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Rifle, Colorado

Rifle is a home rule municipality in, and the most populous community of, Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 10,437 at the 2020 census. Rifle is a regional center of the cattle ranching industry located along Interstate 70 and the Colorado River just east of the Roan Plateau, which dominates the western skyline of the town. The town was founded in 1882 by Abram Maxfield, and was incorporated in 1905 along Rifle Creek, near its mouth on the Colorado. The community takes its name from the creek.

History
The land that Rifle resides on was once in the heart of the Ute Nation, a classification of the Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. The most common tribe in the area were the Tabagauche, who hunted and lived on the land slightly to the east of Rifle in the Roaring Fork Valley. Due to their location, the Tabagauche were somewhat less exposed to white settlers, and to some extent their ways remained less altered than other native peoples. In 1878 Nathan Meeker was appointed as the director of the White River Ute Agency (the town of Meeker 40 miles north of Rifle was named after him). Meeker had no training or knowledge of Ute culture, and launched into a campaign centered on sedentary agriculture and European-American schooling. As this clashed with the culture of the nomadic Utes, he was met with resistance. It all came to a head when Meeker had the pasture and racetrack for the Ute's horses plowed under. The event that followed is known as the Meeker Massacre in 1879, during which Meeker and his 10 employees were killed. The aftermath of the conflict resulted in nearly all members of the Ute nation being forcibly removed from Colorado into eastern Utah, although the federal government had formerly guaranteed them the land on which they were residing.

Rifle became more and more settled as the 19th century gave way to the 20th. In 1889, the railroad cut through from the east and ended in Rifle for a while before connecting lines were completed. This opened up the floodgates for new travelers, settlers, and trade. Long drives of cattle over the mountains towards the Front Range and Denver became a thing of the past. Rifle was now a thriving hub for commerce. If it needed to be shipped east to a buyer's market, or shipped west into ranching country, it came through town.

The first major economy known to Rifle was ranching. The land surrounding the town was arid, and much of it was unsuitable for farming without irrigation. Despite the large stretches of land available, tension arose and manifested between those who tended cattle and those who herded sheep. Good grazing practices were not in place, and the summer pastures at the top of the Roan Plateau were contested over. One rancher lost two-thirds of his flock and went bankrupt when competing cowboys drove the sheep over the cliff.

Rifle is located in the east portion of the Piceance Basin. The basin is home to different forms of fossil fuels, the largest quantity of which is oil shale. The unreliability of this fossil fuel has left the city in the throes of a cycling boom and bust economy.

, an organization called the Campaign to Save Roan Plateau has been engaged in an effort to minimize oil and gas drilling on the top of the Roan Plateau, which locals call the Bookcliffs. The Roan Plateau is accessible from the JQS Trail, located 3 mi north of Rifle, or from the Piceance Creek road.

Geography
Rifle is located in the valley of the Colorado River where Rifle Creek joins from the north. Most of the city is on the north side of the river, but there is some city land to the south. Interstate 70 passes through the city along the south side of the river, with access from Exit 90. I-70 leads east 26 mi to Glenwood Springs, the Garfield County seat, and southwest 60 mi to Grand Junction. U.S. Route 6 runs along the north side of the Colorado River through Rifle, providing a local parallel route to I-70. Colorado State Highway 13 intersects I-70 and US-6, passing through the southern and western parts of Rifle, then leading north 41 mi to Meeker.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Rifle has a total area of 14.7 km2, of which 14.5 sqkm is land and 0.2 km2, or 1.18%, is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 9,172 people, 3,221 households, and 2,230 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,581.1 PD/sqmi. There were 2,586 housing units at an average density of 602.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 81.0% White, 0.5% African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 13.4% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 30.4% of the population.

There were 3,221 households, out of which 40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.8% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.35.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.6% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,734, and the median income for a family was $48,714. Males had a median income of $36,517 versus $25,527 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,376. About 3.4% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

Tourism and attractions

Rifle Mountain Park, located 16 mi north of Rifle, is maintained by the City of Rifle. It is popular with rock climbers. Other outside attractions near the city include Rifle Falls State Park, Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery, Rifle Gap State Park, Harvey Gap State Park, and access to BLM land, including Hubbard Mesa Open Area, Rifle Arch, and the Roan Plateau.

6 mi north of the center of the city is Rifle Creek Golf Course.

in 2014, the New Ute theater was opened in downtown Rifle.

Rifle is home to the Garfield County Fair Grounds. One week out of the year, the city bustles with activities surrounding family and professional rodeos, Xtreme bull riding, live music, and a demolition derby.

Education
Rifle is within the Garfield Re-2 School District. The city is served by three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school:
 * Graham Mesa Elementary School
 * Highland Elementary School
 * Wamsley Elementary School
 * Rifle Middle School
 * Rifle High School

Rifle’s higher education needs are served by Colorado Mountain College, which operates a campus in the city.

Transportation
The city is served by Garfield County Regional Airport. The state-run bus service Bustang connects Rifle to Grand Junction and Denver. The city is also served by the Union Pacific/Rio Grande line between Denver and Ogden.

In popular culture
On August 10, 1972, Christo and Jeanne-Claude completed the Valley Curtain project at Rifle Gap, 6 mi north of town. The completed curtain hung for only 28 hours before it was ripped by a gust of wind.

Notable people

 * David Bernhardt, former Secretary of the Interior
 * Lauren Boebert, U.S. Representative
 * Bo Nickal, freestyle wrestler and mixed martial artist

title: Rifle, Colorado


text:
Silt, Colorado

Silt is a statutory town in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 3,536 at the 2020 census, up from 2,930 at the 2010 census. The town is part of the Glenwood Springs Micropolitan Area.

History
A post office called "Silt" has been in operation since 1898. The community was named for the silt deposits at the original town site.

Geography
Silt is located on the north side of the Colorado River about 175 mi west of Denver. Interstate 70 passes through the town as it follows the river, with access from Exit 97. Glenwood Springs, the county seat, is 19 mi to the east, and Rifle is 7 mi to the west. U.S. Route 6 is Main Street in Silt, and provides a local route parallel to I-70.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.8 km2, of which 0.06 sqkm, or 1.46%, is water.

Climate
This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Silt has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Education
Silt is within Garfield Re-2 School District. The town is home to Cactus Valley Elementary School. Riverside Middle School and Coal Ridge High School, both located in the neighboring town of New Castle, serve the students of Silt.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Silt, Colorado


text:
Black Hawk, Colorado

Black Hawk is a home rule municipality located in Gilpin County, Colorado, United States. The population was 127 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the least populous city (but not town) in Colorado. It was a mining settlement founded in 1859 during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush and is now a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor.

Black Hawk is located adjacent to Central City, another historic mining settlement in Gregory Gulch. The two cities form the federally designated Central City/Black Hawk National Historic District. The area flourished during the mining boom of the late 19th century following the construction of mills and a railroad link to Golden.

The town declined during the 20th century but has been revived in recent years after the 1991 establishment of casino gambling following a statewide initiative in 1990. In early 2010, the Black Hawk city council passed a law banning the riding of bicycles in the town, drawing a reaction from bicycle advocacy groups and international press. The ban was overturned by the Colorado Supreme Court in 2013.

History
Black Hawk was established in 1859.

Mining boom
In May 1859 the discovery of gold in Gregory Gulch by its namesake, John H. Gregory, brought thousands of prospectors and miners into the area, combing the hills for more gold veins. The Bobtail lode was discovered the following month. Hardrock mining boomed for a few years, but then declined in the mid-1860s as the miners exhausted the shallow parts of the veins that contained free gold and found that their amalgamation mills could not recover gold from the deeper sulfide ores.

Nathaniel P. Hill built Colorado's first successful ore smelter in Black Hawk in 1868. Hill's smelter could recover gold from the sulfide ores, an achievement that saved hardrock mining in Black Hawk, Central City, and Idaho Springs from ruin. Other smelters were built nearby. Black Hawk's advantageous location on North Clear Creek made it the center of ore processing for the area, and it became known as the "City of Mills".

The Colorado Central Railroad extended its line to the town in 1872. A restored depot and locomotive are on display on the east side of downtown. Black Hawk was also served by the two-foot-gauge Gilpin Tramway which climbed from Black Hawk to the mines above Central City. Many historic buildings in the town have been restored following the opening of the casinos in 1991.

Gambling boom
The town has been in heated competition for gambling revenue with its neighbor Central City since casinos opened in both towns in 1991. Development of the area down Clear Creek from the historic Black Hawk townsite lining State Highway 119 has flourished. Gamblers from Denver pass the Blackhawk casinos before they arrive at Central City, and, as a result, Black Hawk has realized much more revenue from gambling than Central City. Gambling in Black Hawk also benefits from less restrictive zoning codes; while Central City until recently limited building heights to 53 ft to preserve the historic character of the town, Black Hawk has no such limits. In an attempt to close the competitive gap, Central City built the Central City Parkway from Interstate 70 near Idaho Springs as an alternative route, leading guests first to Central City, and then to Black Hawk. The Central City Parkway opened November 19, 2004. However, Black Hawk continues to have three times the number of casinos and generates more than seven times the gambling revenue that Central City does.

Although the 1990 statewide referendum allowing casino gambling in Black Hawk was promoted as a way to promote historic preservation in Black Hawk, critics have charged that it has had the opposite effect, and that the historic appearance of Black Hawk has been sacrificed to allow construction of the large casinos.

Tax from the gambling revenue provides funding for the State Historical Fund, administered by the Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.

Bicycling ban controversy
In February 2013, the Colorado Supreme Court overturned a citywide ban on bicycle traffic through Black Hawk, ruling that the city had failed to comply with state traffic law. In 2010, the Black Hawk banned bicycle use on most of the streets in the city. The ban was prompted by a surge in traffic following the change in maximum casino betting limits from $5 to $100. Black Hawk City Manager Michael Copp said that the city council, which passed the new law, believed it was best for the casinos and their patrons. The penalty for riding a bicycle through Black Hawk was a $68 fine. Bicycle advocacy groups challenged the bike ban, with the case ultimately going to the Colorado Supreme Court. State Highway 119 and County Road 279 in Black Hawk are part of the Great Parks Bicycle Route and the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway touring route.

Geography
The town is located along the north fork of Clear Creek and Gregory Gulch.

At the 2020 United States Census, the city had a total area of 6.871 km2, all of it land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 118 people, 54 households, and 28 families residing in the city. The population density was 80.9 PD/sqmi. There were 79 housing units at an average density of 54.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 84.75% White, 3.39% African American, 0.85% Native American, 5.93% from other races, and 5.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.17% of the population.

There were 54 households, out of which 18.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.3% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.69.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.8% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 34.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 131.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 131.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,583, and the median income for a family was $52,500. Males had a median income of $29,688 versus $20,833 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,985. None of the population and none of the families were below the poverty line.

Education
Black Hawk Public Schools are part of the Gilpin County School District RE-1. The district has one elementary school and one high school, Gilpin County Elementary School and Gilpin County Undivided High School.

Dave MacKenzie is the Superintendent of Schools.

There are approximately 380 students enrolled in the district.

Transportation
The Black Hawk & Central City Tramway, operated by the cities of Black Hawk and Central City, provides a free shuttle between the two towns. Ramblin Express and Ace Express Coaches provides transportation from Denver.

Notable people

 * Nathaniel P. Hill, Brown University chemistry professor, Black Hawk smelter magnate, U.S. senator

title: Black Hawk, Colorado


text:
Fraser, Colorado

The Town of Fraser is a Statutory Town located in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 1,400 at the 2020 United States Census, a +14.38% increase since the 2010 United States Census. The town is situated in Middle Park in the valley of the Fraser River along U.S. Highway 40. Its location northwest of Winter Park, the location of a popular ski resort, has provided growth in recent years with new condominium and other real estate developments.

History
Fraser was incorporated in 1953. A post office called Fraser has been in operation since 1876. The town derives its name from Reuben Frazer, a pioneer settler.

Geography
Fraser is located in southeastern Grand County. It is bordered to the south by the town of Winter Park and to the north by unincorporated Tabernash. U.S. Route 40 leads south and east across Berthoud Pass 71 mi to Denver, and northwest 15 mi to Granby, the largest town in Grand County.

At the 2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 8.966 km2 including 0.013 km2 of water. The Fraser River passes through the east side of town, flowing northward toward the Colorado River.

Climate
Fraser, with an annual mean temperature of 38.0 °F (or 34.8 °F based on another station in town) is one of the coldest incorporated towns in the lower 48 states. It can and does get frost year-round, totaling 287.3 nights under 32 F, rivalled only by towns in northern Alaska and Bodie, California, among currently inhabited localities in the United States. The total of 63.4 nights under 0 F is also among the highest in the contiguous 48 states, but the 59.9 days with highs not topping freezing is exceeded by substantial areas of North Dakota, Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Both Fraser and International Falls, Minnesota, have claimed the title "Icebox of the Nation", which has caused conflict between the two towns over the years.

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Fraser has a subarctic climate, abbreviated Dfc on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Fraser is 93 F on August 1, 1969, and the coldest -43 F on January 10, 1962. The wettest calendar year has been 1957 with 30.33 in and the driest 1944 with 11.04 in, whilst the most precipitation in one month has been 7.69 in in September 1961. Snowfall is naturally heavy at 143.2 in and has ranged up to 82.4 in in February 1936 and 275.5 in from July 1926 to June 1927.

A freeze has been recorded for every single date of the year, one of the only locations in the entire United States to hold that record.

Icebox of the Nation

Fraser, Colorado has been in a dispute with International Falls, Minnesota since 1956 over use of the trademark "Icebox of the Nation." After several years of legal battles, the United States Patent and Trademark Office officially registered the slogan with International Falls on January 29, 2008.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 910 people, 410 households, and 191 families residing in the town. The population density was 491.1 PD/sqmi. There were 622 housing units at an average density of 335.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 94.51% White, 0.88% African American, 0.88% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.22% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.30% of the population.

There were 410 households, out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.2% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.2% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.71.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 17.9% under the age of 18, 14.2% from 18 to 24, 46.2% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 3.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 129.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 130.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $38,173, and the median income for a family was $39,643. Males had a median income of $29,583 versus $26,346 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,628. About 11.1% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
Amtrak provides regular service to Fraser and nearby Winter Park (station code: WIP), operating its California Zephyr daily in each direction between Chicago, Illinois and Emeryville, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2015, Amtrak also resumed seasonal ski train service to the Winter Park Resort. The new Winter Park Express resumed ski train service that had been provided to the resort by Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad's Ski Train for nearly 70 years.

Other transportation options include the Bustang, which replaced the Greyhound bus, and Home James Transportation, which has provided shared shuttle and private charter transportation since 1982.

Notable people

 * Susan Anderson, physician known as "Doc Susie"
 * Carlota D. EspinoZa

title: Fraser, Colorado


text:
Granby, Colorado

The Town of Granby is the Statutory Town that is the most populous municipality in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 2,079 at the 2020 United States Census. Granby is situated along U.S. Highway 40 in the Middle Park basin, and it is about 85 mi northwest of Denver and 14 mi southwest of Rocky Mountain National Park.

History
The town was founded in 1904 along the route of the Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway and was incorporated one year later. It was named after Granby Hillyer, a Denver lawyer who later served as the United States Attorney for that city's district.

Many Granby and Grand County residents are descended from pioneer settlers who arrived before the country was fully surveyed. Early families established themselves under the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed easy access to land to those who would inhabit and improve upon the territory.

Since the turn of the century, families have contended for prime ranch land. The Hudlers and Cooks are descended from original homesteaders. Their waning ranch once covered approximately 20000 acre and was rich in cattle and hay.

Bulldozer rampage
Marvin Heemeyer was a local auto muffler shop owner who had multiple disputes with the town over zoning, sewage, and other issues. As a result, on June 4, 2004, Heemeyer went on a rampage through town, driving a modified bulldozer. Several buildings were damaged, including a bank, a hardware store, the concrete company, a utility service center, the town hall, the police department, and a former mayor's home. The rampage lasted 2 hours and 7 minutes, ending when the bulldozer got stuck attempting to go through the alleyway of Gambles Hardware Store. Heemeyer then committed suicide with a handgun. No other deaths occurred, but an estimated $7 million in damage was done.

Geography
Granby sits at 7935 ft above sea level in the valley of the Fraser River, 2 mi east of its mouth at the Colorado River. It is located in eastern Grand County in an area subject to average annual rainfall of $12 1/4$ inches and annual snowfall of more than 128 in.

U.S. Route 40 passes through the center of town as Agate Avenue, leading south and east over Berthoud Pass to the Denver area, west 10 mi to Hot Sulphur Springs, the Grand County seat. Kremmling is 27 mi to the west on US 40. U.S. Route 34 intersects US 40 on the west side of Granby and leads northeast into Rocky Mountain National Park, crossing the mountains as Trail Ridge Road and reaching Estes Park 60 mi northeast of Granby.

At the 2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 32.845 km2, all of it land.

Climate
This climate type is dominated by the winter season, a long, bitterly cold period with short, clear days, relatively little precipitation mostly in the form of snow, and low humidity. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Granby has a warm summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,525 people, 579 households, and 390 families residing in the town. The population density was 856.2 PD/sqmi. There were 628 housing units at an average density of 352.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.26% White, 0.46% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.61% of the population.

There were 579 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $46,667, and the median income for a family was $55,250. Males had a median income of $35,455 versus $24,417 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,224. About 4.0% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those ages 65 and older.

Transportation

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service to Granby, operating its California Zephyr daily in both directions between Chicago and Emeryville, California, across the bay from San Francisco.

Granby-Grand County Airport, a small airport one mile east of town, serves as a stopover for transient general aviation flights, as well as hosts some local aviation activity. There are currently no scheduled passenger carrier flights into or out of the airport, which features a 5000 ft by 75 ft asphalt runway. Services at the airport are limited to aviation fuel for both piston and jet/turboprop aircraft. According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), the airport was previously served by Rocky Mountain Airways which operated scheduled passenger flights to Denver during the mid 1970s with small de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter turboprop aircraft.

Notable residents

 * Penny Rafferty Hamilton, aviation educator, writer, and photographer
 * Marvin Heemeyer, perpetrator of the 2004 Granby rampage in an armored bulldozer

title: Granby, Colorado


text:
Grand Lake, Colorado

The Town of Grand Lake is a statutory town located in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 410 at the 2020 United States Census.

History
Established in 1881, Grand Lake sits at an elevation of 8369 ft and derives its name from the lake on whose shores it is situated: Grand Lake, the largest natural body of water in Colorado. The town of Grand Lake was originally an outfitting and supply point for the mining settlements of Lulu City, Teller City, and Gaskill, but today is a tourist destination adjacent to the western entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, which surrounds the lake and the town on three sides. Grand Lake was the Grand County seat of government from 1882 to 1888. It was incorporated on June 23, 1944.

The Kauffman House is an NRHP-listed rustic log house that functioned as a hotel from its construction in 1892 until 1946. The Grand Lake Area Historical Society purchased the house in 1973 and converted it into a museum as the only pre-20th century log hotel remaining in Grand Lake.

Fred N. Selak, ″The Hermit of Grand Lake″
Frederick Nicholas Selak (1865–1926) was an early pioneer of the Grand Lake area. He operated a stage line with his brother as well as saloons and other businesses in the early days of Grand Lake. When he died he owned 300 acres of land in and around Grand Lake as well as interest in two mining operations.

In 1926 Selak lived alone in a small log cabin about 3 miles outside of Grand Lake. He was referred to as "The Hermit of Grand Lake", but was known to have loaned money to locals, and rumored to have stashed up to $500,000 on his property. After friends became concerned they had not seen Selak for over a week, they checked on him, found his house had been ransacked, floorboards torn up, and Selak nowhere to be found. An investigation by the local Sheriff was unable to identify any leads. The intrigue surrounding the hermit and his wealth made the crime mystery a national story. An article in True Detective Mysteries magazine described the crime in the June 1930 issue. The article had the title Echo Mountain′s Hanging Spectre and was written by A. G. Gertz of The Denver Post.

Selak's sister in California, Lillian Coffee, and her husband, Lawrence W. Coffee, were notified when Selak went missing. The two traveled to Colorado to assist in locating her brother. Lawrence Coffee was credited for helping identify the two suspects that would later confess to Selak's murder.

The two men had hanged Selak July 21 as retaliation related to a fencing dispute. When found on August 17, Selak's remains were still hanging from the pine tree where he was killed almost a month earlier. Selak's murderers said they only found $75 and some old coins when they searched Selak's property. It was the coins that alerted Coffee as to who the perpetrators might be. Rumors of the hidden cash persisted. In March 1927, convinced there must be more valuables or cash stashed somewhere on the property, the townspeople planned a search of his property as soon as the snow cleared.

The two perpetrators, Arthur Osborn, 22 at the time of the murder, and his cousin, Ray Noakes, 21, were found guilty and given the death penalty. Like the man they killed, they themselves were hanged. They were executed in Cañon City, Colorado, on March 30, 1928.

East Troublesome Fire
On October 14, 2020, the East Troublesome Fire ignited north of Parshall. The wildfire rapidly spread eastward toward Grand Lake and into Rocky Mountain National Park. As many as 794 firefighters fought the wildfire as it consumed 193,812 acre of forest and rangeland to become the second most extensive Colorado wildfire in recorded history. Thousands were evacuated, more than 300 homes were destroyed, and two residents were killed. The wildfire became the most expensive in Colorado history with insured losses alone of $543 million.

Geography
Grand Lake is located in northeastern Grand County. U.S. Route 34 (Trail Ridge Road) runs through the western side of the town, entering Rocky Mountain National Park just north of town and leading 45 mi across the mountains to Estes Park. To the southwest, US 34 leads 15 mi to Granby.

At the 2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 2.679 km2 including 0.007 km2 of water.

Climate
Due to its elevation, Grand Lake has a subalpine climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc) with a short growing season, averaging just 49 days per year. Temperatures are chilly at night even through the summer months, and only three months have an average temperature of above 10 C.

Grand Lake
Grand Lake is Colorado's largest and deepest natural lake, and is part of the headwaters of the Colorado River. The lake became a component in the Colorado-Big Thompson Project (C-BT) in 1937, when it was recruited as a conduit for C-BT project water. The C-BT project diverts water from the Colorado River Basin east via the Alva B. Adams Tunnel under the Continental Divide and Rocky Mountain National Park to the Big Thompson River watershed, thence the South Platte River and ultimately the Mississippi River basin.

Grand Lake Yacht Club is a private club that hosts sailing races on the lake, and there are also publicly and privately operated marinas, a public boat ramp, and public boat docks on the lake.

Culture
The image to the right features a vintage post card of Grand Lake in its early days as a tourist attraction. The description reads: "Shadow Mt. Lake and Granby reservoir are a vast new development for fishing, cabins and water sports."

Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre
Grand Lake is home to the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre. This summer stock theatre company produces various theatrical productions throughout the year, usually three Broadway musicals from June through August and one musical in September. In the spring of 2010, a new 12000 sqft theatre complex was built for the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre in Grand Lake.

Grand Lake Boardwalk
Grand Lake citizens call a block of boutiques and shops the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk is all small owned and operated and has no chain restaurants or shops. At the boardwalk you can find anything from coffee shops and restaurants to tourist shops, boutiques, and homemade jewelry. At the Boardwalk you are sure to find everything you're looking for.

Notable residents

 * Tim Allen
 * Marv Heemeyer
 * Fred Selak

title: Grand Lake, Colorado


text:
Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado

Hot Sulphur Springs is a statutory town and the county seat of Grand County, Colorado, United States. The town is located near Byers Canyon between Granby and Kremmling, 95 mi northwest of Denver and 30 mi northwest of Winter Park. The town population was 687 at the 2020 census. Its elevation is 7680 ft.

History
Hot Sulphur Springs was originally a winter campground for Native Americans who came to use the hot springs for medicinal purposes. In 1840 William Newton Byers, founder of the Rocky Mountain News, was the first European American to document the springs. The town was established in 1860, making it the oldest town in the county, originally named "Saratoga West" and sometimes called "Warm Springs".

In 1863 the town site was bought by Byers in a backroom deal with a Minnesota Sioux woman despite a treaty naming the Ute tribe as the lawful owners, who unsuccessfully sued Byers, while Byers and territorial governors William Gilpin and John Evans launched a "The Utes Must Go" campaign with the help of the U.S. Cavalry. Wishing to create a world-famous spa and resort ("the American Switzerland"), Byers changed the name and surveyed, platted, and named the streets, attracting famous visitors including Zane Grey and John Wesley Powell. The first pool house was built ca. 1900.

When Grand County was formed, Hot Sulphur Springs was the first county seat from 1874 to 1882, after which it moved to Grand Lake. The county seat returned in 1888 and has been there ever since.

Byers died on March 25, 1903. The town was incorporated on April 1, 1903. His original family cabin is located at 204 Byers Avenue along what is now Highway 40. The building is currently the county's only mortuary.

The first winter carnival in Hot Sulphur Springs was held on December 31, 1911. The success of this event led to a three-day carnival which took place on February 10–12, 1912. The following winter, a second annual winter carnival was planned in conjunction with the first Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Carnival. This series of events led to the creation of Howelsen Hill Ski Area in Steamboat Springs, and is credited with playing a large role in the birth of the Colorado ski industry.

The big plans of Byers were prevented by the slow arrival of the railroad in 1928 (after the construction of the Moffat Tunnel), and eventually the railroad quit stopping there, although the town is still a resort attracting many visitors. The first lodging rooms opened in 1926.

In 1997 the resort was extensively renovated, and the Ute tribal spiritual leader blessed the waters at the opening ceremony, attended by almost 1,000, which welcomed the Utes to use the springs once again.

Payday was always the last day of the month and was considered a dangerous day because of the many gunfights that occurred. Because Halloween is October 31, the last day of the month, the people of the town celebrated Halloween on the 30th to keep children safe, which continues to the present day.

The Pioneer Village Museum is also located in Hot Sulphur Springs.

Geography
Hot Sulphur Springs is located in central Grand County, along the Colorado River, just east (upstream) of where the river enters Byers Canyon. U.S. Route 40 passes through the center of town as Byers Avenue; it leads 10 mi east to Granby, the largest town in the county, and 17 mi west to Kremmling. The Byers Canyon Shooting Range west of town is part of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Hot Sulphur Springs State Wildlife Area providing a winter foraging area for big game animals.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.0 km2, all of it land.

Climate
This climate type is dominated by the winter season, a long, cold period with short, clear days, relatively little precipitation mostly in the form of snow, and low humidity. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hot Sulphur Springs has a continental subarctic climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Hot springs
The natural thermal springs at Hot Sulphur Springs are located in just outside the town limits on the west side of the Colorado River. The natural hot springs are heated from geothermal activity. Historically, the indigenous Ute people used the springs, but as more European settlers, and American soldiers arrived in the area they were pushed out although the court system declared the Utes the rightful owners. In more recent years a resort has been built at the hot springs that offers several soaking pools and tubs with temperatures ranging from 98 °F to 112 °F.

Water profile
The hot mineral water emerges from the source at 125 °F / 52 °C at a rate of 200,000 gallons per day. The mineral content of the water consists of calcium (15ppm), chloride (145ppm), fluoride (11ppm), lithium (1.3ppm), magnesium (3.2ppm), potassium (24ppm), sodium (435ppm), sulfate (145ppm). Trace minerals include arsenic, iron, manganese and zinc.

title: Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado


text:
Kremmling, Colorado

The Town of Kremmling is a Statutory Town in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 1,509 at the 2020 United States Census. The town sits along the upper Colorado River in the lower arid section of Middle Park between Byers Canyon and Gore Canyon. The town was founded in 1881 during the Colorado Silver Boom days, but the lack of mineral resources in the nearby mountains made the town grow very slowly in the early days.

History
The settlement started with only a general store, run by a man named Rudolph "Kare" Kremmling, built on the north side of Muddy Creek. In 1881, two brothers, Aaron and John Kinsey, made part of their ranch into a town and called it Kinsey City. Kare moved his store across the river to the new site and soon people were calling this place Kremmling. The original post office was called Kinsey City and ran from 1881 to 1885, with Kare Kremmling the first postmaster. The name Kremmling was not officially recognized until 1895. After the Moffat railroad—the Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway—arrived in July 1906, Kremmling became the county's central shipping point. It was incorporated May 14, 1904. In the 20th century, ranching became the main industry in the valley in the vicinity of the town. In 1906, Kasper Schuler built the first brick building in town. The Schuler bottling works occupied the first floor, while the Schuler House, a boarding house run by Miss Kienholz, occupied the second. In 1933, the building became the Hotel Eastin.

Kremmling was featured in W. Eugene Smith's photographic essay "Country Doctor" in the September 20, 1948, issue of LIFE.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.3 sqmi, all of it land.

The town is located approximately at the mouth of both the Blue River, which descends from the south, and Muddy Creek, which descends from the north. This location provides valley access to Dillon, Colorado, and the ski resorts of Summit County, and Rabbit Ears Pass (renowned for world-class snowmobiling) at the Continental Divide, which then descends into Steamboat Springs.

Climate
This climate type is dominated by the winter season, a long, bitterly cold period with short, clear days, relatively little precipitation mostly in the form of snow, and low humidity. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Kremmling has a continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

title: Kremmling, Colorado


text:
Tabernash, Colorado

Tabernash is an unincorporated town, a post office, and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Grand County, Colorado, United States. The Tabernash post office has the ZIP Code 80478. At the United States Census 2020, the population of the Tabernash CDP was 401.

History
The Tabernash Post Office has been in operation since 1905. The community has the name of a Ute Indian.

1984 airplane crash
On August 10, 1984, a Cessna L-19 Bird Dog (registration, piloted by James Jeb Caddell, 36, crashed in a forest near Tabernash. The aircraft was en route from Granby to Jeffco Airport, Colorado. The wreckage was found by backpackers three years later on August 23, 1987. A 6½ minute video shot from a VHS camcorder mounted on the instrument panel was found at the site. The heavily damaged tape, some of it hanging from tree branches, was recovered and repaired by Colorado deputy sheriff Dale Wood. Subsequent analysis of the footage revealed that the pilot had not taken into account the density altitude conditions that existed on the day of the flight. The aircraft was unable to climb away from steadily rising terrain. In an attempt to return to the departure airfield, the pneumatic stall warning of the airplane sounded three times during a turn to the right. The pilot could be heard yelling, "Damn, hang on Ronnie!" to his one backseat passenger, Ronald Hugh Wilmond, 36, three seconds before impacting the terrain and trees.

The Caddells had put a 20-year moratorium (via the FAA) on the release of the film to the general public with the only stipulation that it (at the FAA's request to the Caddells) be shown only to flight instructors at conventions and workshops. The moratorium eventually expired and was not renewed, and thus the footage became part of the public domain. The video is now viewable on YouTube.

Geography
Tabernash is located in the valley of the Fraser River. U.S. Route 40 passes through the community, leading northwest 11 mi to Granby and southeast 9 mi to Winter Park.

The Tabernash CDP has an area of 12.295 km2, all land.

Climate
This climate type is dominated by the winter season, a long, bitterly cold period with short, clear days, relatively little precipitation mostly in the form of snow, and low humidity. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Tabernash has a subarctic climate, abbreviated "Dfc" on climate maps.

Demographics
The United States Census Bureau initially defined the Tabernash CDP for the United States Census 2000.

title: Tabernash, Colorado


text:
Winter Park, Colorado

Winter Park is a home rule municipality in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The permanent population was 1,033 at the 2020 census, although with 2,572 housing units within the town limits the seasonal population can be much higher.

It is home to Winter Park Resort, a ski resort owned by the City of Denver and managed by Alterra Mountain Company. The town and resort are served by the Winter Park Express ski train run by Amtrak. The area also has cross-country skiing opportunities, including Devil's Thumb Ranch. In the spring and summer, Winter Park is known for mountain biking, concerts, hiking, and fishing.

Geography
Winter Park is located in southeastern Grand County at the southern end of the Fraser Valley. It is bordered to the north by the town of Fraser. U.S. Route 40 passes through the town, leading south and east over Berthoud Pass 66 mi to Denver and northwest 20 mi to Granby.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.7 km2.

Its elevation ranges from approximately 8700 to 12060 ft above sea level, and is considered sub-alpine country. It is snow-covered for about six months a year. Although the town center is at about 9000 ft above sea level, Winter Park, using administrative boundaries as a measure, became the highest incorporated town in the United States after the July 2006 annexation of 5214 acre of Winter Park Resort to allow new on-mountain improvements. This claim is disputed since Winter Park has no residences above 9550 ft, while contiguous residential neighborhoods in Leadville, Colorado, extend to 10360 ft and in Alma, Colorado, to 11680 ft, and Alma's town center is at 10361 ft.

Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Winter Park has a subarctic climate, abbreviated "Dfc" on climate maps.

Notable people

 * Elizabeth McIntyre (born 1965), freestyle skier, Olympic silver medalist; lives in Winter Park
 * Ryan Max Riley (born 1979), freestyle skier, US Champion, and humorist; lived in Winter Park
 * Michelle Roark (born 1974), freestyle skier, World Champion silver medalist and two-time Olympian; lived in Winter Park
 * Ryan St. Onge (born 1983), freestyle skier, World Champion and two-time Olympian; lived in Winter Park

title: Winter Park, Colorado


text:
Crested Butte, Colorado

Crested Butte is a home rule municipality located in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 1,639 at the 2020 United States Census. A former coal mining town nestled in the Slate River Valley, Crested Butte is now known as a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and outdoor activities.

History
The East River Valley where Crested Butte is located was once used as a summer residence by the Ute people. However, they were quickly displaced when European-Americans first entered the area. The first white people to explore the valley were beaver trappers, shortly followed by surveyors. Captain John Gunnison, after whom Gunnison County is named, was one of the early explorers to enter the area.

In the 1860s and 1870s coal and silver mines began to open in the surrounding area, and many little mining towns formed. Mining, along with ranching, formed the nexus of the local economy. However, when silver mining began to decline, many of these towns failed. Crested Butte, however, was in a better position to survive because it served as a supply town to the surrounding area.

When the coal mines closed, the town began to shrink, and eventually the local high school was closed. Students had to travel to Gunnison to go to high school. The town did not revive until a ski area was built on Crested Butte Mountain in the 1960s. After graduating the class of 1965 (from 1966 until 1990), the Crested Butte public school only facilitated K-5 students, while 6th grade and higher attended school in Gunnison.

The town did not revive until a ski area was built on Crested Butte Mountain in the 1960s. The ski resort was constructed on the former Malensek Ranch, in what is now the neighboring community of Mt. Crested Butte. The resort rapidly revitalized the town's economy around tourism. As a result of the renewed growth, Crested Butte began to offer middle school in the railroad depot building in 1990. In 1992, a new middle school was completed which allowed the public school to facilitate grades K through 8. Finally in 1997, a new facility for the Crested Butte Community School was completed. This included the addition of a public high school so that the school now serves students in grades K-12. In 1993 the Crested Butte Academy opened in Crested Butte, bringing a private high school into town. However, on July 9, 2008, the academy was closed permanently due to financial difficulties that had plagued its entire existence.

The town has changed from a mining town to a tourist retreat catering to the affluent as the ski resort has taken over the local economy. This has led to a housing crisis- the average home in Crested Butte is worth over $900,000.

The Colorado General Assembly in 1990 designated Crested Butte the wildflower capital of Colorado.

Geography
Crested Butte is in north-central Gunnison County on the west side of the valley of the Slate River, along Coal Creek. Colorado State Highway 135 runs south from Crested Butte 27 mi to Gunnison, the county seat.

At the 2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 2.166 km2, all of it land. Crested Butte lies at an elevation of 8885 ft above sea level.

Climate
Climate type is dominated by the winter season, a long, bitterly cold period with short, clear days, relatively little precipitation in the form of rain, but massive amounts in the form of snow, and low humidity. The Köppen Climate Classification sub-type for this climate is Dfc (Continental Subarctic Climate). The record snowfall amount was 415 inches in the 1977/1978 winter season.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,529 people, 692 households, and 253 families residing in the town. The population density was

2,183.1 PD/sqmi. There were 930 housing units at an average density of 1,327.9 /mi2. The racial makeup of the town was 97.19% White, 0.26% African American, 0.92% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 2.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 692 households, out of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.9% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 63.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.69.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 13.5% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 55.6% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 1.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 124.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 131.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $41,250, and the median income for a family was $49,118. Males had a median income of $27,386 versus $23,073 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,789. 11.4% of the population and 2.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.5% of those under the age of 18 and 0.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Festivals
Crested Butte hosts a number of festivals and parades throughout the year. These include Torchlight, New Years, Winter Carnival, Butte Bash College Ski Week and Mardi Gras during the winter months; Extreme Board Fest, Slushuck and Flauschink during spring; the Crested Butte Bike Week, Crested Butte Music Festival, Crested Butte International Film Festival, 4th of July, the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, Alpenglow Concert Series, Festival of the Arts and Ball Bash during summer; and Fall Fest, Vinotok and Paragon Peoples' Fair during fall.

Parks and recreation
The town of Crested Butte has a Nordic Center which has an ice skating rink as well as cross-country skiing trails. The town also has several parks, including Rainbow Park in the western section of town. Several hiking trails also exist, managed by the Crested Butte Land Trust.

The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame was located in Crested Butte before moving in 2014 to Fairfax, California.

Media
Movies filmed in Crested Butte include Snowball Express (1972), Snowbeast (1977), The Further Adventures of the Wilderness Family (1978), and Ink (2009).

Infrastructure
Crested Butte is served by the Gunnison–Crested Butte Regional Airport in Gunnison. The town runs a free bus service connecting the town of Crested Butte with the ski resort located northeast of town. Additionally, buses connect the town to Gunnison. The town government is currently pursuing a transit and infrastructure strategy to "de-emphasize cars and focusing on walking, biking, rolling and transit".

Since the 1970s, several companies have attempted to mine molybdenum on Mount Emmons (called the "Red Lady") near Crested Butte. In 1977 W Mitchell was elected mayor of Crested Butte and led a campaign which stopped AMAX (now Freeport-McMoRan) from building a billion-dollar molybdenum mine on Mount Emmons. Because of his battle against the anticipated environmental impact, Mitchell is known as the man who "saved a mountain". The same year, 1977, saw the formation of the High Country Citizens' Alliance (HCCA), an environmental organization dedicated to protecting natural resources within the Upper Gunnison River Valley.

Currently the rights for Mount Emmons molybdenum are owned by U.S. Energy Corp. On April 25, 2011, Thomson Creek Metals announced that it had terminated its option agreement with U.S. Energy Corp. to acquire an interest in the Mount Emmons molybdenum project. Although US Energy continued to maintain its commitment to moving the project forward on its own behalf, the withdrawal of Thomson Creek Metals was heralded as a major victory in the town of Crested Butte in its battle against the proposed molybdenum mine.

title: Crested Butte, Colorado


text:
Gunnison, Colorado

Gunnison is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Gunnison County, Colorado. The city population was 6,560 at the 2020 United States Census. The city was named in honor of John W. Gunnison, a United States Army officer who surveyed for a transcontinental railroad in 1853. Gunnison is a college town, home to Western Colorado University.

Founding
The City of Gunnison got its name from the first known European-American explorer of the area, John W. Gunnison. He was searching for a route for the transcontinental railroad in 1853 and only stayed for three days before traveling west to Utah. Gunnison saw its first population increase in the 1870s, due to the mining surge throughout the state. The railroad arrived soon after in 1880 to appreciative miners, ranchers, and farmers.

In the early 1800s, the groups moving into the Gunnison area were mainly fur trappers and mountain men, trying to make a living for themselves in the rocky mountain terrain. But a drop in fur prices in the 1840s essentially cut out the need for their jobs.

The late 1850s saw the start of people joining the hunt for gold in Gunnison county. Miners were in search of placer gold, but with the growing numbers of white men in the area, this brought conflict between the Ute tribes still around the county. At least several miners were killed by these tribes and this caused some of the miners to flee the area, caring more for their lives than potential gold bonanzas.

Late 19th century
With the mining boom, Gunnison began to see an increase of people around the 1870s. Along with the miners coming in, ranchers and farmers were among the others that led to the Ute people becoming forced out of the area. The mining camps in Gunnison and around the county reportedly produced about 130,000 ounces of gold from the beginning of the gold rush through 1959. At the start this was mostly from placer deposits, but the largest amounts were from a by-product of silver-lead ore. The largest deposits were found along the Taylor River, as well as the Tincup and the Washington Gulch districts.

Before the railroad reached Gunnison in 1880, there was a debate as to which railroad line would claim the town as their territory. The D&RG and DSP&P were both battling for control over the area. This split the town into two sides, both disagreeing as to where the railroad depots should be placed in town. The "old" and "new" sides of town ended up agreeing to disagree and were happy to have any railroad come through town. Both lines ended up coming through town anyway, although the DSP&P shortly discontinued service to Gunnison. The D&RG was later reorganized as the D&RGW railroad and was a prominent line to Gunnison for about seventy years; it served as the primary means of transportation for the townspeople into the 1950s.

Also in 1880, the cattle industry in Gunnison was established. Realizing the poor conditions for farming (with only about eleven inches of rainfall annually and the short growing season due to the high elevation and alpine environment) the local farmers turned to ranching and began breeding cattle. To do this effectively, they had to clear and level fields for grazing purposes. Irrigation ditches also had to be cut into the ground to properly irrigate the fields in order to grow hay for the horses and cattle. Many of these practices are still in use, which can be seen while driving through and around the town to the various ranches that are still in operation.

John and William Outcalt were among the earliest settlers of Gunnison. They started their own ranch just north of town along the southeast bank of the Gunnison river. The brothers hailed from New Jersey, but decided to make the trip west for the sake of adventure and the prospect of making money. The eldest brother, John, built the irrigation system for their ranch and quickly began growing hay and other various grains. When the railroad came through town, he convinced them to expand more and ended up paying for and building the rail that ran through his property. Naming this stop Hay Spur, they produced enough hay to ship out over 800 carloads each year, which mainly headed north to the settlers of which is now the town of Crested Butte, helping feed their mules. Along with the hay, carloads of potatoes and other vegetables from the Gunnison area were being sent to Crested Butte to supply the miners with food and also to support their animals. John Outcalt is also known to be one of the most famous men in the town. He helped build the Paragon School, which is still standing today in the Gunnison Pioneer Society museum on the east end of town. Originally a shipbuilder and carpenter in New Jersey, he incorporated his skills in the building of the school which is why it is still standing today. John was also praised by the local natives; when he first arrived in town he worked as a carpenter on the Los Pinos Indian reservation, and was considered the most trusted White man in the area. This helped in the long run because, according to legend, they saved his life on numerous occasions.

20th and 21st centuries
Gunnison residents isolated themselves from the surrounding area during the Spanish Influenza epidemic for two months at the end of 1918. All highways were barricaded near the county lines. Train conductors warned all passengers that if they stepped outside of the train in Gunnison, they would be arrested and quarantined for five days. This served as partial inspiration for the novel The Last Town on Earth (2006) by Thomas Mullen. Although the isolation was at first successful at preventing transmission or deaths, the townspeople became restless after a few months, and the isolation was lifted in February 1919 only to have the flu arrive a month later, killing two people.

Geography

At the 2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 12.558 km2, all of it land. Gunnison is near Blue Mesa Reservoir. Primary access to Gunnison is from Salida to the east via Monarch Pass or from Montrose, Colorado, to the west via Cerro Summit on U.S. Highway 50. U.S. Highway 50 is the main east–west thoroughfare through the town. There are numerous other ways to get to Gunnison, some of which are subject to seasonal closures (Kebler Pass, Cottonwood Pass). At the 2010 Census there was a population of 15,324 within the county.

Climate
Gunnison is located at the bottom of a valley. Due to its location in the Rocky Mountains, cold air in all the valleys settles into Gunnison at night, making it one of the coldest places in winter in the United States, especially when snowpack is present.

The city typically experiences moderate snowfalls, with an average of 45.5 in per year. Early fall and late spring snows are not uncommon, and snow can remain on the ground in town from as early as November to as late as April. Surrounding mountains experience very heavy snowfall with longer periods of snow on the ground. Many locations average 300 - 400 in of snow annually. The snow is welcome to the area, as it is beneficial to water supplies and local ski resorts. Total liquid precipitation averages 10.6 in per year in the city of Gunnison, while surrounding mountains may receive anywhere from 15 to over 40 inches (380 to 1,000 mm) annually, depending upon elevation and local topography.

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Gunnison has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Gunnison was 105 °F on August 3, 1894, while the coldest temperature recorded was -47 °F on December 25, 1924.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 5,854 people, 2,318 households, and 991 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,829.4 PD/sqmi. There were 2,645 total housing units at an average density of 826.6 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 86.9% White, 0.6% African American, 2.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, 6.6% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.2% of the population.

There were 2,318 households, out of which 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.6% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 57.2% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 2.9.

In the city, the population breakdown was 26.1% under the age of 19, 23.4% from 20 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 16.8 from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 120.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 128 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,181, and the median income for a family was $59,836. Males had a median income of $35,818 versus $28,476 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,776. 18.9% of families and 30.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.2% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Gunnison is home to Western Colorado University which received its third renaming since its beginnings from an approval of Governor John Wright Hickenlooper on August 1, 2012. The college was founded as The Colorado State Normal School for Children by a bill signed on April 16, 1901, by Governor James B. Orman. In 1923, the college's name was changed to Western State College of Colorado because its role expanded from a teaching institution to a liberal arts college. Historical papers in the Leslie Savage Library on campus state that the school was the first liberal arts college on the Western Slope of Colorado.

The Gunnison Valley is also served by the Gunnison Watershed RE1J School District which includes Public and Non Public schools. The public schools in the RE1J school district are located in Crested Butte and Gunnison; Marble Charter School is located in the Statutory Town of Marble in northwest Gunnison County. Public Schools in Gunnison Watershed RE1J School District:
 * Gunnison Elementary School
 * Gunnison Kindergarten at Lake School
 * Gunnison Middle School
 * Gunnison High School
 * Crested Butte Community School
 * Gunnison Pre-School
 * Marble Charter School

The law concerning non public schools, 22–33–104, C.R.S., requires that a sequential program of instruction be provided by an independent or parochial school. Such program shall include, but not be limited to, communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, and science. Some of the non-public schools in Gunnison County adhering to these C.R.S. are:
 * Little Red Schoolhouse
 * Paradise Place
 * Stepping Stones Children Center
 * Tenderfoot CFDC

Media
Gunnison's newspaper, Gunnison Country Times, is published weekly. There are also various radio stations that serve the area, including KWSB-FM (91.1), which is affiliated with Western Colorado University. KBUT of Crested Butte also simulcasts NPR broadcasts at 90.3 FM.

In film
The 1902 silent film short The Girls in the Overalls directed by Harry Buckwalter is set on the Vidal Ranch in Gunnison.

Gunnison County is the setting of the science fiction film Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, although the film was actually shot in the towns of Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, British Columbia. The film ends with the town being destroyed by a nuclear bomb.

Transportation
The Gunnison–Crested Butte Regional Airport serves the valley and nearby Crested Butte with both commercial airline and general aviation flights. Gunnison Valley Rural Transportation Authority (RTA) operates bus service between Gunnison and Crested Butte serving Western Colorado University and Crested Butte Mountain Resort. Gunnison is part of the statewide Bustang system, which connects the town to Denver.

The League of American Bicyclists has awarded Gunnison the silver level in bicycle friendliness.

Winter
Winter activities for Gunnison include skiing at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, skiing at Monarch Ski Area, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, back country skiing, ice fishing, ice skating, hunting, and snowshoeing.

Summer
Activities during the summer in Gunnison include fishing on the Gunnison River, Tomichi Creek and Blue Mesa Reservoir. Hiking in any of the numerous areas within a short distance of town like Curecanti National Recreation Area, Tomichi State Wildlife Area, Sapinero State Wildlife Area, McIntosh State Wildlife Area. Biking activities include road biking and mountain biking; Hartman Rocks has many bike trails for mountain biking as well as motorcross and rock climbing. One rafting practice is to rent a raft in Almont and drift 10 mi down the Gunnison River to the town of Gunnison. Below the Hwy 50 bridge on the Gunnison river is the whitewater park. The Gunnison Ranger District Office located at 216 North Colorado Street offers maps and information about details particular to vehicle access, private, BLM, federal and state properties, trails, and other areas of interest.

Gunnison also hosts festivals and farmers markets during the summer months.

Cattlemen's Days
A rodeo in Colorado takes place over a 10-day period in July featuring PRCA Rodeo activities as well as family-based activities. Cattlemen's Days celebrated its 112th year of rich western heritage in a first class and nationally recognized rodeo event for the year 2012. In 2011, this rodeo was nominated as one of the five finalists for Mid-sized rodeo of the year. It continues to be a leader in PCRA rodeos in fund-raising for breast cancer with their Tough enough to wear pink campaign. Cattlemen's Days also offers scholarships to support and further the education of 4-H and FFA exhibitors.

Notable people

 * Donna Anderson (born 1939), actress
 * Susan DeMattei (born 1962), U.S. Olympic cyclist
 * Rebecca Dussault (born 1980), U.S. Olympic cross country skiing
 * Elva Dryer (born 1971), U.S. Olympic long-distance runner
 * Patricia Elliott (1938–2015), actress
 * Dan Gibbs (born 1976), Colorado state legislator
 * Martin Hatcher (1927–2023), Colorado state senator and college professor
 * Herschel M. Hogg (1853–1934), U.S. Representative from Colorado
 * Sally Jacobsen (c. 1947–2017), journalist, first woman to serve as international editor of the Associated Press
 * Ila Mae McAfee (1897–1995), painter, illustrator
 * Aaron Simpson (born 1974), mixed martial arts fighter

title: Gunnison, Colorado


text:
Marble, Colorado

The Town of Marble is a Statutory Town in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 133 at the 2020 United States Census.

History
The Town of Marble was first incorporated in 1899. Marble remains a statutory town of the State of Colorado today.

The quarry
The town is the location of a historic Yule Marble quarry along the mountains that began operations in the late 19th century, and from which the town draws its name. It has been used for the Tomb of the Unknowns, as well as for parts of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and civic buildings in San Francisco. It was also used for the construction of the Equitable Building, a historically important early skyscraper in New York City.

The marble of the quarry is considered to be of exceptional quality, praised as one of the purest marbles ever quarried and a rival to classical Italian and Greek marble. It is nearly pure calcite marble with minor inclusions of mica, quartz, and feldspar, and has irregularly shaped calcite grains ranging from 100 to 600 micrometers in diameter. According to physical tests of the marble, its strength is comparable to marble typically used in building construction.

The quarry has enjoyed a renaissance since its acquisition in 2004 by Polycor, a Canadian-based dimension stone company, and subsequent sale to Italian group R.E.D. Graniti S.p.A. In spite of significant transportation costs, this high-quality stone is now exported in large quantities to Europe and Asia for transformation and use throughout the world, as well as being sold into the US market.

Tourism
In the late 20th century and the 21st century, Marble has become a summer tourist destination. It is also the gateway to the nearby Crystal townsite. It is the site of the Marble/marble sculpting symposium held every summer since 1988.

Seven sites within Marble have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 * Haxby House
 * William D. Parry House
 * St. Paul's Church
 * Marble City State Bank building
 * Marble High School
 * Marble Mill Site
 * Marble Town Hall

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.4 sqmi, all of it land.

The community is located in a valley of the upper Crystal River along the Elk Mountains, accessible by a paved road from State Highway 133. Unlike most of Gunnison County, the town is located on the north side of Schofield Pass which is inaccessible to most cars and thus is separated geographically from the rest of Gunnison County.

Education
Marble Charter School (MCS) is a public, tuition-free charter school located in Marble. The school serves K-8 students in the Crystal River Valley.

title: Marble, Colorado


text:
Mount Crested Butte, Colorado

Mt. Crested Butte is a home rule municipality in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. Mount Crested Butte is the home of the Crested Butte Mountain Resort. The population was 941 at the 2020 census. ZIP code 81225 serves post office boxes for Mount Crested Butte and for neighboring Crested Butte; mail must be addressed to Crested Butte.

Geography
Mt. Crested Butte is in north-central Gunnison County in the Gunnison National Forest, 2 mi north of the town of Crested Butte on Gothic Road. The town sits at the northern and western base of Crested Butte, a 12162 ft summit that is the site of the Crested Butte Mountain Resort.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Mt. Crested Butte covers a total area of 5.75 km2, all of it land.

title: Mount Crested Butte, Colorado


text:
Pitkin, Colorado

Pitkin is a Statutory Town in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The population was 72 at the 2020 census.

Pitkin was founded in 1879, and is said to be Colorado's first mining camp west of the Continental Divide. Originally named Quartzville, it was renamed to honor Governor Frederick Walker Pitkin.

Geography
Pitkin is about 28 miles northeast of Gunnison, Colorado.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 sqmi, all of it land.

title: Pitkin, Colorado


text:
Lake City, Colorado

Lake City is a statutory town that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only incorporated municipality in Hinsdale County, Colorado, United States. The population was 432 at the 2020 census. It is located in the San Juan Mountains in a valley formed by the convergence of Henson Creek and the headwaters of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River about 7 mi east of Uncompahgre Peak, a Colorado fourteener. Lake City is named after nearby Lake San Cristobal. This area lies at the southern end of the Colorado Mineral Belt and when rich mineral deposits were discovered the native population was pushed from their tribal lands and the town of Lake City was incorporated in 1873.

History
With the completion of the first road into the mountains in this region, Lake City served as a supply center for the many miners and prospectors flooding into the area. As a supply center, the town boomed to as many as 3,000 to 5,000 settlers. But as the first-discovered deposits were found to be only moderately productive and no new extensive or rich deposits of minerals were found, by 1879 the boom had subsided. With the arrival of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in 1889, Lake City saw a second upturn in the economy that lasted into the 1890s. The railroad cut the cost of shipping gold and silver ores to smelters, reduced the cost of shipping supplies into Lake City, and provided shipment of cattle and sheep into the area for summer grazing in the high Alpine meadows.

By 1905, the mining era was over and Lake City entered a decades-long period of economic decline. Population figures hovered at 1,000 then dropped to 400 after 1910. Although mining continued throughout the twentieth century, it consisted primarily of exploration and speculation rather than productive operation. Beginning in 1915, visitors began coming to Lake City for the entire summer season and by the 1930s tourism had emerged as a viable industry.

The Hinsdale County Historical Society formed in 1973 and began accumulating documents and photographs recording the town's history. In 1978, the Lake City Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Residents have restored many of the boom town mining era buildings and currently promote tourism as an industry. Restoration has not only aided the local economy by making Lake City a desirable tourist destination, it has served economic development with preservation projects creating jobs for local carpenters, craftsmen, and contractors. Lake City's educational needs are served by the Lake City Community School.

Early history
Prior to written history, the Ute people lived in this area of the San Juan Mountain Range where they hunted and fished in the high mountain valleys during the summers. Even though the land was owned by the Utes as part of a treaty that set the area aside as a tribal reservation, by the 1860s prospectors had begun to enter the region in search of minerals. When rich silver deposits were found in the Lake City area, word spread, and pressure was put on the federal government to negotiate a new treaty with the Utes. Consequently, the native population was again pushed from their lands when in 1873, a new treaty was negotiated under which the Utes gave up their rights to the San Juan Mountains. In 1873, the town of Lake City was incorporated as a supply center for the prospectors and miners who were flooding the area.

Lake City was platted in fall 1874 during construction of the Saguache & San Juan Wagon Toll Road, which opened the San Juan region for settlement. Town developers chose this location for the town site because of its flat terrain and abundant water. The broad valley provided a park-like setting which the optimistic town developers used to their advantage. They laid out a 260-acre town site that occupied the entire valley floor - 72 blocks of 32 uniform city lots, 25' x 125' in size. To promote the speculative town, Otto Mears subsidized The Silver World newspaper and published the first issue on June 19, 1875. It was the first newspaper published on the Western Slope.

It was not unusual for mining towns to grow into boom towns within a matter of only a few months, and Lake City was no exception. Promoted as the "Metropolis of San Juan", the town flourished as a distribution point for goods and supplies forwarded to mines and camps in the northern Hinsdale County mining districts. The initial influx of pioneers, prospectors, and miners attracted scores of merchants and dozens of lawyers and assayers to provide goods, supplies, and services. Merchants profited by outfitting the surge of prospectors who flooded into the area in 1876 and 1877 and by supplying dozens of mines in the outlying mining districts. The early boom years brought the usual red-light district to Lake City as was seen in any male-dominated mining town of that period. Records from 1878 show that the city had two breweries and a "Hell's Acre" district with 20 saloons, dance halls, and brothels. Lake City had as many as 3,000 to 5,000 residents at one time. But despite this promising activity, northern Hinsdale County's mining districts lacked the three key factors in mining development: year-round transportation, abundant ore, and capital to finance development of underground workings, and by 1879, the boom had subsided. Constructed of rapidly built wooden structures, much of the town was destroyed by a fire in 1879. The town was rebuilt using brick and stone, and consequently many of those structures remain today. By this time Lake City was manufacturing its own building materials using local lumber, locally quarried stone, and bricks made from clay obtained at the nearby Slumgullion Earthflow. The weekly Lake City Mining Register newspaper was published 1880–85. By 1884, the population was beginning to dwindle, but the arrival of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad on narrow-gauge tracks that were laid in 1889 cut the cost of shipping gold and silver ores to smelters, and the economy saw an upturn which extended into the 1890s.

Denver and Rio Grande Railroad
In 1889, the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad finished laying track from Sapinero to Lake City; the distance spanned 36 miles, with 10 bridges. The "High Bridge" was 800 feet long and 113 feet high. The train averaged 12 miles per hour. According to local residents, "You didn’t want the Rio Grande engine to run over you because 'it was on you so long'." The final cost of the construction of the branch was $770,996.80, a considerable sum at the time. The local newspaper welcomed the arrival of the D&RG:

 * "The town has awakened from its long sleep; new people and new enterprises are coming in at a rapid rate; outside capital is coming to the rescue, and Lake City is on the eve of a prosperity such as it has never seen before. Mines that have been practically untouched for years are now being profitably worked under the impetus given by ample shipping facilities and cheaper rates; the stores and residences that have been so long vacant are rapidly filling up, and the patient people who have endured the horrors and the hardships of business inactivity for years now wear the smile of gladness and joy."

The Denver & Rio Grande line had additional impacts. The railroad bolstered the ranching industry by shipping cattle raised on ranches along the Lake Fork and by bringing sheep for summer grazing along the Lake Fork valley in northern Hinsdale County. It also linked the isolated location with the rest of the state and nation, encouraging sportsmen and tourists to visit the upper Lake Fork.

Golden Fleece Mine
In 1874, Enos T. Hotchkiss filed a claim five miles south of Lake City which led to the development of the Golden Fleece Mine. Results from preliminary work in the mine were promising, and assay determination indicated the property was rich in high grade telluride and gold ore at a short distance below the surface. But in November 1876, work on the Hotchkiss mine came to an abrupt halt when Hotchkiss was severely injured from a 30-foot fall down a mine shaft. After lying idle for many months, the mine was sold at a sheriff's sale. With new ownership, a rich vein of gold and a large vein of rich telluride ore were discovered in 1892, with one carload valued at more than $19,000. By 1904, it had produced $1,400,000 in silver and gold ore. The ruins of buildings at the Golden Fleece mine are still visible today.

Alferd Packer

In 1875, Lake City gained notoriety when Alferd Packer was charged with murder and cannibalism. Due to the nature of the crime, it was sensationalized and gained national attention. There are several differing accounts of the story, but according to one account Packer was acting as a guide for a party of five men prospecting in the San Juan Mountains when they became snowbound for the winter.

When he eventually came out of the mountains in the spring, he said the miners had abandoned him and he had nearly starved. However, because he looked surprisingly healthy and first asked for whiskey rather than food, suspicions began to arise. Five bodies that showed signs of cannibalism were found southeast of Lake City at the foot of Slumgullion Pass, and Packer was arrested and held in the Saguache jail, but escaped. He fled to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he remained until 1883 when he was again arrested and brought to Lake City for trial. He was convicted of killing one of the five men and sentenced to be hanged. The Colorado Supreme Court reversed the conviction in 1885, but the following year Packer was retried, convicted again, and sentenced to 40 years. He was paroled and released in 1901.

The Hinsdale County Museum, in downtown Lake City, hosts the most extensive collection of Packer memorabilia known, including a skull fragment from one of his victims, a pair of shackles used on Alferd when he was in the Lake City jail, a number of buttons from the clothes of the five men he eventually ate, and dolls and the dollhouse Packer built while in the Lake City Jail. The area where the bodies were discovered is now known as Cannibal Plateau. Packer is remembered by holding an annual Alferd Packer Jeep Tour and Barbecue. The cafeteria in the University of Colorado, Boulder student union is called the Alferd Packer Memorial Grill.

End of the economic boom days
Despite the several booms that were seen in Lake City, it remained a quiet and peaceful village, perhaps because Lake City was founded by the powerful men of the time, such as Otto Meirs, who were speculating on a mineral wealth not yet discovered rather than on actual discoveries of any vastly rich mineral deposits. This village developed by building homes and businesses and moving families in rather than following the pattern of boom towns built for a boom crowd of prospectors having heard of a rich find and hoping to quickly strike it rich, as well. Lake City had four churches, a ball park, and a school, but unlike other boom towns - such as Leadville - few saloons or brothels.

By 1905, the mining era was over and Lake City entered a decades-long period of economic decline. Population figures hovered at 1,000 then dropped to 400 after 1910. Although mining continued throughout the twentieth century, it consisted primarily of exploration and speculation rather than productive operation. Beginning in 1915, visitors began coming to Lake City for the entire summer season, and by the 1930s tourism had emerged as a viable industry. Although a number of properties were lost to fire or deterioration, the prolonged slump protected many of the town's historic properties from substantial alterations or from demolition as has occurred to many other 1870s buildings in Colorado.

Tourism
In the first half of the twentieth century, Lake City's economic base shifted from mining to tourism. People had recognized the area's scenic and recreational resources from the earliest days, however, Lake City's remote location had discouraged visitors. Until the branch of the Denver & Rio Grand Railroad line was completed in 1889, people journeyed by stagecoach 100 miles from Saguache or 140 miles from Del Norte. The rustic Lake Shore Inn opened at Lake San Cristobal in 1917, signaling the era of tourism that has continued into the twenty-first century.

Beginning around 1920, visitors began arriving at Lake City by automobile. This trend grew as highways were developed to Colorado's western slope and roads were improved in Hinsdale County. Early auto tourists stayed in the mining era hotels. Lake City's first auto tourist court opened in 1929. From the 1930s through the 1960s, a half dozen or so tourist accommodations opened each decade in Lake City and along the Lake Fork.

Lake City's mountain environs offered an array of outdoor recreation that encompassed fishing, hunting, boating, mountain climbing, horseback riding, hiking, tent camping, and picnicking. Local merchants accommodated sportsmen; for example, Last Chance Livery and Feed Stable advertised "Fine Saddle Horses" and "Special Arrangements for Fishing and Hunting Parties" at the turn of the century. Lake City Café and Bakery offered to "cook your trout" and packed picnic lunches for visitors. An early booster club promoted boat racing on Lake San Cristobal. Within town, diversions included horse and bicycle racing around a quarter mile-circular track built about 1910 at Ball Flats. Sportsmen were invited to Lake City's "happy hunting grounds" and promised "if you make Lake City your camp headquarters you can be sure of bagging your buck." Game included deer, elk, bear, bighorn sheep, and wild turkey. Uncompahgre Peak and the surrounding mountains were covered by abandoned mining roads that became hiking trails, routes for trail rides and pack rides, and, later, jeep roads.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Lake City's isolated location and deteriorating buildings gave tourists and summer residents a sense of escaping from civilization. As in other isolated mountain towns, bootlegging and gambling created the allure of lawlessness. In 1949, a Denver Post reporter spoke of the town's numerous slot machines: "Virtually every business place in Lake City has one or more machines… The post office and telephone office are almost the only exceptions."

Lake City National Historic District

The Lake City Historic District contains a collection of intact buildings associated with the 1875-1881 boom as well as buildings constructed during the second boom period of the 1890s. The town's remote location and decades of economic decline helped conserve the buildings from the mining era, and the weak local economy discouraged new construction; thus Lake City avoided many of the modern "improvements" to historic buildings that often occurs in more prosperous towns. The Hinsdale County Historical Society formed in 1973 and began accumulating documents and photographs recording the town's history, and has been a strong advocate for preservation in Lake City since then. In 1978, the Lake City Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

In some cases restoration was as simple as removing a coat of paint from a brick building or removing a wood facade from an early building faced with stone, but in other cases more involved restoration was required. During the 1970s and 1980s, volunteers performed extensive preservation work on the Baptist church building, which had stood vacant and derelict in the 1930s. Hinsdale County acquired the John C. Bell cabin at 304 Third Street and restored it in 2000, removing stucco siding to reveal the 1876 log cabin that had served as the law office for Lake City's leading attorney in the 1880s. Also, many individual property owners have done restoration and upkeep to preserve their historic properties. Restoration has not only aided the local economy by making Lake City a desirable tourist destination, it has also served economic development with preservation projects creating jobs for local carpenters, craftsmen, and contractors.

Geography and climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.9 sqmi, of which, 0.8 sqmi of it is land and 1.18% is water.

In recent years, Lake City has become a destination for many Texans who bring their ATVs to ride the many rugged 2WD and 4WD roads in the area. Lake City is also known to many Colorado fourteener "peakbaggers" as the jumping-off point for five of Colorado's 53 ranked 14,000' peaks - Sunshine, Redcloud, Handies, Wetterhorn, and Uncompahgre.

Lake City experiences a continental climate (Köppen climate classification 'Dfb') that only just escapes being classified as semi-arid due to its relatively wet early springs and late autumns. On average, the wettest month is August, and the driest is February. Very large daily temperature swings are a regular feature of Lake City's climate, due to the elevation and aridity.

title: Lake City, Colorado


text:
La Veta, Colorado

La Veta (, Spanish for "the vein") is a statutory town in Huerfano County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 862 as of the 2020 United States Census.

History
Col. John M. Francisco, the sutler at Fort Garland, and his business partner, Henry Daigre, purchased 48,000 acres of land in Cuchara Valley in 1862. The land was part of the Vigil land grant. They established a settlement for farmers and ranchers, with Francisco Fort as the commercial center. The 100-foot-square building was constructed with 2-foot thick adobe walls, interior rooms, that opened up to a central plaza. It was built with a flat roof with gun ports along the parapets. In 1863, the fort was attacked by a band of Ute Indians. Men got on the roof to defend the fort, and a volunteer rode to Fort Lyon. The Utes departed before the troops arrived.

In 1871, the settlement was named Spanish Peak and a post office was established. New settlers came to the area with the arrival of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. The narrow gauge railroad, which crossed La Veta Pass, was the highest U.S. railroad pass at the time. A depot, the La Veta Pass Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot, was built one block north of the fort. Papers for incorporation of the town were filed by noted railroad tycoon and entrepreneur William Jackson Palmer and Governor Alex Hunt in 1876. The fort is now operated by the Huerfano Historical Society. A post office called La Veta has been in operation since 1876. The community was named for a mineral deposit near the original town site, La Veta meaning "mineral vein" in Spanish.

On the morning of November 8, 1913, William Gambling, a miner who had refused to join the 1913-1914 United Mine Workers of America strike against the Colorado Fuel and Iron company, was intercepted and accosted by pro-strikers as he was traveling to the dentist in La Veta. He left the dentist's office later and was picked up by a car carrying three mine guards and a driver. A volley of gunfire was aimed at the car, killing all but Gambling. At least five men were arrested by the Colorado National Guard in relation to this incident, part of the early stages of the Colorado Coalfield War. Gambling, who managed to escape to a nearby dairy farm on Middle Creek, was attended to and aided back to the Oakview Mine the next day by the dairy farmer who routinely delivered milk to the mining camp.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.37 sqmi, all of it land. At one time (1919) there were sulfur springs in La Veta owned by Dr. Acker. They were last managed by W J Pierce of Colorado Springs.

Education
The town is served by La Veta School District Re-2, which brands itself as La Veta Public Schools.

Parks and recreation
Nearby Cuchara Valley ski resort was closed in 2000. In the Late-2010s the property was re-opened as a Huferno County Park known as Parker-Fitzgerald Cuchara Mountain Park and operated by a non-profit as an all-season resort offering numerous activities. Despite unpredictable snow, residents of La Veta and surrounding towns are attempting to reopen the abandoned ski area with cat-skiing having opened in spring 2023 and trail access to skiers skinning up the season before as they work to revive the dormant chairlifts and have them certified.

Notable person

 * Bob McGraw (1895-1978), baseball pitcher

title: La Veta, Colorado


text:
Walsenburg, Colorado

Walsenburg is the statutory city that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Huerfano County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 3,049 at the 2020 census, down from 3,068 in 2010.

History
Walsenburg was originally settled under the name of La Plaza de los Leones in 1859. The settlement was named after settler Don Miguel Antonio de Leon, who came along with others from New Mexico. A post office called Walsenburg has been in operation since 1870. The community was named after Fred Walsen, an early settler. Robert Ford, the famous gunman, operated a combination saloon and gambling house in Walsenburg; his home at 320 West 7th Street still stands. The town is also remembered in sports history due to a famous newspaper gaffe ("Will Overhead") after the 1933 Indianapolis 500.

Colorado Coalfield War
Walsenburg played a central role in the 1913-1914 Strike of the United Mine Workers of America against the Rockefeller-owned Colorado Fuel and Iron, an event better known as the Colorado Coalfield War. The town was the site of a Colorado and Southern Railway stop and location of several gun-battles before and after the April 20, 1914 Ludlow Massacre that killed over a dozen women and children when Colorado National Guard opened fire on a striker encampment at Ludlow, 22 miles south of Walsenburg. Among the first instances of violence in Walsenburg during the coal strikes is known as the Seventh Street Massacre, which saw three miners die in a shooting perpetrated by newly minted Walsenburg deputies.

The Battle of Walsenburg (April 28–29, 1914) was the penultimate engagement of National Guard and militia against pro-strikers during the 10-Day War stage of the conflict. Several men on both sides, as well as at least one uninvolved civilian, were killed before strikers withdrew.

Walsenburg is mentioned in the Woody Guthrie song "Ludlow Massacre".

1927-1928 Colorado Coal Strike
In 1927 the coal mines in Walsenburg were one of the many shutdown during the statewide strike led by the IWW.

21st century
On June 19, 2013, Boy Scouts at Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch noticed an uncontrolled fire near East Spanish Peak which rapidly grew over the next few days, growing into the East Peak Fire. The entirety of Walsenburg was placed under a pre-evacuation notice. The fire burned 13,572 acres and was contained on July 9.

Geography and climate
Walsenburg is located in east-central Huerfano County, on the north side of the Cucharas River, at the eastern edge of the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Interstate 25 runs along the eastern edge of the city, with access from Exits 49, 50, and 52. I-25 leads north 48 mi to Pueblo and south 36 mi to Trinidad. U.S. Route 160 passes through the center of Walsenburg, leading west across North La Veta Pass 72 mi to Alamosa and south with I-25 to Trinidad. Colorado State Highway 10 leads northeast from Walsenburg 73 mi to La Junta.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Walsenburg has a total area of 8.2 km2, all of it land.

The Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center is located 2 mi west of Walsenburg on US 160, opposite the entrance to Lathrop State Park. The building houses a state-operated veterans' retirement home and a community hospital that serves the area.

Walsenburg has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with hot, rainy summers with cool nights and cool snowy winters with chilly nights.

Local attractions and recreation
Lathrop State Park, located 2 mi west of the Walsenburg city limits, is Colorado's first state park and is over 1600 acre in size. Martin Lake and Horseshoe Lake offer fishing stocked by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, water skiing, boating, and jet skiing. Hiking and camping are other activities in the park, and it is the only state park in Colorado with a golf course.

The Spanish Peaks, 10 mi southwest of Walsenburg are a national landmark and have been named one of "Colorado's Seven Wonders" by The Denver Post. The Highway of Legends, connecting Walsenburg with La Veta, other historic mining towns, and Trinidad, is a National Scenic Byway.

The Walsenburg Golf Course is a 9-hole public golf course open for play year round. The city opened a $2 million water park, "Walsenburg Wild Waters", after efforts by former mayor Maurice Brau and the City Council, on May 27, 2007.

Education
John Mall High School is the local high school. It is the only high school in Huerfano District Re-1. In the 2021–2022 school year, there was a total enrollment of 137 students. 56% of the enrollment was male and 44% was female. There was a student-to-teacher ratio of 27:1, which is higher than the Colorado state average of 15:1. 66% of the student body identified as a minority, with most of them being Hispanic. The state average of minority enrollment is 48%. The graduation rate ranges from 70 to 79%, which is lower than the state average of 80%.

Transportation
Greyhound Lines serves Walsenburg on its route between Denver and Albuquerque. Walsenburg is part of Colorado's Bustang network. It is on the Trinidad-Pueblo Outrider line.

Notable people
Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Walsenburg include:
 * Xavier Atencio (1919–2017), animator
 * Star Caywood (1915–1968), Colorado state representative
 * Robert Ford (1861–1892), murderer, saloon owner
 * Debora Greger (born 1949), poet
 * Mary Harris "Mother Jones" (1837–1930), labor organizer
 * Matthew G. Martínez (1929–2011), U.S. Representative from California
 * Frank Olmstead, mayor of Las Vegas, New Mexico, and 18th Auditor of New Mexico
 * John R. Petrus (1923–2013), Wisconsin state legislator
 * Roy Porter (1923–1998), jazz drummer
 * Sam T. Taylor (1903–1977), Colorado state senator
 * Albert J. Tomsic (1925–2012), politician, attorney, and judge

title: Walsenburg, Colorado