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    Silverton and the Alpine Loop
    Silverton and the Alpine Loop
    Silverton and the Alpine Loop
    Ebook170 pages1 hour

    Silverton and the Alpine Loop

    By Jeff Corr

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    As the ancestral hunting grounds of mountain people known as the Utes, the future site of Silverton was explored by nomadic hunters for generations. During the 1860s, Charles Baker, an early mining prospector, discovered some mineral wealth in the area and spread highly exaggerated rumors that brought in even more prospectors. Significant wealth was found in Arrastra Gulch along the Alpine Loop, north of Baker s Park. From the beginning of its mining heritage, Silverton has gone through periods of boom to bust. In the 1950s, the area was discovered by Hollywood, increasing its appeal to tourism, and in the 1960s, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad reinvested heavily to dedicate itself to tourist travel. Although mining continued on a limited basis up until the 1990s, Silverton s economy is now supported by those who come for its history, picturesque landscapes, fly fishing, jeeping, and hiking.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateMay 12, 2014
    ISBN9781439645161
    Silverton and the Alpine Loop
    Author

    Jeff Corr

    Thanks to the lifelong passion of Silverton resident Allen Nossaman, San Juan County is probably one of the most historically well-documented counties in the state of Colorado. Author Jeff Corr uses Nossaman�s texts as a historical reference, along with the extensive collection of renowned photographer William Henry Jackson, to remember the history of Silverton for all time.

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      Silverton and the Alpine Loop - Jeff Corr

      apologize.

      INTRODUCTION

      At an elevation of 9,318 feet, Silverton and its surrounding areas have been popular tourist destinations since the beginning of the 1900s. Renowned for its historical ruins, jeep roads and passes, rocky and jagged peaks, and the popular Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNG), Silverton has hosted visitors since the construction of Otto Mears’s infamous San Juan Skyway, known today as Highway 550.

      The area now known as Silverton was once the hunting grounds of the Weeminuche band of Native Americans, a group of hunter-gatherers who had established themselves in this area by at least 1500 ad. Moving on foot, they traveled into the mountains when the seasons allowed, hunting deer, antelope, and other small mammals while the women picked nuts and berries. They lived mostly peaceful lives here, even entering into honorable treaties with the Jicarilla Apache to the south.

      In 1860, Charles Baker, a mining prospector, entered present-day Silverton with a team of prospectors. Although what they found was not worth mining, his exaggerated claims of abundant ore prompted a return.

      In what is now colloquially referred to as Baker’s Expedition, the group panned for gold near present-day Howardsville and Eureka, north of Silverton. They did find some gold and silver ore, but it was not substantial at that time.

      Prospectors came and went, and the area remained relatively quiet until 1870, when gold was discovered in Arrastra Gulch. In 1872, George Howard, suspected to be from the original Baker party a decade earlier, built the first cabin nearby in what is today known as Howardsville. Howard, along with his partner R.J. McNutt, discovered several famous lodes, especially the Sunnyside lode, the namesake of the Sunnyside Mine and Mill.

      Reports of silver travel quickly, and prospectors came from eastern states and, eventually, even from overseas. Up until this time, white settlers had been essentially trespassing on Ute land. Chief Ouray, leader of the Tabeguache band of Utes, believed that war with the whites would mean the demise of his people. Acting as negotiator between the Utes and the whites, Ouray helped the Brunot Agreement become ratified in 1874, officially giving control of the Ute land in the San Juan Mountains to the United States. Although some of the more militant Utes began to refer to him as the White Man’s Friend, Ouray is historically recognized as a friend to the whites and a protector to the Indians alike.

      With the land now legally owned by the United States, mining towns could officially be incorporated where mining camps already existed illegally, including Eureka, by 1871; Lemonge City, by 1875; and Animas Forks, by 1876. Other lesser-known mining towns and camps in the area included Chattanooga, Gladstone, Quartzville, Niegoldstown, Highland Mary, Silver Lake, and Mineral Point.

      In 1874, La Plata County was created from a portion of the much larger Conejos County. At that time, Howardsville became the county seat. As Silverton grew and the population increased in the area, San Juan County was then split off from a portion of the two-year-old La Plata County, and the seat was moved to Silverton.

      Famed historical photographer William Henry Jackson, whose photographs of Old Faithful and Yellowstone had convinced Congress to declare Yellowstone the country’s first national park in 1872, accompanied the United States Geological Survey to the area in the mid-1870s. Traveling around Baker’s Park and farther north along the Animas River, Jackson took hundreds of photographs.

      Taken on fragile glass plates, photography was considered incredibly difficult at the time. Using the collodion process, invented in 1848, Jackson and his photography assistants had to develop the photographs on-site before the chemical emulsion on the glass dried. Without light metering, exposure times were educated guesses between five seconds and 20 minutes. Exposing a single photograph could take an hour when washing the plates with cold water; washing with hot spring water could cut the time in half.

      In 1877, the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG) expansion headed west from Walsenburg, reaching Alamosa in 1878. A line was then constructed south to Antonito, over Cumbres Pass, which reached Durango in 1881. Finally, in 1882, the D&RG reached Silverton, opening up cheap freight and passenger travel into the most remote section of the San Juan Mountains.

      Born in Russia in 1840, Otto Mears came to the United States to live with relatives when he was young. He began working the California gold fields but eventually moved to Colorado, constructing toll routes over Poncha and Marshall Passes. Mears constructed a toll road south from Ouray towards Red Mountain Pass, eventually adding the Silverton Railroad.

      By 1896, the Silverton Northern Railroad had been constructed north from Silverton, passing the Mayflower Mill and Howardsville to reach Eureka. A side branch was also constructed into Cunningham Gulch.

      Early days in Silverton were reminiscent of typical stories of Western towns. Saloons, gambling, and prostitution were common. Even a few vigilante lynchings occurred. The environment was challenging as well. Rock slides, avalanches, severe winters, illnesses, and mining injuries were responsible for many deaths. Early Silverton had no shortage of ways to die.

      Many miners brought their families with them, so there was a need to keep the town respectable. An imaginary line traveled down Greene Street, separating Silverton into east and west sides. The west side of this line was considered the respectable side of town, while the east side evolved into the place where lonely miners spent their hard-earned money. At one time, Silverton had approximately 117 prostitutes, with 75 percent of them on Blaire Street. Although prostitution was technically illegal and indictments were brought against these lewd women, the $5 fine per prostitute per month was a steady source of income for the local government.

      By the beginning of the 1900s, Silverton’s population had reached 3,000. Fraternal organizations had become established, and the courthouse, jail, and town hall were constructed.

      As Silverton became the central hub for the region, peaking in population at 5,000, the other towns

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