Telluride, Colorado

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Telluride, Colorado
Telluride Colorado.jpg
Colorado Avenue: As seen from The New Sheridan Hotel
San Miguel County Colorado Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Telluride Highlighted 0876795.svg
Location of Telluride in San Miguel County, Colorado
Coordinates: 37°56′22″N107°49′05″W / 37.93944°N 107.81806°W / 37.93944; -107.81806
Country United States
State Colorado
County San Miguel County, Coloradoseat
Founded1878
Incorporated February 10, 1887, as Columbia
Government
  Type Home rule municipality
   Mayor Teddy Errico [ citation needed ]
Area
[1]
  Total2.22 sq mi (5.76 km2)
  Land2.22 sq mi (5.76 km2)
  Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[2]
8,754 ft (2,668 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total2,607
  Density1,172/sq mi (452.6/km2)
Time zone UTC−7 (MST)
  Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP code
81435
Area code 970
FIPS code 08-76795
GNIS feature ID2413371 [2]
Website Town of Telluride
Telluride geologic map and location of historic mines Telluride geologic map.jpg
Telluride geologic map and location of historic mines
Fall colors in Telluride. View from the ski area, 2010 Telluride from the ski hill.jpg
Fall colors in Telluride. View from the ski area, 2010

Telluride is the county seat and most populous town of San Miguel County in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Colorado. [3] The town is a former silver mining camp on the San Miguel River in the western San Juan Mountains. The first gold mining claim was made in the mountains above Telluride in 1875, and early settlement of what is now Telluride followed. The town was founded in 1878. [4]

Contents

Telluride sits in a box canyon. Steep forested mountains and cliffs surround it, with Bridal Veil Falls situated at the canyon's head. Numerous weathered ruins of old mining operations dot the hillsides. A free gondola connects the town with its companion town, Mountain Village, at the base of the ski area. Telluride and the surrounding area have featured prominently in popular culture, and it is the subject of several popular songs. It is especially known for its ski resort and slopes during the winter, as well as an extensive festival schedule during the summer, including the Hot Air Balloon Festival, which traditionally occurs the first weekend in June.

The Telluride Historic District, which includes a significant portion of the town, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also one of Colorado's 20 National Historic Landmarks. The town population was 2,607 in the 2020 United States Census. [5]

History

Mining days

Gold was first discovered in Colorado near present-day Denver, setting off the Pike's Peak gold rush of 1858. The Smuggler gold vein above Telluride, and placer gold in the San Miguel River, were discovered in 1875. [6] :51,54 John Fallon made the first claim in Marshal Basin above Telluride in 1875 and settlement followed. The town of Columbia was founded in 1878. The Telluride, Colorado, post office opened at Columbia on July 26, 1880, since the United States Post Office Department would not approve the name Columbia. Columbia (Telluride since 1887) has been the seat of San Miguel County, Colorado, since the county was created on March 2, 1883. The Town of Columbia was incorporated on February 10, 1887, but the town changed its name to the Town of Telluride a few months later. The town was named after valuable ore compounds of the chemical element tellurium, a metalloid element which forms natural tellurides, the most notable of which are telluride ores of gold and silver. Although gold telluride minerals were never actually found in the mountains near Telluride, the area's mines were rich in zinc, lead, copper, silver, and ores which contained gold in other forms.

Telluride began slowly because of its isolated location. In 1881, a toll road was opened by Otto Mears, which allowed wagons to go where only pack mules could go before. This increased the number of people in Telluride, but it was still expensive to get gold-rich ore out of the valley.

In June 1889, Butch Cassidy, before becoming associated with his gang, the "Wild Bunch", robbed the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride. This was his first major recorded crime. He exited the bank with $24,580 and later became famous as a bank robber. [7]

In 1891, the Rio Grande Southern Railroad, also begun by Mears, arrived in Telluride, eventually building a two-stall engine house, water facilities, a section house and a bunkhouse, sidings, and a depot. It continued further up the valley to end its Telluride branch at Pandora, serving the mines and the town until 1952. The cheaper and consistent transportation for passengers and freight allowed miners and goods to flow into the San Miguel town and ore to flow out to the mills and foundries elsewhere. This brought a brief but unprecedented boom to Telluride before the Panic of 1893. [8]

Around the turn of the 20th century, there were serious labor disputes in the mines near Telluride. The Colorado National Guard was called out and there were deaths on both sides. Unions were formed as miners joined the Western Federation of Miners in 1896. 1899 brought big changes as union strike action led most mines to grant miners $3 a day for an 8-hour day's work plus a boarding pay of $1 a day. At this time, workers were putting in 10- to 12-hour days and the mines ran 24 hours a day. Work conditions were treacherous, with mines above 12,000 ft (3,700 m), a lack of safety measures, and bitter weather in winter months. Even the boarding houses were precariously placed on the mountainsides.

Telluride's labor unrest occurred against the backdrop of a statewide struggle between miners and mine owners. Bulkeley Wells was one mine operator considerably hostile to the union. The Telluride Miners' Union was led by Vincent St. John. The disappearance of mine guard William J. Barney, which Wells declared a "murder", created much intrigue and national interest. The accusations, animosity, gunplay, and expulsions that followed were part of an ongoing struggle throughout Colorado's mining communities which came to be called the Colorado Labor Wars.

In 1891, Telluride's L. L. Nunn joined forces with George Westinghouse to build the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant, an alternating current power station, near Telluride. The plant supplied power to the Gold King Mine 3.5 miles (5.6 km) away. This was the first successful demonstration of long-distance transmission of industrial-grade alternating current power and used two 100 hp (75 kW) Westinghouse alternators, one working as a generator producing 3,000 volts, 133 Hertz, single-phase AC, and the other used as an AC motor. [9] This hydroelectric AC power plant predated the Westinghouse plant at Niagara Falls by four years. [9] Nunn and his brother Paul built power plants in Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Mexico, and the Ontario Power plant at Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. Nunn developed a keen interest in education as part of his electrical power companies, and in conjunction with Cornell University built the Telluride House at Cornell in 1909 to educate promising students in electrical engineering. Later, Nunn along with Charles Walcott, started the non-profit Telluride Association. Nunn founded Deep Springs College in 1917. [10] Each year, the Telluride Tech Festival honors Nunn, inventor Nikola Tesla, and Westinghouse, along with current-day technology and science leaders.[ citation needed ]

Telluride's most famous historic mines are the Tomboy, Pandora, Smuggler-Union, Nellie, and Sheridan mines. Beginning in 1939, the hard-rock mining operations in the Red Mountain and Telluride mining districts began a lengthy consolidation under the Idarado Mining Company (Idarado), now a division of Newmont Mining. The consolidation ended in 1953 with Idarado's acquisition of the Telluride Mines. Idarado kept the underground workings and mill operations open at Telluride's Pandora hard-rock mine until 1978. When the mine officially closed, the snow which tormented Telluride's miners became the town's new source of income, in the form of skiing and tourism. The documentary video "the YX factor" chronicles the transition from mining to skiing and the influx of "hippies" in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the words of local residents and commentators such as Peter Yarrow and Tom Hayden. [11]

Aerial view of newly cut Boomerang Road (May 1972). AERIAL VIEW OF TELLURIDE SHOWING NEWLY-CUT SKI TRAILS (IN RIGHT FOREGROUND - NARA - 543746.jpg
Aerial view of newly cut Boomerang Road (May 1972).

Skiing era

Mining was Telluride's only industry until 1972 when the first ski lift was installed by Telluride Ski Resort founder Joseph T. Zoline and his Telluride Ski Corporation (Telco). Zoline bought the land for the future resort in 1969 and began to craft the slopes. Along with his mountain manager, Telluride native Bill "Sr." Mahoney, they slowly and thoughtfully put together a plan for the sustained development of Telluride and the region. As mining phased out and a new service industry phased in, the local population changed sharply. Mining families fled Telluride to settle in places like Moab, Utah, where uranium mining offered hope of continued employment. Mining families were replaced by what locals referred to as "hippies", young people with a 1960s worldview that often clashed with the values of Telluride's old-timers. These newcomers were characterized as idle "trust funders" drawn to the town for a casual lifestyle and outdoor excitements such as hang gliding, mountain climbing, and kayaking.

The new population opposed town growth and economic expansion, including growth due to tourism and skiing. At one point, a serious effort was made to ban cars from the city limits and force visitors to use horse-drawn carts. The 1970s had fluctuating snowfalls and economic recession, but the town's music and film festivals flourished. They exposed hundreds of thousands to the grandeur of the valley for the first time and created iconic associations with elite entertainers. Meanwhile, ski area founder Joe Zoline worked to develop one of the best mountains in North America for expert skiers,[ citation needed ] and created the infrastructure for tourism that respected Telluride's need to stay small.[ citation needed ]

As the final ore carts were rolling out of the Pandora mine, tourists began to discover Telluride's views, skiing, and autumn color changes. After the brutal snow drought of 1976 nearly wiped out the embryonic ski and lodging industry, the town started to rebound economically. In 1978, Ron Allred and his partner Jim Wells bought a stake in the ski area to form the Telluride Company. They expanded the infrastructure by adding a gondola connecting Telluride with the Mountain Village.

During the 1980s, Telluride developed a reputation as "Colorado's best-kept secret", which paradoxically made it one of the better-known resort communities. Wealthy skiers flocked to the mountain all winter, and sightseers kept hotel rooms full all summer. Telluride also became notorious in the drug counterculture as a drop point for Mexican smugglers and a favorite place for wealthy importers to enjoy downtime. The town was even featured in the hit song by Glenn Frey from Miami Vice , "Smugglers Blues". Telluride was living up to its Wild West history. This type of attention helped differentiate it from Aspen. The festivals and Telluride's bad-boy image attracted celebrities like Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey, and Oliver Stone. By the mid-1990s, Telluride had shed both its mining personality and drug image to establish itself as a premier resort town balancing modern culture with fascinating western history. In 2003, Prospect Bowl, an extension to the ski area opened, providing the resort with many new trails and runs. In 2007–08, the ski area opened some of the most extreme, inbound, hike-to terrain in the country. Most lifts in the area are high-speed quad chairs capable of holding four passengers. The highest lift on the mountain reaches 12,570 feet (3,830 m).

Geography

Telluride has an elevation of 8,750 feet (2,670 m) in an isolated spot in Southwest Colorado. From the west, Colorado Route 145 is the most common way into Telluride; two other passes enter the town, Imogene Pass and Black Bear Pass.

On the eastern side of town, there are two waterfalls: Ingram Falls, which is visible from town, and Bridal Veil Falls and the Bridal Veil Hydroelectric plant, which are just out of sight from town to the right of Ingram. The power plant house was leased for some time by Eric Jacobson, who restored the house and the generator inside. The hydroelectric plant was built in 1895 to power the Smuggler-Union Mine.

The town is served by air transportation via Telluride Regional Airport (TEX), once the highest elevation commercial airport in the United States at 9,070 feet (2,760 m). [12] The airport is considered challenging by pilots because of frequent adverse weather conditions, high elevation, and the extremely rugged mountain terrain surrounding the airport on nearly all sides. Major airline service is provided seasonally into Montrose (MTJ), approximately 70 miles (110 km) north by road.

Climate

Telluride has a humid continental climate (Dfb). The coldest month is January, averaging 18.2 °F (−7.7 °C), and the hottest July, which averages 58.7 °F (14.8 °C). Precipitation peaks as snow in winter and as thunderstorms in summer with a dry period in late spring. Telluride gets moderate precipitation all year due to its altitude, averaging 20.37 inches (517.4 mm) of water equivalent precipitation, including 130.8 inches (332.2 cm) inches of snow, each year.

Climate data for Telluride, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1900–present
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °F (°C)58
(14)
65
(18)
73
(23)
78
(26)
83
(28)
91
(33)
96
(36)
91
(33)
88
(31)
83
(28)
73
(23)
60
(16)
96
(36)
Mean maximum °F (°C)50.2
(10.1)
51.9
(11.1)
57.7
(14.3)
66.4
(19.1)
73.7
(23.2)
82.0
(27.8)
85.3
(29.6)
82.2
(27.9)
78.4
(25.8)
70.8
(21.6)
61.3
(16.3)
51.4
(10.8)
86.0
(30.0)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)36.2
(2.3)
37.6
(3.1)
43.7
(6.5)
50.8
(10.4)
60.4
(15.8)
72.5
(22.5)
76.7
(24.8)
74.1
(23.4)
68.0
(20.0)
57.4
(14.1)
45.4
(7.4)
36.2
(2.3)
54.9
(12.7)
Daily mean °F (°C)18.2
(−7.7)
21.5
(−5.8)
28.3
(−2.1)
36.4
(2.4)
44.6
(7.0)
53.3
(11.8)
58.7
(14.8)
57.2
(14.0)
50.8
(10.4)
40.4
(4.7)
29.0
(−1.7)
19.0
(−7.2)
38.1
(3.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)0.3
(−17.6)
5.3
(−14.8)
12.9
(−10.6)
22.0
(−5.6)
28.8
(−1.8)
34.2
(1.2)
40.7
(4.8)
40.2
(4.6)
33.6
(0.9)
23.4
(−4.8)
12.6
(−10.8)
1.8
(−16.8)
21.3
(−5.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C)−17.0
(−27.2)
−12.3
(−24.6)
−5.8
(−21.0)
9.4
(−12.6)
19.0
(−7.2)
26.5
(−3.1)
32.8
(0.4)
33.0
(0.6)
22.9
(−5.1)
10.4
(−12.0)
−7.4
(−21.9)
−15.1
(−26.2)
−19.7
(−28.7)
Record low °F (°C)−32
(−36)
−36
(−38)
−24
(−31)
−10
(−23)
3
(−16)
15
(−9)
26
(−3)
22
(−6)
9
(−13)
−3
(−19)
−22
(−30)
−31
(−35)
−36
(−38)
Average precipitation inches (mm)1.45
(37)
1.38
(35)
1.61
(41)
1.71
(43)
1.60
(41)
0.85
(22)
2.37
(60)
2.60
(66)
2.34
(59)
1.56
(40)
1.53
(39)
1.37
(35)
20.37
(518)
Average snowfall inches (cm)23.6
(60)
22.0
(56)
22.7
(58)
13.1
(33)
5.1
(13)
0.3
(0.76)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.7
(1.8)
5.3
(13)
18.7
(47)
19.3
(49)
130.8
(331.56)
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm)21.3
(54)
23.2
(59)
21.5
(55)
10.3
(26)
3.0
(7.6)
0.3
(0.76)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.3
(0.76)
3.4
(8.6)
9.9
(25)
12.8
(33)
26.4
(67)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)9.99.69.99.59.15.312.714.911.08.37.89.2117.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)9.59.28.56.11.90.10.00.00.32.16.39.153.1
Source 1: NOAA [13]
Source 2: National Weather Service [14]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1890 766
1900 2,446219.3%
1910 1,756−28.2%
1920 1,618−7.9%
1930 512−68.4%
1940 1,337161.1%
1950 1,101−17.7%
1960 677−38.5%
1970 553−18.3%
1980 1,04789.3%
1990 1,30925.0%
2000 2,22169.7%
2010 2,3254.7%
2020 2,60712.1%
U.S. Decennial Census [15]

As of the census [16] of 2000, there were 2,221 people, 1,013 households, and 357 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,143.3 people per square mile (1,213.6 people/km2). There were 1,938 housing units at an average density of 2,742.8 per square mile (1,059.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 92.57% White, 0.81% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.41% African American, 4.14% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.20% of the population.

There were 1,013 households, out of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.2% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 64.7% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.6% 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 2.79.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 14.3% under the age of 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 50.9% from 25 to 44, 20.8% 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 122.8 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 127.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $51,938, and the median income for a family was $66,136. Males had a median income of $35,329 versus $30,096 for females. The per capita income for the town was $38,832. About 8.5% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those aged 65 or over.

Tourism

Brunswick Saloon, Telluride, circa 1900 Brunswick Saloon Telluride CO c. 1900.jpg
Brunswick Saloon, Telluride, circa 1900

Beyond the ski lifts, Telluride is now widely recognized as an all-season resort. Telluride Ski Resort is the main attraction in the winter. But when summer comes around, Telluride transforms into an outdoor recreation hot spot, with tourists visiting to enjoy mountain biking, hiking, river rafting, sightseeing, and more. The Telluride Tourism Board promotes tourism in the region.

Telluride features over 30 hiking trails ranging in difficulty level. Some of the hiking routes include Ajax Peak, Bear Creek Falls, Hope Lake, and Bridal Veil Falls. Hiking season begins in May and lasts until early October, with waterfalls gushing in June and wildflowers at their peak in early July. The trails range from quick and easy runs to multi-day hiking trips that reach an elevation of 14,000 feet (4,300 m). Nearly all the trails feature waterfalls, wildflowers, and high alpine lakes. [17]

Telluride is also home to many endurance events. The Imogene Pass Run from Ouray to Telluride, the Hardrock 100, held in July, has a major aid station in the town park. The Fall Tilt, a 12-hour downhill mountain biking event, is held in Mountain Village each September. And the 40 miles (64 km) Telluride Mountain Run loops the town in a wide swath that includes some of the most difficult and scenic trails in the area.

Transportation

Telluride is served by Telluride Regional Airport. Scheduled flight options are limited, due to the airport's somewhat short runway and frequent closures under bad weather, so most passengers going to Telluride use Montrose Regional Airport, 67 miles (108 km) to the north.

Free public transportation is provided in Telluride. The bus system, called Galloping Goose, makes a complete loop around the town. [18] A gondola lift links Telluride with Mountain Village. [19]

Telluride's free gondola is the only one of its kind in North America. It stops at four stations: Telluride, St. Sophia, and two stops in Mountain Village. [20] It was the first leg of a transportation agreement for the Telluride Region that was stipulated as part of the Mountain Village zoning expansion that would provide free gondola service from the Town of Telluride and the Mountain Village to the Aldasoro Development, the West Meadows Development, the Valley Floor Development, and the West Meadows Development to virtually eliminate the use or need for a car in the Telluride Region of San Miguel County. It is a 13-minute ride and reaches an elevation of 10,540 feet (3,210 m) at the San Sophia station.

Regional bus service is provided by the San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART).

Telluride is part of Colorado's Bustang intercity bus service network. It is on the Durango-Grand Junction Outrider line. [21]

Major highways
Mountain passes

There are two alternate passes to enter the town, namely Imogene Pass and Black Bear Pass. Both require high clearance or four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Clive Cussler's 1998 novel Atlantis Found is partially set in Telluride. The novel features signs of an ancient civilization being found in an underground chamber next to a mine outside the city. [22]

In Justin Cronin's 2010 novel The Passage , Telluride is the site of a secret military compound used to test a purported "longevity drug" on death row inmates. [23] [24]

The production of The Hateful Eight directed by Quentin Tarantino began filming near Telluride in January 2015. [25] [26]

The Coen brothers 2018 film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs used Telluride as a filming location for the vignette "All Gold Canyon", based on a short story by Jack London. [27]

The Kia Telluride vehicle is named after the town. [28] [29]

See also

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The Rio Grande Southern Railroad was a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge railroad which ran in the southwestern region of the US state of Colorado, from the towns of Durango to Ridgway, routed via Lizard Head Pass. Built by German immigrant and Colorado toll road builder Otto Mears, the RGS operated from 1891 through 1951 and was built with the intent to transport immense amounts of silver mineral traffic that were being produced by the mining communities of Rico and Telluride. On both ends of the railroad, there were interchanges with The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, which would ship the traffic the RGS hauled elsewhere like the San Juan Smelter in Durango.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idarado Mine</span> Mining operation in Colorado, U.S.

The Idarado Mine was a mining operation in the San Juan Mountains of Ouray County, Colorado near the now-ghost town of Guston, producing primarily lead, zinc and silver along with small amounts of gold and copper. The mine is within the Sneffels-Red Mountain-Telluride mining district. The remains of the operation are visible from the Million Dollar Highway, north of Red Mountain Pass, between Ouray and Silverton, Colorado. The tunnels of the Idarado extend some 5 miles (8 km) west under 13,000 foot mountains to the Pandora Mill near Telluride, a trip of more than 60 miles (100 km) by highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Placerville, Colorado</span> Census-designated place in San Miguel County, Colorado, United States

Placerville is a census-designated place (CDP) and post office in and governed by San Miguel County, Colorado, United States. The Placerville post office has the ZIP Code 81430. At the United States Census 2020, the population of the Placerville CDP was 362.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telluride Ski Resort</span> Ski area in Colorado, United States

Telluride Ski Resort is a ski resort located in Mountain Village, southwest Colorado, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur L. Collins</span>

Arthur Launcelot Collins was a British metallurgist, mining engineer and mine manager of properties in Mexico and the United States. He was born 8 July 1868 in Truro, Cornwall, England, the son of a prominent mining expert, Joseph Henry Collins, and brother of Henry, George, and Edgar Collins and William Collins, the Bishop of Gibraltar. Joseph H. Collins founded, and with his sons Henry, Arthur, and George, operated J. H. Collins & Sons, Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, an international mining consulting business headquartered in London, England.

Gold mining in Colorado, a state of the United States, has been an industry since 1858. It also played a key role in the establishment of the state of Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pandora, Colorado</span> Unincorporated community in Colorado, U.S.

Pandora is an unincorporated community located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Telluride in San Miguel County, Colorado.

Emil B. Fischer published six detailed maps of the San Juan area of southwestern Colorado between 1883 and 1898. A surveyor's son, he came to America around 1872. He moved to Durango in 1880 when the building of the Denver & Rio Grande Railway to the San Juan attracted widespread attention, then to Silverton. These maps aided silver and gold prospectors to file their claims; they enabled investors to locate mines and view their proximity to famous neighboring mines; and they encouraged tourists to visit the depicted mining regions and invigorate the local economies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomboy, Colorado</span> Ghost town in Colorado, United States

Tomboy is a ghost town in San Miguel County, Colorado, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guston, Colorado</span> Ghost town in Ouray County, Colorado, United States

Guston is a silver mining ghost town in Ouray County, Colorado, United States, 11 miles (18 km) south of Ouray following the "Million Dollar Highway". Nestled in Champion Gulch, it is located near Red Mountain and the remnants of Red Mountain Town and Ironton. The Silverton Railroad ran from Guston in the Red Mountain Pass to Silverton in San Juan County. The silver mining camp was established in 1883. The Guston post office operated from January 26, 1892, until November 16, 1898.

References

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Further reading