometimes called, has never been and never can be written. Evidently there was a numerous population of them, running into the millions, inhabiting Old Mexico, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and southern Colorado. They occupied this section a thousand years ago, and perhaps longer. They were here when the Spaniards first came to the New World; then they suddenly disappeared. It has been supposed that there came a sudden call from Montezuma to the men dwelling on the northern confines of his empire; he needed their help, and they loyally responded. Leaving their homes, they journeyed southward, to aid their monarch in the struggle with the Spanish invader. Many of them perished. A scattering few remained, and most of these v^ent down after repeated MONTEZUMA COUNTY 227 onslaughts by the Apaches, Navajos, Utes, and other warlike tribes. An Indian tradition tells of the survival and departure of a remnant of them, whose descendants are the Hopis of to-day. Ruins and Relics. The crumbling round towers and the almost inaccessible habitations built up in the walls of the canons bear witness to the determined and prolonged efforts of this gentle people to defend and preserve their families and homes. Alas, they were agriculturists, not fighters, and they went under. It is sad to think of a civilization submerged, as theirs was, by savagery. Only vestiges remain of the cliff dwellings in Mancos Canon and other canons of south western Colorado. These architectural ruins, the frag ments of skeletons, the pictographs on the cliffs, the implements, broken pieces of pottery, and other relics tell something, though little, of this peculiar people. These mute monuments of the past excite the curiosity and wonder of the tourist as well as the student of pre historic America. The Mesa Verde National Park is a good place for the sightseer to pass hours and days away, musing on what was and is no more. White Settlers. Nearly four centuries after the exit of the Cliff Dwellers, white settlers appeared on the scene, in 1873-1874. However, it was not for a dozen years or more that any considerable number of people located ranches in the valleys and began to make im provements, such as planting orchards and digging irrigating canals. The fertile lands of Mancos Valley brought forth bumper crops of wheat, oats, corn, and alfalfa. Gradually the settlements extended westward into Montezuma Valley, a region well adapted for stock-raising, general farming and fruit-growing. Montezuma. In 1889 Montezuma County was 228 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO organized from the western part of La Plata County. It was named for the famous ruler of the Aztecs at the time when the cruel Spaniards invaded Mexico, about 1520. Montezuma is the extreme county of southwestern Colorado, where the corners of four commonwealths meet at right angles. Utah lies to the west of the county and New Mexico to the south, La Plata County bounds it on the east, and Dolores County on the north. Mesa Verde. The surface of the county consists of spurs of mountains, valleys, plateaus, and canons. The leading feature of the country is Mesa Verde (" green table "), an immense tableland with a general altitude of 8,500 feet; it is cut by Mancos River and its branches into numerous canons, which contain ruins of villages formerly occupied by the Cliff Dwellers. There is one canon (also a gulch) that goes by the mellifluous, poetical name Hovenweep (or Hoven Weep), a Ute word for " deserted valley." Area of County. The area of Montezuma County is 2,113 square miles. There were 15,204 acres, or one per cent., under cultivation in 1900. The cultivated area in 1909 was over 60,000 acres, mostly irrigated lands. The mean annual rainfall is 15 inches, and the average temperature 500 to 55°. The population in 1900 was 3,058; it had grown to 5,029 in 1910. Resources. The greater portion of the farming land of the county is in the Montezuma Valley, an irregular basin from 5 to 15 miles wide and 35 miles long, em bracing a tract of about 350 square miles. The soil is exceedingly productive, and almost every variety of fruit is raised with ease. The people of the valley get plenty of timber and building stone in the foothills FORMATIONS IN THE WHEELER NATIONAL MONUMENT, NEAR WAGON WHEEL GAP. See p. 225 Courtesy ol the Denver & Rio Grande R. R. CLIFF PALACE. (Prehistoric Ruin in the Mesa Verde National Park, on the Denver & Rio Grande R. R.) SPRUCE TREE HOUSE, MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK. MONTEZUMA COUNTY 229 and tablelands near by. There are extensive coal beds south of Mancos and Cortez. The mountain parks afford an immense range for stock. Cortez. The county seat is Cortez, founded in 1887. It was named for the Spanish leader who conquered Mexico in the sixteenth century. The town is about 15 miles west of Mancos. In 1900 it had 125 inhabit ants; the population in 1910 was 565. Mancos. Mancos, the largest town in the county, is situated on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, 491 miles from Denver. Its altitude is 6,996 feet. In 1900 it had 383 souls; the population in 1910 was 567. In Mancos Valley have, been found interesting antiquities of the Aztec race. The former inhabitants of the valley were a peaceful, industrious people who had irrigated farms, well cultivated. Remains of round towers are numerous. These stone structures served as lookout stations. They were originally from 5 to 15 feet high, and from 10 to 16 feet in diameter, the walls being a foot or more thick. Cliff Dwellings. Mancos is the gateway to the Mesa Verde National Park, now under control of the govern ment. With its rim the park embraces a district of over 300 square miles, and includes a number of towns built against the face of the cliffs. It has been called the " eighth wonder of the world." Some of the buildings are artistically constructed and contain scores of rooms. One imposing structure is aptly named the " Cliff Palace; " with its tapering, loop- holed tower, this is said to be the most famous work of prehistoric Americans in existence. The mysterious differs left other homes whose interiors have been excavated — Peabody House, Spruce Tree House, and other buildings which make this region a Mecca for 230 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO tourists. The trip is made by carriage or by saddle horses. Points of Interest. Mancos is also the outfitting point for travelers who wish to visit the ruins in Mc- Elmo and Hovenweep Canons. Other places in the western part of the county are noted for the archi tectural remains of a vanished race. The tourist who has only a single day to spare can take a seven-mile carriage ride to the edge of the Mesa Verde, where he may profitably spend several hours clambering among the ruins and gazing upon the landscape bathed in brilliant sunshine. However, a week is all too short for an excursion to Aztec Springs and other localities renowned for their rocky habitations and underground apartments of the Cliff Dwellers, who were " wonder fully skilful in turning to practical use the natural protection offered by the rocks. The houses take the form and dimensions of the platforms or ledges from which they rise. The masonry is well laid, and it is wonderful with what skill the walls are joined to the cliffs, and with what care the aspect of the neighboring rocks has been imitated in the external architecture. . . . Acowitz Canon alone, with its well preserved houses and incomparable situation, is a never ending wonder to those who surmount the difficulties and visit it." The ruins of Carthage may be more impressive, yet hardly more fascinating than these unique edifices of southwestern Colorado. A State road has been built from the western boundary of Montezuma County through McElmo and Cortez to Mancos. Ute Reservation. In the southern part of Monte zuma County is the Ute Reservation, a strip of land about 15 miles wide and some 40 miles in length. Nearly a thousand Indians live here. They are the Www.fr* MAP SHOWING THE CANONS AND PRINCIPAL RUINS IN THE MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK. MONTEZUMA COUNTY 231 only remnant of the Utes now occupying any part of Colorado, over the greater part of which they once roamed at will, till the coming of the paleface. _ Indian Legend. The Utes have interesting tradi tions respecting the far-away past of the Rocky Moun tain country, which had been their habitat for ages. Once upon a time, as the legend runs, there was an immense warm lake northeast of the Big River (the Colorado), and near its shores lived the remote fore fathers of the tribe. Huge fish abounded in this lake, and serpents as long as a hundred lodge poles. The climate was hot, and the land brought forth big trees. There were big deer and gigantic oxen with white horns. One day the oxen began to roar together, and such a cloud of steam rose from their nostrils that the sun was obscured. The earth reeled, and the sky fell. The waters continued to fall for three moons, and by that time the lake was drained away through the Grand Canon of the Colorado. The deer and oxen strayed eastward into the mountains, and were slain by Ute hunters. Then came a flood that formed Green River Canon. A race of little people, almost white, arrived on the scene in skin canoes; they built stone houses in the cliffs; they raised corn, beans, squashes, and pumpkins; they had plenty of silver and gold, and iron tools. Afterward big red Indians from the northwest came and drove off the little people, who went south. These red men were the ancestors of the Apaches, Navajoes, and Kiowas. Then melted rocks were poured out of the earth, making the land desolate. CHAPTER XL MONTROSE COUNTY Name. Montrose (Scotch name) is in the western part of Colorado. The county is bounded on the west by Utah, on the north by Mesa and Delta Counties, on the east by Gunnison and Ouray Counties, and on the south by Ouray and San Miguel Counties. It includes the great fertile valley of the Uncompahgre River, a tributary stream of the Gunnison River. Area. Montrose County is almost twice as large as the State of Rhode Island. Its area is 2,290 square miles. The average altitude is 4,500 feet. The mean annual rainfall is 13 inches, and the average tempera ture from 500 to 550. The surface consists of plains, plateaus, valleys, and mountains. It has varied products, agricultural and mineral. Farm Products. The county is excellently adapted for fruit-growing and for general farming. It produces the finest apples, pears, peaches, and plums in abun dance. Ranchers have bumper crops : Oats, from 40 to 60 bushels an acre; wheat, 30 to 60 bushels; potatoes, 150 to 300 bushels; and sugar beets, 10 to 20 tons an acre. Alfalfa is a staple crop, the three cuttings of the season yielding from 4 to 6 tons an acre. The irrigated district is famous for its honey. Minerals. The western portion of Montrose County has a metalliferous area of considerable extent. There MONTROSE COUNTY 233 are gold placers in San Miguel River and its tributaries; silver and copper abound in Paradox Valley; coal, salt, uranium, and other minerals have been found in immense quantities. Montrose. The county seat is Montrose, founded in 1882. It is situated 370 miles southwest of Denver, and is the seat of a summer Chautauqua. Its altitude is 5,801 feet. In 1900 it had 1,217 inhabitants. The past few years it has been growing rapidly, and its popula tion in 1910 was 3,254. After Grand Junction and Durango, it ranks as the foremost city of the western slope. Other towns of importance are Olathe, Vernal, and Uncompahgre, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway. Explored by Gunnison. In 1853 Captain Gunni son's expedition traversed the Uncompahgre Valley, and he thought it unfit for cultivation. The explorers were struck by the absence of vegetation, only cactus and sage growing away from the rivers. It has since been amply demonstrated that the " barren waste " of sagebrush land is of extraordinary fertility. The one thing lacking was water. From time immemorial the western slope was the home of the Utes. June 15, 1880, a treaty was drawn up between the United States and the tribes. In September, 1881, they were removed to the Uinta Reservation in Utah, and the Uncompahgre Valley was thrown open for settlement. Thousands of settlers located claims and built small cabins. The first comers took up homesteads in the bottom lands of the Uncom pahgre and Cimarron Rivers. Later settlers filed on the uplands, which are not so easily irrigated. The red men called the Uncompahgre Valley the " Valley of Fountains," but when dry seasons came there was not 234 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO enough water for the upland settlers, and many of them abandoned their claims. History. Montrose was carved out of Gunnison County and organized as a county in 1883. In 1890 it had a population of 3,980. There was but little gain during the following decade; the United States census gave it 4,535 inhabitants in 1900. In the succeeding years growth was slow, because of the un certainty of getting water, the natural flow of the Cimarron and the Uncompahgre being barely sufficient to irrigate 10,000 acres. A large section of excellent farming country was sparsely populated. The Un compahgre Valley was then for the most part "a land of deserted claims, of houses going to ruin, and of tracts once plowed but now given over to grease- wood and the prairie dog." Meanwhile the canon of the Gunnison River near by was explored and the plan of diverting its waters was discussed and considered feasible, but the stupendous cost of the enterprise prevented Montrose people from undertaking it. In 1902 Congress passed the Reclamation Act, and in 1904 the government approved the Uncompahgre Project of driving a tunnel through the natural barrier between the Gunnison and the Uncompahgre Valley. The project also involved the construction of three large canals and lateral sys tems. Gunnison Tunnel. Work on the Gunnison Tunnel was begun in 1905, and it was completed in the summer of 1909. The tunnel is 30,060 feet in length, and it penetrates the granite ridge of the Mesa Verde at a depth of 2,100 feet. The exit is at a lower level, 7 miles east of the city of Montrose. A cross section of the interior of the tunnel measures 11 by 13 feet. MONTROSE COUNTY 235 The total cost of this important reclamation enter prise exceeds $5,000,000. It is estimated that the tract of arid land thus irrigated includes over 100,000 acres, and it has been made one of the richest agricul tural districts in the world. Of late years settlers have been pouring into Montrose County, and its population in 1910 had increased to 10,291. The wilderness of the early '8o's is now a flourishing, civilized community. Picture Rocks. Seven miles west of Montrose are the " Picture Rocks." These rocks are covered with hieroglyphics, carved by the Ute Indians many years ago. The queer signs (or, rather, pictured writing) tell the tale of deeds of prowess done in prehistoric times. " The ruins of cities and remains of extensive water works are yet seen in the exceedingly rich gold and silver bearing region of the Uncompahgre." (Byers.) Chief Ouray's House. There are points of interest in the neighborhood of Montrose. About 4 miles south of the town is the adobe house, once the residence of the celebrated chief Ouray, when he lived in this fair valley that he loved. His old home is now occupied by a prosperous white man. Not far distant is the Riverside Sanitarium, a health resort conducted on the lines of the sanitariums at Battle Creek, Michigan, and at Boulder, Colorado. The climate is nearly perfect. " The air is like champagne without the bad days that follow." (William H. Taft.) The surroundings are delightful. The old army post, Fort Crawford (now abandoned), stands near the Uncompahgre River, 8 miles above Montrose. In 1880 it was garrisoned by 1 1 companies of infantry and cavalry. It was named in honor of Captain Crawford, killed by Apaches in Arizona. 236 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO THE UNCOMPAHGRE VALLEY " Far in Western Colorado Lies a valley, warm and bright, Circled 'round with lofty mountains With their heads all crowned in white. It is there the sun shines brightest 'Neath the cloudless azure skies, And 'tis there my heart grew lightest Learning Nature's charms to prize. " Bright my dreams as when the sunset Lights upon the hilltops old, Gilding all with wondrous splendor, Hues of amber, green, and gold. Now those dreams are stilled and silent, And their winding sheet so wide Is the mystic purple shadows Hanging on the mountain side. " Ah! the Uncompahgre Valley, ' Land of Dreams,' as oft I've said; With the sun-glow on the mountains, And the deep blue sky o'erhead. Hopes the highest, brightest, strongest, Stirred within my heart grown cold, Answering to the rippling river, And the strength of mountains old. " Now 'neath distant skies I'm dwelling, Where the sunlight softly gleams, But I miss the snow-clad mountains And I miss still more my dreams; Yet I am content to leave them 'Mongst those shadows on the hills, Knowing I shall find them perfect When my Father kindly wills." — Dixie Buford. CHAPTER XLI MORGAN COUNTY Long's Expedition. The first record we have of white men in Morgan County is that of Long's expedi tion, which passed up the South Platte River in June, 1820. The explorers were not favorably impressed with the appearance of the country beyond the bottom lands to either side of the river. It is described in the journal of Dr. James as a sandy waste, almost bare of vegetation, except cactus and stunted sagebrush. " The surface is an undulating plain," he writes, " having an elevation of from fifty to one hundred feet, and presenting the aspect of hopeless and irre claimable sterility." The " inhospitable desert of the Platte " is now the " Garden of Colorado." Its recla mation has been effected by irrigation. One day, when the explorers were not far from where Fort Morgan stands, they were astonished to see the planet Venus distinctly visible at three o'clock in the afternoon. It was near the zenith in a clear sky of beautiful azure. It was near here that they got their first view of the Rocky Mountains. On the morning of June 30 they could just make out the ghostly outline of the massive peak afterward named in honor of Major Long. Fremont. Some twenty odd years later Fremont traveled up the valley of the Platte, and on a July 238 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO afternoon he caught " a far and uncertain view of a faint blue mass in the west, as the sun sank behind." Next morning, from their camp at the mouth of Bijou Creek, " Long's Peak and the neighboring mountains stood out into the sky, grand and luminously white, covered to their bases with glittering snow." First Settler. The myth of the " Great American Desert " died hard. In the '6o's little farming and stock-raising were carried on in northern Colorado. The first settler in what is now Morgan County was Sam Ashcraft, an Indian trader, who located near the Platte between Fort Morgan and Brush, in 1861. For years there was no other white man living hereabouts except those at the stage stations on the Overland Trail. Indian Warfare. After the Sand Creek fight the plains Indians threw down the gauntlet of war in defiance of Uncle Sam. The infuriated warriors exacted a terrible retribution for the wrong done Black Kettle's camp. A fierce border warfare ensued, and raids of the redskins were common day and night. Military posts, were established to guard the stage lines. In 1865 Fort Morgan was built and garrisoned by troops. Its walls were originally of sod, and later of adobe. It stood on a rise of ground south of the Platte River, perhaps 50 or 60 rods from the channel; the site is now included in the edge of the town of Fort Morgan. Its walls have been razed, and nothing is left to mark the spot. First Town. In the early '70's isolated ranchers had located claims in the Platte bottoms, yet there was no farming done to speak of. It was chiefly a cattle country for a dozen years or more. The first town in Morgan County was Brush, started in 1882. It was MORGAN COUNTY 239 named for a pioneer irrigator, Jared L. Brush, then a resident of Greeley. Name of County. The county of Morgan was taken from Weld County in 1889. It was named in honor of Colonel Christopher A. Morgan, for whom the fort was named. In 1861 he enlisted as a private in the 39th Ohio Volunteers, and was promoted for gallant and meritorious conduct. Morgan County is bounded on the west by Weld County, on the north by Weld and Logan Counties, on the east by Logan and Washington Counties, and on the south by Washington and Adams Counties. The wide valley of the Platte extends through the cen- terof it, while to the south and northare plains and hills. Area. The area of the county is 1,264 square miles, of which 43,282 acres were under cultivation in 1900. The cultivated area in 1909 was 76,000 acres. The mean annual rainfall is about 11 inches, and the average temperature 50° to 550. In 1900 the population was 3,268, as compared with 1,601 in 1890. It nearly trebled during the next decade, being 9,577 in 1910. Fort Morgan. The county seat is Fort Morgan, 78 miles northeast of Denver on the Burlington Route. It is situated on the south side of the Platte. A mile north, on the opposite bank, is the station (of the same name) on the Union Pacific Railroad. The altitude of south Fort Morgan is 4,338 feet. Like Greeley and Sterling, it is a temperance town. A 600-ton sugar factory was opened here- in 1906. During the past four years Fort Morgan has grown rapidly. The census of 1900 gave it 634 inhabitants; in 1910 the population had increased to 2,800. It is the seat of a summer Chautauqua. 240 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Brush. Brush, on the Burlington Railway, 88 miles northeast of Denver, is a prominent town. A sugar factory, erected in 1906, has a manufacturing capacity of 800 tons daily. Brush had a population of 997 in 1910. Sanatorium. In the outskirts of Brush is the Eben-Ezer Home Sanatorium, which offers accommo dations to consumptives of limited means. They have the benefits of dry climate and bracing air. "Fremont's Orchard." Orchard, on the Union Pacific Railway, is a place of growing importance. It is sometimes called " Fremont's Orchard." The Path finder camped near here one night on his first expedi tion, in 1 842. In his journal he speaks of wooded islands in the Platte, and the banks were fringed with timber. At evening, he says, they came to " a fine grove of very large cottonwoods, under whose broad shade the tents were pitched." This grove is said to be 3 or 4 miles south of the station. Near here Lieut. Clark Dunn and a squad of twenty troopers had a hot skirmish with Cheyennes in 1864. Wiggins. Another place is Wiggins (station called Vallery), named after the well-known frontiersman and Indian fighter, Oliver P. Wiggins, commonly called " Old Scout " Wiggins, who set foot on the soil of Colorado in 1838, and at this date (191 1) holds the record of being the oldest of living pioneers in the State. Major Wiggins is the last of the valiant, hardy band of trappers and hunters who were with Kit Carson. He crossed the plains with the first caravan of Argonauts that trekked to California in '49. Agriculture. In wealth and enterprise Morgan takes high rank among Colorado's agricultural counties. Its ranchmen are industrious and well-to-do. For the MORGAN COUNTY 241 most part they are Americans. Certain sections have been settled by Danes, and there is a sprinkling of Germans. Lately Russian beet-workers have come in large numbers. The country between Brush and Fort Morgan is a flourishing farming region. It almost equals in productiveness the famous Pleasant Valley northeast of Greeley. For many years stock-raising was the paramount industry, ind to-day sheep, hogs, and cattle do well. Until recently alfalfa and barley were the staple crops. Sugar Beet Industry. Since 1904 sugar-beet raising has developed into a great industry. Now there are upward of 10,000 acres planted to sugar beets in Mor gan County, whose soil and air are especially adapted for their growth. Some ranchers have beet fields of 40 or 50 acres. The yield is from 10 to 20 tons an acre. What is above 10 tons is said to be profit, at $6 a ton, flat rate. The percentage of sugar is high, from 12 to 18 per cent., 250 pounds of sugar or more to the ton. The Brush factory produces annually between 12,000,- 000 and 18,000,000 pounds of sugar. The mill at Fort Morgan has the same capacity and makes somewhere near the same quantity of sugar. CHAPTER XLII OTERO COUNTY Early Travel. White men trod the soil of this county long before its actual settlement in the '6o's. In the '30's and '40's the fur-traders and their employes made trips up and down the Arkansas en route from Bent's Fort to the mountains. There was also some travel from the Fort to Taos and Santa Fe. So long ago as 1842 La Junta was a camping place for trappers and hunters journeying westward and southward. In time the trail from Bent's Fort to Santa Fe via Raton Pass (in Las Animas County) became a historic thoroughfare, and by some it is called the " Santa Fe Trail," a name that properly belongs to the shorter line of travel from the Missouri River — through Kansas, across the southeastern corner of Colorado into Oklahoma, and thence by a tortuous course through New Mexico — to the " City of Holy Faith." Freighting. In 1846 General Stephen W. Kearny's troops marched up the Arkansas to Bent's Fort, and proceeded southward through Otero and Las Animas Counties into New Mexico. In their wake followed Colonel Sterling Price's army shortly afterward, and caravans of freighters went trailing after them. Before that it was a lonely trail from La Junta southward to Santa Fe, but not long afterward traffic that way picked up. However, the freighting business was irregular OTERO COUNTY 243 and unimportant until 1849, when William Bent began hauling annuity goods, making two trips a year. For several years before the breaking-out of hostilities between the North and South he was engaged in freighting munitions of war from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Union, over the Raton Pass Route. Old Trail. It was over this hard-beaten path that the companies of soldiers under Lieutenant-Colonel S. F. Tappan marched from Fort Wise to reinforce General Edward R. S. Canby in New Mexico. In the '6o's and early '70's there was more or less of staging and freighting over this road until the building of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, which traverses Otero County in a southwesterly direction from Axtell to Delhi. Markers. For more than a dozen years the Santa Fe Trail was " one of the most thrilling and romantic avenues of travel ever trod by the early pioneer." The trip over the treeless expanse west of the Missouri River was like a long and tedious ocean voyage. In the lonely defile south of La Junta the bull-whackers entered a more picturesque region, and it was at times the scene of bloody encounters with redskins and out laws. The dangers were so great that the horsemen rode twelve abreast, where possible, and in some places the dozen furrows still exist. Here and there on the famous old highway the route is marked by memorials of granite, with inscriptions, to perpetuate the course of caravans over the winding trail, now overgrown with grass and obliterated in some places. Otero County. Otero County was taken from the western part of Bent County in 1889. It was named after Miguel Otero, one of the founders of La Junta 244 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO (pron. " La Hunta "). Otero is a Spanish word meaning " height." Otero County is bounded on the east by Bent and Kiowa Counties, on the south by Las Animas County, on the west by Las Animas and Pueblo Counties, and on the north by Lincoln County. It is watered by the Arkansas River and its tributaries. The surface con sists of rolling plains, wooded only along the water courses. The mean annual rainfall is about 13 inches, and the average temperature 450 to 500. In 1900 Otero had 11,522 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 20,201. Area. The area of the county is 2,042 square miles, of which 68,036 acres, or 5 per cent., were under culti vation in 1900. The cultivated area in- 1909 was esti mated to be 97,000 acres. Agriculture. The leading industries of Otero County are horticulture, agriculture, and stock-growing. In the '6o's and '70's it was a cattle and sheep country. Agriculture proper dates from the late '8o's, which wit nessed a great influx of settlers. The cereals and sugar beets are grown extensively. All varieties of small fruits are raised in abundance, also apples, pears, plums, peaches, etc. La Junta. The county seat is La Junta (Spanish word meaning " The Junction "). The town was started in 1875, and was for some time the terminus of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway. It is the junction of three divisions of this railroad, 571 miles west of Kansas City, 63 miles east of Pueblo, and 181 miles southeast of Denver. Here are located the shops and roundhouses of the Santa Fe Road. The altitude of La Junta is 4,052 feet. In 1900 it had 2,513 inhabitants; the population increased to 4,154 in OTERO COUNTY 245 1910. Here is located the Mennonite Sanitarium for consumptives and asthmatics. Rocky Ford. Rocky Ford, on the Santa Fe, 52 miles east of Pueblo, is an important town, situated in the heart of the great alfalfa and melon region of the State. It is famed for its cantaloupes. The soil is adapted for fruit culture, and sugar beets thrive here. The first Colorado sugar factory was erected at Rocky Ford in 1899; it has a manufacturing capacity of 1,000 tons daily. The town site was originally the homestead of George W. Swink. In 1900 the town had 2,018 souls; the population was 3,230 in 1910. The old village of Rocky Ford stood three miles up the river at a rocky crossing; hence the name. Sugar City. Sugar City, on the Missouri Pacific Railway, 56 miles east of Pueblo, is a prosperous place with a population of 808 in 1910. The soil of the neighboring country is peculiarly adapted for the culture of the sugar beet. The second sugar factory of the eastern slope was built here in 1900, a year after sugar mills were erected at Rocky Ford and Grand Junction. These were the beginnings of an industry that has grown to a magnitude then undreamt of. In the manufacture of beet sugar Colorado leads all the States of the Union. In 1909 there were 121,698 acres of beets harvested, from which 299,900,000 pounds of sugar were manufactured. Swink. Swink, on the Santa Fe Railway, 174 miles southeast of Denver, has 310 inhabitants. The town was named for State Senator Swink, a pioneer who was prominently connected with business and agricultural enterprises of the county. A sugar factory was opened here in 1906. Other important towns in the county are Fowler, Manzanola, and Ordway. 246 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO THE OLD TRAIL " Through columns of cedars begirt with ferns, Over peaks where the pinons climb together In the crimson glow, where the sunset burns And the purple fringe of mountain heather, Where the otter's pelt, in the emerald pool, 'Mid dancing foam bells dives and glistens, And the ousel flutes in the aspens cool, Where the dappled doe affrighted listens When she hears our hoof-beats, far away, Runs the famed old trail of the Santa F6. " I see thee stretching toward the sky, And I crack my whip o'er the weary cattle. And hear my partners shout ' Good bye! ' As they went down in the Indian battle, Struck thro' by the red Apaches' spears. In clumps of cactus they now are sleeping, Strewn with the skeletons of their steers, While a rattlesnake in the white ribs creeping Makes a gruesome epitaph, Mate! — I say, For a freighter who fought on the ' Santa F6.' 1 You can never forget the ford, I know, That wagon corral and the log-fires in it, ' Old Baldy,' lifting his brow of snow, As white as my foolish head this minute. Oh, the yams we spun, the songs we sung, Of ' Home, Sweet Home,' and ' Blue Juniata! ' While up in the pines the new moon hung; And — pshaw! old partner, what's the matter? Does it hurt you now, when your hair is grey, What she said that night on the Santa Fe ? " — Robert Mclntyre. CHAPTER XLIII OURAY COUNTY Lure of Gold. The lure of gold led adventurers into the San Juan country long before the Indians had been dispossessed of their ancient heritage. In 1873 a big slice of the Southern Ute Reservation was thrown open for settlement. Already the San Juan had been ex plored more or less, and was believed to be rich in mineral deposits. Finds of gold and silver were made, and miners and prospectors poured into the region, then a virgin wilderness. Chief Ouray. In the summer and autumn of 1875 a permanent mining camp grew up in the heart of the mountains of the western slope, near the south end of the Cimarron Ridge. This camp formed the nucleus of a town named Ouray, after the magnanimous Ute chief whose services to the whites are worthy of lasting remembrance and admiration. It is said that Ouray, sometimes spelled Ure (U-re), means Arrow. In recognition of the great debt owed to Chief Ouray, his portrait was placed in the rotunda of the Colorado Capitol. Rich Finds. At the same time valuable lodes of gold and silver were found in the Mount Sneffels dis trict, nine miles southwest of Ouray. One of these, the Wheel of Fortune, was located October 7, 1875; the first test of its ores, or outcroppings, gave 1,200 ounces of 248 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO silver to the ton. Two years later the celebrated Vir- ginius Mine was discovered (at an elevation of 12,000 feet above sea level), and afterward the wonderful Camp Bird Mine (at an altitude over 11,000 feet). Mines. Prospectors also ran across bonanza streaks in the Ironton and Red Mountain districts, 10 or 12 miles south of Ouray. The Guston Mine, the Yankee Girl, Saratoga, and other mines in this productive area of eruptive rocks have yielded tens of millions. " The most remarkable of the Ouray County lodes was Bezola, known as Mineral Farm, because the locations upon it cover forty acres, and the veins twelve acres. It was located in 1875, and developed by a company which built reduction works at Ouray, the county seat, in 1877. One vein carried a rich gray copper in a gangue of quartzite, much of which milled from $400 to $700 per ton, and another in some parts carried a hundred ounces of silver with forty per cent, of lead per ton." San Juan Country. Ouray County was organized in 1877. It then comprised a larger territory than now, portions being taken to form Dolores County in 1881 and San Miguel County in 1883. Ouray is the northern most part of the famous mining section known as the San Juan country, which embraces a highly mineralized area extending 20 miles in all directions from Red Mountain, on the southern border of Ouray County. Among miners of this section it is a saying that " all veins point or lead to Red Mountain." Most of the San Juan bonanzas (that is, rich shoots or chimneys in bodies of low-grade ore) occur in the andesite formation. The ores are generally complex, running to gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. Bonanzas. " The Governor, the Gold Prince, the OURAY COUNTY 249 Camp Bird, the Sunnyside, the Gold King, the Vir- ginius, the Tom Boy, the Yankee Girl, the Japan, the Guston, the group of bonanzas in Marshall basin, the group in Arastra gulch, the group at Ironton — except Leadville no camp in Colorado can show a record of so many great mines as the above list in the San Juan country. Those mines are widely separated to be sure, but they are all the product of the same dis tinct geological conditions and are therefore properly bunched together, just as those of Cripple Creek or those of Leadville are bunched by themselves." Ouray County. Ouray County is bounded on the east by Gunnison and Hinsdale Counties, on the south by San Juan and San Miguel Counties, and on the north by Montrose County. The surface consists of moun tains, plateaus, and valleys or basins. The mean annual rainfall is 15 inches, and the average tempera ture about 40°. In 1900 the county had 4,73 1 inhabit ants; the population in 1910 was 3,514. Area. The area of the county is 557 square miles, of which 11,184 acres were under cultivation in 1900. The cultivated area in 1909 was estimated to be 12,000 acres, of which the greater portion is in the Uncompahgre Park. This park and Dallas Valley are dotted with productive ranches. Stock graze on the slopes. Mineral Production. Ouray is one of the great mining counties of the State, ranking in production next to Gilpin, Clear Creek, Pitkin, Teller, and Lake. It lies within the Mineral Belt extending from Long's Peak to the head of the Rio del Norte, having a width of 20 miles or more. Colorado's richest gold-fields are in the Front Range (Gilpin, Clear Creek, and Teller Counties) and in the mountain ranges in the south- 250 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO western corner of the State (Ouray, San Miguel, and San Juan Counties). The Camp Bird Mine, in Ouray County, is one of the largest gold mines in the world. Its output of the yellow metal has for a long time varied from $1,500,000 to $3,000,000 a year. It was this mine that made the fortune of Thomas F. Walsh. Up to 1909 disbursements of Camp Bird dividends amounted to more than $5,000,000. During the decade, 1899- 1908, Ouray ranked third in the list of gold-producing counties (after Teller and San Miguel), its mines having added $19,260,000 to the money of the nation, a yearly average of $1,926,000 of gold. Its output of the yellow metal in 1909 was $3,011,338. In the '8o's and the early '90's Ouray County was a large producer of the white metal, the yearly output being several millions. During the decade, 1899-1908, its production of silver averaged a little less than $600,000 a year. Ouray's output of silver in 1909 was $176,081. Ouray County's production of the precious metals has averaged $3,500,000 annually during the past ten years. In that period the output of lead has reached a total of $2,410,000, and that of copper $934,000. The total output of the mines since the founding of the Ouray camp to January 1, 1910, exceeds $70,000,000, or more than $2,000,000 a year. Town of Ouray. The county seat is Ouray, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, 36 miles south of Montrose and 389 miles from Denver. Its altitude is 7,710 feet. The town is situated in a beautiful little round park, hemmed in by lofty mountains, whose grandeur and wildness beggar description. The peaks to the south and southeast present a scene of stupen dous sublimity. Says Ernest Ingersoll, in The Crest MONTROSE, STREET SCENE. See p. 233 OURAY COUNTY 251 of the Continent: " The valley in which the town is built is at an elevation of about 7,500 feet above the sea, and is pear-shaped, its greatest width being not more than half a mile, while its length is about twice that, down to the mouth of the canon. Southward — that is, toward the heart of the main range — stand the two great peaks, Hardin and Hayden. Between is the deep gorge down which the Uncompahgre finds its way; but this is hidden from view by a ridge which walls in the town and cuts off all farther view from it in that direction, save where the triangular top of Mount Abrams peers over. Westward are grouped a series of broken ledges, surmounted by greater and more rugged heights. Down between these and the western foot of Mt. Hayden struggles Canon Creek to join the Uncompahgre, while Oak Creek leaps down a line of cataracts from a notch in the ter raced heights through which the quadrangular head of White House Mountain becomes grandly discernible — the easternmost buttress of the wintry Sierra San Miguel." In 1900 Ouray had 2,196 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was. 1,644. Mountain Resort. Ouray's sheltered location, healthful atmosphere, mineral waters, and Alpine surroundings have made it a favorite resort. The inspiration of the ozone-laden air makes it a delight to live. Enjoyable excursions can be made to the little valleys embosomed in the mountains. The visitor seeking solitude may sit by some turbulent stream, or clamber up craggy slopes and " muse o'er rock and fell." A walk up Canon Creek brings him to a large cave with labyrinths and spacious chambers with gleaming stalactites and stalagmites. The stage ride from Ouray to Silverton, through lovely canons and 252 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO amid noble mountains, is an unforgetable experi ence. Red Mountain. Red Mountain, 9 miles south of Ouray, is one of the wonders of the United States, rivaling Niagara or Yosemite. It is so called from its red top, which " blazes forth with the luster of a ruby, flooding the air with a noble symphony of color when viewed from a distance." Its sides are streaked with yellow. The coloring of the rock surface is caused by the oxidation of iron and other minerals in the rock when exposed to the air. The mass of the mountain is composed of quartz-porphyry with mineral veins run ning through it. Geology of Region. Respecting the geology of this interesting region on the northern side of the San Juan Mountains, Ingersoll writes: " The ores abound in a thousand ledges which run up and down, and here and there, all through the mountains from the metamorphic limestones of the outer ledges to the storm-hewn trachyte that caps the hoary summits. . . . The ores are varied, but chiefly ores of galena and copper, occurring in fissure veins and carrying a ' high-grade ' proportion of silver (in various forms) and a considerable quantity of gold. The extraordinary variety of minerals, and the vast bulk of the ore deposits, are the two noteworthy features of the region. These ores, moreover, as a rule,^ are not ' refractory ' though containing anti- monial elements which in excess would make them so." CHAPTER XLIV PARK COUNTY Pike. Captain Pike's itinerary through the Rockies in 1806 took him through South Park. Following up the Platte, the explorers camped 2 miles west of Hartsel's Ranch, December 17. Thence his route took him westward through Park Range by Trout Creek Pass (9,800 feet high). Pursley. However, Pike was not the first white man in South Park. James Pursley, a Kentuckian, had penetrated this virgin solitude a year or two before him, and there are traditions of Spanish mines in the Sierra Madre, as the Snowy Range used to be called. The exact location of the diggings was lost. Numerous parties of men, fired by the tales of Indians and Mexi cans, set out time and again in the quest for veins of gold and silver supposed to be fabulously rich. It is related that they were always unsuccessful. Rush to Pike's Peak. For more than half a century South Park remained an uninhabited wilderness. The discovery of gold in the summer of 1858 set the land afire. The following year saw an immigration of a hundred thousand men to the Pike's Peak gold-fields. A handful of surviving pioneers retain vivid memories of the rush to Pike's Peak in 1859. They recall the first discoveries of placers near Boulder, Idaho Springs, 254 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO and in Gregory Gulch. An army of miners and pros pectors overran the foothills; then they pressed on farther west into the mountain ranges, looking for pay dirt. Prospecting in South Park. The story is told of a party of men — W. J. Holmes, Earl Hamilton, and others — who left the Gregory Diggings and crossed Front Range in July, 1859. Says Hall: " They descended into the magnificent basin of the South Park, as beautiful a vision, seen from the summit of the Kenosha Range, as ever mortal eye beheld in the Rocky Mountains, a broad, smooth and compara tively level plain, surrounded by mountains and threaded by numerous affluents of the Platte River, debouching from the lofty ranges on either side. Skirting the northwestern rim of the Park, after two days spent in prospecting without satisfactory results, they came to a creek. ... A member of the party, weary and footsore, perhaps a little discouraged withal from the long tramp, as he threw himself upon the ground exclaimed: ' We have traveled far enough; let us tarry here.' ' Yes,' said Mr. Holman, ' we'll tarry all,' and by unanimous consent the stream and the district were christened ' Tarryall.' " Gold Camps. Two members of the party had had experience at placering in California. The others knew nothing about mining and " went it blind." By luck they stumbled upon rich gold-bearing ground. The stream bed of Tarryall Creek yielded colors in abun dance; reports of the find spread, and soon a multitude of pilgrims poured into the camp. At that time all the placer ground had been staked off into claims, and the owners would not divide. So the newcomers moved on 30 miles or so and uncovered gold in the deep gravel HARTSEL (IN SOUTH PARK) ON THE COLORADO MIDLAND RY. CYCLE PARK, PLATTE CANON, ON COLORADO & SOUTHERN RY. PARK COUNTY 255 bars of the Platte; they named the new camp Fairplay, thus expressing their unflattering opinion of the men who refused them admittance at Tarryall. Erelong other districts were opened and worked profitably, the most noted being the Buckskin Joe, discovered in i860 by an old frontiersman of that name. Park County. These were the beginnings of Park County, one of the original 17 counties of Colorado Territory in 1861. It was named after the beautiful region called South Park, which is formed by an amphi theater of mountain ranges. This plateau or valley was once the bed of an inland lake. It has an elevation of from 8,000 or 10,000 feet. It is some 50 miles long and from 10 to 40 miles wide. The park is a fine grazing section, where run countless thousands of cattle. Surface. Park County is bounded on the east by Jefferson and Teller Counties, on the south by Fremont County, on the west by Chaffee and Lake Counties, and on the north by Summit and Clear Creek Counties. The crest of Park Range is the western boundary. The county has a variegated surface. It is a vast amphi theater rimmed by giant mountains. Among the sentinel peaks on its borders are Mount Lincoln (altitude, 14,297 feet), Buckskin (14,296), Bross (14,100), Horseshoe (13,912), Silverheels (13,835), Hamilton (13,800), and Evans (13,590). The mean annual rainfall is 15 inches, and the average tem perature about 400. In 1900 the county had 2,998 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 2,492. Area. The area of Park County is 2,084 square miles, of which 40,258 acres, or 3 per cent., were under cultivation in 1900. The cultivated area in 1909 was 25& A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO 45,000 acres. Stock-raising is the most important industry after mining. Fairplay. The county seat is Fairplay, on the Colorado and Southern Railway, 114 miles southwest of Denver. Its elevation is 9,896 feet. In 1900 it had 319 inhabitants; the population in 1910 had dwindled to 265. Mines. Park is an important mining county, having $18,000,000 to its credit. During the decade 1899- 1908, the annual yield of gold averaged about a quarter of a million. On the top of an auriferous peak of Mos quito Range, overlooking South Park, is the London Mine, which has for many years poured forth a stream of metallic wealth. It is situated about 6 miles from Alma. Of late years only a small amount of silver has been mined in this county. In 1908 the production of the precious metals was as follows: Gold, $417,826; silver, $15,080; lead, $23,328; copper, $6,055; an^ zinc, $86,279. The gold output of 1909 amounted to 2555,815- Resorts. At Wellington Lake, 6 miles from South Platte Station, the sportsman can have the time of his life fishing. He can vary the program by shooting grouse and sage-hens; or he may tramp afield botani zing, or taking snap-shots with the camera. All around and above him is a beatific vision of valleys and heights domed by the blue sky. The sun beats down with a tropical splendor by day, while the nights are cold (even in July). There is many another picturesque retreat in South Park — Lake George, Glenisle, Ins- mont, Chase, Shawnee, Cassell's, Hartsel's, Bailey's, etc. — where the pleasure seeker may put in a restful vacation. PARK COUNTY 257 EXTRACTION OF PRECIOUS METALS " In the first place, we find the gold and silver in very small quantities in the ore so that it is rarely visible to the eye. The ore is often composed of iron with a small per cent, of lead, zinc, and sometimes copper. All ore has more or less rock (gangue) mixed with it. The average pay ore runs from two to five ounces of gold and from fifteen to forty ounces of silver to the ton; so the parts of value are very small. Some times richer ore is found, but more often ore that will not pay to ship to the smelter. " Ore is sometimes found many feet below the sur face of the earth in small streaks running through the rock. Before it can be taken out the miner has to drill holes in the hard rock, which requires much labor, then he puts in giant powder and blasts it to pieces. . . . " After the hard rock is blasted out, the ore can then be ' knocked down,' and put into sacks and sent up out of the mine to the light of the sun. . . . " The ore still has some rock clinging to it which must be knocked off with a hammer. This process is called ' sorting.' Some rich ore in thin streaks clings close to the rock and refuses to separate and crumbles into dust and small pieces, so the sorter has to give it up and throw it in with the waste. . . . " After a pile of ore has been separated from the rock, it is shipped to the smelter. There it is crushed, then put into furnaces and brought to a great heat so it will run like water. While the ore is hot the metals settle to the bottom, and when it is cooled off the hammer is used to break the rock (slag) from the metal. After this it is treated again, and the metals 258 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO separate. The small quantity of gold that is obtained from each ton is sent to the mint and has to be purified and brought to a certain test before it is stamped into currency and bears the image and superscription of the Government." (F. B. Boyd.) CHAPTER XLV PHILLIPS COUNTY Name. This county was formed in 1889 from the eastern part of Logan County. It was named for Mr. R. 0. Phillips, secretary of a land company that laid out a number of towns in northeastern Colorado. Settlement. Like the neighboring counties, Phillips was overrun by great herds of cattle in the '70's and early '8o's. The era of actual settlement by farmers began about 1885. Crops did well in the years of plentiful rainfall, and withered in time of drouth, there being no river water available for irrigation. The lean years that came in the '90's witnessed an exodus of many discouraged homesteaders. The population in 1900 was 1,583, against 2,642 in 1890. It more than doubled in the following decade, being 3,179 in 1910. Phillips County is bounded by Nebraska on the east, by Sedgwick County on the north, by Logan County on the west, and by Yuma County on the south. In shape it is a parallelogram, 30 miles long (east and west) and about 21 miles wide. The mean annual rainfall is about 14 inches, and the average temperature 50° to 55°- Area. The area of the county is 677 square miles, of which 20,028 acres, or 5 per cent., were under culti vation in 1900; the cultivated area in 1909 was esti mated to be 65,000 acres. The surface is a rolling 260 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO plain. The land throughout the county has been described as " beautiful to look upon, lying in smooth, even plains, or else of a gently undulating character, every acre of it susceptible of easy and rapid cultiva tion. The soil is a dark sandy loam, with just enough of sand to make it free from clods after cultivation, and to prevent its becoming baked or hard after heavy rains." The soil is fertile and adapted to most of the temperate zone crops. The natural grass makes excel lent pasture for sheep and cattle. The face of the country is changing as progress is made in arid-land agriculture. Holyoke. The county seat is Holyoke, on the Cheyenne branch of the Burlingtpn and Missouri River Railway, 30 miles east of Sterling and 173 miles northeast of Denver. Its altitude is 3,737 feet. In 1900 the town had 451 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 659. Other .places in the county are Amherst, Bryant, Emerson, Haxtun, and Reno. Agriculture. The leading industries of Phillips County are stock-raising and agriculture. Cows and steers are easily cared for. Mr. A. M. Axelson, a rancher who has lived near Haxtun for more than twenty years, writes of crops and dairying in Phillips County: " The crops raised in eastern Colorado are corn, wheat, oats, barley, rye, potatoes, and forage, such as millet and sorghum. The yield of corn runs from 25 to 40 bushels per acre; wheat 10 to 40 bushels per acre, fall wheat being raised very successfully and with better yield. Rye, barley, oats and potatoes are grown with success. The general method of farming is such as used in Nebraska and Iowa. Some experiments with the Campbell method of soil culture have been made PHILLIPS COUNTY 261 with material increase in yield of crops and it will pay to carry on that system extensively. " The dairying industry pays well, either as carried on in connection with farming or as a separate business. Stock-raising, by itself or in connection with farming, is a profitable business. Cattle, horses and sheep do well and get along with small amount of feed, as winters are mild and of short duration. " Here are small tracts irrigated by windmills pump ing water for two to four acres which proves very profitable. This can be done on every farm and even on a larger scale, as the water supply is inexhaustible." Phillips County, unlike some of the other counties in the State, has not had a romantic history. From this one should not hastily conclude that its annals have been uneventful, because spectacular incidents and picturesque characters were lacking. Since the setback in the ^o's, the county .has steadily forged ahead and prospered. Its people are intelligent, pro gressive Americans, and its industrial development; though belated, has been placed on a solid footing by the successful solution of the problems of dry farming. CHAPTER XLVI PITKIN COUNTY Indian Trails. This county was one of the favorite camping places for the Utes. They found plenty of grass in the valleys for their ponies, and fish and game abounded. It is a matter of conjecture how long the Indians had lived here. Long before a European had set foot on this continent, the red men had regularly traveled trails over passes leading from one mountain valley to another. Indian trails were generally made, as nearly possible, on air lines converging toward a depression in a range or to some fordable point in a river. Their easily transported baggage of skins and other articles of barter was packed and secured to long tepee poles, one end fastened to a pony's side like shafts, the other dragging on the ground. In some cases, the Utes followed the beaten paths of bison through the Rockies. " Along the base of Saw Tooth Mountain, where an Indian trail passes over some small ridges of disintegrated granite on the surface, the trail in places shows narrow causeways built in the hollows below from the dragging of tepee poles loosening gravel which was washed down by water. It must have been the work of centuries. It was an easy matter for white explorers to follow these trails." This county was set apart from Gunnison County in PITKIN COUNTY 263 1 88 1, and named in honor of Frederick W. Pitkin, then governor of the State of Colorado. Pitkin is a central county of the State. It is bounded on the east by Lake County, on the south by Gunnison and Mesa Counties, and on the north by Garfield and Eagle Counties. The Sawatch Range forms the eastern boundary, and the Saw Tooth Range borders it on the south. Elk Mountains. The county is traversed from north to south by the Elk Mountains, a short range having many high peaks — Sopris (12,823 feet), Daly (13,193), White Rock (13,532), Pyramid (13,885), Snowmass (13,970), Maroon (14,126), and Castle (14,259). " The Elk Mountains are a medley of volcanic peaks thrown up among the silurian and carboniferous, flanked by cretaceous areas." Surface of Pitkin. Pitkin is drained by a left-hand branch of Grand River named Roaring Fork. This stream, which is only a creek near its sources in the mountains, becomes a river north of Aspen, where it is joined by several tributaries. The surface of the county consists of mountains, valleys, and elevated plateaus forming the watershed between Roaring Fork and Gunnison River. The mean annual rainfall is about 14 inches, and the average temperature of the county 400. Area. The area of Pitkin County is 983 square miles, of which 12,583 acres, or 2 per cent., were under cultivation in 1900. The cultivated area in 1909 was 20,000 acres. The valley of Roaring Fork is a good grazing country, and stock-raising is a flourishing industry. Alfalfa, grains, sugar beets, and potatoes are successfuly grown, and orchards bring forth bountiful harvests of apples and small fruits. Dairy 264 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO produce is a leading feature of the ranches in this valley. Pioneers. The pioneer settlers in Pitkin County arrived in 1879, being a part of the overflow of fortune- hunters who were attracted to Leadville. There was not room for them all in California Gulch, so they hit the trails leading to the adjacent regions. Geologists found the mineral formation at the head of Roaring Fork similar to that of Leadville. The Aspen district was explored and great silver mines discovered. On account of the Indian scare of 1879 no mining to speak of was done. Early in 1880 Mr. B. Clark Wheeler and other prospectors were on the ground, and reports were spread abroad concerning the wonderful richness of the mining field in the upper Roaring Fork country. One cabin had been erected on the site of Aspen in the summer of 1879. Now a town was laid out, and other cabins and rude shanties were erected, while claims were staked out on the slopes in the vicinity. The place was named Aspen, from the dense growth of aspen trees (sometimes called quaking asps) on the mountain side. The isolation of the camp and the lack of means of transportation retarded the develop ment of the mines until the building of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad to Aspen in 1887. The Midland line was completed to the town in 1888. Flush times followed, the hillsides yielded up millions of treasure, and people flocked to the mining district. In 1890 the Federal Census gave Pitkin County 8,929 inhabitants. In consequence of the closing of the Indian mints and the decline in the value of silver, the tide of prosperity was checked and the population of the county was reduced to 7,020 in 1900. It had dropped to 4,566 in 1910. SEVEN CASTLES. (On the Colorado Midland Railway.) Courtesy Colorado Midland Ry. WOODS LAKE. (Noted Fishing Resort near Thomasville. Sawatch Range in the background.) ASPEN. (Famous raining camp in background.) PITKIN COUNTY 265 Aspen. The county seat is Aspen, situated at the confluence of Castle, Hunter and Maroon creeks with Roaring Fork. Aspen is 41 miles southwest of Glen wood on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway and 401 miles from Denver; it is 209 miles northwest of Colo rado Springs on the Colorado Midland Railway. Its elevation is 7,943 feet. The town is encircled by lofty mountain ranges. In every direction the eye turns, it feasts upon scenery of almost matchless sublimity. The pure water, the bracing air, the genial climate, and the magnificent environment make Aspen a favored place to live in. In 1900 the city contained 3,303 in habitants; the population in 1910 was 1,834. Other towns of some importance in the county are Ashcroft, Redstone, Sparkhill, and Thomasville. Mines. Pitkin is one of the great mining counties of Colorado. Its silver-lead veins are of almost fabulous richness. Gold, copper, and zinc occur in considerable quantities. Since the founding of the Aspen camp in 1880 to the present (1910) the total output of the precious metals in Pitkin County exceeds $129,000,000. Its production during the first seven years of its exist ence was probably less than $1,000,000, owing to un favorable conditions. From the year 1887 to 1909 the yield of Pitkin's mines averaged nearly $6,000,000 annually. Smuggler and Mollie Gibson are two of the richest silver mines in the world. Occasional lumps of ore were almost pure silver. So far little gold has been produced by this county. During the ten years, 1 899-1908, the silver output of Pitkin County totaled $15,800,000. In the same period the lead production was $10,120,000, or an annual average of something over a million, and that of copper $14,000. The yield of gold was less than that of 266 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO the red metal. During the past five years the zinc production has been upward of $168,000 per annum; the output for 1909 was slightly less than $40,000. Pitkin County has immense beds of coal, also large deposits of iron and lime. Sandstones and other build ing stones are found. CHAPTER XLVII PROWERS COUNTY History. In 1806 Pike's little band of soldiers marched up the Arkansas through what is now Prowers County. Since then the explorers' route along the river has been historic ground. Long's party, in the summer of 1820, pursued their homeward journey for a con siderable distance down the Arkansas. In the '20's and '30's the fur-traders passed up and down the river on their way to the mountains and back to the Mis souri. On his third expedition, in 1845, Fremont journeyed this way to Bent's Fort. The following year General Stephen W. Kearny's army marched by the same route, bound for New Mexico; and caravans of ox-teams and pack-mules, convoying the commerce of the prairies, trailed after the troops to Santa Fe. For the sake of safety they took this detour by the longer route, instead of traveling by the old Santa Fe Trail across the southeastern corner of Colorado (in Baca County). In the '50's the mountain trail up the Arkansas became a much-traveled thoroughfare. It was occasionally chosen by Argonauts trekking to California. Captain Gunnison's expedition passed that way in 1853. Five years afterward the cavalcade of Pike's Peakers headed by Green Russell clattered over the historic highway, and the Lawrence party followed in their wake. Thenceforth for upward of a 268 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO score of years there was an almost constant stream of travel and traffic over this well-known trail. Then the occupation of the stage driver and that of the bull- whacker came to an end, at the completion of the Santa Fe railroad in the late '70's. Name. Prowers County was organized in 1889 from the eastern part of Bent County. It was named for a pioneer settler, John W. Prowers, who entered the service of Bent and St. Vrain in 1856. In the '6o's and '70's he was one of the big cattle owners of the Arkansas Valley. In 1880 he was elected representa tive in the Legislature. Surface. Prowers County adjoins Kansas on the east, Kiowa County on the north, Bent County on the west, and Baca County on the south. Its surface con sists of rolling plains, gradually rising from the bed of the Arkansas River. The mean annual rainfall is about 15 inches, and the average temperature 400 to 500. The population in 1900 was 3,766, a gain of nearly 100 per cent, over that of 1890, which was 1,969. It nearly trebled during the next ten years, being 9,520 in 1910. Area. The area of the county is 1,602 square miles, of which 58,172 acres, or 5 per cent., were under cultivation in 1900. The cultivated area in 1909 was estimated at 88,000 acres. Farming. This section of eastern Colorado was sparsely occupied in the '70's. After the slaughter of the buffalo, it was the feeding ground for vast herds of Texas longhorns. The period of actual settlement by farmers dates from about 1885, and the reclamation of the " desert " by irrigation began in earnest some years later. It is now considered one of the most pro ductive agricultural regions in the world. Its soil, a PROWERS COUNTY 269 sandy alluvial, yields enormous crops of cereals, sugar beets, alfalfa, and all varieties of grasses. Apples, peaches, cherries, grapes, and other fruits do well. This part of the Arkansas Valley is famed for its honey. Cattle, sheep, and hogs are raised extensively. Lamar. The county seat is Lamar, 116 miles east of Pueblo, on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, and 233 miles southeast of Denver. The town was named for Hon. L. Q. C. Lamar, at one time Secretary of the Interior and afterward one of the justices of the United States Supreme Court. In 1900 the place had 987 souls; the population in 1910 was 2,977. The altitude is 3,610 feet. A 1200-ton sugar factory was opened here in 1906. Markers. Near Lamar the Daughters of the American Revolution in Colorado placed one of the 27 monuments erected 5 miles apart to perpetuate the course of the famous highway from Holly to Trinidad. In the western part of the county, on the Arkansas River, was the camping place of Kearny's army while en route to New Mexico. Salvation Army Colony. Other places in the county are Amity, Granada, and Holly. A large sugar factory was opened at Holly in 1905. Near Amity is the prosperous colony of the Salvation Army. Here is located Cherry Tree Home for children rescued from the slums. CHAPTER XLVIII PUEBLO COUNTY Pike. Pueblo is one of the historic places of Colo rado. It was here that Pike's exploring party camped in November, 1806. " At the Forks," as he calls the confluence of Fountain Creek and the Arkansas River, they built a log breastwork for defense. This done, the captain with three men set out northward to tramp to the pinnacle of the peak that now bears his name. He failed to get there. However, he did climb to the sum mit of an intervening mountain, whence he saw the crest of Pike's Peak some 15 miles away. Regretfully the detachment returned to the Pueblo camp, and the following day the whole party moved up the Arkansas toward the Rockies. The next white men (American citizens) to visit the spot were the members of Long's expedition. They found no traces of the cottonwood stockade erected by Pike's soldiers more than a dozen years before. Fowler's Party. In January, 1822, Jacob Fowler and a party of adventurous spirits from Arkansas built a log house near the site of the future Pueblo. It was occupied about a month, while the men trapped and hunted on the streams round about. Thence they traversed the old Spanish trail to Taos, New Mexico, and made an excursion up the Rio Grande to its sources. PUEBLO COUNTY 271 Trading-Posts. From that time, off and on, for a long period of years the fur-traders and trappers were here. In 1826 the Bents constructed a fort and trading- post on the Arkansas River, at some distance west of Fontaine Qui Bouille, as Fountain Creek used to be called. Three years later they built another fort, near the present town of Las Animas. Beckwourth. Jim Beckwourth, a mulatto who had lived among the Indians, claimed the honor of estab lishing the first permanent settlement where Pueblo now stands. That was in the year 1842. Not long after his coming, an adobe affair enclosed by cotton wood pickets was built for protection against hostile Indians and thieving whites. It was called Fort Napeste (Indian name for " Arkansas "). For a dozen years it was a rendezvous for voyageurs on the plains and in the mountains. Massacre. On Christmas Day, 1854, there was a celebration at Fort Napeste. A passing band of Utes were invited in to participate in the revelry. Fired by the white man's " tarantula juice," the drunken savages massacred the inmates, winding up by plunder ing the post and setting the buildings on fire. Seven teen men lost their lives as a result of this spree. Early Settlers. One of the first white Americans to settle in Pueblo County was Richens L. Wootton, who ran a ranch on the Arkansas in the mid-century. At that time there was a small farming settlement of Mexicans in Greenhorn Valley, about 20 miles south of Pueblo. Captain Gunnison gives an interesting account of his visit there in 1853. Green Russell. The next notable event in the his tory of the county was the coming of the Green Russell expedition in June, 1858. The cavalcade of 20 wagons, 272 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO besides horsemen, journeyed up the Arkansas to a point about 12 miles east of Pueblo; then they struck across the country northward toward Pike's Peak. Pueblo. The following winter saw the beginning of a settlement on the east side of the Fontaine. It was named Fountain City. A year or so later a rival town was laid out on the bank of the Arkansas and christened Pueblo. Tradition relates that the first house, a log cabin, was built by Andrew C. (" Jack ") Wright. It stood near the corner of First Street and Santa Fe Avenue. Soon afterward two other cabins were erected nearby. Slow Growth. The Civil War checked the growth of this frontier village, which had only two score souls in 1867. Two years later the population had in creased to 400. In the '70's the twin cities, North Pueblo and South Pueblo, grew amazingly. The com ing of the Denver and Rio Grande in 1872 and of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1876 gave the town a chance to develop. Forthwith it began to assume importance as a manufacturing center, with its smelters, steel works, street railways, waterworks, etc. In 1880 Pueblo was Colorado's third city, if the north and south divisions be reckoned as one burg. The two Pueblos then had a population of 4,760. They were consolidated in 1887, and had 24,558 inhabitants in 1890. The State Asylum for the Insane was located here in 1879. The Mineral Palace, a huge structure (244 by 134 feet), was completed in 1891. Surface of County; Pueblo County is one of the original 17 counties of Colorado Territory in 1861. It was then much larger than now, extending eastward to the Indian Reservation around Fort Lyon. As Courtesy oi Denver & Rio Grande K. R. MAIN ST., PUEBLO. Seep 273 SCENE IN ROUTT COUNTY, NORTHWESTERN COLORADO. FISHING SCENE ALONG THE LINE OP THE MOPFAT ROAD, ROUTT COUNTY. PUEBLO COUNTY 273 constituted at present, it is bounded on the north by El Paso County, on the east by Otero County, on the south by Las Animas and Huerfano Counties, and on the west by Custer and Fremont Counties. The surface consists of rolling plains, traversed from west to east by the Arkansas, the second largest river of Colorado. The mean annual precipitation is about 12 inches, and the average temperature 400 to 500. Area. The area is 2,447 square miles, of which 40,821 acres, or nearly 3 per cent., were under cultiva tion in 1900. The cultivated area in 1909 was 94,000 acres, mostly irrigated lands. The growth of the county was slow in the " Stage Coach " days of the '6o's. In 1870 it had only 2,265 inhabitants, according to the Federal Census. The " Railroad " period began in 1872, and from that time the population increased by leaps and bounds. It had trebled in 1880, being 7,612. The next five years wit nessed a great influx of settlers in Colorado, chiefly in the agricultural districts, and Pueblo made the largest gain, with an increase of no per cent. In 1890 it was credited with 31,491 people. Unlike some other counties of the State, it grew in the lean years of the '90's, having 34,448 people in 1900. That year Pueblo County ranked second in population, next to Arapahoe. The population in 1910 was 52,223, a gain of 50 per cent, during the preceding decade. County Seat. The county seat is the city of Pueblo (Spanish for " village "), a name applied to the semi- civilized people existing here centuries ago. They seem to have been related to the Aztecs, or Cliff Dwellers, living in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah. Pueblo is 117 miles southeast of Denver. The town lies on both sides of the Arkansas River, and has 274 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO an altitude of 4,669 feet. It is second only to Denver as a railway center, being entered by 6 railroads. It has 4 large smelters and extensive steel works. In 1900 the " Pittsburgh of the West " had 28,157 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 44,395. Pueblo has 19 public parks, and is the home of the Colorado State Fair. The McClelland Public Library building was opened in 1904. A handsome courthouse was erected in 1910, at a cost of $500,000. It is an imposing structure of Corinthian architecture, 150 feet in width and 264 feet long, 3 stories high above the basement. Pueblo's Industries. The growth of Pueblo's in dustries has been marked since 1903; that year 30 factories were added, besides extensions at the Minne- qua Steel Works. At present the " Star City " boasts of more than 300 industrial plants, including the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company's shops. There are many large foundries and other establishments turning out mining machinery, agricultural implements, etc. Pueblo is the commercial center of the towns in the Arkansas Valley. Agriculture. After manufacturing, the leading in dustry of the county is agriculture. So fertile is the valley of the Arkansas that the river is called the " American Nile." In the '6o's Pueblo was one of the leading corn-growing and wheat-growing counties of the Territory. It was also famed for stock-raising, having over 200,000 acres of meadow and pasture lands. A part of the county, south of the Arkansas, was em braced in the vast tract known as the " Las Animas Grant," obtained by Cornelius Vigil and Ceran St. Vrain from the governor of New Mexico, in 1844. The Hermosillo Rancho of 91,000 acres covers a portion of this grant, subsequently reduced in size. At one PUEBLO COUNTY 275 time it passed into the hands of General Benjamin F. Butler. The country surrounding Pueblo was but barren mesa and sand hills when Major Long camped there in 1820. As the explorers rode along the river they re marked the " desolate plains, with scarce a green or living thing upon them, except here and there a tuft of grass." To-day this semi-arid district is threaded by lines of canals and dotted by farmhouses. Thou sands of ranchers are now growing the cereals and sugar beets in the region once described as an uninhabitable wilderness. Irrigation and scientific soil-industry have made it an agricultural country of unbounded possi bilities. Pueblo County has valuable quarries of gypsum and other kinds of building stone. The Denver Public Library was built of sandstone from Turkey Creek, northwest of Pueblo. Mineral Springs. Like other parts of the State, this county is favored with hot springs, which were valued by the red man. They are mute witnesses to the volcanic period that devastated this region in the long ago. The waters of the Clark Magnetic Spring in Pueblo have a national reputation for their efficacy in curing rheumatism and other diseases. St. Mary's Sanatorium offers mineral-water baths and treatment. Climate. The climate of the " Sunshine City " is genial, almost ideal for invalids. The mean tempera ture in winter is about 330. A temperature of zero is recorded, but it is rare. The view to the west is grand, the notched horizon rim of the Wet Mountains con trasting with the snowy crest of Sangre de Cristo Range beyond. A jaunt of a few miles into the country shows the stages of development that have marked the 276 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO past half century since the Fifty-niners fared into the untrodden wilds. Fossils abound along the Greenhorn River and elsewhere in Pueblo County, or, rather, did before Professor Marsh and other scientists of Yale made their expedition through the Arkansas Valley in 1871. Other places in the county are Bessemer, Beulah, and Overton. The " New Santa Fe Trail," completed to Pueblo in 1910, is a popular route with motorists. This highway for automobiles connects Pueblo with Newton, Kansas, via the Arkansas Valley. pueblo in 1846 (From Parkman's Oregon Trail) " After an hour's ride we reached the edge of a hill, from which a welcome sight greeted us. The Arkansas ran along the valley below, among woods and groves, and closely nestled in the midst of wide corn-fields and green meadows, where cattle were grazing, rose the low mud walls of the Pueblo. " We approached the gate of the Pueblo. It was a wretched species of fort, of most primitive construc tion, being nothing more than a large square inclosure, surrounded by a wall of mud, miserably cracked and dilapidated. The slender pickets that surmounted it were half broken down, and the gate dangled on its wooden hinges so loosely, that to open or shut it seemed likely to fling it down altogether. Two or three squalid Mexicans, with their broad hats, and their vile faces overgrown with hair, were lounging about the bank of the river in front of it. They disappeared as they saw us approach; and as we rode up to the gate, a light PUEBLO COUNTY 277 active little figure came out to meet us. It was our old friend Richard. He had come from Fort Laramie on a trading expedition to Taos; but finding when he reached the Pueblo that war would prevent his going farther, he was quietly waiting till the conquest of the country should allow him to proceed. He seemed to feel bound to do the honors of the place. Shaking us warmly by the hand, he led the way into the area. " Here we saw his large Santa Fe wagons standing together. A few squaws and Spanish women, and a few Mexicans, as mean and miserable as the place itself, were sauntering about. Richard conducted us to the state apartment of the Pueblo, a small mud room, very neatly finished, considering the material, and garnished with a crucifix, a looking-glass, a picture of the Virgin, and a rusty horse-pistol. There were no chairs, but instead of them a number of chests and boxes ranged about the room. There was another room beyond, less sumptuously decorated, and here three or four Spanish girls, one of them very pretty, were baking cakes at a mud fire-place in the corner. They brought out a poncho, which they spread upon the floor by way of table-cloth. A supper, which seemed to us luxurious, was soon laid out upon it, and folded buffalo-robes were placed around it to receive the guests. Two or three Americans besides ourselves were present. We sat down in Turkish fashion, and began to ask the news. Richard told us that, about three weeks before, General Kearny's army had left Bent's Fort to march against Santa Fe; that when last heard from they were approaching the defiles that led to that city. One of the Americans produced a dingy newspaper, containing an account of the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. While we were discussing these matters, the 278 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO doorway was darkened by a tall, shambling fellow [a Mormon], who stood with his hands in his pockets taking a leisurely survey of the premises before he entered." CHAPTER XLIX RIO BLANCO COUNTY Affairs with Utes. This county was formerly a part of the northern reservation of the Utes, who had lived in the mountains and on the western slope from time immemorial. In 1868 Kit Carson, Alexander C. Hunt, and Nathaniel G. Taylor arranged a treaty with the Colorado Utes, who reluctantly consented to give up some of their ancient hunting grounds to the pale face (they still had 14,000,000 acres, the largest reser vation in the country). An Indian agency was estab lished on White River, and one after another, agent was sent there. From the start there was trouble, and things grew from bad to worse as the years went by. The red men declared that the agents lied to them and cheated them, while the agents asserted that the Utes were a hard lot of Indians to get along with. Meeker, Agent. In the spring of 1878 Nathan C. Meeker, a benevolent old gentleman who sincerely wished to reclaim Poor Lo from his savage ways, was appointed agent. " Father Meeker," as he was familiarly known, will live in history as the founder of Union Colony at Greeley. He tackled a tough prop osition when he removed to the wilds of northwestern Colorado and tried to civilize the tribesmen. The chiefs and bucks strenuously objected to Meeker's program of 280 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO field work; hunting, loafing, and horse-racing were their favorite occupations. Friction and mistrust increased, and Chief Jack demanded Meeker's removal. Crisis Reached. Meeker was indignant because he could not run the agency in his own way, and com plained to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs at Washington. The agent meant well, but he was timid and without tact. He blundered and paid the penalty for blundering. Fearing for his life, he asked for troops to protect him. Matters reached a crisis in the summer of 1879. , Thornburgh Comes with Troops. In September Major T. T. Thornburgh, with 160 men (mostly cavalry), started on an expedition for the White River Agency. When near the northern border of the reservation, he was met by Chiefs Jack and Colorow, with 10 braves. Jack, who could speak English fluently, was the spokesman of the party. He denied that the Utes had been acting badly, and proposed that Thornburgh, with an escort of 5 soldiers, accompany them to the agency and investigate before taking the command into the reservation. The troops halted two days while messages passed back and forth between the agent and the commander, who spoke harsh words to the red men. Ambushed by Utes. On the morning of Sep tember 29 the troops continued their march. In pressing forward, Thornburgh simply repeated the blunder of Braddock. The encounter that followed could have been easily prevented, and scores of lives saved. In Red Canon, a narrow ravine in the northern part of Rio Blanco County, the three companies and the wagoners fell into an ambush. The warriors, numbering fully 250, had entrenched themselves on the RIO BLANCO COUNTY 281 bluffs on either side and poured a crossfire into the advancing column. They were desperate, and for a while it was a sharp skirmish. In twenty minutes 15 soldiers were killed and 35 wounded. Major Thorn burgh was struck in the head by two bullets and died instantly. His scalp was the only one taken by the savages. Besieged. The surviving troopers fought their way back to the wagon-train, and began fortifying; they piled up boxes and used wagons for a rampart. Here they were beleaguered for six days till a relief force of 530 men under Colonel Wesley Merritt raised the dreadful siege. Massacre at Agency. Meanwhile Meeker and the agency employes were slain by a band of Utes number ing a score or more. Then the redskins pillaged the agency buildings and set them on fire. Mrs. Meeker, her daughter Josie, and Mrs. Price were taken prisoners and held in captivity until October 21. Outbreak Ended. Having got rid of their obnoxious agent, the hostiles were ready to quit, as Chief Ouray ordered. The captive women and children were given up, but the tribesmen guilty of the attack on Thorn burgh and of the massacre at the agency were never punished. Utes Removed. Now the cry was repeated, with redoubled emphasis, " The Utes must go! " The out come of the uprising was their removal in 1881; about 1,700 of them were allotted lands in the Uinta Reservation on Green River, Utah. Name of County. The county of Rio Blanco (Span ish for " White River ") was taken from the northern part of Garfield County in 1889. It adjoins Utah on the west, Routt County on the north, Routt and Gar- 282 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO field Counties on the east, and Garfield County on the south. The county is 108 miles long and 39 miles wide. Its surface consists of hills, mountains, valleys, and lofty tablelands sloping toward the valley of White River, which rises in Trappers' Lake and drains the county from east to west. Area. The area of the county is 3,249 square miles, of which 40,000 acres, or 2 per cent., were under cultiva tion in 1909. The mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches, and the average temperature 400 to 500. In 1900 Rio Blanco had 1,690 inhabitants; the popu lation in 1910 had increased to 2,332. Resources. The eastern third of the county is an immense forest reserve. To the west of the forested area is a wide coal belt running across the county from north to south. The coal is of fine quality, and easily mined; practically all of it is bituminous. Petroleum and natural gas have been found. Rio Blanco also has veins of asphaltum, gilsonite beds, heavy deposits of iron ore, gypsum, and other natural resources. Farming. The chief industries are farming and stock-raising. The valleys and plateaus have a fertile soil that brings forth grains and grasses in abundance. The country is well adapted for potatoes and sugar beets. In some sections there is plenty of natural rain fall, and no irrigation is needed. County Seat. The county seat is Meeker, named in remembrance of the respected man who met a tragic end at this isolated post. The town is prettily situated on the north bank of White River, 4 miles from the ruined agency. Its altitude is 6,182 feet. In 1900 it had 507 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 807. The nearest railway point is Rifle, 45 miles south. About 20 miles to the northeast of Meeker is Thorn- RIO BLANCO COUNTY 283 burgh, a village named in honor of the brave officer who lost his life near here in the Ute outbreak of 1879. Hunting and Fishing. On account of its superior hunting and fishing grounds, its sylvan solitudes, and its historical associations, Rio Blanco County is one of the star attractions of the Centennial State. In the whole length and breadth of the land there is no better place for an outing. Here the city man who wants to get away from civilization can roam day after day in an interminable wilderness. The scenery is rugged and charming. In summer it is an easy matter for the tourist or photographer (without weapons) to get close to deer and other wild animals in their native fast nesses. An itinerary of a month in the White River country will not exhaust the round of delightful excursions. To the lover of sport the most powerful magnet will be Trappers' Lake or Marvine's Lakes, in the eastern part of the county, easily reached from Mc Coy or Glenwood Springs. Eruptive igneous rocks abound on the White River Plateau, once the scene of volcanic activity. The south fork of White River is one of the finest trout streams in Colorado. Sportsmen can make their headquarters at Idlewild Lodge, near Buford. Here they may obtain camping equipment, fishing tackle, etc. CHAPTER L RIO GRANDE COUNTY Name. The county of Rio Grande (" Grand River ") was named after the Rio Grande del Norte, which rises in the San Juan Mountains, flows in a southeasterly course through San Luis Valley, traverses New Mexico, and finally empties into the Gulf of Mexico. In Colorado it is sometimes called Del Norte River; farther south it is the mighty Rio Grande of the geographies. History. Rio Grande County was organized in 1874 from parts of Conejos and Costilla Counties. Like Las Animas and other counties of southern Colorado, it has a considerable Spanish-speaking population. In the '6o's the valley of Del Norte River was settled by Mexicans, who farmed in a primitive way. In 1870 gold was discovered in the western part of the county, and from that time American miners and prospectors poured into this section. At one time (1882-1883) Rio Grande County ranked third as a gold-producing district. There was one mine, the Little Annie, that was particularly rich. A streak in the vein produced a reddish-brown quartz that was literally filled with gold. Industries. When mining declined, the lumbering, stock-raising, farming, and fruit-growing industries claimed more and more attention. This county forms RIO GRANDE COUNTY 285 a part of the fertile San Luis Park, which Captain Pike in 1807 described as a " terrestrial paradise." As an agricultural country it is hardly to be surpassed any where in the world. It is said that a ranch near Del Norte produced the banner acre of potatoes in the United States, 847 bushels. Intensive farming is highly profitable in the valley of Rio del Norte. Surface. Rio Grande County is bounded on the north by Saguache County, on the west by Mineral County, on the south by Conejos County, and on the east by Conejos, Costilla, and Saguache Counties. Its surface is broken into mountains, valleys, and plateaus. The annual precipitation averages only about 7 inches, although some years it is twice as much as others. The climate is mild and equable, the mean annual tempera ture being 400. Population. Rio Grande's population has more than trebled since 1880, when it had 1,944 inhabitants. The census of 1900 gave it a population of 4,080; it had 6,563 people in 1910. Area. The area of the county is 1,331 square miles, of which 78,141 acres, or 9 per cent., were under cultivation in 1900. The cultivated area in 1909 was 100,000 acres, mostly under irrigation. Del Norte. The county seat is Del Norte on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, 31 miles northwest of Alamosa and 283 miles from Denver. Its altitude is 7,868 feet. In 1900 it had 705 souls; the population in 1910 was 840. Del Norte was first settled by Ameri cans in 1871-1872; it also had a large colony of Mexi cans living in adobe houses. The Denver and Rio Grande extended a line to this point in 1881. Del Norte was for many years the home of Thomas E Bowen, who entered upon the practice of law there in 286 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO 1875. Later he was elected United States Senator (1883-1889). Another eminent Coloradoan, Alva Adapts, engaged in the hardware business at Del Norte in 1876. This honored pioneer was a representative from Rio Grande County in the first State Legislature. He was afterward thrice elected governor of Colorado. Monte Vista. The most important town in the county is Monte Vista (Spanish for " Mountain View "). It was laid out in 1883 and is now said to be the largest city in San Luis Valley, having a population in 1910 of 2,544. It is located on the Creede branch of the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, 269 miles south west of Denver. The town has " the best climate in the world," and is beautiful for situation. Says Hall: " On the one hand in the distance rise the massive and rugged peaks of the San Juan Range and on the other those of the Sangre de Cristo (' Blood of Christ '). Observed from Monte Vista this mighty chain that seems to terminate abruptly in Sierra Blanca, with its stupendous line of snow-sheeted promontories, is a wondrous spectacle, extending along the park toward Salida, where the D. and R. G. railway finds its outlet into the Arkansas Valley. What incomparable Ouray is to the mountain towns, by virtue of its loca tion among the gigantic peaks that stand guard around the picturesque amphitheater which forms its site, Monte Vista is to the San Luis Valley with its thousands of acres of agricultural lands covered with glistening grain fields, forming a view at once fruitful and en chanting. . . . Monte Vista is a conspicuous center of husbandry. The great canal systems from the Rio Grande River are making this one of the fairest and most fruitful sections of the commonwealth." {History of Colorado, Vol. IV., p. 296.) RIO GRANDE COUNTY 287 Soldiers' Home. The State Soldiers' and Sailors' Home was founded at Monte Vista in 1889. This in stitution occupies a site of 120 acres, donated by citizens of the town. Products. For more than a score of years Rio Grande's output of the precious metals has been small. In 1900 the yield of gold mounted to $107,627; other years it has fallen to less than $10,000. The chief sources of the county's wealth are hogs, sheep, cattle, the cereals, sugar beets, and potatoes. Fremont's Explorations. According to the journal of Jacob Fowler, a party of trappers and hunters traveled up the Rio Grande Valley in February, 1822. Fremont was here on his disastrous expedition of 1848. The site of " Starvation Camp " has not been located with certainty; it is by some supposed to have been on Embargo Creek. The pack-mules were all frozen on the topmost ridge of the San Juan Mountains; the greater part of the baggage was abandoned, and the remnant of the party straggled down through San Luis Valley, perishing one by one of cold and hunger. The leader and a handful of men finally reached Taos, New Mexico, in January, 1849. CHAPTER LI ROUTT COUNTY Jim Baker. The earliest white resident of Routt County was Jim Baker, the noted scout and Rocky Mountain guide, who settled on Snake River near the Wyoming line in the early '40's. Here he erected a log- cabin, with a lookout station on top of it where he could watch out for the coming of hostiles. This remarkable character (who was trapper, hunter, and " squaw man ") found the red men quite bothersome neighbors, and he had many a brush with them. However, Baker was himself to blame for some of the trouble he had with the dusky savages. In i860 he took up a home stead on Clear Creek, between Arvada and the Jesuit College. The old toll bridge that he built was the stage crossing. About ten years later he sold his ranch and returned to the wilderness that he preferred to civilization. In his sequestered Routt County home he died in 1898, having reached the ripe age of eighty-six. He was born in Illinois, and first set foot on the soil of Colorado in 1838. He led as adventurous a life as that of Jim Bridger or Dick Wootton. Baker's once lonely valley is now populated, but his fort-like home is pre served as a show place. Marcy. In the winter of 1857-1858 Captain Marcy led an expedition from Fort Bridger to Fort Garland. ROUTT COUNTY 289 The line of march was through northeast Utah, then through Colorado. Jim Baker acted as guide for the party, and successfully conducted them through the mountain ranges, although they were almost impassable in winter. Prospecting. In 1864 an old prospector named Way discovered gold placers at the base of Hahn's Peak in Park Range. He returned to Clear Creek County and told his story to Joseph Hahn, for whom this peak was named. In the following spring Hahn and a comrade worked their way to the locality and prospected long enough to satisfy themselves of the richness of the gold- fields. Going back to Empire, they organized a com pany of about 40 men to work the diggings. With a supply of provisions and tools, they set out in May, 1866, via Berthoud Pass. The snow was 6 feet deep in the trail, and they were delayed by snowstorms. They finally got to the placer grounds in June. Their first task was to build cabins to live in. The summer season is short in that mountain region, and they had done but little mining before winter set in. Then all hands left the district except Hahn and a miner named Doyle. Some months later their supplies ran low, and the two men set out on snowshoes for Empire. They were caught in a fearful snowstorm while crossing Gore Range. Hahn became utterly exhausted and unable to take another step. Spreading their blankets on the snow, they lay down and tried to sleep. In the morning Doyle started forth to obtain relief for his helpless, suffering companion; after wandering about all day in a vain search for food or the sight of any human habita tion, he staggered back at nightfall only to find Hahn dead. The surviving miner was now in a desperate plight; 290 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO yet, weakened as he was and almost despairing, he struck out again, hoping perchance he might run across some human being. Two men from Hot Sulphur Springs happened that way and saw him floundering in the snow, bewildered and nearly blind. The man was cared for and recovered. No more mining was done in the Hahn's Peak district for eight years. Name of County. Routt County was set apart from Grand County in 1877, and named in honor of John L. Routt, who was twice elected governor of Colorado. This county occupies the extreme northwestern corner of Colorado. It adjoins Wyoming on the north, Utah on the west, Rio Blanco County on the south, and Grand and Jackson Counties on the east. Park Range forms the eastern boundary. The surface consists of mountains, valleys, and broad plateaus rising eastward to Park Range. In the southeastern part is the beauti ful valley called by the classic name Egeria Park. The county is watered by the Yampa River, which rises in the western, slopes of Park Range and flows westerly to Green River in Utah. Yampa is a Ute word meaning " root." Surface. " For many miles north of the Yampa River," says Hayden (who explored that section in 1876), " the country slopes very gradually toward the river; the features are those of a mountainous, wave like plateau country, with a covering of sage as its chief vegetation. The only prominent topographical object in this region is an elevated and flat-topped butte, named ' Fortification Butte,' which stands like a rocky island in the sage-covered, waving prairie. The Yampa is a fine, clear stream of perhaps 100 feet in width and 18 to 20 inches deep." Well Watered. The peaks in the mountain ranges ROUTT COUNTY 291 are from 8,000 to 12,000 feet in height. "The more inviting and cheering appearance of this country as compared with the eastern slope is occasioned by the abundance of moisture that dominates here. The system of cross ranges running in all directions and flanking the Continental Divide, appears to be favorable to the gathering of moisture and creates change. In numerable streams originate here, and the country is a succession of massive mountains interspersed with beautiful and fertile valleys. In a panoramic view the country is a perfect network of streams of pure moun tain water. There is moisture sufficient in most of these valleys to do away with the necessity of irriga tion." The mean annual rainfall of Routt County is about 12 inches, and the average temperature 400 to 500. The county seat is Hahn's Peak, the center of a placer-mining district. In 1900 it had only 46 inhabit ants; the population in 1910 was 53. Its altitude is 8,200 feet. Steamboat Springs. The largest town in the county is Steamboat Springs, settled in 1874. It was so called from the peculiar puffing sounds emitted by the mineral springs here, which made a noise similar to that of a river steamer in motion. It has the largest group of mineral springs in the world; they number over 100 and comprise pretty nearly all known varieties of waters having medicinal virtues. They are of different degrees of temperature. The bath-pool, fed by natural hot springs, is 100 by 150 feet. Steamboat Springs has an altitude of 6,781 feet. The population in 1910 was 1,227. In 1908 it became the terminus of the Moffat Road, now building toward Salt Lake City. Other places in the county are Craig, Hayden, Lay, and Yampa. The east boundary of the Ute Reserva- 292 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO tion was a little west of Yampa, and a few settlers had located thereabouts in the '70's. Farming. The principal industries of Routt County, 7,561 in population (1910), are stock-raising (mostly beef cattle), agriculture, and mining. Its extended grazing districts are admirably adapted for genera) farming. Oats, barley, potatoes, and vegetables do well. Alfalfa and native grasses grow luxuriantly. Straw berries and gooseberries thrive. Mining. Owing to distance from supplies and absence of means of transportation, not much mining has been done. Routt's production of gold during the ten years 1899-1908 aggregated about $100,000. With the extension of the railroad, dredging for placer gold can be profitably carried on. The output of silver, lead, and copper has been small. Routt's immense coal beds, oil fields, marble, and other natural resources still await development. Hunting. Routt County has for many years been considered a hunter's paradise. It is the habitat of blacktailed deer, of bear, cougars, and other kinds of large game. Sightseeing. There is no end of sight places in the seclusion of northwestern Colorado. Here the tired city man may find the excitement of hunting or yield himself up to the witchery of angling. The scenery on every side is beautiful and impressive. The plains man who has never seen a mountain has a new experi ence before him when he first visits Colorado. His heart leaps up when he gets his first glimpse of the Rockies, far out on the plains, when 90 miles from the Rampart Range. As he gets closer to them and among them, their grandeur is simply overpowering. The peace of the valleys and the sublimity of the mountains ROUTT COUNTY 293 make their appeal to the senses and to the imagination. After taking excursions through the southern and cen tral parts of the State, he may reach the climax when he travels from Denver to Routt County. On this trip he may grow enthusiastic over the magnificence of rugged scenery and find his greatest recreation in the presence of lakes, woods, and mountains; the tourist as well as the Nimrod can have a royal good time in northwestern Colorado. Especially charming are Egeria Canon and Rock Creek Canon. Battle Mountain. A famous spot in western history is Battle Mountain, the scene of a bloody encounter, in 1845, between a small party of trappers and a big band of Indians who wanted to run off a bunch of horses belonging to the whites. This mountain over looks Jim Baker's cabin in Little Snake Valley. There is only one path by which the flat top of the mountain can be reached, and in this narrow pass Baker and his companions held the redskins at bay till they got disgusted and sneaked off. Finger Rock, a rugged shaft of volcanic matter 2 miles from Yampa, rises to a height of 300 feet above Egeria Park. It is a very dangerous and diffi cult feat to scale the summit of this remarkable chimney rock, which has a perpendicular face of 268 feet. The ascent has been accomplished twice, but only a hardy, experienced mountain-climber should attempt it. CHAPTER LII SAGUACHE COUNTY First Settlers. The first settlement in this county was made in 1865 by a number of soldiers of the First Regiment of Colorado Volunteers. The next year others came, some of them Mexicans, and settled on the Saguache River near the present county seat. The following spring and summer saw a considerable acces sion of laborers and capitalists to this place. Otto Mears. Among the newcomers of 1867 was Otto Mears (a Hebrew born in Russia), who played an important part in the winning of the wilderness of southwestern Colorado. For more than a score of years he was the moving spirit in building wagon roads and railroads through the San Juan country, connect ing it with the Arkansas and San Luis valleys. In recognition of his valuable public services, a full- length portrait of this remarkable man was placed in one of the upper corridors of the State Capitol. Indian Name Saguache. The county of Saguache (Indian word, pronounced " Sa-watch ") was organized in 1867 from the northern part of Costilla County. The name was derived from that of the lofty range variously styled Saguache and Sawatch Mountains. This range is not far from the center of the State and forms part of the roof of North America. A river heading in Cochetopa Hills and flowing south into San SAGUACHE COUNTY 295 Luis Valley bears the same name. It is said the word is abridged from a Ute expression meaning " blue earth." The blue earth was found at the springs some 20 miles above the town of Saguache, on Saguache River. This beautiful spot was a favorite camping place for the Southern Utes, whose war chief for many years was big Chief Saguache (killed in 1874). Surface of County. Saguache County is bounded on the west by Gunnison and Hinsdale Counties, on the south by Mineral, Rio Grande, and Costilla Counties, on the east by Huerfano, Custer, and Fremont Counties, and on the north by Fremont, Chaffee, and Gunnison Counties. It is traversed from north to southwest by the tortuous range of Cochetopa Hills. West of this range the country slopes toward the Gunnison River, and east of it is the northern end of the great San Luis Valley, an elevated plateau extending eastward to the slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and south into New Mexico. San Luis Park is upward of 60 miles in width and 100 miles long. It has an altitude varying from 7,000 to 8,000 feet. The mean annual rainfall of Saguache County is about 7 inches, and the average temperature 400. Area. The area of the county is 2,769 square miles, comprising more than one-third of the San Luis Valley, which is almost as large as the province of Wurttemberg in Germany. In 1900 there were 119,587 acres, or 7 per cent., under cultivation in Saguache County. The tilled area in 1909 was estimated to be 140,000 acres, mostly irrigated. A large area in the county is reserved as a State Park. Crops. The valley of the Saguache River is richly grassed, and adapted to the cereals, alfalfa, potatoes, vegetables, and fruits. Where the soil is deep, it is 296 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO immensely productive when irrigated. It is said that Saguache County holds the world's record for wheat, a ten-acre field having produced about 1,070 bushels, or 107 bushels an acre. The yield of potatoes often ex ceeds 500 bushels to the acre. Population. The population of Saguache County has steadily increased from the start. In 1870 the in habitants were only 304; ten years later the population had grown to 1,973, a gain of over 600 per cent.; in 1900 the county had 3,853 souls, against 3,313 in 1890. The population in 1910 was 4,160. Mining. Mining has never amounted to much in Saguache County. The yield of the precious metals up to 1910 was between $2,000,000 and $3,000,000. In the decade, 1 899-1908, the annual harvest of gold averaged some $13,000, and that of silver was about the same. The yearly production of lead during the same period was $15,000, and that of copper still less. The chief mining camp is Bonanza, 20 miles northwest of Saguache. It was once a populous district; now it is almost deserted. Grazing Lands. The principal industries of the county are farming and stock-raising. The stream- bottoms are excellently adapted to agriculture. Farther away from the rivers are extensive areas of grazing lands. In the eastern part of the county is the Crestone Estate (Baca Grant No. 4), once owned by William Gilpin, first governor of Colorado Territory. This tract contains nearly 100,000 acres of land, most of it suited for grazing. Large crops of grains and potatoes have been raised on the lower portions along the streams. County Seat. The county seat is Saguache, situated on the Saguache River and nestled at the east base of SAGUACHE COUNTY 297 a group of small hills. It has the advantage of an elevated site (altitude, 7,745 feet), with beautiful vistas of the Sangre de Cristo Range with its deep-cut gorges. To the southwest Sierra Blanca is a prominent landmark. In 1900 the town had 389 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 704. Saguache is 18 miles by stage road from Moffat, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway. Marshall Pass. This railroad traverses the northern border of the county and crosses the Continental Divide through Marshall Pass at an elevation of 10,846 feet. The pass was named for Lieutenant Marshall, who accompanied Wheeler's geological survey of this region in 1875. The man who wants to get up in the world may tarry here a while on the crest of the con tinent and study the fantastic forms chiseled by Nature in the eternal rocks. If a lover of natural history lore, he may find much of interest, for the mountains teem with life. Once within their sheltering folds and ridges, the ozone-laden air puts new life into a man. The landscape, with its rocky battlements and rugged peaks that pierce the clouds, is well described by Ernest Ingersoll, in The Crest of the Continent : Mountain Landscape. " We climbed the rocks about the little station house, to enjoy at its best the magnificent view presented. To the northeast, white with snow, towered the serrated range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, rising abruptly from the valley which stretched away to the southeast and standing out in bold relief against the deep blue sky. Between the range and us were lower hills and isolated peaks tumbled into a confused mass, and only prevented from pressing too closely together by the little valleys that ran be tween them. Immediately around us grew stunted 298 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO pines, bent, barren, blackened and lifeless. Down the mountain side the forests became denser, greener and fresher, while from the distant valleys, at the bottom of which we could see tiny streams working their way to worlds beyond, came low murmurs and sweet odors. Toward the west, and losing itself in a hazy distance, ran the Tomichi Valley, narrow, heavily wooded, and free from all that rocky harshness so prevalent in Colorado. ... As we gazed upon the mountains, the valley, and the far and farther heights, we could imagine ourselves returned to the beginning of things, and shown the globe only that moment finished. There was a wealth of coloring, a sublimity unsurpassed, and withal an attention given to detail by which the picture was made perfect. I remember to have stood on Mar shall Pass once when the sun was just dropping out of sight beyond the rolling hills to the westward. As it sunk lower and lower behind its curtain of snowy peaks, prismatic hues came flashing along the pathway of its fading light, which touched the rugged sides of Ouray Peak and the white-capped range beyond until every treeless spot and gabled peak shone with a mellow hue. All objects — those near by and those far away — flashed bright colors, beautiful, brilliant, and as varied as those of the rainbow. From the mountains long shadows were cast, and in the forest crept dark shades. All Nature prepared to sleep, and no sounds came from around the lonely pass but the sighing of the wind as it swept through the tangled trees." CHAPTER LIII SAN JUAN COUNTY Former Inhabitants. It is supposed that the San Juan region and contiguous territory was the habitat of the first land animals of the Rocky Mountain country. It is also supposed that this was the dwelling- place of the first human inhabitants of primeval Colo rado. Who were they? Whence came they? When and how did they disappear? In the present state of our knowledge (or, rather, lack of knowledge) we can only speculate and roughly generalize concerning these matters. Further investigations may, perhaps, clear up a part of the mystery now enveloping the pre historic people that once occupied the land of south western Colorado, who are variously called Toltecs,1 Aztecs, and Cliff Dwellers. History. The county of San Juan (Spanish meaning " Saint John ") was taken from the northern part of La Plata County in 1876. It got its name from the twisted range of mountains that form part of the back bone of the continent. From this ridge the streams pursue their course to either ocean. Somewhere up here in the devious windings of the inhospitable San Juan Mountains Colonel Fremont came to grief, in December, 1848. In i860 John Baker led an unfor- 1 Archeologists conjecture that the Toltecs migrated from the country of the Mound Builders to the Southwest fifteen hundred years ago. The Aztecs came later. 300 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO tunate expedition through this rugged region. Again, in the early '70's, venturesome parties of prospectors explored the San Juan, in the hazardous quest for precious metals. As soon as the land was bought from the Utes, in 1873, settlers poured into this rich mining country. San Juan Mountains. San Juan County is bounded o'n the east by Hinsdale County, on the south by La Plata County, on the west by Dolores and San Miguel Counties, and on the north by San Miguel, Ouray, and Hinsdale Counties. The surface is broken into mountain ranges and spurs enclosing elevated valleys, one of them being the historical Baker Park at the north end of Animas Canon. The country is a net work of ravines, crusted with ruined cliff-dwellings overgrown with pinon and junipers. " The San Juan Mountains are volcanic, with an area of quartzite peaks in their midst, and flanking the range on the south is an area of carboniferous and cretaceous rocks." Among the lofty peaks in the county are: Garfield (13,065 feet), Hunchback (13,133), Sultan (13,336), Canby (13,466), Kendall (13,480), King Solomon (13,550), and Rio Grande Pyramid (13,773). Area. The area of San Juan County is 438 square miles, of which none is cultivated. The valleys and wooded slopes afford some grazing for sheep and cattle. The mean annual precipitation is about 19 inches, and the average temperature 45° to 500. The population in 1900 was 2,342; it had grown to 3,063 in 1910. Mines. San Juan is a great mining county, being ribbed with heavy mineral deposits. Some of the mountains, notably King Solomon, are seamed with metalliferous veins so wide that the outcropping streaks can be seen for miles. San Juan County lies within the Courtesy Denver & Rio Grande R. R. CATHEDRAL SPIRE, OPHIR LOOP, IN THE SILVER SAN JUAN. SULTAN MOUNTAIN. Courtesy Denver & Rio Grande R. R. ALTITUDE 13,336 FEET. VIEW FROM BAKER PARK. (Animas River in the foreground.) SAN JUAN COUNTY 301 richest gold-bearing district of the State, except that of the Front Range (Gilpin, Clear Creek, and Teller Counties). Its output of the royal metal during the decade, 1899-1908, was $10,925,000, a yearly average of more than a million. The silver production in the same period was about $5,000,000, averaging half a million annually; lead averaged $470,000 per annum.. and copper $370,000. Before the building of the Durango and Silverton Railroad, in 1882, mining in this county was at a disadvantage and the yield was comparatively little; from that time the years have seen a magnificent outpouring of mineral wealth, the total to January 1, 1909, being $56,000,000. County Seat. The county seat is Silverton, so named because of the richness of the silver ores in the vicinity. It is prettily situated on Rio Animas, 45 miles north of Durango, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, and 496 miles from Denver. Its altitude is 9,288 feet. The town had 1,360 inhabitants in 1900; the population in 1910 was 2,153. Short railroads extend northward from Silverton to the mining camps at Animas Forks, Gladstone, and Red Mountain. Animas Canon. The railroad between Rockwood and Silverton threads its way for a score of miles through the somber canon of the Animas River, upon which the Spaniards conferred the musical but melancholy title, Rio de las Animas Perdidas (River of Lost Souls). The views along this line are of indescribable loveliness and grandeur. THE RIVER OF SOULS " A bright and sinuous river this ' Las Animas ' canon rolls; Its colors are green and silver, its name ' The River of Souls.' It is but a thread of water, beleaguered on either side By crags that are rugged footstools to peaks of imperial pride, 302 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO It frets and chafes in its bondage, it pines for a broader sway And glides like a thing in torture to the valley and open day. You ask of what it is singing, but a poet's subtlest art Can hardly translate the music that throbs in the river's heart. " Should it catch the keynote of ripples, or fetter the chords of waves That carry the plea of lovers, the wail over long dead braves, Can it prison the rays of sunlight, or sever the misty veil That hangs in the lofty canon, like a glory softly pale? Can it paint the hush of silence, the tangible, holy peace, That living and warm is absolute as death after life doth cease? A jewel should have a setting, this glorious ' River of Souls,' Be framed by the grace and grandeur, the beauty thro' which it rolls. If his art not this encompass, whatever the poet sings Will fall like a hope defeated, an eagle with broken wings. The ' River of Souls,' who gave to it a name so weirdly sweet? Perchance a lover who saw a face in the waters at his feet; A shimmer of garments, snowy white, on the curling billows tossed, Suggesting the peaceful form of maid to his earthly vision lost. " 'Tis said who stands in the canon's heart, when a summer day is done, May hear two wild, weird voices meet, harmonious blend as one, May see the outline of dainty maid in robes of purest white, Glide over the soft green river, pale sudden and gleam to light; While song of transcendent clearness out of the canon floats, No poet may phrase its language, no singer arrest the notes, It is not a song of sorrow, of joy, of hope, or despair, But a tremor, a trill, a pathos that quivers along the air, Like a far bird-note in springtime, it falls upon listening ears, And brushes with wing of pleasure the fountain of unshed tears." — Harriet L. Wason. CHAPTER LIV SAN MIGUEL COUNTY Primeval Inhabitants. Like San Juan County, this county was the stamping ground of immense creatures in the far-off dawn of time when huge saurians swam the inland sea of the Mississippi basin. Long afterward it was the home of a gentle, agricultural people who were finally driven out or slain by marauding tribes of Indians, less civilized but more warlike. Cliff Dwellings. " In the bed of one of the ancient seas west of the San Juan Mountains," says Hubert H. Bancroft, " in a deposit three thousand feet thick, now hardened into rock, are the fossil skeletons of the first vertebrates of the American continent, species until recently unknown to science. As their bones are very numerous, being scattered over three thousand square miles, it is safe to conclude that Colorado sup ported a vast amount of animal life at that period when the rivers now dry washed down their remains to that ancient receptacle. Here, too, about the shores of this primeval lake, which was encircled by upturned ridges of white gypsum and sandstone of various colors, yellow, vermilion, gray, and blood red, on sharp ridges, with precipitous sides, sometimes hundreds of feet high, dwelt the first men who inhabited this region of whom there is any trace. Their dwellings were of unhewn stones, cemented with a mortar containing a large 304 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO portion of volcanic ashes. Their form was oval, like a bee-hive, and they enclosed usually a cedar stump, the use of which is purely conjectural. So numerous were these dwellings, that the population must have been dense which occupied them; yet all were in these inaccessible situations. About them were scattered a few domestic implements, including large water-jars sunk in the ground, and some arrow-heads. But as no water can now be found within 25 miles of the cliff- dwellings, a long time must have elapsed to account for the change of climate which has taken place. Why this ancient people found it necessary or desirable to dwell on the top or in the face of the cliffs is unanswer able, unless we accept the almost incredible theory that, like the lake-dwellings of Switzerland, these houses were erected when the water of the now dried- up lake reached up to them. This belief might go far to account for the great number of bones of animals found in the lake bed, for they must have subsisted upon animal food. The few human bones found have been fossilized, which is in itself evidence of the long period of time since they were clothed in flesh." San Miguel. San Miguel County was created from the western part of Ouray County in 1883. The name was derived from that of the group of mountains called San Miguel (" Saint Michael ") by the Spanish ex plorers who were here in the eighteenth century. The name is also applied to a river of the western slope emptying into the Dolores. Surface of County. San Miguel County adjoins Utah on the west, Montrose and Ouray Counties on the north, Ouray and San Juan Counties on the east, and Dolores County on the south. The western half of the county is an arid plateau drained by the Dolores River SAN MIGUEL COUNTY 305 and the eastern part is mountainous. On the southern border are the San Miguel Mountains, an out range of the San Juan chain. These mountains are a wilderness of towering parapets and spires, the most prominent of which is the fantastic freak of Nature called Lizard Head (altitude, 13,156 feet). Area. The area of the county, almost a parallelo gram in shape, is 1,310 square miles, of which 40,000 acres,, or 6 per cent., were under cultivation in 1909. The mean annual rainfall is about 20 inches, and the average temperature 450 to 500. The census of 1900 gave San Miguel County 5,379 souls; the population in 1910 had fallen to 4,700. County Seat. The county seat is Telluride, situated in a narrow valley heavily wooded with spruce. All about it loom massive peaks, " In the wild pomp of mountain majesty." The altitude of the town is 8,744 feet- It is 8 miles east of Vance Junction, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, and 422 miles from Denver. In 1900 Tellur ide had 2,446 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was 1,756. Mining. While stock-raising and farming are car ried on to some extent in the fertile Gypsum Basin and other valleys, the chief industry of San Miguel County is mining. Placering was done on the bars and the banks of San Miguel River so long ago as 1875. "This gold district reveals one of those wonderful pages in the history of the globe which inspire awe, the gravel deposits, 100 to 150 feet above the present San Miguel River, being evidently the bed of some mightier stream which in a remote past rolled its golden sands 306 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO toward that buried sea, to which geological facts point a significant finger." (Bancroft.) Mines. The mountains, whence this free gold came thousands of years ago, are a network of silver veins streaked with gold and lead. In 1878 some valuable mines were discovered in the mountainous region at the east end of the county, and the mining town of Telluride was started. From that time to this San Miguel County has been a large producer of the precious metals, having to its credit slightly over $60,000,000 up to January 1, 1909. Among the more noted mines are Alta, Liberty Bell, the Tomboy, and the Smuggler- Union; the latter is said to contain the longest con tinuous ore shoot ever opened in the world. Mineral Output. During the decade, 1 899-1908, San Miguel ranked next to Teller as a gold-producing county, its output of the yellow metal being $19,320,- 000. The yield of silver in these ten years amounted to $6,800,000 (as estimated by the State Bureau of Mines), that of lead was $2,410,000, and that of copper was $540,000. The production of zinc is trifling. A belt of vanadium and uranium extends from San Miguel County into Montrose County. The streak of vanadium ore is the richest in the State. Little has been done so far toward developing the deposits of these rare metals. Camping and Hunting. The rugged domain of the San Miguel Mountains is a good place for a camping trip. Set like a glittering gem in an idyllic landscape is Trout Lake, where the sportsman may while away the days fishing. One can indulge the pastime of stalk ing big game, or revel in the primitive wilds. Bobcats and cougars stay in the summer in the canons and on the plateaus, but the bears roam a great deal and must MYSTIC FALLS NEAR TELLURIDE. Courtesy of Denver & Rio Grande R. R. TROUT LAKE. ALTITUDE, 9800 FEET. SAN MIGUEL COUNTY 307 be hunted. Grouse and sage-hens are quite numerous, and in season there are teal and mallard ducks on the lakes and streams. Occasionally snipe and cranes may be shot. Ruins. The western part of the county is an in teresting locality to the scientist and archeologist. It abounds in fossils of the Tertiary period when a vast lake covered western Colorado, extending into Utah. In the valley of the Dolores River and across the line in La Sal Mountains are architectural ruins and other remains of the vanished race living here before Colum bus discovered America. Bridal Veil Falls. The trip from Telluride to Bridal Veil Falls is a favorite excursion to the sightseer. The foaming stream plunges over a perpendicular cliff more than 300 feet high, and at the bottom breaks into spray and filmy lace. Placerville. Placerville, on the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, is a picturesque mountain resort and outfitting point for sportsmen. Its mineral waters are well-known for their therapeutic properties. The town has an altitude of 7,309 feet, and boasts of many scenic attractions. Nature in her wilder and grander aspects makes appeal. The slopes about Placerville are forested with spruce, aspen, and pifion; and, higher up, one ridge after another of rocky eminences cuts the clouds. To the east looms Mount Sneffels, like a mighty giant. Ophir. Ophir is a mining town of 500 inhabitants, located on the Rio Grande Southern Railway, 16 miles from Telluride. The region surrounding the camp is very heavily mineralized, and embraces some of the most prominent mines of the county. CHAPTER LV SEDGWICK COUNTY Area. Sedgwick occupies the extreme northeastern corner of Colorado, being bounded on the north and east by Nebraska. Its area is 535 square miles. The cultivated area in 1909 was 60,000 acres, of which 20,000 acres were irrigated. The population in 1900 was 971; it had increased threefold by 1910, being 3,061. The average rainfall is 13 inches, and the mean annual temperature from 500 to 550. The altitude is about 3,500 feet. Julesburg. The county seat is Julesburg, on the Union Pacific Railway, an enterprising town of 1,000 inhabitants. It is 197 miles northeast from Denver, and 373 miles from Omaha. The place got its name from a French pioneer long known on the frontier as " Old Jules," who met a tragic death. It is situated on the South Platte, in a wide, fertile valley, now thickly settled and abundantly productive. The county was named for General John Sedgwick, a brave officer of the Civil War who commanded Fort Wise, on the Arkansas River, in 1859-1860. During the Indian troubles of 1864 Fort Sedgwick, a military post, was built about a mile east of the ranch of " Old Jules." Troops were stationed there for several years to guard the stage route. Overland Trail. In 1859 the original Julesburg was SEDGWICK COUNTY 309 a stage station on the Overland Trail between Omaha and Denver. In the spring and summer of that year tens of thousands of adventurous Pilgrims journeyed by stage or in " prairie schooners " up the Platte Valley, on their way to the Pike's Peak region, which was then supposed to be a land of gold. Julesburg was the " Cali fornia Crossing " for parties from Leavenworth bound for the Far West via the Oregon Trail. The first Julesburg settlement was on the south side of the Platte, near the fort. Some years later a second site was chosen for the stage station, which was the scene of frequent Indian attacks. This too was aban doned. A third Julesburg was located, north of the river, about 4 miles east of Fort Sedgwick. For a long while the place was the western terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad. Like Cheyenne in early days, it was " a red-hot town." At one time it had a population of 5,000 or 6,000 people. Still another Julesburg was founded, the present county seat, some 5 miles east of the old stage station of '59. In the '70's it was a supply point for a scatter ing settlement of cattle kings and cowboys. Elsewhere there were no settlements to speak of in what is now Sedgwick County. Here and there in the Platte Valley might be found the sodhouse or shanty of a solitary rancher. Away from the river one could ride for days over the rolling prairies without seeing a cultivated field. Near the creeks or around water-holes were the camping outfits of the round-up men, who looked after the enormous herds of long-horned cattle that fattened on the short, curly grass. Buffalo were roaming the plains in vast numbers up to 1875. Cattle Industry. In the late '70's and the early 310 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO '8o's stockmen were flourishing in northeastern Colo rado. The bovine industry reached its height about 1882, when there were a million and a half of beef cattle in the State. Irrigation. Gradually the agricultural possibili ties of Colorado were realized. The irrigated area was increased, and settlers poured into Weld County, out of which Washington County was created in 1887, Logan County in 1888, and Sedgwick County in 1889. The building of the Union Pacific line from Julesburg to La Salle (in 1881) and the extension of the Burlington Route to Denver (in 1882) greatly stimulated the de velopment of northern Colorado. The completion of the Julesburg reservoir, in 1905, marked the dawn of a new era for Sedgwick County. THE DUST OF THE OVERLAND TRAIL " O'er the wide-spreading plains rolled the emigrant trains In the stirring old pioneer days, When the ripples of heat danced on shimmering feet 'Neath the summer sun's quivering blaze, And the brave light that broke from each valiant eye spoke Of a courage that never would quail As the hardy men pressed toward the goal in the West In the dust of the Overland Trail. " From the day they arose o'er the bluffs that inclose The historic Missouri's dark tide, And the slow-moving trains headed west o'er the plains There were perils on every side. With their eyes gleaming hate painted foes lay in wait In the brush of the gulch and the swale, But the heroes pressed on for the prize to be won In the dust of the Overland Trail. " Oh! how glad was their song as they journeyed along When the peaks of the range met their eyes — SEDGWICK COUNTY 311 When the snow line so white caught their wondering sight As a beacon of peace in the skies. And their joy was untold as the gray schooners rolled Through the winding Platte's beautiful vale, And their lips fashioned jests as they beat from their breasts The dust of the Overland Trail." — James Barton Adams. CHAPTER LVI SUMMIT COUNTY First Prospecting. Only a few details can be given of early mining and prospecting in Summit County. It is a story of courage and achievement, verging upon the romantic. Soon after the discoveries of gold in Clear Creek and Gilpin Counties parties of venturesome fortune-hunters pressed across the Snowy Range to the western slope, as it is called, for from here the streams wind their way homeward to the Pacific Ocean. The whites were in the heart of the Indian coun try, and the presence of hostile savages added a spice of danger to the quest for the golden treasure. Almost from the first rich strikes rewarded the ad venturous gold-seekers, who braved the hardships and perils of the virgin wilds and wrested a harvest of wealth from the gulches and stream-beds where it had been reposing since primordial time began, awaiting the coming of the miner with his pan and pick. On the night of August 3, 1859, a company of about 30 Pike's Peakers camped at Manitou Springs. The tales they had heard of nuggets scattered about the flanks of Pike's Peak were only figments of fancy. They were disillusioned, but not quite discouraged. This was only one of many bitter lessons that the Pilgrims had to learn in the hard school of experience. On the following morning they hit the Ute trail leading into the moun- SUMMIT COUNTY 313 tains. Pursuing a northwesterly course, they made their way for some distance in South Park; then the expedition broke into two parties. One band of 14 — including Reuben J. Spalding, John Randall and others — crossed the range not far from Mount Lincoln and descended to the banks of Blue River. At a point near the present town of Breckenridge they halted on the afternoon of August 10, to try their luck at prospecting. Discovery of Gold. " We sunk a hole three feet deep on a bar," says Spalding, " and I, having mined in California, was selected, as the most experienced man in the company, to do the panning. The result of the first pan of dirt was thirteen cents of gold, the largest grain about the size and shape of a flax seed. The second panful gave twenty-seven cents, both yields being weighed in gold scales brought for the purpose. This was the first recorded discovery of gold on Blue River. Our little party now felt jubilant over the strike thus made and began to realize that here lay the fulfil ment of their most ardent hopes." The next thing to do, after staking off claims, was to erect cabins to live in. They also built a blockhouse for defense in case of attack by Indians. This done, they began placer mining in earnest. Roping pieces of a saddle blanket around his feet, Spalding waded into the water ankle deep and dug up pay dirt. The first day's work netted him $10. He and 9 other miners remained on Blue River all winter. Snow fell to great depth — 6 to 8 feet, — and they perambulated about on snowshoes. More gold diggings were discovered, and in the spring of i860 there were several mining districts clustered about the new town of Breckenridge. Rich Finds. One of the richest finds was made on the east bank of the river by William H. Iliff and his 314 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO partner, who uncovered a pocket of auriferous gravel which yielded $2 a pan. Afterward nearly $7,000 was taken from a space of 40 feet square and less than 10 feet deep. Late in August, 1859, they started out with pack animals for provisions and other supplies. On arriving in Denver, after a fatiguing journey, Iliff told the story of the diggings and exhibited the glittering dust. The report quickly spread, and the magic word " gold " caused a stampede to the new camp, which became a scene of mining activity. Within a year from the first discovery of gold on the western slope of the Continental Divide, the placer camps about Brecken ridge had a population of about 8,000. In the '6o's this was one of the heaviest gold-pro ducing districts in Colorado. No exact estimate can be made of the quantity of the yellow treasure wrested from mother earth in this section. It amounted to several millions, and Breckenridge prospered when some of the other gold camps of the Territory were deserted. Both gold and silver bearing veins run through the metalliferous area of the county. In time these ore bodies were discovered and worked; so there has been no drying-up of the mineral industry of Summit County. The erosion and oxidization of quartz veins gave rise to alluvial deposits of placer gold. Native gold is one of the subsidiary ingredients of rocks that volcanic eruptions have brought to the surface. In the lapse of ages it is freed from the rocks and deposited in stream beds or in crevices of ledges. It was this gold that the pioneer miners gathered in from bars in stream beds or from ridges adjacent to the stream. In later years, after the bright grains and the nuggets had been slicked out of the placer grounds, men followed the " leads " SUMMIT COUNTY 315 or quartz croppings into the mountain sides and opened mines that have produced tens of millions, and show no sign of exhaustion. Surface of County. Summit is one of the original 17 counties of Colorado Territory. As first constituted, in 1861, it took in all of northwestern Colorado not occu pied by the Ute bands. Subsequently portions were carved out of its ample domain to form Eagle, Garfield, Rio Blanco, Grand, and Routt Counties. It is now bounded on the west by Eagle County, on the north by Grand County, on the east by Grand, Clear Creek, and Park Counties, and on the south by Park and Lake Counties. It includes the upper valley of Blue River, extending from Park Range on the west to Williams River Mountains on the east. Its surface consists of mountains and high plateaus or valleys. The ranges on its borders have some lofty peaks — Gray's (altitude, 14,341 feet), Lincoln (14,297), Quandary (14,266), Guyot (13,565), and McClellan (13,423). The mean annual precipitation is about 27 inches, and the average temperature 400 to 450. Area. The area of Summit County is 603 square miles, of which about 6,000 acres are cultivated. There is not much grazing land. The population of the county has fluctuated accord ing to the ups and downs of the mineral industry. The figures for the 4 census years are as follows: 304 (1870), 5,459 (1880), 1,906 (1890), and 2,744 C1^00)- The population in 1910 had dwindled to 2,003. Breckenridge. The county seat is Breckenridge, no miles from Denver on the Colorado and Southern Railway. Its altitude is 9,534 feet. Its situation in Blue River Valley is one of the most picturesque localities in the Rocky Mountains. In 1900 the place 316 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO had 976 inhabitants; the population in 1910 was reduced to 834. Summit's Mineral Output. Summit is an important mining county. From the days of the bonanza dis coveries of '59 to the present (1910) it has yielded more than $30,000,000 of the precious metals. During the ten years, 1899-1908, the annual production of gold averaged $220,000; that of silver was $128,000; and lead, $128,000. Since 1901 Summit's output of zinc has been upward of $100,000 a year or more, the yield for 1909 being $236,280. Noted Mines. Summit County lies within the great Sulphide Belt, which extends from the base of Long's Peak to a point southwest of Leadville. Among the large producers of the mining districts are the Welling ton, the Minnie, Montezuma, Victoria, and King Solomon mines. A tunnel enters the Stevens Mine, on Mount McClellan, at 12,400 feet above tide level. The richness of Summit's mineral deposits is so great that the mines may be expected to produce many more millions, and a harvest of placer gold is yet to be re covered by dredging. Much of it is flour gold which, by action of sand and water, has been ground to par ticles so fine that a trace of it is hardly visible. View on Mount McClellan. A tourist line on the flanks of Gray's Peak takes the traveler to the crest of Mount McClellan. The Argentine Central Railway, opened to traffic in 1906, traverses the summit of the Continental Divide — " Where mountains repose in their blueness." Here the beholder gets a view of Long's, Pike's, Blanca, the Mount of the Holy Cross, and other lofty peaks in BRECKENRIDGE. (Mount Hamilton in the background.) CRIPPLE CREEK GOLD CAMP. (Sangre de Cristo Range in the background.) See p. 320 SUMMIT COUNTY 317 the different ranges of Colorado. A mountain-top experience awes and uplifts the visitor to the " play ground of America." The sublimity of the scenery beggars description. Dillon. Up near the golden crest of the continent is the pleasure resort of Dillon, 1 19 miles west of Denver on the Colorado and Southern Railway. Its altitude is 8,849 feet- Whichever way the traveler turns, majestic pinnacles claim his admiration. He is thrilled by the sight of the vast sea of ranges and peaks around him. In every direction the sky line is etched by colossal rock-masses. Dillon is an ideal place for rest and recuperation. The athletic globe-trotter may yield to the fascination of mountaineering. To scale Gray's Peak or Mount Lincoln is an achievement worth his daring. CHAPTER LVII TELLER COUNTY Name. This county was organized in 1899 from parts of El Paso and Fremont Counties. It was named in honor of Henry M. Teller, who holds a place of dis tinction in Western history. This eminent man came to Colorado in 1862, and was at the head of the Terri torial militia in 1864; he was one of the first senators from Colorado, and, with an interval of three years, when he served as Secretary of the Interior in President Arthur's cabinet, he remained in the United States Senate until 1909, a period of nearly thirty years. Area. Teller County is bounded on the east by El Paso County, on the south by Fremont County, on the west by Park County, and on the north by Douglas County. Its surface is hilly and mountainous. Its area is 551 square miles, of which 4,685 acres, or nearly 2 per cent., were under cultivation in 1900. The mean annual precipitation is about 14 inches, and the average temperature 400 to 50°. In 1900 the county had 29,002 inhabitants; the population in 1910 had fallen to Up to 1890 this was a sparsely settled section. It was not of much account for farming, and was supposed to be unpromising mineral territory. The rush to Pike's Peak was the first determined attack of gold- seekers upon the wilderness about this historic moun- TELLER COUNTY 319 tain. No finds of any value were made there, and the disgusted Pikers hit the trail for other diggings. Some of the early comers wandered in the vicinity of Cripple Creek, without suspecting the existence of an El Dorado beneath the surface of the grassy hills. After ward an occasional prospector hied him hither, never noticing the inconspicuous vein-outcroppings. In 1885 a " salted " mine started a mad rush to Mount Pisgah, which overlooks the city of Cripple Creek. At that time renewed search was made for the yellow metal, and many an old miner examined the outcropping gold veins. However, nobody succeeded in getting ore in paying quantities, and the quest was speedily abandoned. Womack's Find. In the late '8o's the Cripple Creek region was a lonely cattle ranch. A herder named Rob ert Womack put in some of his spare time prospecting, and he did discover several seams of gold. He pegged out a claim and dubbed it " Chance." The cowboys only laughed at him, but he had faith. One day, while riding the range, he picked up a piece of float rock that looked good; he sent it to an assayer, who reported that it went $250 in gold to the ton. Returning to the spot, he dug a prospect hole. That was in January, 1891. A few days later he struck a vein that glistened with sylvanite. It was on what is now known as El Paso lode. The " pay rock " was deposited in such an unusual manner, it is not at all surprising that ex perienced prospectors did not discover it. Untold ages ago a volcano formed a chasm in Cripple Creek plateau and piled up masses of granite and lava. The gold veins occur in the volcanic rocks of the dis trict, which is about 6 miles square and has an eleva tion of 9,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level. 320 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Womack's great find set him wild. He made a trip to Colorado Springs and loaded up with liquor. While half crazed with drink and success, he disposed of his bonanza for $500 in cash. He jumped on his bronco and rode through the streets, proclaiming his find. In a few days the cow pasture was literally swarming with people. Claims were staked out, and Mount Pisgah again became a scene of hustling activity. This time it was no wildcat excitement that attracted capitalists and fortune-hunters; it was the beginning of the most famous gold camp of the Rockies. Except the Wit- watersrand in South Africa, it is probably the richest mining field in all the world. Cripple Creek is a veri table Golconda, and yet the discoverer, poor Bob Womack, never realized anything out of the find that brought princely fortunes to scores of men. He died in poverty. Cripple Creek Gold Camp. While the gold-bearing district of Teller County includes about 130 square miles, the noted mines are congregated in the hills and valleys within an area 6 miles square. In 1891 Cripple Creek's output of golden treasure was $200,000. From that time its production of the royal metal rapidly increased. In 1897 it exceeded that of the remainder of the State. There are 160 different mines here, some of them having tunnels over half a mile long and shafts more than 1,500 feet deep. Among the large producers are Stratton's Independence, Elkton, Findlay, Vindi cator, El Paso, Isabella, Mary McKinney, and the Portland. There is a group of great mines in this " two-hundred- million-dollar cow pasture," and the Portland is the foremost. Its underground area of mineral territory is honeycombed with tunnels, drifts, and crosscuts. MAP OF THE CRIPPLE CREEK DISTRICT. TELLER COUNTY 321 The workings extend under the summit and northern slope of Battle Mountain, directly north of the town of Victor. During the past fifteen years this mine has given to the world an amount of bullion worth upward of $30,000,000, or an average of nearly $2,000,000 a year. Portland Mine. Undoubtedly the Portland is the most celebrated of all the mines in this far-famed gold- bearing zone of the Centennial State. One of the claims located in 1892 is now included within the territory of the Portland Mine. In a year or two it had developed into the best paying property in the district. In 1894 the present company was organized with a capital of $3,000,000. About 100 men were employed at that time, and it was shipping 60 tons of smelting ore daily. From time to time adjoining claims were purchased, and in 1899 the Portland embraced an area of 200 acres. New pay shoots and ore bodies were uncovered, and the extent of underground workings was increased until a force of more than 500 men was employed. The Portland Mine contains more productive lodes and presents greater variety in the character of its ore bodies than any other mine in the Cripple Creek dis trict. The values of the ore have ranged from $25 to $150 a ton. The Portland is the banner producer of the camp. In 1904 its output was 100,000 tons of ore, about one-sixth of the total production of Cripple Creek. During the fifteen years, 1894-1908, the yield of the Portland exceeded $28,000,000, and its dividends were upward of $9,000,000 in the same period. Other Cripple Creek mines have achieved eminence in gold production. For instance, the Mary McKinney holdings, comprising about 144 acres on Raven and Gold hills, have added nearly $6,000,000 to the money of 322 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO the country, while the Elkton is credited with a pro duction of $9,000,000 up to June, 1909. Teller's Mineral Output. Up to January 1, 1909, the Cripple Creek district had contributed about $192,- 000,000 to the world's supply of specie, nearly all of it gold. Teller ranks next to Lake as a mineral-producing county. It is believed that not half of the wealth has been taken out of the ground that underlies Cripple Creek and Victor and adjacent territory. The com pletion of the Roosevelt Drainage Tunnel means an ever-increasing yield of precious metals in this district for a long time to come. It yielded $10,994,000 in 1910. Cripple Creek. The county seat is Cripple Creek, on the Midland Terminal, the Florence and Cripple Creek, and the Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek Railroads. The town is 132 miles southwest of Denver via the Colorado Midland, and 50 miles from Colorado Springs over the Short Line. Its altitude is 9,591 feet. The place had 10,147 souls in 1900; the population in 1910 was 6,206. Short Line. The Short Line, connecting Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek, was opened for traffic in 1901. This tourist railway traverses some of the wildest parts of the Front Range. The traveler gazes upon one entrancing vision after another of canons, mountains, and plains. The memory of this incomparable trip enriches one for a lifetime. Victor. Victor is a gold-mining town 3 miles from Cripple Creek, an electric line making them almost one city. Its altitude is 9,728 feet. Its population in 1910 was 3,162. Another mining camp of importance is Goldfield, on the Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek District Railway. Its altitude is 9,882 feet. In 1910 it had 1,112 inhabitants. TELLER COUNTY 323 After leaving Manitou, the route of the Midland Railway takes the sightseer through an ever-changing panorama of mountain scenery. It was built in the Ute Pass, so named because this trail was the one usually taken by the Utes in going to and from their forays on the plains. Woodland Park. Woodland Park, 17 miles north west of Colorado Springs, is a charming resort, famed for its unsurpassed view of Pike's Peak. To the west the frowning battlements and glittering pinnacles of the Front Range are in plain sight. Motor tours may be taken through the picturesque foothills, which present the appearance of a huge dam, broken at irregular intervals — hence the name " Hogback." Woodland Park (altitude, 8,479 feet) has an invigo rating climate; the mountain wind exhilarates like champagne. There is no lovelier place in all Colorado. Florissant. Florissant, on the Midland, is in the center of a grazing region. Nearby is the site of the remains of a once famous petrified forest, with many wonderful fossils, such as cedar stumps, ferns, leaves, flowers, bugs, animals, etc. The Florissant tertiary lake-basin (once drained by a tributary of the Platte) is interesting geologically as well as for its petrifactions. It is said that rude fortifications still crown the summit of " the rough and craggy knoll immediately over- - looking Castello's Ranch, the reputed scene of Indian combats." Most of the fossils, especially the massive upright trunks of trees formerly found in this vicinity, unfortunately disappeared some thirty years ago or more. " Piecemeal they have been destroyed by vandal tourists, until now not one of them rises more than a meter above the surface of the ground, and many of them are entirely leveled; but their huge size is attested 324 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO by the relics, the largest of which can be seen to have been 3 or 4 meters in diameter. These gigantic trees appear to have been sequoias." Many specimens of fossil insects have been unearthed in the Florissant valley, also some remains of animals, fishes, and birds. The flora and fauna indicate a climate like that of the northern shores of the Gulf of Mexico. The fishes and insects also suggest a semi-tropical climate in the far-off age of the Florissant deposits. CHAPTER LVIII WASHINGTON COUNTY This county was set apart from Weld County in 1887, and named for the " Father of his Country." Surface of County. Washington County is bounded on the north by Logan County, on the east by Yuma County, on the south by Kit Carson and Lincoln Counties, and on the west by Arapahoe, Adams, and Morgan Counties. Its surface is mostly level, although broken to some extent by the valleys of shallow streams. Beaver Creek heads in the southwestern corner of the county and flows southward to the Platte, which crosses the northwest corner. The southern part of the county is drained by the Arickaree River. Rainfall. Washington County lies within the so- called Rain Belt of the Northern Divide, between the Republican and Platte Rivers. The amount of rainfall is exceedingly variable, year by year, its average in the long run being about 14 inches. The mean annual temperature is 500 to 550. Area. The area of the county is 2,498 square miles. In 1900 the population was 1,241, as compared with 2,301 in 1890. The number of inhabitants in 1910 had increased to 6,002. "Great American Desert. ' ? No spectacular perform ances have marked the history of Washington County. Before the memorable rush to Pike's Peak no attempt 326 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO was made at settlement in northeastern Colorado, for it was generally supposed to be sterile and valueless, like other parts of the "Great American Desert." Even so intelligent a statesman as Daniel Webster had superficial notions about the West. In a speech de livered in 1846 he said, with more rhetoric than wisdom: "What do we want with this vast, worthless area? This region of savages and wild beasts, of deserts, of shifting sands and whirlwinds of dust, of cactus and prairie dogs? To what use could we ever hope to put these great deserts, or those endless mountain ranges, impenetrable and covered to their very base with eternal snow? " History of County. During the Civil War westward migration was at a standstill, and it picked up but little on the plains in the succeeding years. The main lines of Western travel were almost closed by hostile Indians. " There is an instinctive, deadly hatred between the races," remarks a traveler who took the overland stage trip from Omaha to Denver in 1867. Time passed, and the bands of painted warriors were wiped out or rounded up in reservations. In the '70's and the early '8o's the wide stretches of prairie in northeastern Colorado were overrun by cowboys watching enormous herds of bovines. The inflow of an agricultural population dates from 1885. The open range was cut up into large cattle and sheep ranches, and in time these were supplanted by farms and dairy outfits. Here and there could be seen a sodhouse, a " soddy " the plainsman used to call it. Afterward substantial frame dwellings were erected. An occasional sod schoolhouse is still stand ing, a reminder of pioneer life on the prairies. Such has been, in brief, the history of Washington County. Farming. While Washington is still a county of WASHINGTON COUNTY 327 stockmen, the number of tillers of the soil is constantly increasing. The old fallacy that the Great Plains are unproductive, has been exploded. The ground, when properly cultivated, brings forth a variety of farm products. The staple crops are hay, wheat, and sugar beets. Irrigation farming, except on a small scale, is out of the question. The land is dotted with windmills, and plenty of water is obtained for stock. Some deep wells furnish a supply of water sufficient to irrigate tracts of an acre or two. Akron. The county seat is Akron, on the Burling ton Railway, which traverses the county from east to west. The town is 112 miles northeast of Denver, and 555 miles from Kansas City. Its altitude is 4,669 feet. Akron is situated in a widely-sweeping prospect of open plains. In 1882 it was only a town site on the newly-built railway; herds of antelope grazed on the wild and almost uninhabited country around it. The era of growth began in 1885. The population in 1900 was 351; it numbered, in 1910, 647 persons. At Akron is an experiment station conducted by experts of the State Agricultural College and the United States Department of Agriculture. The aim is to study climatic conditions on the plains and to test scientific methods of tillage, that farmers may know what and how much the land will bring forth when watered by Nature. Scientific orcharding also receives attention. Other towns in the county are Hyde, Otis, and Pinneo. A gully near Akron was once the scene of a desperate Indian fight. The earliest settlers found the ground strewed with arrow heads and other grim relics of the days when redskins were continually on the warpath. CHAPTER LIX WELD COUNTY The threads of romance and history are strangely interwoven in the traditions and records of Weld County. Its annals may be divided into three periods — the epoch of trapping and Indian trading, which lasted, roughly speaking, some two score years; that of prospecting and pioneering, a single decade, or at most a dozen years, 1858-1869; and the era of develop ment, from 1870 to the present. Lupton. About the year 18 18 the adventurous race of trappers entered the fur region of the Colorado Rockies. Madeira Gonzales- Lupton, a Spaniard (or Spanish-American) in the employ of the American Fur •Company, was one of the first white men to set foot on the soil of Weld County. With a band of between 20 and 30 followers he established a trading post on the Platte near where the ruins of old Fort Lupton stand. This became the permanent headquarters of the parties of men trapping in the mountains. Lupton was the leader, and a Frenchman named Palette de St. "Vrain acted as his lieutenant. So runs tradition, which has a basis of fact. Trappers. A rough set of fellows were the early trappers. ^ Renegades they might almost be called, for the only time any of them got back to civilization was when a handful of their number made the annual trip WELD COUNTY 329 with pelts to St. Louis. Some of them lived year after year in the mountains and on the plains, seldom or never seeing white men from the States. They sub sisted chiefly upon fish and game. Delicious trout could easily be caught in every stream they came to, and big game abounded — bison, deer, and antelope. Isolation had its advantages, and they liked their wild, free life. They got along fairly well with the Indians by the liberal use of beads and other presents that please the aborigines' fancy. The trappers who neglected doing this sometimes were slain, by the red men. In exchange for valuable peltries that the tribesmen brought to the post, they got steel arrow heads that they preferred to flints. Years went by, and nothing particularly eventful happened beyond the regular rounds of employment, such as trapping, hunting, trading, and voyaging down the river to the Missouri to dispose of beaver skins and get a fresh supply of sugar, coffee, flour, and ammuni tion. The greater part of the long journey from the mountains had to be made by land with pack animals. Romance. Then the monotony of their dull existence was broken by Lupton and St. Vrain falling in love with a fair young woman in a band of Indians that came to the trading post. She was of a bright skin — the copper-colored Arabs of the American Desert had evidently taken her captive when a child (or a marriage with a chief had been arranged). The two leaders were jealous of each other and quarreled over her; then they separated, each taking with him a number of faithful followers. Fort Lupton. As the story goes, St. Vrain moved down the Platte a short distance and erected a stockade 330 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO for defense; to the east stretched the boundless prairie with not a human dwelling in sight, and Long's Peak loomed 40 miles away to the west. Close to the trading post Lupton built an adobe fort, a quite substantial structure about 100 feet square and nearly 18 feet high. At the northeast corner stood a tower 10 feet higher than the walls, which were 4 feet thick from the ground up nearly a man's height. There was a well in the tower, and the wall was constructed so as to stand a siege, if need be. Tragic End of Quarrel. Scraps and skirmishes fol lowed between the forces on either side, to gain pos session of the beautiful white girl. She was captured and recaptured several times. Once, when in the hands of St. Vrain, she told him she preferred Lupton. Seeing the odds of battle against him, the jealous lover snatched up a lance and plunged it into the woman's bosom, killing her instantly. There was a duel between the two men and their seconds. When the smoke cleared away, Lupton was the only combatant left standing; his rival and the two seconds had been fatally shot. On his second expedition, in 1843, Fremont visited Lupton, who was then at the head of a large trading establishment. Not long afterward he disappeared. For some years the post was abandoned and neglected; then a party of Mexicans and others made Fort Lupton their headquarters, and were there until gold-seekers from the States arrived in 1859. An odd character named Bill Gerry lived at the fort for some time. His brother, Elbridge Gerry, in the '6o's and '70's had a ranch at the mouth of the Poudre River. He was a " squaw man." Settlement in 1859. In the summer of 1859 ranchers WELD COUNTY 331 located on the Thompson and St. Vrain creeks, and a small settlement grew up in the fertile bottom lands of the Platte, not far from the romantic old trading post. Bands of Cheyennes and Arapahoes frequently visited the settlement to see " white man work." At first the Indians were friendly to the newcomers, and annoyed them only by begging something to eat. Later the dusky bucks and squaws stole things. Then there were mutterings of discontent. There was not room enough for the races to dwell side by side. The red men were ordered to move on — the paleface wanted their country. Naturally, they were loath to leave their old camping grounds — their rude tepees could hardly be called homes, for the bands roved about wherever they could find good pasturage for their ponies. They lingered, sullen and suspicious. The appeals of the chiefs were unavailing. The fiat of the government was inexorable, and troops were sent to remove the warriors and their households by force. Without wast ing any time moralizing over their fate, the writer of this brief sketch hurries on to record other events. Indians Cause Anxiety. Meanwhile those were anxious days for the little community of pioneer settlers. At one time it was feared that there might be a general massacre. Happily, this was averted. One may well doubt if the whites were in any serious danger. The families of the country around gathered in the fort for protection. The men ventured forth by day and tilled their fields, carrying their guns with them and returning before nightfall to the fort. Pickets were kept posted all the time to give alarm in case of attack. The crisis passed with but little loss of life. Pioneers Make Progress. Confronted, as they were, by dangers and difficulties, the pioneers made 332 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO some progress in the early '6o's. Cabins were erected, and a school was established in 1863. The growth of the county was slow for some years longer, until Colorado's future was assured by the building of smelters and the increased output of the precious metals. A branch line of the Union Pacific was built from Cheyenne to Denver in 1870. Then followed the era of colonization and irrigation, attended by the prosaic details of later times. Weld. Weld is one of the original 17 counties of Colorado Territory in 1861. It was named in honor of Lucius L. Weld, first Territorial Secretary of Colo rado. Area. The county then comprised a much larger area than at present, having a domain of over 10,000 square miles. Weld may be called the " Mother of Counties," for from the vast domain of territory as originally constituted Logan, Morgan, Sedgwick, and Phillips were formed. Weld also formerly included the northern portions of Washington and Yuma Counties. It is still a large county, embracing 3,918 square miles, of which 275,000 acres, or 11 per cent., were under cultivation in 1910. There were 130,000 acres of irrigated lands in 1910. It is a plains-land county, watered by the South Platte and Poudre Rivers and their tributaries. The mean annual rainfall is about 12 inches, and the average temperature 400 to 450. Population. The population of the county in 1900 was 16,808, against 11,736 in 1890. The following decade saw a gain of 143 per cent., Weld having 39,177 inhabitants in 1910. Greeley. The county seat is Greeley, 51 miles north of Denver on the Union Pacific Railway. It is WELD COUNTY 333 also on the Colorado and Southern route " Around the Horn." The town is prettily situated on the south bank of the Cache a la Poudre River. Its altitude is 4,652 feet. In 1900 it had 3,023 souls; the population in 19 10 was 8,179. Greeley is a historic town. It was founded in 1870 by the members of Union Colony, under the leadership of Nathan C. Meeker; it was named in honor of Horace Greeley, who gave it an immense amount of free advertising in the New York Tribune. The site of the colony was the lower end of the Poudre Valley, the headquarters being at Greeley, about four miles west of the junction of the Poudre and Platte Rivers. It was then " a cactus plain," uninhabited save by two or three isolated ranchers. Bands of antelope could be seen feeding on sandhills only a mile or two from the stations. The colonists, mostly easterners, struck their tents, and during the night their sleep was disturbed by the melancholy howling of wolves. The people were discouraged at the outset, yet they set to work with a will and constructed the first extensive system of irrigation canals in Colo rado. They set out trees, and erelong the place was dubbed " Forest City." By artificial watering and in tensive cultivation the colony was made one of the most fruitful garden spots in the world. From a desolate stretch of barrenness it was transformed into a mag nificent agricultural district. Throughout the whole length and breadth of the land there is no better farming country than that in Pleasant Valley, north of Greeley. It is especially adapted to potatoes. Onions, carrots, tomatoes, celery, and other vegetables are raised successfully. The passing years witnessed enormous jumps in real estate values, farm land formerly held at $5 or $10 an acre afterward selling for $200 an acre. 334 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO From the start Greeley's citizens took a pride in schools and churches. No saloons were tolerated. The people boast of a $20,000 Public Library, " erected by popular subscription." The State Normal School was opened at Greeley in 1890. A 600-ton sugar factory was built here in 1903. Around Greeley spuds and sugar beets are rival crops. A place rich in frontier memories is old Fort St. Vrain, established about 1837 by Colonel Ceran St. Vrain, a French Canadian associated with the Bents in fur-trading enterprises. It stood on the east bank of the Platte, about 4 miles northwest of Platteville. In the '6o's it was the county seat of Weld County. The site of the fort is pointed out to the traveler who stops at St. Vrain, a station on the Denver, Laramie and Northwestern Railway. Ault. The leading town in northern Weld County is Ault, 63 miles north of Denver on the Union Pacific Railway. The soil here produces bumper crops of potatoes, sugar beets, alfalfa, and grains. It lies in the northern edge of the Potato Belt, which embraces a district about 20 miles square. Ault's altitude is 4,941 feet. The population in 1910 was 569. Eaton. Eaton, on the Union Pacific Railway, was named for Hon. Benjamin H. Eaton, who settled in the Poudre Valley about 1863 and in time acquired extensive tracts of land. He was elected governor of Colorado in 1884. The town was started in 1882, and had a population of 1,157 m 1910. Its altitude is 4,830 feet. It boasts of a sugar factory and other manufacturing plants. Evans. Evans, on the Union Pacific Railway, was started in 1869 and named for John Evans, the second governor of Colorado Territory. The town is the WELD COUNTY 335 center of a thriving agricultural section. Its popula tion in 1910 was 600. Fort Lupton. The beautiful town of Fort Lupton replaces the home of the stalwart fur-trader. It was founded in 1872, near the old adobe fort. It nestles in the fertile valley of the South Platte, noted for its productiveness. In 1900 the town had 214 inhabitants; its population in 1910 had grown to 614. Other prominent places in Weld County are Erie, Johnstown, Kersey, Mead, Milliken, Platteville, and Windsor. In the vicinity of Carr, near the northern boundary of the State, are interesting Indian antiqui ties. CHAPTER LX YUMA COUNTY The route of the Leavenworth and Pike's Peak Ex press, established in 1859, crossed the southeastern corner of the county of Yuma (Indian name). The stage coaches made the trip over the Divide between the Republican and Solomon's forks of the Kansas River, then westward over the heads of the Beaver and Bijou creeks to Denver. Area. The northern portion of Yuma County was originally a part of Weld County. In 1902 it was enlarged by a considerable addition from Arapahoe County. It is bounded on the north by Phillips County, and on the east by Kansas and Nebraska. As now constituted, the county is 60 miles long (north and south) by nearly 40 miles wide. Its area is 2,3 16 square miles. Surface. The surface consists of rolling prairies or steppes, well adapted to grazing. It is noted as a cattle country. The average precipitation year by year is about ii inches, and the mean annual tempera ture varies from 500 to 550. The altitude ranges from 3,500 to 4,000 feet. The county is sparsely populated; the number of inhabitants is rapidly increasing; the gain of a single decade, 1900-1910, was nearly 400 per cent. The population in 1910 was 8,499. Wray. The county seat is Wray, on the Burlington YUMA COUNTY 337 and Missouri, 1 65 miles northeast of Denver. The population in 1900 was 271; it had grown to 1,000 in 1910. Other stations of note are Laird, Eckley, and Yuma. History. In 1875 there was not a house standing in Yuma County, except here and there a deserted shack once used by buffalo-hunters. In the following year a few pioneer cattlemen located ranches on the north fork of the Republican River. In the late '70's and the early '8o's farmers settled in the vicinity of Wray, Yuma, and other stations on the newly-built Burling ton Railroad. In their wake followed an army of settlers, mostly of the agricultural class. In 1889 the county was organized from a part of Washington County. The United States census of 1890 showed 2,569 inhabitants. There was no gain in the hard times of the '90's. Farming. Like other counties of eastern Colorado, Yuma is undergoing a transformation. The day of the big cattlemen is passing, and the cowboy's occupation is gone. Groves have been planted in the once treeless tracts. Dairying is a success. Another valuable resource is the poultry industry. The cultivated area in 1909 was 100,000 acres. Near the Nebraska line irrigation on a small scale is practiced; some ranches and gardens are watered by winding ditches from the Republican River. Farther west there is no irrigation, but busy windmills are seen everywhere. Pretty meadowland and grain fields are much in evidence where once the stunted sagebrush grew. Says an old resident of Yuma: Crops. " The average crop of spring wheat here is from 12 to 22 bushels to the acre, winter wheat from 20 to 30 bushels; macaroni wheat from 25 to 35 bushels 338 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO to the acre. The tendency of the farmers here is to turn their attention to fall and macaroni wheat, but I think in the near future there will be very little but macaroni wheat raised in these parts. The average oats crop is from 35 to 50 bushels per acre. Barley does very well, averaging about 30 bushels. There is considerable spring rye sown, which averages about the same. Speltz is becoming a popular crop, averaging about 40 bushels per acre, and it sold last fall for 50 cents a bushel right from the machine. Alfalfa has done fairly well where it has been tried. " These crops are all raised without irrigation, but a great many farmers favor the Campbell system of farming and are following it more closely each year." Another rancher of Yuma says: " Stockraising alone is not the success it was several years ago. For this reason our climate is changing. We now have fall rains, causing the buffalo grass to decay before winter sets in. Consequently the man that raises stock is compelled to raise feed for the winter. Hence the man that does mixed farming, such as raising grain and feed, keeps a small herd of cattle, raises chickens, and uses more care in farming, is the man that will succeed here. . . . We do not attempt to irrigate here, unless a person desires to irrigate a few acres by windmill. With our usual rainfall and good care of the soil, we do not need irrigation in this part of Colorado. With irrigation on the north, west, and south of us and the turning over of the new sod here, we have little use for irrigation. The plow is the instrument upon which the success of this country depends." Beecher Island. Sixteen miles south of Wray is Beecher Island, in the Arickaree River, where a monu ment has been erected to commemorate the gallant YUMA COUNTY 339 defense of Colonel George A. Forsyth's band of 50 scouts against a horde of 700 warriors led by the noted war chief, Roman Nose. The engagement fought here September 17, 1868, is a thrilling chapter of plains history. In the early autumn of that year Forsyth, with a corps of picked bordermen, was detailed for duty on the Republican River. While following the trail of a large war party, they camped one evening near this little island. Finding themselves trapped by the wily savages, the scouts took up their position, at day light, on the island, which is 100 yards long and 20 wide. They ranged themselves in a circle behind their horses and awaited the impetuous onset of the redskins. The mounted braves made charge after charge, but were beaten back by the deadly fire of the undaunted garrison. Twenty-three of them were killed or wounded. Among the slain was Lieutenant Beecher, for whom the island is named. After a siege of 8 days a relief detachment came to the rescue of the starving, suffering heroes. At least 75 of the savages were sent to the Happy Hunting Grounds. BEECHER ISLAND " All's peace to-day at Beecher Isle, And cattle stand knee-deep In that bright stream, once stained with red, Where human life was cheap; No war-whoops echo mile on mile — All's peace to-day at Beecher Isle. " The lark upon the barren hills Once cowered in affright, When came the horrid clash of arms That told of Forsyth's fight; 340 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO No more shall foe match wile with wile — All's peace to-day at Beecher Isle. " The guns that spoke are silent now; Keen eyes are closed, alas! The trail of vanished redskinned hosts Is overgrown with grass; But Memory shall abide the while — All's peace to-day at Beecher Isle." — Arthur Chapman. CHAPTER LXI AN AUTOMOBILE TRIP IN COLORADO The tide of summer travel rolls toward the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Westward the course of automobiling takes its way over trails blazed by frontiersmen and Pike's Peakers. Yellowstone Park and the Grand Canon are great objective points for tourists. The Yellowstone is already accessible for eastern autoists, who can turn aside northward from the transcontinental motor-car route via South Pass. It should be possible for motoring parties to make the entire journey over good roads between the Yellow stone and the " Titan of Chasms," through the com monwealths of Colorado and New Mexico, taking in all the nearby places of interest on the way. •Hitherto this has been only a dream, but the dream bids fair to come true through the building of a series of auto roads now under way and planned for comple tion in the near future. Wyoming has already con structed a motor highway connecting the Yellowstone and Cheyenne. The present year (191 1) will see a pleasure-driving thoroughfare, practical for automo biles, extending from the north boundary of Colorado to the south; and from various points on this roadway motor trips may be made into the mountains and back, completing a circular ride of from four hundred to a 342 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO thousand miles or more through the famed scenic regions of the Rockies. Seeing Colorado is not what it was fifty years ago when the gold-seekers crossed the plains in prairie schooners. The bison are gone, and the Indians are a thing of the past. The sod walls of Forts " Wicked," Morgan, and Latham have been demolished. How ever, some features of the wilderness may yet be seen in central and western Colorado. The Rockies are still here, a perpetual possession and attraction. With a network of improved free highways running across and up and down the three great ranges, the mountains of Colorado will become the most popular touring- grounds on the continent. Speeding over a picturesque touring-road on the roof of the world stirs the spirit's inner deeps. The magnitude of a mountain chain affects the imagination. No one realizes how large the earth is until he has scaled a lofty eminence, where the eye may wander in all directions a hundred miles or more. Now on the flower-dotted slope of a massive peak, now in an emerald-green vale, beneath a turquoise sky, the motorist traversing the heart of Sierra Madre is to be envied. The professional or business man who longs to get away from the madding crowd, to escape from the heat and worry of the city in midsummer, can take refuge in the wonderland of Colorado, which has been rightly called " the playground of the country." To breathe the purer air of high altitudes, to feel the inspiration of mountain-top views, to live a while amid primitive surroundings, to be in the presence of sublimity day after day, to be always in sight of peaks that pierce the clouds — these are some of the experi ences of the man who takes a thousand-mile motor pil- AN AUTOMOBILE TRIP 343 grimage in the Rockies. In the wilderness of hills and glittering pinnacles, he is thrilled with raptures that the dweller in a flat country knows nothing of. Autoing in scenic Colorado has its advantages over riding on a railroad train — it is more satisfying. The tourist on an observation car is whirled through locali ties of which he obtains only fleeting impressions. Long before the day is over he feels that he has had a surfeit of the picturesque; his eyes and neck get tired, and from sheer weariness he is unable to enjoy the panorama of beauty and majesty spread out before him on either hand; he misses, too, the gorgeous cloud- paintings at sunrise and sunset. Motorists may pause at interesting points to contemplate the natural curiosi ties of a mountain landscape; they may alight to pick wild flowers and explore shady nooks. The bits of color, the charming vistas, the swirling eddies of a mountain stream, the roar of a cataract, the grandeur of canons — these impress the beholder differently when he is in motion and at rest. Again, the automo- bilist may turn aside from the beaten track to gaze upon the fast-crumbling landmarks of other days. He may halt to read the inscriptions on monuments that have been erected to mark historic sites. If in a re flective mood, he may contrast the romantic life of the past with the more prosaic present. While touring the Centennial State in this way, the man who travels for education as well as for recreation finds that the plains and the mountains yield up more of satisfaction than can be gained from a hurried railway trip. The best way to know the Rockies is to tramp through them, summer and winter, like the nature- lover, Enos A. Mills. This is not given to the average mortal, who can at most spare no more than two or 344 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO three weeks of a summer vacation for an outing in the wilds of Colorado. He who goes into the mountains with an open mind comes out of them, after a fortnight or month of intimate fellowship, a different man. The autoist who encircles this picturesque section of the Rockies knows more of the mountains than the tourist who looks out the window of a flyer. In 1903 two venturesome motorists made a trip from Colorado Springs to Grand Junction via Glenwood Springs; their machine must have been put to a hard test of endurance when they were crossing Park Range at an altitude of 9,346 feet and over the Continental Divide at an elevation of 10,229 ^eet- Some automo- bilists have toured the interior of the Centennial State over various routes, without encountering serious mis haps; others have tempted fate and lost their lives or had narrow escapes, to say nothing of wrecked machines. Extended motor journeys in the heart of Colorado have been out of the question because of the lack of a continuous system of good mountain roads. In August, 1910, Mr. J. A. McGuire and Dr. D. L. Mechling of Denver made a motor trip from Denver to Silverton, covering the distance of 385 miles in eight days. Mr. McGuire described their experiences in an article entitled On the Top of the Earth in a Motor Car, which appeared in Outdoor Life (January, 191 1). The first day they enjoyed comfortable riding over smooth roads from Denver via Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Walsenburg to La Veta; in the course of the day they had covered 187 miles. and overcome an elevation of some 1,800 feet. The second day they made fairly good time, although it was steady up-grade most of the way to Creede, 133 miles. Then their troubles began in real earnest. While fording the Rio Grande the tour- AN AUTOMOBILE TRIP 345 ing car got stuck in the sand, and two men had to wade in the water (18 inches deep) and push it to shore; then there were arduous climbs of 20 to 30 per cent, up craggy heights. The third day they traveled only 35 miles. Then ensued a forced wait of four days, for the road over the Continental Divide was impossible for an automobile to scale. Meanwhile the track was graded and rebuilt, and the autoists resumed their toil some journey. They found it difficult going, being obliged to overcome a rise of nearly 3,200 feet in a dis tance of 20 miles. While ascending steep grades two men walked behind the machine, alternately pushing the car and shoving rocks under the rear wheels to keep them from running backward; the brakes were not equal to the task of resisting gravity. One tire blew up, and the two rear tires were slit to ribbons on the sharp rocks. After many tribulations the party gained the summit of the San Juan Mountains, crossing the ridge through Stony Pass (12,592 feet above sea level); a swift descent was made to the pretty city nestling among the hills of the golden San Juan. The arrival of the first auto mobile ever seen in the mountain-walled valley was an event in the history of Silverton. Commenting on his remarkable journey, Mr. McGuire says: — " The trip was one of those incidents that sometimes happen in our lives, that, while we wouldn't care to repeat, always make us feel good when they are over. Some day the State Highway Commission of Colorado will have accomplished the great project on which it is now working — that of building a pleasure driveway of 1,000 miles through the mountains, forming a loop, beginning and ending at Denver — and when it does I hope that some of our hunting and fishing enthusiasts from the East will come out in their cars, not for- 346 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO getting to take their rods and guns with them, and go over this route of unparalleled scenic grandeur." In 1910 the agitation for better roadways in Colorado assumed practical shape. The State Highway Commis sion, the County Good Roads associations, and local motor clubs started a movement for improving public thoroughfares and making new roadways suitable for automobiles. The end in view was to attract motor tourists during the season of summer travel. Last year (1910) Colorado spent a considerable sum, $1,396,000, building and repairing roads. This is only a drop in the bucket. The present plan is to spend up ward of $10,000,000 during the next four years in con structing, improving, and maintaining public highways. There will be two or three main arteries of inter- mountain motor-touring. Each of these proposed routes is to be a circle drive or track, 16 feet wide or more, connecting the' boulevards of cities and parks with roads that intersect the mountain ranges in the interior of the State, also with diverging thoroughfares to every nearby county-seat and with spurs to side points of interest. The grades of all steep wagon-roads will be reduced from 7 to 18 per cent. Streams will be bridged, and culverts erected in gullies. Both State and County officials will co-operate with private individuals to produce a system of highways unrivaled elsewhere in the Rocky Mountain country. It is the intention to build as good mountain roads as those of France and Switzerland. This year will see part of the stupendous under taking finished. At the present time (April, 191 1) it is expected that a circular drive of 1,000 miles through the Rockies will be a reality in midsummer. By that time the hitherto rough trails will be widened and Courtesy Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek Ry. SCENE ON SOUTH FLANK OF PIKE'S PEAK, TELLER COUNTY. LOVELAND AND ESTES PARK AUTO ROAD, ON THE BIG THOMPSON RIVER. GOING UP THE RIO GRANDE NEAR CREEDE. (Rio Grande on the left.) AN AUTOMOBILE TRIP )347 y transformed into easy motor roads, and in another year the enthusiastic projectors of two or three other routes will doubtless witness the consummation of their hopes, namely, the successful completion of a network of automobile thoroughfares in the heart of picturesque Colorado. Each of the proposed circular routes is a driveway that takes the autoist through valleys and over moun tains that are worth going a thousand miles to visit for their enchanting scenery. Several other Rocky Mountain highways are planned, and will undoubtedly be built by 191 5, when tens of thousands of automo- bilists will make the transcontinental trip from New York via Denver to San Francisco. For the guidance of tourists who look forward to an automobile trip to Colorado, an attempt is made here to describe the various routes through the Rockies and the opportunities they afford for sightseeing. Denver, the starting-place of 5 of the proposed auto routes, is easily reached by fine roads on the plains to the north and east of the Queen City. The road from Cheyenne skirts the out range, of foothills to Fort Collins via Wellington. From Fort Collins, one of the prettiest cities in the State and the seat of the Agricul tural College, a road branches off in a southerly direc tion to Estes Park, another turns to the east, and another to the south. The latter thoroughfare takes the autoist to Loveland, whence a run of 25 miles may be made to Estes Park with its flashing streams, lovely lakes, and sublime glaciers. The traveler would better remain here several days and climb Long's Peak. From Estes Park the road bears to the southeast to Lyons, and thence to Longmont. Here Long's Peak seems to be almost within hailing distance, although 348 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO some 20 miles or more distant by air line. From Long mont a detour can be made to the university town of Boulder, the home of a summer Chautauqua. A side trip, on foot or horseback, can be taken from Boulder to the remarkable glacier situated on the south side of Arapahoe Peak, at an elevation of 13,000 feet. This glacier covers 320 acres, and is said to be the largest in the State; it moves 27 feet a year. A 30-mile ride southeast of Boulder brings the tourist to Denver. On the other road leading out of Fort Collins, in a south easterly direction, the autoist rides over ground trod by Fremont in 1843. The road down the Cache a la Poudre was a section of the Overland Mail Route in the '50's and '6o's. After a 30-mile run through this beautiful farming country, redeemed by irrigation, the motorist arrives at the historic city of Greeley, situated midway between Cheyenne and Denver, in the heart of the famous " Potato Belt." It is the home of the State Normal. A ride of a dozen miles or so south of the " Garden City " takes the autoist through smiling fields to the mouth of St. Vrain Creek, where stood the noted trading post known as Fort St. Vrain or Fort George. Some 10 miles farther up stream may be seen the ruin of old Fort Lupton or Fort Lancaster, a landmark of an almost forgotten period of American history. Little is left of the adobe structure erected in the fur-trading days more than three-quarters of a century ago. These and other trading posts on the Platte were viewed by Francis Parkman on his memo rable journey (in 1846). Fort Lupton was visited by Fremont (in 1843), who speaks of it as " Fort Lan caster, the trading establishment of Mr. Lupton." After a run of 25 miles south of Fort Lupton the automobilist reaches Denver, the metropolis of the AN AUTOMOBILE TRIP 349 Rocky Mountain country. From the " Convention City " several delightful one-day trips may be made, as follows: Denver to Crags in South Boulder Caiion and back; Denver to Colorado Springs and back; Denver to Morrison, then up Turkey Creek Cation to Eden Park, thence to the summit of Mount Falcon, and from this point through Bear Creek Canon to Parkdale, thence through Mount Vernon Canon, to Golden, and then to Denver. From many elevations on this drive motorists get fine views of the broken country to the westward, where the mountains lift up their heads. All the way from Cheyenne to Colorado Springs, a distance of some 200 miles, the automobilist is in sight of the mountains of the Front Range, and part of the time almost in their shadow. The more prominent peaks form a splendid line of giants. Named in order, from the Wyoming border south, they are: Bald Mountain, Hague's Peak, Estes Cone, Long's Peak, Audubon, Arapahoe, James, Squaw Mountain (directly west of Denver), Evans, Rosalie, Devil's Head, Platte Mountain, Tarryall, and Pike's Peak, an isolated monarch at the southern extremity of the range. Another road, one that is historic, enters northeastern Colorado near Jiflesburg, crossing the route of the old Oregon Trail. It follows the winding Platte along the line of march taken by the expeditions of Long in 1820 and of Fremont in 1842 and 1843. It traverses for a considerable distance the " Overland Trail." The autoist of to-day, gliding up the fertile valley of the South Platte, feels no fear of the bands of whooping redskins that attacked the stage-coaches here half a century ago. In the vicinity of Brush the tranquil monotony of the plains is broken by a glimpse of the 350 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Rockies, 90 miles or so away. From Fort Morgan, the seat of a summer Chautauqua, the road diverges to the southwest, zigzagging through an excellent agricultural district. The landscape, with its great eye-sweep, is not without its interest; in midsummer it glows with the warmth and splendor of coloring remarked by Edwin James and the " Pathfinder." The joy of the eye and mind increases as one draws near " the magnifi cent Queen of the Plains and of the West." The distance from Julesburg to Denver, by the auto road, is upward of 200 miles, and the altitude has gradually increased from 3,500 feet to 5,200 feet above sea level. The " Mile-high Town " is one of the handsomest cities in America. Denver has a grand environment, and is a city of many fascinations. The sight of the massive peaks begets a desire to be among them with the pines, the flowers, the birds, and the wild animals. If the tourist would drink in the spirit of the mountains, he must go to them and tarry some time in their midst. The one-day trips from Denver into the foothills afford the automobilist an opportunity to see a number of very charming land scapes; however, he continually looks toward the heights beyond him, and feels the lure of the everlasting mountains. The motorist in Denver may take his choice of two routes making a loop or circle through Sierra Madre, each of them traversing a thousand miles in the midst of the most rugged and lovely scenery, of which Enos A. Mills writes enthusiastically: — ' Colorado has an empire of varied and striking scenery. . . . Colorado has several Switzerlands of scenery, and scenery that never fails to delight the visitor. . . . The Rocky Mountains, though unlike the AN AUTOMOBILE TRIP 351 Alps, are equally, splendidly attractive. The scenery of the Rocky Mountains is more varied and friendly than that of the Alps; there is no perilous ice cap; there are more sunny days, and the climate is dryer and more hospitable. . . . Colorado's scenic empire is crowded with a grand mingling of wild features and lovely places. Many of these are not only unnamed but unknown. The scenes are made up of magnificent massings of rapture-rousing lakes and Alpine tarns; of white cascades that leap in glory and maintain an ele mental echo songwith the silent cliffs and in the savage canons; over all are scattered three thousand varieties of brilliant wild flowers; there are primeval tree temples — grand groves that repose in poetic grass plots; strange Alpine moorlands — places where the flowers of summer climb up to greet the drifted flowers of winter; there are purple forests, wide and wild; among these scenes the mountain sheep poses on the crags, the beaver builds his primitive hut and the solitaire sings its marvelous song." AUTO ROUTE NO. I. CIRCLE OR SCENIC HIGHWAY The automobile sightseer leaves Denver and makes a run of 75 miles south into the Pike's Peak region, with its wealth of historic incident. Bewitching Mani tou, clinging to the mountain side, should be visited. From Colorado Springs (p. 106) the route lies south ward along Fountain Creek to Pueblo (p. 272), the second largest city of the Centennial State and a live manufacturing center. The side trip of 40 miles up the Arkansas to Canon City (p. 118) should not be omitted. The place has interesting traditions, and the landscape lover finds some extraordinary attractions 352 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO in the vicinity. Chief among the scenic boulevards hereabouts are the Royal Gorge Loop, the Sky Line Drive and that up Grape Creek Caiion. South of Pueblo the " Scenic Highway " is for some distance identical with, or in sight of, the old Taos Trail, which skirted the mountains. (Sentimental and practical reasons concur to make the entire Taos Trail a link in the system of automobile tours in the West; the quaint old hamlet, the home of Kit Carson, is celebrated for its ancient pueblos.) The autoist crosses the Culebra Range through La Veta Pass, at an elevation of 9,242 feet, or 4,000 feet above the altitude of Denver. Far to the south the Spanish Peaks may be seen, also the mountains of New Mexico. The western slope commands an unsurpassed view of the San Luis Valley, which Zebulon Pike described as a " terrestrial paradise." To the right looms Sierra Blanca, the largest mountain mass in Colorado. The road winds among the hills down to the site of Old Fort Garland. From Alamosa (p. 44) a side trip may be taken to Big Springs on the south side of Conejos River, where Pike built a stockade in February, 1807. The route up the Rio Grande Valley west of Alamosa is interesting for its historical associations and its scenic features. Trappers were here in the '20's and '30's. Fremont explored the mountainous country to the north and west on his ill-fated expedition of 1848- 1849, and the half-starved survivors tramped down the river on the ice. On the road to Monte Vista (p. 286) the autoist sees some beautiful scenery. The run thence to Del Norte (p. 285) is through a highly picturesque region. From the noted resort of Wagon Wheel Gap (p. 224) AN AUTOMOBILE TRIP 353 the tourist may take a pleasure excursion to the tract of sandstone and volcanic formations known as the Wheeler National Monument. This natural park, about 400 acres in extent, is a veritable fairyland of grotesque shapes and curious figures, such as eroded columns and rocks resembling towers, castles and other wonders that surprise and delight the beholder. This collection of geological monuments is about 10 miles northwest of Wagon Wheel Gap and may be reached by a national road built along the devious path of an old trail. Farther up the valley of the Rio Grande is the mining camp of Creede (p. 222). A little distance beyond this town an abrupt turn is made to the south. The San Juan Range is crossed over Weminuche Pass (altitude, 10,622 feet), and the motorist descends through wild country to Pagosa Springs (p. 9), the " Carlsbad of America." Durango (p. 192) is the next objective point, and the ride of 60 miles thither leads through wooded hills and fertile valleys. From Durango a detour of 50 miles or more may be made to the Spruce Tree House and other prehistoric remains of the Cliff Dwellers in the canons of Mesa Verde National Park, or to the ruins in McElmo Canon near the Utah line. From Durango northward the auto road threads its way through the pretty Animas Valley and across the mesas and through nature's gardens where the traveler is confronted by views of incomparable beauty in a rugged setting of auriferous peaks whose grandeur compels admiration. The pleasure of sightseeing in the pic turesque San Juan (p. 299) is enhanced by an acquaint ance with its storied past. The " Scenic Highway " takes the automobilist to Silverton (p. 301), Red Mountain, and Ouray (p. 250). The side trip to Tellur ide (p. 305) is well worth taking. 354 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO There are many places worth seeing along the road between Ouray and Montrose (p. 233). The journey eastward from Montrose into the heart of the Rocky Mountains is a feast to the eye. The Gunnison country is noted for its mountain resorts and fishing streams; it is interesting also because of the explorations of Captain Gunnison and party in 1853. From Sapinero a side trip to Lake City is advised. The automobile road between Sapinero and Gunnison (p. 144) is fairly good. There are several points of interest in the Uncom pahgre Valley, which the Utes poetically named the "Valley of Fountains" (or "Valley of the Red Stream "). Some notable events of Colorado history occurred here. Among other attractions the Gunnison Tunnel and adjacent irrigation works may be men tioned. North of Delta (p. 60) the " Circle Highway " diverges to the northwest through a famous fruit section to Grand Junction, the " Metropolis of the Western Slope," in whose vicinity are some scenic attractions. A run of 40 miles westward to the Utah line takes the tourist through country that was much admired by Captain Gunnison for its fantastic rock formations. The road between Grand Junction (p. 219) and Glenwood Springs (p. 124) abounds in beautiful vistas, and along the route between Glenwood and Red Cliff there are some novel features, such as the Hanging Lake and the lava beds near Dotsero. The motor car scales the Continental Divide in Tennessee Pass (altitude, 10,229 feet), at the head waters of the Eagle and Arkansas Rivers. A short run takes it into Leadville, the " Cloud City," with its impressive environment of mountain ranges. Thence the drive extends southerly through magnificent AN AUTOMOBILE TRIP 355 scenery to Buena Vista (p. 27), and from here it pro ceeds northeasterly through South Park past Hartsel's resort and Idlewild. The motor car now climbs the slope to the gold camp of Cripple Creek (p. 3 19). From here the road strikes into the hills that lie at the south base of Pike's Peak, paralleling the track of the Short Line to Colorado Springs, whence the run is made northward to the Queen City. The automobile trip over the drive known as the " Scenic Highway " begins and ends at Denver. Time consumed, from two to four weeks; distance, 1,000 to 1,500 miles, according to the number of side excursions. ROUTE NO. 2. " COLORADO SCENIC HIGHWAY " This is " a continuous circle highway, extending through the mountains and embracing the central portion of the State and thus forming a basis for con necting with and opening to travel all portions of Colorado." Starting at Denver, the route includes the tourist cities of Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Walsenburg, and Alamosa. Thence its course is westerly up the Alamosa River, crossing the San Juan Range at Sum- mitville (altitude, 11,089 feet), and dropping down the southern slope of the Continental Divide to Pagosa Springs; thence to Durango, north to Silverton, Ouray, Montrose, and Delta to Grand Junction; thence up Grand River to Glenwood Springs; thence easterly and along Eagle River to Red Cliff; thence southerly through Leadville, Buena Vista, Salida, and Canon City to Pueblo. From Pueblo northward up the Fontaine Qui Bouille the motorist traverses the age-old trail that Spanish expeditions from Santa Fe marched over time and again 356 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO long before the coming of Captain Pike. The goal of their wanderings was Pike's Peak, but occasionally they pressed on into the wilds of central and northern Colo rado on the fruitless quest for gold. There are many attractive drives leading out of Colorado Springs. The road to the west of Colorado Springs via Colorado City meanders through the Gar den of the Gods to Manitou, famed for its mineral springs (Iron Ute, Shoshone, Navajo, etc.). From here the ascent may be made to the summit of Pike's Peak over the Government Trail or by the Cog Wheel Route. From Manitou the automobile tour may be continued in a northerly direction over the Ute Trail to Cascade, and then to' the favorite haunts of " H. H." — Glen Eyrie, Blair Athol, and Monument Park. The motorist has now crossed and re-crossed the three chains of the mighty range of Rocky Mountains • in Colorado, with their varying undulations. By way of contrast to inter-mountain touring, he should take a run of a dozen miles east of Palmer Lake or Castle Rock, through the hilly country of the Divide, where the cowboy's ho-ho resounded in the years not so very long gone. It is an attractive landscape, with knolls crowned with groves of evergreens and- other trees. This is the highest ridge on the great plains extending from Canada to the Gulf. Here the waters are gathered into streams that feed the Platte and Arkansas Rivers. The view of the mountains from the head of Kiowa Creek was much admired by Bayard Taylor, who wrote: " From the breezy ridge, between scattered groups of pine, you look upon 150 miles of Snowy Range, from the Sangre de Cristo to the spurs away toward Laramie. In variety and harmony of form, I know no external picture of the Alps which can be placed beside it." AN AUTOMOBILE TRIP 357 A short drive northward to the " Paris of America " completes the automobile journey over the " Colorado Scenic Highway." Time, one month (or less, as cir cumstances may allow); distance, from 1,000 to 1,500 miles. ROUTE NO. 3. "THE RAINBOW ROUTE " This is a comprehensive highway through a region full of striking features of nature and scenery. The route, when finished in 1912, is destined to become popular with motor tourists, for it winds its way through some of the most picturesque portions of North America. The starting place of " The Rainbow Route " is Canon City, which may be reached from Denver via Colorado Springs, or from Kansas City by the historic thoroughfare of frontier travel known as the mountain branch of the Santa Fe Trail via Bent's Fort. Granite memorials, with panel inscriptions, mark the course from the Kansas line to La Junta, and thence south to Trinidad. The old fur-trading posts in the Arkansas Valley crumbled to decay long ago. Fort Lyon, dating back to Civil War days, has been transformed into a sanitarium for United States sailors. There is a fine auto road all the way up the Arkansas River to Canon City. It takes the motorist over practically the same route as Pike followed in 1806; the armies of Kearny and Price marched over the trail- highway as far as La Junta, in 1846; the expeditions of Fremont and Gunnison proceeded up the Arkansas in the mid-century. The automobile traveler of to-day sees in imagination the bands of trappers and the gold-seekers of '58 on their way to the mountains. The circular drive known as " The Rainbow Route " 358 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO begins at Canon City, which lies like a jewel in a massive setting of mountains. Within 6 miles of the city the top of Royal Gorge is easily reached by a winding road that affords superb views of snow-capped ranges on the one hand and of cultivated ranches on the other. The Sky Line Drive, running along a rugged limestone ridge that rises 800 feet above the plain, is a splendid achievement. This wonderful highway is a part of the 1,000-mile road planned to furnish a direct cross route in Colorado for automobile use. This pleasure-driving thoroughfare will be constructed to Salida (p. 28), from which point the road follows the Arkansas River to its source, thence over Tennessee Pass, down Eagle and Grand Rivers to the west line of the State. Then it swings east and south through Mesa, Delta, and Montrose Counties, turns eastward up the Gunnison Valley across the Sawatch Mountains over Monarch Pass (altitude, 10,018 feet), and completes the circle at Salida, whence the original route between this place and Caiion City is again traveled. Time, two or three weeks; distance 1,000 miles, approximate. OTHER PROPOSED ROUTES Several other motor highways have been projected through the mountain wilderness that has become a national pleasure-ground. These routes are all circular drives through sections of Colorado that are renowned for beauty and sublimity of scenery, and some of the places are invested with additional interest because they are the scenes of exploits of noted characters among the mountain men, as well as of pioneer prospectors and miners. The friends of good roads in Colorado confidently expect that these proposed auto routes will AN AUTOMOBILE TRIP 359 be finished by 1915 or before. This does not mean that they are impassable at present. Wagon roads are to be found almost anywhere in the mountain districts that have been settled, and they can be traversed by motorists without the painful labors undergone by Hannibal crossing the Alps. It may be necessary now and then for the driver to get out of the car and push it up steep slopes or through streams. But touring the Rockies in this way is not altogether enjoyable; it is, moreover, a pastime fraught with danger. One of the proposed highways covers much of Route No. 1, already described. The tour begins at Denver, and thence its course lies through Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Walsenburg, Alamosa, and Creede; from Creede it makes a short cut through the San Juan Range to Silverton; thence it turns north to Grand Junction, east to Wolcott, south to Buena Vista, east via Hartsel, Idlewild, and Manitou to Colorado Springs. The trip is a panorama of loveliness and grandeur. Length, 1,000 miles; time consumed by the journey, two to four weeks. Another route planned is not so extended as the others mentioned. However, it is unsurpassed in respect to scenic attractions. It is now in process of construction and may be done in a year or so. The proposed high way veers southwesterly from Denver via Morrison and connects with the old Leadville road, whose course is through South Park to Fairplay, thence northwesterly to Alma, then around the eastern base of Mount Lin coln to Como; then crossing the Continental Divide through Hoosier Pass (altitude, 10,309 feet), then dropping down into the Blue River Valley to Brecken ridge (p. 315), proceeding north to Dickey, then west to Frisco, intersecting Ten Mile Range, going up Ten 360 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Mile Creek through Kokomo and Robinson, over the Continental Divide in Fremont's Pass (altitude, 11,320 feet), and thence south to Leadville and Buena Vista, east to Hartsel, Manitou, and Colorado Springs, then back to Denver. This route is a succession of the loveliest and grandest landscapes in the world. It is just the trip for pleasure drivers who have only a week or ten days for touring the Rockies. Distance, 400 miles or^more. The proposed route of another loop-highway_ be ginning and ending at Denver is via Morrison and Breckenridge to Leadville, the same as the road described above for about 200 miles. From Leadville its course is north to Wolcott. The road from Denver to this point will form a link in the automobile thorough fare across the State from east to west for motorists taking the trip across the continent from New York to San Francisco. From Wolcott it extends northward to Yarmony, then northeasterly to Kremmling and Sulphur Springs, crossing the Continental Divide through Berthoud Pass (altitude, 11,349 feet), descend ing to Georgetown, Idaho Springs, Golden, and Denver. Of all the motor journeys that have been planned through scenic portions of Colorado, this is perhaps the most interesting. There is no finer scenery in the world than can be seen on this trip. Every day's travel takes the autoist through a region having its own distinct individuality, and the spirit of the place weaves a spell that is irresistible. No description can do justice to a typical Colorado landscape with mountains, buttes, and rocks much in evidence. The panorama of wild mountain country where silence reigns in wide lonesome spaces contrasts with the exquisite mingling of mesas, plains, and hills at some distance east and AN AUTOMOBILE TRIP 361 west of the Snowy Range. Road-construction work is in progress on this route, but it is expensive to make highways of easy grades on the Continental Divide, and several years must elapse before the mountain roads are suitable for " joy riding." This route takes the motor sightseer to some well-known recreation places. If he be not in too great a hurry, he would do well to stop and ascend Mount Lincoln or some other peak adjacent to the road. Mountain climbing brings its reward. The view of one fold of earth rising upon another, in serpentine fashion, and of hills upon hills stretching out interminably is an astonishing revelation to the plainsman. The distance around this small circle drive is about 500 miles; time, one to two weeks. " Travel is an educator largely because history has left its footprints." If the tourist be saturated with historic and legendary lore, sightseeing means intel lectual profit as well as pleasure. The reading of Pike's " Journals " and the reports of the expeditions of Fre mont and Gunnison is a good preparation for an extended itinerary in the Centennial State. The man who has not time to wade through these bulky volumes may find the writer's little book, The Making of Colo rado, serviceable. Mrs. H. H. Jackson's Bits of Travel is a companionable volume to take along to read when visiting the spots described in it. The motorist will derive more enjoyment from his sightseeing if he occasionally takes a lay-off and turns some of the leaves of Colorado's fascinating annals; he should know something, at least, of the romance of mining. The traveler on the open road who has a spark of imagina tion can people the plains and mountains with figures of explorers, trappers, hunters, and gold-seekers. The adventures of William Bent, Jim Bridger, Kit Carson, 362 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO and other noted frontiersmen are a part of Colorado's precious heritage. Colorado is the place of all places for a vacation; the summer playground of the country, if not of the world. It is a land of perennial snow, and yet it is a land of warmth and sunshine; of brilliant days and glorious nights. The prevailing pleasant weather of the Colorado summer is one thing for which the motor tourist may be thankful. Here a clear sky is the rule. The air is bracing. The fresh atmosphere begins to pervade the system the first forenoon on the road, and every day's added strength shows itself in hilarity of spirits. Pale faces turn to bronze, and weak muscles grow firm. The bright, genial sunshine by day and the cool nights in midsummer make living a joy. It is better for the motorist to travel leisurely, to make frequent stops long enough to let the eye wander up a vine-clad defile or to observe the varicolored strata of an overhanging cliff. It will add zest to his journey ing if he have a camera along and take snap shots of natural curiosities or of monuments commemorating historic places; these pictures will be cherished after ward as mementos of happy days spent in Colorado's wild gardens. The Rockies hold a spell for all who come and sojourn for a while in their midst. A mountain drive is an unforgetable experience. The man who has motored through scenic Colorado once, will want to come again and tour one route after another. Note. — The writer is advised to add a word of warning against reckless driving. Motoring in the mountains is different from motor ing on the plains. The automobile glides easily along the surface of a smooth, hard highway on level ground; it makes slow progress, or slips backward, when climbing a tortuous road up a precipitous AN AUTOMOBILE TRIP 363 mountain side. A stage coach drawn by horses can ascend steep burro trails and hang on where an auto would lose its grip and topple over into a frowning abyss. The driver should avoid a high rate of speed, even when one of the party has been over the ground before and is familiar with the lay of the land; otherwise serious accidents may occur. The touring vehicle must be substantially built. Use an electric horn to avoid cramping of hands; keep sounding it at short intervals — it will prevent accidents. COLORADO GAME LAWS The game laws for 1911-1912 are as follows: For deer having horns, October ist to October 6th, inclusive. Prairie chickens, mountain and willow grouse, August 15th to October 10th. Sage chickens, August ist to September ist. Ducks, geese, brants, swans, cranes, plovers, curlews, snipes and other wading marsh and shore birds and water fowls, October ist to March ist of following year. Doves, August ist to September ist, except in altitudes of 7,000 feet, July 10th to August 10th. Open seasons in running streams for trout and grayling, not less than seven inches long, May 25th to October 31st. In lakes May ist to October 31st. Open season for whitefish, bass, catfish, and wall-eyed pike, March ist to November 30th. No open season for mountain sheep, elk, or antelope till 1924. General hunting license for each non-resident, $10.00. Hunting license for birds, one week, $2.00. Hunting license, one day, $1.00. Fishing license for each non-resident, $2.00. Hunting license for a resident of the State, $1.00. Women and children are exempt from a fee for fishing. DISTANCES AND RATES FROM DENVER TO OTHER POINTS These were the regular fares, one way, in 1911. There were at times lower rates offered, to certain places, for colonists and excur sionists. The time, estimated in hours, is approximate. VIA ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE RY. Miles Fare Hours Amity (Salvation Army Colony) .... 250 $ 7.75 9 Atchison 737 14.35 27 Chicago .... 1212 22.60 40 Colorado Springs 74 2.25 3 Dodge City 38s 11.20 13 Emporia 626 13.00 21 Fort Madison 975 18.65 32 Galesburg_ 1030 18.65 33 Garden City 335 10.20 11 Holly 263 7.90 %y2 Hutchinson 519 n.85 r8 Joliet 117! 21.10 38K Kansas City 754 14.35 25 La Junta 183 5.50 6K Lamar 227 7.05 8 Las Animas 200 6.05 7 Lawrence 7i3 I4|00 34 Lexington Junction 796 15 45 27 ^wton SS2 I2.45 I9 Palmer Lake 5! t 55 2 luelloi,-j "9 3^55 4K Rocky Ford 1(x) s.20 eV2 Jf**** 687 13.40 23 " Streator 1118 20.55 3sX DISTANCES AND RATES 367 GRAND CANON LINE Miles ist Class 2d Class Hours Adamana (Petrified Forest) . . . 723 $27.10 26% Albuquerque 530 17.75 20 Ash Fork . . 931 33-85 33 Bakersfield 1418 41.33 $35.00 52 El Paso 794 27.75 27 Flagstaff . 874 31.55 30^ Fresno 1528 41.33 35.00 57 Gallup 688 24.10 25 Goldfield (B. G. Ry.) 2311 48.15 45.60 Grand Canon 972 36.85 Jerome 36.80 Laguna . 596 20.40 Lamy . 15.05 Las Vegas 398 12.45 Los Angeles 1418 41.33 Merced . 1586 41.33 Mexico City 2020 48.20 Mojave 1348 41.33 Needles 1108 41.05 Oakland 1730 41.33 Pasadena 1408 41-33 Phenix 1125 40.85 Prescott 988 36.15 Raton 287 8.05 Riverside 1368 41.33 San Bernardino 1328 41.33 San Diego 1500 41.33 San Francisco 1739 41.33 Santa Fe 416 15.80 Seligman 959 35.00 Stockton 1651 41.33 Tonopah 2342 48.15 Trinidad 264 7.20 Vera Cruz 2491 55.40 Williams 908 32.90 Wingate 23.60 Winslow 776 29.20 28 15 35-oo 07 35-oo TO 106 35-oo 48 35-oo 37 35-oo 68 35-oo 66 35-oo 49 35-oo 43 ii; 35-oo 65 35-oo 65 35-oo 61 3S-oo 68 19 34 35-oo 65 45.60 10 127 32 368 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO VIA BURLINGTON ROUTE Miles Akron (Agricultural Ex. Sta.) 112 Albany 1871 Alliance 238 Ashland 5°7 Atchison 606 Augusta (111. Cen. Ry.) 1827 Billings 714 Boston 2073 Bridgeport 202 Brush 88 Buffalo . . 1574 Burlington 828 Butte 1097 Chicago 1034 Cleveland 1391 Cody . . 799 Creston 641 Crow Agency (Custer Battlefield) .... 643 Culbertson . . 244 Deadwood 574 Detroit 1344 Edgemont 348 Fairmount 430 Falls City 549 Fort Morgan 78 Galesburg 871 Gardiner (Yellowstone Park) 884 Hannibal . . 809 Hastings 386 Helena 1008 Holdredge 331 Hot Springs . . 377 Jacksonville 1851 Jamestown (Chautauqua) 1567 Kansas City 667 Key West Leavenworth 645 Lincoln 483 Livingston 829 Longmont 37 Louisville 1203 Lyons (Estes Park) 48 McCook 255 Fare Hours $ 3-3S 3 40.75 55 6-35 7K 12.00 14 14-35 21 40.25 60 19.90 27 44.60 62 5.60 6JA 2.65 zyi 34.60 41lA 18.25 24 27.05 43 22.60 28K 30.35 41 23-35 34 14.90 18 17-75 25 6.70 6 12.10 17 28.10 8.90 10.45 12 12.85 18 2.40 2 18.65 25^ 25.00 33 18.65 3° 9.60 11 27.05 40 8.50 9^ 9.80 13^ 42-15 60 32.30 60 14-35 23 55-45 70 14-35 22 11.50 13 23-35 30^ i-iS I* 28.40 42 1-45 2 6.85 6}4 DISTANCES AND RATES 369 Miles Mobile Montreal (Adirondack D.) 2031 New Orleans 1495 New York 2009 Niagara Falls 1596 Omaha 538 Ottawa (Adirondack D.) 2035 Ottumwa 754 Oxford 308 Palm Beach Peoria 924 Portland, Me 2188 Portland, Ore 1967 Red Cloud 373 Rochester 1625 Saratoga Savannah 1853 Seattle 1784 Spokane 1384 St. Louis 929 St. Joseph 604 Sheridan 571 Sterling 123 Tacoma . 1825 Thermopolis 880 Toledo (N. Y. C. Ry.) 1268 Toluca 670 Utica 1798 Wray 165 Wymore 481 Fare Hours 135-95 60 40.60 62 33-8o 60 42.60 60 34.60 48^ 12.60 15 40.66 61K 16.65 21 8.05 S}4 48-75 70 20.10 26 43-io 65 41-65 66 9.70 12^ 36.00 50 41-95 41.70 61 44-65 61 38.55 52 21-35 33 14-35 20 15.60 22 3-65 4 41-65 63 25-25 42 28.10 38 18.55 25^ 38.65 54 4-95 4 11.85 ibya VIA COLORADO AND SOUTHERN RY. Miles Amarillo 468 Black Hawk 36 Boulder (State Univ.) 30 Breckenridge Via Leadville 252 Central City 40 Como 88 Eldorado Springs Via Electric Line .... 26 Fairplay (Mount Lincoln) 115 Fort Collins (Ag. Coll.) 74 Fort Worth 804 Fare Hours $14.80 17 I.65 2 .90 I 8.00 8 I.80 2lA 4-55 5 .70 4 5-45 7 2.05 3 23-15 44 370 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Miles Fare Hours Galveston 1129 $32.35 Georgetown (The Loop) 50 2-35 3 Golden (School of Mines) 16 .60 1 Greeley (State Normal) 99 2.80 4 Hot Springs "47 25.20 44 Houston . . 1076 30.90 58^ Idaho Springs 37 r-70 2>£ Leadville Via Colo. Spgs 211 8.00 10 Little Rock 1094 24.25 40 Longmont 44 1.15 2 Loveland (Estes Park) 61 1.70 2yi Memphis 1231 24.25 45 Mexico City 2020 48.20 106 Morrison (Park of Red Rocks) . . . . 17 .70 1 Oklahoma City 740 17.40 26 Pueblo 119 3.55 a)6 San Antonio . . . . 3i-4° 6° Silver Plume (Mt. McClellan) 54 2.55 tf/i Texline 350 11.30 15 Trinidad ' 215 7.20 8 Walsenburg 174 5.80 6 Ward 56 2.20 4 During the tourist season, June i-September 30, excursionists make the one-day trip from Denver to Silver Plume and return (over The Loop) on Saturdays and Sundays for $2. Trains leave Denver at 8 and 9 o'clock in the morning and return to Denver in the evening. VIA COLORADO MIDLAND RY. Miles Aspen 283 Basalt 265 Buena Vista 175 Carbondale 276 Cardiff 285 Cascade Canon (Ute Pass) 86 Castles 256 Colorado City (Garden of Gods) .... 77 Cripple Creek 132 Florissant (Fossil Forest) no Glenwood Springs 288 Grand Junction 377 Granite (Twin Lakes) 192 Fare Hours $10.00 I4K IO.OO 13 6.00 8X IO.OO 14 IO.OO 14 2.90 3K IO.OO 12^ 2.30 3 5.00 6 4-25 5K IO.OO 15 14.00 18 7-05 9 DISTANCES AND RATES 371 Miles Fare Hours Hagerman Pass (Continental D.) . . . 226 $ 8.45 n Hartsel (South Park) 143 4.85 7 Hell Gate . ... 229 9.05 n Leadville 212 8.00 10 Manitou (Pike's Peak) 80 2.35 3K Palisade ... 365 13.85 17 Rifle (Meeker) 314 11.30 16 Thomasville (Wood's Lake) 244 9.60 10 Woodland Park 94 3.50 a,1/* VIA DENVER AND RIO GRANDE RAILROAD Miles Fare Hours Alamosa 252 $ 9.65 13 Antonito 280 11.05 14 Aztec (Ruins) .... 486 21.35 26 Beckwith 1334 40-65 53 Bingham 744 18.45 32 Boise City "77 36-15 48 Buena Vista 240 6.00 10 Butte "75 27.05 49 Caiion City (Royal Gorge) 160 5.55 6 Carson City 41-20 Castle Rock 32 i-oo 1 Chama 344 14-25 18 Cimarron (Black Caiion) 351 10.95 19 Colorado Springs 75 2.25 3 Creede 321 13-10 17K Crested Butte 316 10.35 16 Cripple Creek (Short Line) 125 5.00 6 Cuchara Junction 169 5.55 8 Delta (via Gunnison) 379 13 15 ~&lA Dillon 3" 10.10 15K Dotsero (Caiion of Grand R.) 10.00 15 Dragon (via Mack & Uinta Ry.) .... 524 18.50 33 Durango 45i J9-6o 21 Edgerton (Mountain Park) 65 1.95 2K Embudo (Taos) 353 i4-6s 17 Farmington (Ruins) 501 22.05 26 Florence 152 5-i5 5^ Fruita 461 14-50 19 Garfield (W. P. Ry.) 755 18.30 31^ Garland 227 8.45 13 Glenwood Springs 360 10.00 16 372 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Miles Fare Hours Grand Junction (via Gunnison) 424 $ 14.00 igj4 Grand Junction 450 14.00 i8}4 Gunnison 289 8.95 14 Heber 722 18.80 31 Helena 1247 27.05 67 Lajara 266 10.35 *4 Lake City 350 10.30 16 Lake Junction 350 10.30 16 LaVeta 190 6.55 10 Leadville (Twin Lakes) 276 8.00 11 Los Angeles 2020 41.33 68 Mack 469 15.00 19X Mancos (Mesa Verde Nat'l Park) .... 491 19.60 42 Manitou 80 2.35 3^ Manti 738 20.05 31 Marshall Pass ... 240 7.55 11 Marysvale 809 22.90 38 Moffat (via Salida) 263 8.40 Montrose (via Gunnison) 351 12.10 18 Navajo (Indian Res.) 15-90 19 Oakland 1655 41.33 67^ Ogden .... 778 17.75 33 Ouray (via Gunnison) 387 13.90 22 Pagosa Junction 390 16.55 2° Pagosa Springs 420 18.10 Palmer Lake 52 1.55 2 Paonia (via Gunnison) 405 14.80 21 Pocatello (O. S. L.) 912 19.80 38 Porter (Indian School) 456 19.60 38 Portland 1674 41.65 66 Price (Fort Duchesne) 620 17.75 24 Pr0Y? 697 17-75 28^ Puebl° "9 3-55 4, Rifle (Meeker) 387 11.30 Rockwood (Animas Caiion) 469 20.50 Sacramento Red Cliff 294 8.95 13 Rico (Ruins) 547 19.60 47 Ridgway (via Gunnison) 377 13.40 21^ I7 24 1523 41-33 61^ Salt Lake City 74I I7.7S 3I salida 215 6.00 %yi San Francisco 1662 41.33 Santa F6 (Cliff Dwellings) 405 15.80 23 Seattle T859 44-45 74^ Silverton (Red Mountain) 497 20.90 26 DISTANCES AND RATES 373 Miles Fare Hours Stockton 1568 $41.33 64 Tacoma 1818 44.45 72 Telluride (Bridal V. Falls) ... 583 16.10 49 Texas Creek (Royal Gorge) 165 6.00 6 The Dalles 1586 39.10 62^ Thistle 677 17.75 27>£ Toltec (Garfield Memorial) 315 12.60 16 Tonopah 48.15 Trimble 460 20.05 23 Trinidad 210 7.20 17 Umatilla 1487 39.10 59 Vance Junction 576 15.65 47K Virginia City 42.45 Wagon Wheel Gap 312 12.65 *7 Wells (W. P. Ry.) 945 24.75 3%X Westcliffe 209 7.55 10 Winnemucca (W. P. Ry.) 1130 32.45 46 During the months June-October (inclusive) the Rio Grande runs Sunday excursions to Palmer Lake, round trip, for $1.25; to Colorado Springs, $2; to Manitou, $2; to Pike's Peak, $6. Trains leave Denver at 8 and 9 o'clock in tie morning and return in the evening. In the tourist season the rate for the one-day trip from Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek (Short Line) and return is $3.50; on certain days the figure is less, as announced. Parties descend into a gold mine of Cripple Creek; admission, 35 cents. VIA MISSOURI PACIFIC RY. Miles Baltimore 1973 Cairo (I. C. Ry.) 1195 Chivington (Sand Creek Battlefield) . . 246 Cincinnati .... 1380 Eads (U. S. Experiment Sta.) 232 Geneseo 493 Hot Springs 1442 Jefferson 918 Kansas City 744 Little Rock 1392 Louisville , . . 1369 Memphis 1365 New Haven 2235 New Orleans 1972 Fare Hours $40.10 66^ 24.60 42 7-30 8 28.60 46 6.90 7^ ".05 15 25.00 53^ 19.10 30 14-35 25 24.25 46 28.40 45 24-75 45 42.60 76 33-8o 70 374 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Miles Newport 2327 New York 2161 North Vernon (B. O. Ry.) 1310 Osawatomie 6g9 Ottawa 678 Philadelphia 2070 Pueblo 120 St. Louis 1043 Sugar City 176 Washington 1933 Wichita . 581 VIA ROCK ISLAND LINES Miles Alamagordo 724 Belleville 431 Carrizozo 666 Chicago 1083 Colby 233 Colorado Springs . 74 Colton 1563 Dalhart (C. S. Ry.) 386 Des Moines . . ' 725 El Paso 810 Goodland 197 Limon 89 Lincoln 522 Mexico City 2036 Norton 302 Omaha 580 Phillipsburg 336 Phcenix Rock Island 902 San Francisco 2097 Torrance 607 Tucson H21 Tucumari 479 Fare Hours $43-85 91 , 40.60 7i>4 27-55 44 14-15 24 i3-7o 23K 40.10 69 3.60 4 21-35 34 5-25 6 40.10 65 12.70 18 Fare Hours $25-75 28 IO.85 14 23-45 26 22.60 28-34 6.85 7 2.25 3 41-33 55 12.35 i5# 15-7? 22 27-75 31 6.15 6 2.70 2X 11.50 isX 45-85 IIO 8.25 9 12.60 18 8-95 10 40.85 54 18.25 28K 41-33 63 21.05 23^ 36.00 41 15-90 !9 VIA UNION PACIFIC RY. Akron (B. & O. Ry.) Boston AND C. N. W. RY. Miles Fare Hours . . . 1414 $29.36 38 ¦ • - 44-6o 63 DISTANCES AND RATES 375 Miles Fare Hours Butte 921 $27.05 Cedar Rapids 843 17.45 28 Cheyenne 106 3.25 3^ Cheyenne Wells .177 5.35 5 Chicago . 1061 22.60 34 Cleveland 1451 30.35 40J4 Columbus 478 11.40 14^ Des Moines (C. N. W. Ry.) 773 15.70 26^ Ellis 337 8.70 10 Fort Dodge 711 15.55 23^ Fort Morgan 99 2.40 3 Grand Island 416 10.10 13 Granger 444 13.35 16 Greeley 52 1.60 iy£ Julesburg ' . . 197 5.40 6}4 Kansas City . ... 640 14-35 22 Kearny 378 9.45 12 LaCrosse 19-75 Lander 18.05 Laramie 163 4-95 6 LaSalle .... 46 1.40 2}4 Lawrence 601 14.00 2o}4 Leavenworth 635 14-35 23 Long Beach 1431 41.68 86 Los Angeles 1407 41-33 85 Merced (Yosemite Valley) 1424 41-33 54 Milford 833 24.60 31 Milwaukee 22.85 Minneapolis 19.60 New York 42-60 61 North Platte 278 7-55 9 Ogden ... 590 17-75 21 Omaha ... 569 12.60 18^ Palisade (S. P. Ry.) 850 28.10 31, Pasadena 1417 41-33 85K Pittsburgh ... 1546 33-i° 56 Pocatello 658 19-80 23 Portland 1388 41-65 Rawlins 280 8.45 10 Reno . : . 1132 ^39-45 40^ Sacramento 1287 *4r-33 47 Salt Lake City 626 17-75 22 San Bernardino 1339 4x-53 82 San Francisco 1378 44-45 5° Seattle 1575 41-65 376 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO Miles Fare Hours Sioux City $14-35 Sterling 140 3-65 4 St. Louis 923 21.35 29 St. Paul 19-60 Topeka 573 I3-40 iS}4 Washington 40.10 58 Yellowstone and return 815 37.00 30 During the tourist season, June-September (inclusive), the round trip rate Chicago to Denver and return was $30, time limit October 31. The tourist season in Yellowstone National Park lasts from June 14 to September 16; tickets from Denver to Yellowstone, Montana, going and returning, $57, rail and stage (five-day itinerary in the Park) ; rate to Yellowstone and from Gardiner to Denver, returning, $76 (four-day trip in the Park); rail trip only, going from Denver to Yellowstone and returning from Gardiner to Denver, $51. VIA DENVER, LARAMIE AND NORTHWESTERN RY. Miles Fare Hours Fort St. Vrain 39 $1.12 1 Greeley . 56 1.60 2 Milliken ... 43 1.30 \}4 VIA DENVER, NORTHWESTERN, AND PACIFIC RY. ("The Moffat Road") Miles Fare Hours Arrow 76 $3.75 5 Corona 65 3.10 4 Kremmling 126 7.00 -jyi Rollinsville . 42 1.75 2 Steamboat Springs 214 12.20 13 Sulphur Springs (Middle Park) .... 109 6.00 7 Tolland (Mt. laboratory) . . 47 2.oo 2>£ Yampa 1.85 10.50 10 During the tourist season the Saturday and Sunday excursion rates, return trip, were: Tolland and return, $2.00 (other days $2.75); Corona and return, $3.50 (other days, $4.15); Arrow and return, $4 (other days, $5). HOTEL DIRECTORY Principal Hotels in Colorado CITY OR TOWN Alamosa Almont Antonito Aspen Buena Vista .... Canon City Carbondale .... Castle Rock .... Cebolla Cimarron Colorado City . . Colorado Springs Creede Crested Butte . . .DeBeque Del Norte Delta Denver — Adams, HOTELS Robinson Hotel Victoria Hotel Sportsman's Paradise . . Palace Jerome Princeton Hot Springs Strathmore Hotel Hotel Denton Hotel Carbondale City Hotel Sportsman Hotel Black Canon Hotel . . . National Antlers Acacia AltaVista Alamo Broadmoor Zang's Hotel Elk Mountain Hotel . . . Grand Valley Hotel . . . Windsor Hotel Delta Hotel 18th and Welton Sts Albany, 17th and Stout Sts Aldine, 1013 Seventeenth Ave American, 16th and Blake Sts Anthony, 1780 Logan Ave Arno, 1811 Grant Ave Belvoir, 16th Ave. and Clarkson Bonita, 709 Fourteenth St No. of Guests 40 35 100 40 100 5° 100143 20 7520 35 500 250 200 300 "5 60 5° 100 Rates per Day $2.50 3.00 2.00 3.00 2.252.00 3.00 1. 00 up 2.001-252.00 3.00 1. 00 up 1.50 up 1.50 up 1. 00 up 1. 00 up 2.50 up 2.002.001.50 3.00 2.50 3.00 up 2.50 up 1.25 up 2.00 up Plan Amer.Amer.Amer.Amer.Amer. Amer. Amer. Eur.Amer. Amer.Amer. Amer. Amer. Eur.Eur.Eur.Eur.Amer. Amer.Amer.Amer.Amer.Amer.Amer.Amer.Amer. Amer.Amer. Amer'Amer.Amer. 378 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO CITY OR TOWN HOTELS No. of Guests Rates per Day Plan Broadway, Brdwybet. 17th & i8thAves. Devonshire, 1428 Logan Ave Earl, 1430 Tremont Place Elmore, 1320 Stout Street Grant, 1922 Grant Ave Harvard, Pennsylvania and Colfax Holland, 1760 Pennsylvania Ave Horton, 1830 Grant Ave Lafayette, 16th Ave. and Lincoln Melrose, 1742 Sherman Ave Metropole, Broadway bet. 17th & 18th. New Broadway, 1539 Broadway Princeton, 2137 Stout St Roslyn, 607 Fourteenth St St. James, 1520 Curtis St Shirley, 17th and Lincoln Aves Vallejo, 1420 Logan Ave Waverley, 2159 Stout St Abbott, 19th and Curtis Sts Alamo, 17th and Market Sts Albany, 17th and Stout Sts American, 16th and Blake Sts Arvada, 1007 Fifteenth St Auditorium, 14th and Stout Sts Bell, 1650 California St Belvedere, 429 Fifteenth St Bonnacord, 1422 Grant Ave Brown Palace, 17th St. & Broadway . . Brunswick, 17th and Larimer Sts Capitol Hill, 529 Seventeenth Ave. . . . Carlton, 509 Fifteenth St Clayton, 17th and Lawrence Sts Columbia, 17th and Market Sts Congress, 1520 Welton St De Soto, 1848 Broadway Drexel, 1512 Seventeenth St Elk, 1512 Seventeenth St. . . . ; Grand Central, 17th and Wazee Sts. . . Granite, 15th and Larimer Sts Graymont, 18th and California Sts. . . Inland Inn, 19th and Stout Sts Inter-Ocean, 16th and Blake Sts Kaiserhof, 17th and Welton Sts Kane, 1921 Champa St 1.50 up 1. 00 up 1.50 up 1.50 up 1 .00 up 2.50 up 1. 00 up 1.50 up 1.50 up 1.50 up 2.50 up 1.50 up 1. 00 up 1. 00 up 2.00 up 2.75 up 2.00 up 50c. up 1. 00 up 1. 00 up 75c. up 50c. up 1 .00 up 50c. up 1. 00 up 1. 00 up 1.50 up 50c. up 75c up 1. 00 up 75c. up 75c. up 1. 00 up 1 .00 up 1. 00 up 50c. up 50c. up 50c. up 1. 00 up 75c. up 50c. up 1 .00 up 75c up Amer. Amer. Amer. Amer. Amer. Amer. Amer. Amer. Amer. Amer.Amer.Amer. Amer. Amer. Amer.Amer. Amer.Amer.Eur. Eur.Eur. Eur.Eur. Eur. Eur.Eur.Eur.Eur. Eur.Eur.Eur. Eur. Eur.Eur.Eur.Eur.Eur.Eur. Eur. Eur.Eur. Eur.Eur.Eur. HOTEL DIRECTORY 379 CITY OR TOWN HOTELS No. of I Guests I Rates per I Day I Plan Lothrop, 18th and Lawrence Sts. . . Markham, 17th and Lawrence Sts. Metropole, Broadway and 18th St. Midland, 17th and Arapahoe Sts. Miles, 1853 Welton St Monroe, 1548 Court Place Oxford, 17th and Wazee Sts Palms, 181 7 Glenarm St Plaza, 330 Fifteenth St Plymouth, 16th and Broadway . . Revere, 1427 Blake St Savoy, 17th and Broadway Shirley Annex, 1654 Broadway St. Elmo, 17th and Blake Sts St. Francis, 14th and Francis Sts. . St. James, 16th and Curtis Sts. . . . Standish, 1528 California St Tours, Lincoln and Colfax Tremont, 411 Sixteenth St Windsor, 18th and Larimer Sts. . . . Dolores Doyle Durango Eagle Estes Park .... Fountain Fruita Glenwood Spgs. Grand Junction Grand Valley . , Gunnison Hooper Hotchkiss Huerfano Iola La Jara Lake City La Veta . Leadville Southern Hotel Waunita Hot Springs . . Strater Hotel Montgomery . . . Long's Peak Inn Link Hotel Park Hotel Hotel Colorado Hotel Glenwood Grand Hotel The Denver Kendrick's Cottages . . The LaCourt St. Regis Grand Valley House . . La Veta Hotel Commercial Hotel Hotchkiss Hotel Huerfano Hotel Iola Hotel and Cottages Hotel La Jara Occidental House Pueblo Hotel Spanish Peaks Hotel . . Vendome Hotel 50c. up Eur. 75c. up Eur. 1. 00 up Eur. 1. 00 up Eur. 50c. up Eur. 50c. up Eur. 1. 00 up Eur. 1. 00 up Eur. 1. 00 up Eur. 1. 00 up Eur. 50c. up Eur. 1.50 up Eur. 1. 00 up Eur. 1. 00 up Eur. 50c. up Eur. 1. 00 up Eur. 1. 00 up Eur. 1. 00 up Eur. 1. 00 up Eur. 75c. up Eur. 2.00 Amer. 30 2.00 Amer. 200 3.00 Amer. IOO 2.00 Amer. 25 3-5o up Amer. 25 1. 00 Amer. 20 1. 00 Amer. 500 4.00 Amer. 15° 1. 00 up Eur. IOO 75c- up Eur. 30 50c. up Eur. 600 .50-1.00 Eur. 75 1. 00 up Eur. IOO 1. 00 up Eur. 25 1.50 Amer. 200 3.00 Amer. 30 2.00 Amer. 20 2.50 Amer. 20 1 .00 Amer. 50 2.00 Amer. 25 2.00 Amer. 30 2.00 Amer. 35 [.50-2.50 E.&A. 3° 2.00 I \mer. 300 coo up 8. only 380 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO CITY OR TOWN HOTELS No. of Rates per Guests Day Plan Mack Mancos Manitou Meeker Monte Vista .... Mosca Montrose New Castle .... Olathe Ophir Ouray Pagosa Junction Pagosa Springs. . Palisade Palmer Lake. . . . Paonia Placerville Pueblo Red Cliff Rico Romeo Ridgway Rifle Salida Silverton Telluride Trimble Springs Trinidad Twin Lakes .... Wagon Wheel Gap Walsenburg .... Wolcott Uintah Hotel Mancos House .... Cliff House Mansions Grand View Hotel . The Navajo Meeker Hotel Grand Hotel Hunter Hotel Mosca Hotel Belvedere Hotel Albany Hotel Cottage Home Silver Mountain Htl. . Beaumont Hotel Wilson Hotel Sunny Side Hotel . . . Springs Hotel Jordan Inn Rocklands Pine Crest Inn Bross Hotel Paonia Hotel Hotel Mineral Spgs. . Clark Magnetic Spgs, Union Depot Hotel . . Southern Hotel Quartzite Hotel Hotel Rhode Hotel Mentone Winchester Hotel . . . Rifle House Monte Cristo Hotel Denton Imperial Hotel New Sheridan Victoria Hotel Hermosa House .... Columbian Hotel . . . Coronado Hotel Hotel Campion Hot Springs Hotel . . Klein Hotel Wolcott Hotel 3° 5° 500 300 15° 225 20 35 75241425 7523 20 So 3° 100 35 4040 14 75 40 100 25 So 30 IOO 605050 125 5050 So IOOIOO 75 IOOISO 2.50 3.00 3.00-5.003.00-4.00 2.50-4.002.50 up 2.00 50c. up 1. 00 1.502.50 2.002.00 2.00 3-oo3-oo 1.502.00 2.002.001.50 1.25 2.002.00 2.00 up 1. 00 5°c up 2.002.00 2.00 up 2.002.002.00 3-oo3.00 3.003.00 1.252.00 3.00 up 3.003-oo4.00 2.502.00 Amer.Amer.Amer. Amer. Amer.Amer.Amer. Eur. Amer.Amer. Amer.Amer. Amer.Amer. Amer.Amer.Amer. Amer.Amer. Amer.Amer.Amer. Amer.Amer. Amer.Amer. Eur. Amer.Amer.Amer. Amer.Amer. Amer.Amer. Amer.Amer.Amer. Amer. Amer.Amer. Amer. Amer. Amer.Amer.Amer. A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO 381 COLORADO'S YIELD OF GOLD AND SILVER 1859-igio The following table is from the Report of the State Bureau of Mines. YEAR Previous to 1870 1870 1S71 1872 1873 1874 187s 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1880 l8go 1891 1892 1803 1894 189s i8g6 1897 1898 1899 igoo 1901 1902 igo3 1904 1905 1906 1907 igo8 igog xgio Total GOLD Fine Ounces i,3i6.55o 145,864 175,808 128,034 88,788 99,g32 112,291 131,897 145.138 162,864 156,023154,814159,652162,554ig8,355205,612203,103 215,288 103.517 181,809 187,898 200,774222,545256,410 364,151 462,009 656,021 738,618 947,249 1,138,584 1,282,4711,391,487I.339,"2 1,379,6381,045,2521,171,8921,237,443 1,092,827 990,398 1,097,905 1,061,663 981,980 23,584,400 Value $27,213,081.00. 3,015,000.00 3,633,951 00 2,646,463.001,835,248.002,065, 595- 00 2,321,055.002,726,311 .00 3,000,000.003,366,404.00 3,225,000.003,200,000.003,300,000.003,360,000.004,100,000.004,250,000.004,200,000.00 4,450,000.004,000,000.00 3.758,000.00 3,883,859.004,150,000.004,600,000.00 5.300,000.00 7,527,000.00 9,549,731.00 13.559,954-0015,267,234.00 19,579,637 -Oo 23,534.531-28 26,508,675.5728,762,036.29 27,679,445.04 28,517,117.4621,605,358.84 24,223,007.64 25.577,946.8122,588,734.0920.471,526.66 22,695,575.75 21,946,684.13 20,297,535-69 $487,491,998.25 SILVER Fine Ounces 250,000500,000779,590 1,524,207 1,683,3702.415,4352,306,253 2,552,125 3,480,548 4.172,7449,049,424 13,148,73513,272,488 12,707,866 13,434,915 12,375,280I2,22o,s8g 12,375.280 11,600,826 14,695,643l8,375,5ig18,800,42521,160,48026,350,00025,838,600 23,236,025 17,891,626 21,547,743 21,278,20223,502,60123,114,68820,336,71218,492,56315,941,70313,245,48312,960,77712,831,34812,725,88212,059,202 9,416,02s 8,go8,045 8,215,327 530,774,236 Value $330,000.00 660,000.00 i,02g,o58.oo 2,015,001 .00 2,185,014.00 3,086.926.002,873,591.00 2,g5o,2s6.oo 4,180,138.004,807,001 .00 10,162,503.00 15,055,302.00I5,io4,og2.oo14,436,136.0014,912,756.0013,984,066.00 13,014,927.00 12,313,404.00 11.345,608.00 13,813,906.0017,199,486.0019,665,245.0020,906,554.00 23,082,600.00 20,205,785 .00 14,638,696 . 00 11,683,232.00 14.458,536.00 12,692,448.0013,690,265.15 i3,77i.73i.io12,488,774.84 10, 901,365. 8g 8,315.192.29 7,079,710.66 7,416,156.607,743,7i8.Si8,499,734.83 7,886,736.17 4,g75,428.os 4.587,643.34 4,392,735-72 $[24,54l,46g.2Q 382 A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO GOLD AND SILVER OUTPUT IN 1910 Showing by Counties the Mineral Productions of Colorado for the Year Ending December 31st, 1910. GOLD SILVER Name of County Fine Ounces Value Fine Ounces Value Chaffee 6,430.075 3,524.866 23,552.950 112. 151 442.150 3-439 741-599 4.00s 1,416.322 175.346 28,637.398 11,482.855 289 - 745 S7.2I5S69l8,9S3.330 5,634.123 422.241 107,007.180 12,838.681 3I.43663.188 234.096 52.263 33,447 194 120,716.816 18,078.218 530.4S3-204 $132,909.65 72,858.98 486,839.48 2^18.16 9,139.24 71.08 15,328.85 82.78 29,275.38 3,624.40 591,935 02 237,350.61 5,98g.03 1,182,645.81 3g1.765.23 "6,457-32 8,727.72 2,211,838.41 265,375. 54 64g.78 1,306.105,252.16 1,080.28 6gi.353.50 2,4g5,2i6.s8 373,676.77 10,964,467.73 44,161.82 170,768. 6g 457,976.45 9.27 7,268.74 $23,613.32 91,310.02 244,880.00 4.96 3,886.60 Costilla Delta 87,777-09 46,934-41 Eagle 89,538.68 304.25 143,732.57 45,074-69 55,642.98 3,045,312.37 142,167.34 769,442.38 214.57 417,980.04 ri6,g3g.8o 472,597-os 61.19 , 3S-64 6,296.83 756,234.87 1,136,663.27 172,857.71 56,269.42. 47,876.33 162.68 76,853.80 24,101 .44 29.752.30 1,628,328.52 76,016.88 411,420.84 "4-75 Garfield Park 223,493.93 62,527.71 252.6g7.64 32.72 Pitkin Routt San Miguel Teller 3,36692 404.358.78 618,467.83 92,427.02 Total 981,980.440 1 $20,297,335.69 8,213,327.71 $4,392,735-72 mine'raT-foTSe'yea*0™ '^ "* calcuIations are mad<= «» the average price of the on^uaflpJltef SvSeT '^ "*«» ^^ ¦"«« ™' <**»¦ ™» ** %ured T. J. DALZELL, Commissioner of Mines Denver, Colo., March 6th, ion. A GUIDEBOOK TO COLORADO 383 ALTITUDES OF PROMINENT PEAKS AND PASSES PEAKS. FEET. PEAKS. FEET. Elbert 14,436 Gilpin 13,682 Massive 14,424 Lookout 13,674 Blanca 14,390 Oso 13.640 Harvard 14,375 Rosalie 13,575 La Plata 14,342 Guyot 13,565 Gray's 14,341 Hurricane 13,565 Torrey 14,336 Arapahoe 13,520 Evans 14,330 Dunn 13.502 Lincoln 14.297 Pearl 13,484 Buckskin Mountain 14,296 Kendall 13,480 Uncompahgre 14,289 McClellan 13,423 Long's 14,271 Round Mountain 13,422 Quandary 14,266 Pole Creek Mountain 13,400 Castle 14,259 Powell ." 13,398 Wilson 14,250 Meigs 13,394 Blaine 14,249 Red Mountain 13,333 Antero 14,245 Galena Mountain 13,290 Glacier Mountain 14,243 James 13.283 Shavano 14,239 North Italian 13,223 Crestone T4,233 Hesperus Mountain 13,225 Tetons 14,198 Jacque 13,215 Yale 14,187 Daly !3,i93 Holy Cross 14,170 Engineer Mounlain 13,190 Sneffels 14,158 Conejos Mountain 13,183 Maroon 14,126 Pintado 13,176 Pike's 14,109 Audubon 13.173 Bross 14,100 Clark 13,167 San Luis 14,100 Macomb 13,154 Kit Carson 14,100 Parry 13,133 Red Cloud 14,092 Owen 13,102 Culebra 14,069 Del Norte 13,084 Simpson 14,055 Mears 13,008 Sherman 14,048 Stewart 14,032 passes. feet. Handles 14,008 Mesquite 13.308 Bald Mountain 13.974 Argentine 13,286 Pigeon • ¦ 13,961 Mosquito 13,185 Ouray I3,g56 Bear Creek 12,600 Grizzly I3,g56 Hamilton 12,370 Frustum Mountain 13,893 Hancock 12,263 Pyramid 13,885 Tarryall 12,176 Silverheels 13,85s Weston 12,100 Jones 13,851 Cunningham I2,09g Hague 13,832 French 12,044 Arkansas 13,807 Boulder '. 11,670 Mosquito 13,794 Rollins n,66o Rio Grande Pyramid 13,773 Alpine 11,560 Potosi 13,763 Breckenridge 11,503 Rowter 13,750 Hagerman 11,495 Ptarmigan 13,746 Georgia 11,476 Gibson 13,729 Berthoud n,349 Rolling Mountain I3,6g4 Fremont 11,320 INDEX Adams County, 1-3. Adams, J. B., " The Dust of the Overland Trail," 310. Akron, 327. Alamosa, 44. Amity, 269. Animas Caiion, 301. Agricultural College, State, 198. Arapahoe County, 4-6. Arapahoe Indians, 2, 7, 24, 214, 215, 238, 331. Archuleta County, 8-1 1. " Around the Circle," xi. "Around the Horn," 75. Aspen, 265. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Ry., 14, 74, 366. Ault, 334. Auto route, xi, 6. Automobile Trip in Colo rado, An, 341-363; circle drives through the Rock ies, 346-348 and 359; " Colorado Scenic High way," 355-357; motor trip from Denver to Silverton by J. A. McGuire and D. L. Mechling, 344; "Rain bow Route," 357-358; " Scenic Highway," 349. Aztecs, 226, 273, 299; see Cliff Dwellers. Baca County, 12-15. Baker, J., 288. Bancroft, Hubert H., quota tion, 303. Battle Mountain, 293. Beecher Island, 338-340. Bent, W., 18, 19. Bent County, 16-20. Black Caiion, 141. Black Hawk, 131. Blair Athol, no. Blanca, Sierra, vii, 48, 352. Boulder, 23. Boulder County, 21-24. Bowles, Samuel, view of the Rockies, 101 ; description of Middle Park, 138, 139; Twin Lakes, 187. Breckenridge, 315. Brighton, 2. Brush, 240. Buena Vista, 28. Buford, Dixie, "The Un compahgre Valley," 236. Burlington, 179. Burlington Route, 74, 368. California Gulch, 182, 183. Camp Bird Mine, 250. Canon City, 117, 118. Capitol, 76 et seq. Carson, Kit, 177, 279. Castle Rock, 89, 91. Centennial State, see Colo rado. Central City, 131. Chaffee County, 25-29. Chapman, Arthur, " Beecher 386 INDEX Island," 339; "In Mesa Land," 220. Cherry Creek in 1842, 6. Cheyenne County, 30-33. Cheyenne Indians, 30, 31, 214, 215, 331, 339- Cheyenne Wells, 32. Chronological Outline of Col orado History, xv-xx. "Circle Highway," 350-355- Clear Creek County, 34-38. Cliff Dwellers, 10, 81, 87, 192, 226-231, 299, 3°3- Cliff Dwellings, 229, 303, 307. Cody, W. F., on the Santa- Fe Trail, 14. Cog Wheel Route on Pike's Peak, 106, in. Colorado, facts about, xxi- xxiii; climate of, ix, xii, xxii, 164, 172, 275, 286, 362; game laws, 365; gold and silver output, 382; history, xv-xx ; _ hotels, 377 ; min eral springs, 22, 28, 29, 109, 115, 124, 136, 145, 160, 164, 187, 192, 224, 275, 291, 356, 369, 376; mountains, vii, viii, ix, xxi, 17, 21, 27, 35, 37, 48, 55, 82, 83, 89, 94, 101, 102, 150, 342; name, vii ; passes, mountain, 383 ; rivers,, xxi ; scenery, vii, 50, 216, 250, 286, 292, 297, 315- 317, 342, 343, 360; schools, xxiii. Colorado and Southern Ry., 75, 369. Colorado City, 108. Colorado Midland Ry., 75, 370. Colorado Springs, 106. Corona, 24. Cortez, 229. Creede, 223. Creede, N. C, 222. Crested Butte, 144. Cripple Creek, 319 et seq. Conejos, 43. Conejos County, 39-45. Costilla County, 46-52. Custer County, 53-58. Decker's Resort, 93. Del Norte, 285. Delta, 60. Delta County, 59-62. Denver, City and County, 63- 83; Auditorium, 67, 68, 70; Capitol, 67, 76 et seq.; Chamber of Commerce, 69; City Park, 66, 73 ; ' dis tances and rates from Den ver to other points, 366- 376; hotels, 377. Denver and Rio Grande Rail road, 75, 371. Denver, Laramie and North western Ry., 75, 376. Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Ry. (" Moffat Road"), 376. Dillon, 317. Distances and Rates from Denver to other points, 366-376. Divide, 92, 99, 208, 356. Dodge, Richard I., "Legend of Purgatory River," 206. Dolores County, 84-88. Douglas County, 89-93. Dry Farming, 32, 179-181, 209-211, 261, 32S-327, 337- Durango, 192. Eagle County, 94-98. Eaton, 334. Elbert, 100. Elbert County, 99-102. Elizabeth, 100. Evans, 334. Eldora, 24, 75. INDEX 387 El Paso County, 103-113. Escalante, 8. Estes Park, 199-201, 347. Fairplay, 255. Fishing in Colorado, xiii, n, 127, 145, 165, 172, 187, 224, 283, 293, 306. Florence, 119. Florissant, 323. Foothills, 7, 21, 83, 168, 323. Fort Collins, 198. Fort Garland, 47. Fort Logan, 5. Fort Lupton, 335, 348. Fort Lyon, 18, 357. Fort Morgan, 239. Fort St. Vrain, 334, 348. Fountain Creek (Fontaine Qui Bouille), 17. Fowler, J., trapper, 40, 221, 270. Fremont, J. C, 2, 90, 114, 148- 151, 188, 236, 240, 287, 299, 330, 348. Fremont County, 114-121. Front Range, xxi, xxii, 35, 37, 82, 83, 89, 101, 102, 350. Game laws, 365. Garden of the Gods, no. Garfield County, 122-127. Gilpin County, 128-133. Georgetown, 36. Glenwood Springs, 124. Gold, Yield of, 381. Golden, 167, 170. Gore Canon, 135. Grand County, 134-139. Grand Junction, 219. Grand Lake, 137. Grand River, 135. Grand Valley, 218. Grape Creek Canon, 119-121. Greeley, 332. Gregory, j. H., 128, 129. Gunnison, 144. Gunnison County, 140-147. Gunnison Tunnel, 234. Hahn's Peak, 291. Hall, Frank, description, 254, 286. Hanging Lake, 125. Hinsdale County, 148-154. Holy Cross, Mount of, 96-98, 189. Holyoke, 260. Hotels of Colorado, 377. Huerfano County, 155-161. Hugo, 210. Hunting in Colorado, xiii, 10, 45, 87, 126, 145, 165, 172, 219, 224, 283, 292, 306. Idaho Springs, 37. Ingersoll, Ernest, description, 250, 297. Jackson County, 162-165. Jackson, G. A., 22, 34. Jackson, Helen Hunt, 108, in, 361. James, E., 105, 116. Jefferson County, 166-173. Julesburg, 308. Kiowa, 100. Kiowa County, 174-176. Kiowa Indians, 174. Kit Carson County, 177-181. La Junta, 243, 244. Lake City, 153. Lake County, 182-189. Lamar, 269. La Plata County, 190-194. Larimer County, 195-201. Las Animas, 19. Las Animas County, 202-207. Leadville, 183 et seq. Lincoln County, 208-211. 388 INDEX Logan County, 212-215. Longmont, 24. Long's Peak, 21, 201, 237, 239, 347- „ „ Long, S. H., 89, 236, 267. Loop highways in the Rock ies, 358-362. Loveland, 199. Lupton, M. G, fur trader, 328 et seq. Lyons, 24, 75. Mancos, 229. Manitou, 109, 356. Massive, Mount, 186. Mclntyre, Robert, "The Old Trail," 246. Mears, O., 152, 294. Meeker, 282. Meeker, N. C, 279-281, 333. Mesa County, 216-220. Mesa Verde National Park, 227-229. Middle Park, 135 et seq. Mills, Enos A., description of Estes Park, 200; scenery of Colorado, 351. Mineral County, 221-225. Mineral springs, 9, 22, 28, 29, 109, 115, 124, 136, 145, 160, 164, 187, 192, 224, 275, 291, 356, 369, 376. Mines, School of, 168. Missouri Pacific Ry., 75, 373. " Moffat Road," 75, 376. Montezuma County, 226-231. Monte Vista, 286. Montrose, 233. Montrose County, 232-236. Morgan County, 237-241. Morrison, 171. Mountains of Colorado, vii, viii, ix, xxi, 17, 21, 50, 82, 83, 150. Mount Massive, 186. Mount McClellan, 316. Muir, Marion, " Mount of the Holy Cross," 97. Newhouse Tunnel, 37. " New Santa Fe Trail," 276. Normal School, State, 144, 334- North Park, 162, 163. Otero County, 242-246. Ouray, Chief, 235, 247. Ouray County, 247-252. Ouray, town, 250. Overland Trail, 308-311. "Overland Trail, Dust of the," 310. Pagosa Springs, 9. Palmer Lake, 112. Park County, 253-258. Parkman, Francis, " Pueblo in 1846," 276. Park of Red Rocks, 172. Passes, mountain, 383. Peaks and passes, altitudes of, 383. Phillips County, 259-261. Pike's Peak, 16, 103-105, in, 112; rush to, 4, 30, 105, 108, 117, 253, 267, 312, 318. Pike, Z. M., 16, 17, 39, 40, 54- 56, 8i, 103-105, 114, 115, 156, 253, 270, 285. Pitkin County, 262-266. Portland Mine, 321. Prowers County, 267-269. Pueblo, 271 et seq. Pueblo County, 270-278. Purgatory River, 202; legend of, 206. Queen City, see Denver. Redcliff, 95. Red Mountain, 248, 252. Red Rocks, Park of, 172. Rico, 86. INDEX 389 Rio Blanco County, 279-283. Rio Grande, 284. Rio Grande County, 284-287. Rockies, view of the, 101, 102. Rock Island Lines, 75, 374. Rocky Ford, 245. Routt County, 288-293. Royal Gorge, 119. Russell, W. G., 4, 22, 129, 166, 271. Sage, Rufus, " Cherry Creek in 1842," 6. Saguache, 296. Saguache County, 294-298. Salida, 28. Salvation Army Colony, 269. Sangre de Cristo Range, 48, 55, 286, 297. San Juan County, 299-302. San Juan Range, 9, 10, 150, 191, 300, 305. San Luis, 49. San Luis Valley, 40, 50-52. San Miguel County, 303-307. Santa Fe, Atchison, Topeka and, Ry., 14, 74, 366. Santa Fe Trail, 13, 14; branch via Bent's Fort, 205, 242, 246, 267, 269 ; " New Santa Fe Trail," 276; auto route over, 357. Sawatch Range, 27, 94, 187, 294. School of Mines, 168. Sedgwick County, 308-311. Sherman, John D., " Sweet Estes Park," 201. Sierra Blanca, vii, 48, 352. Silver Cliff, 54- Silver Plume, 37, 370. Silverton, 301, 345. Silver, yield of, 381. South Park, 253, 254. Springfield, 13. Springs, mineral, 9, 22, 28, 29, 109, 115, 124, 136, 145, 160, 164, 187, 192, 224, 275, 291, 356, 369. State Agricultural College at Fort Collins, 198; at Fort Lewis, 194; at Grand Junc tion, 219. State School of Mines at Golden, 168. State Normal School at Greeley, 334; at Gunnison, 144- State University at Boulder, 23- Steamboat Springs, 291. Sterling, 214. Stratton, 180. Sugar Beet Industry, 241. Sugar City, 245. Summit County, 312-317. Sulphur Springs, 136, 137. Swink, 245. Taylor, Bayard, ix, x, 356. Teller County, 318-324. Teller Institute, 219. Telluride, 305. Thornburgh, T. T., 280, 283. Tolland, 133, 376. Toltec Gorge, 44. Trappers, 17, 84, 196, 221, 270, 328. Trappers' Lake, 126. Trinidad, 204. Twin Lakes, 187. Uncompahgre Valley, 61, 233, 234- Union Pacific Ry., 75, 375- University of Colorado, 23. University of Denver, 72, 73. Ute Indians, 61, 62, 112, 137- 139, 143, 147, 190, 217, 231, 262, 279-281. Victor, 322. 390 INDEX Wagon Wheel Gap, 224, 352. Walden, 164. Walsenburg, 160. Washington County, 325-327. Wason, Harriet L., "The River of Souls," 301. Weld County, 328-335. Westminster University, 73. Wheeler National Monument, 225, 353- Wiggins, O. P., 240. Womack, Robert, discoverer of gold at Cripple Creek, 319, 320. Woman's College at Mont clair, 73. Woodland Park, 323. Wray, 336. Yuma County, 336-340. O Lonffitudt in«° H West J /, on K c, , . 10 1 i.i'. OF BT vri'Tn: m , , ,. . «o to to I- -„. I oi Mltr.ii it, Titrt INCH. 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