History

The History of Breckenridge

The Town of Breckenridge is a historical mountain resort community located about 90 miles west of Denver, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Breckenridge was first settled in 1859 by 29 men and one woman following the discovery of gold in the Blue River, which still runs through the middle of town. By mid-1861, Breckenridge boasted several stores, hotels, saloons, and a post office. On October 11, 1861, the Town secured the Denver, Bradford, and Blue River Road Wagon Company connection, which gave lifeblood to the little gold mining community. Breckenridge's Main Street allowed for ease in turning around freight wagons and became the center of social and athletic activities. During the mining heyday, Breckenridge provided the miners with a variety of attractions. Without diversions, life in the mining camp would have been an endless cycle of routine work.

Father Dyer
Like most mining towns of the era, Breckenridge was not the most pious of communities. Drinking, gambling, and prostitution were rampant. Breckenridge was home to one of the most famous evangelists in Colorado history - Reverend John Lewis Dyer. The "Snowshoe Itinerant," as the Methodist minister was known, walked and skied his way through the mountains, taking the gospel to those whom might not hear it otherwise. By carrying heavy mail sacks over the snow-packed mountain passes, Father Dyer was able to earn enough money to continue his missionary work in Breckenridge. In 1880, he built Breckenridge’s first church which is now located on Wellington Road. Father Dyer established a local parish, determined to set the town straight. When he refused to stop ringing his church bells, waking up the hung over residents of Breckenridge, the townspeople used dynamite mining caps to blow up his church steeple.

Father Dyer Cabin
The Reverend Dyer and two down-on-their-luck miners built this small cabin in 1880. The transitional log cabin is typical of cabins built in the 1870s and 1880s: it has a wood plank floor, a shingled roof, a window, a board-and-batten door (over which a horseshoe is hung for good luck) and logs notched in saddle fashion. Log cabins were well suited to frontier towns and mining camps because they were quickly thrown together, and if necessary, one man could build a cabin by himself.

Inside this cabin, as in most cabins, are homemade furniture and an iron stove. Bunk beds are built in one corner; often they were attached to the walls. On the newspaper-lined shelf at the head of the bed are matches, a candle, tobacco, pipes, a shaving mug and razor. The table is covered with cans of sugar, salt and condensed milk plus a few tin plates and cups. Cups are kept upside down to keep out rodents and dirt. On an upturned box are a water bucket and wash pan. A ladder leads to the loft and burlap serves as the window curtain.

Visitors note the lack of homey touches and knickknacks that lend character and coziness to a dwelling. The meager furnishings denote a temporary lifestyle which, in this case, is appropriate. The authentic simplicity shows what little the cabin's inhabitants needed.

Directions: Father Dyer's Cabin is located at 310 Wellington Road, Breckenridge, near the intersection of Wellington and French Street. From Blue River Plaza in the center of Breckenridge, proceed north on Main Street (toward Frisco) for two blocks to Wellington Road. Turn right (east) and proceed two blocks to French. Father Dyer's Cabin is located on the left side of the street beside the Methodist Church. For more information on Father Dyer click here.

Railroads
By 1882, Breckenridge secured a depot site for the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad and thereby brought rail service to Town. Breckenridge doomed a half dozen other rival company towns in the process, including Swan City, Preston, and Lincoln City. The population of Breckenridge peaked at approximately 2000. By 1882, Breckenridge added three newspapers and a cemetery. The Town also managed to organize three fire companies to protect the vulnerable wooden structures. A major fire in 1884 destroyed a number of buildings along Main Street and Ridge Street. Despite the fire danger, local carpenters continued to build with wood because of the availability of materials and the reduced time, effort, and cost of construction.

Naming Breckenridge
Breckenridge got its name when the town wanted a post office. The townspeople thought they could increase their odds of getting one if they named their town after the nation's Vice President at the time, John Breckinridge. The idea worked and Breckinridge got its post office. But when civil war broke out in 1864, John Breckinridge sided with the south and the pro-Union citizens of Breckinridge wanted the town's name changed. The solution was easy: change an i to an e, and it's been Breckenridge ever since.

Breckenridge was established as the permanent county seat of Summit County, Colorado, but by the mid-1860s, the Civil War and increasing difficulty in locating free, accessible gold led to a drop in the Breckenridge population. Many businessmen and merchants moved on to other boomtowns. Although specific population figures for this period are not available, the community's population is believed to have been less than 500 in 1866.

An ambitious grid was eventually platted for the 320-acre Breckenridge town site. Main Street was laid out parallel to the Blue River. Residences developed along Main Street, to the north, south, and east of the commercial core. On the west side of the Blue River, in "West Breckenridge," industry, inexpensive housing, and a red light district were established. By June 1860, a row of log cabins, tents, and shanties lined Main Street.

The late-1860s saw the introduction of large-scale hydraulic placer mining to the area and Breckenridge was once again engrossed in another mining phase that brought about a change in the character of the local mining industry. Individual miners and mining companies consolidated their holdings; the days of the lone prospector were gone. The discovery of rich silver and lead carbonates in the hillsides put Breckenridge back on the map and the second wave of fortune hunters invaded. Breckenridge had plenty of room to grow and the community was formally incorporated in 1880. Soon more substantial architecture appeared--comfortable houses, churches, and a school were built on the hillside east of Main Street. Main Street became the business thoroughfare and in 1880 eighteen saloons and three dance halls lined the street. Saloons and other commercial ventures were confined to the main streets. The Gold Pan Saloon was one of the first businesses of its kind in town and is still in operation today, making it the oldest continuously operating saloon west of the Mississippi River. Ridge Street, parallel to Main, had a grocery store, hotel, post office, bank, dry goods store, assay office and a drug store.

Dredge Mining
In 1898 the new mining practice of dredging started, resulting in the Blue and French Gulch riverbeds being dug up leaving large rock piles, which you can still see today.  Dredges were built in ponds large enough to float their hulls and anchored to the shore by cables and to the pond floor by hollow, heavy, poles driven into the gravel. Every eight hours the poles were lifted and men using winches onshore pulled the dredge forward. The dredges could continue their disgorging, making 200-ft. arcs in the sides of the ponds three times a day as they moved along. As the dredges moved, so moved the ponds .

Dredging, a form of placer mining, operated in the Blue and Swan rivers and in French Creek from 1898 until 1942. Over the course of those 44 years, nine dredges, all but one owned at some point by Revett, plied those waterways; never more than five operated at one time. The Dredge Bar & Restaurant is a replica of mining equipment from this era. The dredges were shut down during WWII.

Bucyrus Dredge
This dredge, now a dismantled hull, is easily visible in its own pond in Galena Gulch. Built by the Bucyrus Company of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it was owned by the North American Gold Dredging Company, a business chartered, managed and part-owned by Ben Stanley Revett, the "Dredge Boat King". The Bucyrus plied the Swan River, where bedrock depth averaged just over 40 feet, from April 1899 to 1904. The 100-ft.-long wooden gold dredge, considered the first successful dredge, devoured then spewed out 2,500 cubic yards of gravel and dirt every 24 hours. A three-man crew operated this steam-powered, hungry monster. Not all ponds that harbored dredges had green water as does this pond. In this instance, the color is due to the presence of copper. Nearby is a large "mechanical miners" interpretive sign for visitors to read.

Directions: The Bucyrus Dredge is located on Tiger Road between Breckenridge and Frisco. From Blue River Plaza in Breckenridge, proceed north on State Highway 9 toward Frisco approximately 4 miles to Tiger Road. Turn right (east) off State Highway 9 at Tiger Road north of Breckenridge. Follow the road for 2.7 miles to the dredge parking lot on the left. The short path on the right from the parking lot leads to an observation point; the short path on the left goes past the mechanical miners sign. The dredge is easily visible from both paths and from the parking lot. 

Hydraulic Mining Tours
Self-Guided Tours:
Tour the Iowa Hill hydraulic mining site at your leisure. A self-guided walking tour provides visitors with the opportunity to view the remnants of a historic hydraulic mining operation. Hydraulic mining was introduced to Breckenridge in the early 1860's as a method to extract the rich gold from the nearby gulches. The park contains many remnants of the operation as well as a miner's boardinghouse. In 2004, the Town installed interpretive signs throughout the park to guide visitors on a hike through the site. The hike is approximately one mile in length and is moderate in difficulty. The park is open from approximately mid-May through mid-November depending on snow pack.

Guided Tours:
In the summer, The Summit Historical Society offers guided tours of the Iowa Hill hydraulic mining site. Tours include a walk through the park with a knowledgeable guide and last approximately 1.5 hours. The guided tours are scheduled for July 23, August 6, August 13, August 20, and September 3. Please contact the Summit Historical Society at 970 453-9022 for more information and for tickets and reservations.

The park is located off Airport Road on the north end of Town. Visitors may park at the trailhead, which is just north of the Breckenridge Public Works facilities, and follow the signs through the park. For additional information contact the Summit Historical Society at 453-9022 or the Town of Breckenridge at 970 547-3112.

"Tom’s Baby"
Tom Groves discovered the largest gold nugget ever found in North America in Breckenridge on July 3, 1887. The single nugget weighed 151 oz. and was about the size of an adult human head. It was dubbed "Tom's Baby" because Tom paraded it around town like a newborn child. Three days later the nugget was put on a train headed to Denver. Whatever happened to the nugget is still one of Breckenridge's great mysteries. Many rumors surrounding the nugget's loss such as: being displayed at the Smithsonian, the Peabody Museum, Harvard University, and Chicago's Field Museum-- none were verified. In 1926, The Colorado State Historical Museum was asked to examine gold specimens that had been deposited in a Denver Bank. Tom's Baby was found, but there are still over five pounds of the nugget missing. Tom's baby was assumed kidnapped.

Pug Ryan
While Father Dyer was trying to save souls, famed desperado Pug Ryan was doing his best to deliver souls to their Maker. In 1898, Pug robbed a midnight poker game at the posh Denver Hotel on Main Street. An accidental discharge from a sawed-off shotgun announced Pug's arrival. None the less, he got away with $50 in cash from the bar till, as well as fine watches and jewelry from the gamesters. Pug died for his digressions at the state penitentiary in Canon City in 1931.

Barney Ford
Barney Ford was born a slave in Virginia in 1824 and the age of eighteen was hired out as a waiter on a Mississippi steamboat. With the help of the Underground Railroad, he escaped and went to Chicago where he met Henry Wagoner. Both men taught themselves to read and write, and Ford later married Wagoner's sister, Julia, and fathered three children. He worked with the Underground Railroad until he heard that gold had been discovered in California in 1848.

Ford was fearful of traveling over land, being a fugitive slave. By way of Nicaragua, he bought ship passage to California for himself and Julia. Central America proved to be an ideal place for making money, and Ford decided to stay. He opened the United States Hotel and Restaurant in 1851 which hosted many United States dignitaries. During a political dispute with Great Britain, an American ship bombarded the town, destroying his hotel and half of the city. Ford and his wife returned to Chicago $5,000 richer. He opened a livery stable, which doubled as a station for the Underground Railroad.

In 1860, Ford headed west to Colorado in search of gold. He was refused a hotel room in Mountain City, and boarded with the famous Aunt Clara Brown. He staked a claim near Denver but it was jumped by White men. He and several other Black prospectors staked another claim on a hill southeast of Breckenridge. Ford asked his White lawyer to file a claim in the lawyer's name since the Dred Scott court decision denied Blacks the right to own land. Presuming Ford had struck it rich, the lawyer sent the sheriff to order Ford off "his land" within twenty-four hours. That night, White riders came and ran Ford and his friends away. The White men were unable to find gold, and afterwards started the legend that Ford had buried it on the mountainside. 1964, it was historically named "Barney Ford Hill."

Ford went on to become a prosperous tycoon in the hotel, restaurant and barbershop businesses in Denver. His luxurious Inter-Ocean Hotels, in Denver and Cheyenne, were the fanciest hotels in the west, and his impressive guest list included President Ulysses S. Grant. Ford had amassed a fortune estimated at close to a quarter of a million dollars by the 1870's. Ford's influence was felt in many ways. During the Civil War, he gave financial assistance, food, and jobs to run-away and newly freed slaves. With his friend Wagoner, he established Colorado's first adult education classes for Blacks. They taught Blacks reading, writing, arithmetic, and the principles of democratic government.

Ford joined the fight and lobbied in Washington over the organization of the Colorado territory and the question of statehood. Ford's battle against statehood was to prevent Blacks' loss of citizenship in Colorado. Primarily due to his lobbying efforts, Colorado lost its initial bid for statehood. Later, he became the first Black to serve on a Colorado grand jury. And, in 1882, he and his wife were the first Blacks to be invited to a Colorado Association of Pioneers' dinner. Ford, who championed the Black cause all of his life, died of a stroke in 1902.

Today, the hill in Breckenridge where the first train chugged into view is still named Barney Ford Hill. A stained glass portrait of Ford adorns the legislative chambers of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver; and the Barney Ford House, in Breckenridge, has been adapted as a house museum in his honor. To his credit, numerous books and articles have been published about the life of this remarkable pioneer. 

                                                 

Barney Ford House Museum
Located at 111 East Washington Avenue, the Barney Ford House was designed and built in 1882 for Mister Barney Ford, his wife Julia and their children Lewis, Sadie and Frankie by prominent craftsman Elias Nashold. In its day, the Barney Ford House was considered a showplace home in Breckenridge. For more information on The Barney Ford House Museum.

World War II Ends the Mining Era
By the turn of the century, the population of Breckenridge dropped to fewer than 1,000 people. The population continued to drop throughout the first half of the 20th century despite a successful gold-dredging boom from 1898 to 1942. Thinking the Tiger Placers Company would provide jobs in an era of national depression, Breckenridge town officials allowed the Tiger #1 Gold Dredge to chew its way from the northern town limits through the south end of Main Street. The two-story pontoon boat supported a line of moving buckets that dug depths up to 48 feet in the riverbed. The dredge removed all vegetation and buildings in its path; the riverbed was literally turned upside-down. Fine soils of the river bottom were either sent to the depths below or sent downstream as sediment. The riverbed and bedrock below were dredged up to the surface. As a result, few historic buildings survived on the west side of the river. World War II finally silenced the dredge and the population declined to approximately 254 individuals.

Many of Breckenridge's historic buildings were lost during the "post-war" period for a variety of reasons. Some property owners demolished their structures to reduce their tax burden. Other buildings were lost to accidental fires, while others were purposely burned in practice exercises of volunteer fire crews. Some buildings were even torn down for firewood. However, Breckenridge never achieved ghost town status. It maintained itself instead as a small town until the advent of the ski industry. The closest it came to a ghost town was in 1930, when it was decided that Breckenridge had been excluded from maps of the United States. One day in 1936, the Breckenridge Women's Club discovered a strip of land 90-miles long and 30-miles wide had been left out of the United States. Breckenridge was included in this area with points north to Grand County. So, on August 8, 1936, the Governor and an impressive entourage gathered on the courthouse lawn, where a flag of the United States was raised. Today, for one weekend in August, Breckenridge declares itself free and sovereign with the heritage festival, once known as "No Man's Land."

White Gold and the Eisenhower Tunnel
In December 1961, Rounds and Porter, a Wichita, Kansas, lumber company, opened the Breckenridge Ski Area and a new-boom era began. With the Eisenhower Tunnel being completed in 1973, the driving time from Denver to Breckenridge was reduced to 1.5 hours, fueling the recreation rush. As result of the easy access from the Front Range, activities in the high country including bicycling, hiking, golfing, fishing, snowshoeing, and skiing, have increased in popularity. Record numbers of people now visit the Town of Breckenridge and overall traffic through the tunnel increases about 3.5% per year. The Colorado Department of Transportation and the Federal Highways Administration are studying this Interstate 70 corridor as well as State Highway 9 that connects Breckenridge to the Interstate. Information about these studies can be found on the CDOT web site at www.dot.state.co.us.

End of the Millennium and Planning for the Future
Commercial construction has also been strong. In the ten years between 1983 and 1993, the Town's commercial square footage more than doubled, from approximately 500,000 square feet to over 1,104,000 square feet. It has continued to increase steadily, and currently there is over 1,409,971 square feet of commercial development that includes retail, office, government, recreation, light industry, and manufacturing, etc.

The 1983 Breckenridge Master Plan provides the general guidance for the growth of the Town to balance new development and community character. In 1997 the Town coordinated with Summit County and the Town of Blue River to adopt an intergovernmental plan for the Upper Blue Basin. The Joint Upper Blue Basin Master Plan establishes goals and strategies for development in the Upper Blue Basin. The Town continues to implement the strategies outlined in that plan to insure the appropriate quantity and pattern of development. In August of 2002, the Town adopted the Breckenridge Vision Plan, which outlines specific action steps that reflect the community's values and vision. These documents are all available on the Town's web site at www.townofbreckenridge.com.

Breckenridge still serves as the county seat and is a center of activity for Summit County. The stunning landscape, cultural heritage, authentic mining vernacular, and Victorian atmosphere have created a thriving community and premier year-round family resort, which attracts both national and international visitors. With world-class skiing, a continuous series of summer-time events, abundant restaurants, galleries, and services Breckenridge looks forward to continued economic viability while preserving its unique history and character.

The Breckenridge permanent resident population grew from 393 in 1960 to approximately 3,100 residents in 2005. The peak population that includes day visitors, day skiers, overnight guests, and second homeowners, is estimated to exceed 30,000 on a busy day.

Take your own tour of Breckenridge's history with a guided tour with the Summit Historical Society or a self-guided tour!