Breckenridge

History as Big as our Mountains

 

        The fabric of Breckenridge's history has been woven from the richly-textured yarns of the Old West and the fine spun threads of the just-ending 20th century.  And what a tapestry we have to leave to future generations!

      This place on Earth for centuries knew no industry, saw no commerce.  It was, rather, bountiful hunting grounds where nomadic Ute Indians lived on vast herds of mountain bison, moose, elk and deer.  The Natives called the peaks and glens, strung together by a rushing alpine river, "Nah-oon-kara."  The translation for that has been lost to time, but some have said it might mean "softly beautiful valley."

      In 1859, as the Gold Rush moved West, an industrious individual by the name of General George E. Spencer pitched a tent alongside the Blue River, and a boisterous mining camp filled the once-quiet mountain air with the sounds of progress.  Wanting a post office, the camp did the politically prudent thing and named itself after then-Vice President John Cabell BreckINridge, who was second-in-command under 15th President James Buchanan.

      A few years later, when Abraham Lincoln sat in the Oval Office and Breckinridge sat in the Senate, the War Between the States fractured the nation.  Breckinridge, in opposition to Lincoln's war plan, left the Senate and became a brigadier general in the Confederate Army.  The Town of Breckinridge was part of Union-allied Colorado Territory and, again acting prudently, quietly and quickly changed the spelling of its name.

      Generations came and went, taking with them booms and busts in both gold and silver.  Breckenridge saw the discovery of the state's largest gold nugget, a 13-pounder found by lucky Tom Lytton and Harry Groves and dubbed "Tom's Baby."  The nugget disappeared under mysterious circumstances and languished for years in a Denver bank vault, only to be discovered a century later by the late Rev. Mark Fiester, Breckenridge's most famed chronicler.

      In addition to riches hauled from the earth's depths, Breckenridge saw riches come from above as well.  Itinerant Methodist preacher "Father" John Dyer, who was recognized as one of Colorado's 16 Founding Fathers, crossed the Continental Divide on skis to preach the Gospel and deliver gold and mail for the miners.  The church he built still stands on Wellington Avenue.  Black miner Barney Ford, a freed slave and another individual honored in the State Capitol, left the rigors of hard-rock mining and opened a restaurant.

      Desperado Pug Ryan robbed the Denver Hotel on Breckenridge's Main Street, interrupting a poker game and making off with considerable loot.  A number of his gang members were hunted down, but Pug got away clean—or did he?  Some say a bitter old man who died in the State Penitentiary years later was, in fact, Pug Ryan, although the prisoner would never say for sure.

      Gold continued to be the mainstay of the little town into the new century, although when World War II broke out, the massive dredge boats that had for decades chewed their way up and down rivers and streams were finally silenced.  And then for twenty-some years Breckenridge sat quietly, awaiting what would happen next.

      And what came to pass has proven to be as monumental in less than 40 years as all the chapters that had thus far been written in Breckenridge's history:  "white gold," snow, became the primary commodity of this area, and the Breckenridge Ski Resort became the purveyor.

      It was in the 1960s that skiing began carving its niche, as it were; today the resort has four interconnected mountains and works hand-in-hand with a year-round resort community that provides world class amenities for destination visitors.

      Now, in addition to the skiing experience that is overseen by Vail Resorts, Breckenridge offers a full plate of activities and events throughout the year.

      The experience has been well-crafted for all ages and all inclinations, with a perfect mix of indoor-to-outdoor diversions for everyone.  Lodging, too, suits all needs and a wide range of budget considerations.

      History, then, is an ongoing affair in Breckenridge, where reminders of our colorful past cozy up against our remarkable presence—with both coming together in a promise for the 21st century.

      Breckenridge.  It's happening.

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