History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV, Part 17

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company
Publication date: 1889-95
Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co.
Number of Pages: 791

USA > Colorado > History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV > Part 17

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In the summer of 1870, R. C. Darling was surveying the southern and western boundary lines of Colorado, and also the Ute Indian Reservation. He had occa- sion to visit Mt. Sneffels, that being a known point on the oth correction line, for the purpose of making certain determinations in connection with his work, leaving part of his force at a spring near the western side of Mesa Verde, now in Montezuma county. Taking two men with him, he proceeded up the Dolores river, where he found Messrs. Shafer and Fearheiler at work on their mining property. He stopped a day or two and made locations on what is now the Atlantic Cable lode, under the old mining law, when claims were much less in area than now. Mr. Darling continued his journey to Mt. Sneffels, and on his return found that the place had

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been invaded by five other adventurous spirits, Augustus W. Begole, Jack Eckles, Dempsey Reese, Jim Sterritt and Pony Whittemore, who had come up from Fort Defiance, New Mexico, and were elated over the rich showing the locality afforded. Shafer and Fearheiler traded them a portion of the Pioneer claim for provisions, and they ran what is familiarly known to most Rico people as "Poison Tunnel," on the west side of the river, a short distance below the Piedmont bridge, and now being worked by Capt. Waggonslee. They also discovered the Aztec and Columbia lodes, which they named Aztec and Toltec; also the Nora Silley, which they called the Montezuma. Mr. Darling returned to his surveying and when the frosts of autumn began to tinge the aspen foliage with yellow the others took their departure from Pioneer district, Mr. Begole's party going to Taos, while Shafer and Fear- heiler started for Fort Defiance, but before reaching there the treacherous redskins stole their stock, and their deadly bullets put a stop forever to poor Joe Fearheiler's prospecting. Mr. Shafer escaped with his life, but never returned to the rich bonanzas he and his faithful partuer had risked and endured so much to find, in the silver-lined mountains on the Rio Dolores.

We have no knowledge of the Dolores country being visited in 1871 by white men, but, early in 1872, R. C. Darling, having completed his contract with the government to survey the boundaries of the Ute and Navajo Reservations, and to run the lines between Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, he concluded to return to the Dolores. Interesting several officers of the U. S. Army, and some capitalists in Washington, D. C., he outfitted a large party, mostly Mexicans in Santa Fé, and started for the mining district of southern Colorado. They reached their destina- tion on the 4th day of July, 1872, and celebrated that event by killing an enormous cinnamon bear, on the very spot now occupied by the old Rico Electric Light build- ings. They packed a few short boards the entire distance from Santa Fe, with which they made moulds for shaping adobe brick, and proceeded to construct a Mexican adobe furnace, near where the school house now stands, a short distance from the Glasgow avenue bridge across Silver creek. They extracted ore from the Atlantic Cable, Aztec and Yellow Jacket mines, fired up and charged their furnace, and actually produced three small bars of base bullion, but their adobes con- tained too much lime, and when heated the furnace collapsed. After one or two unsuccessful trials the Mexicans became discouraged, and as their blow-pipe assay tests, the only assaying method they had, did not prove as rich as they had hoped, and as winter was approaching, they retraced their steps to Santa Fe.

In 1874, the U. S. topographical and geological survey, under Prof. Hayden, were working in this locality. They took observations and altitudes, and named the principal mountain peaks and otlier localities in this section, the most of which are still in use. The altitude of the Atlantic Cable shaft, at the north bank of Silver creek, a few feet west of Glasgow avenue, is given in the official report as 8,200 feet,* and that of Black Hawk peak as 13,970 feet, this being the highest point in Dolores county, except where the lines of Dolores and San Miguel counties reaeh the summit of Mt. Wilson, which is 14,381 feet, the fifth in height in the state. In 1877, there was some prospecting activity in Pioneer district, and Messrs. Morey & Sperry of New York, manufacturers of mining machinery, Mr. Fleming of Cleveland, Ohio, Prof. Clayton of Salt Lake, and General Hefferman of Animas City, Colorado, became interested here and located a number of claims, among which were what are now the Columbia, Aztec. Phoenix, Yellow Jacket and Wide Awake. They employed John Glasgow and Robert Schneider to work the assess- ment on them, but as they failed to pay these men for their work, and also recorded the property in La Plata county instead of San Juan, of which this was then a part, Glasgow and Schneider, early in 1878, relocated the property in their own names.

* The survey of the Rio Grande Southern gives the altitude of Glasgow and Mantz avenues (post office corner) 8,735 feet.

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L. B. Da Ponte, Scott Burbank, R. C. Darling and H. Bert Clifford were also here in the fall of 1877, but did not do much work until the spring of 1878, when the camp was occupied by them. In 1878, Pioneer district began to attract con- siderable attention, and was prospected quite extensively by John Glasgow, Rob Schneider, Bob Darling, Ed. Robinson, Bert Clifford, Thornton Chase, L. B. Da Ponte, Scott Burbank, Clabe and Charlie Jones, John Schalle, Sandy Campbell, Chas. Humarton, Leon Eggers, Andy D. Masters, Dave Swickheimer and others, and several good properties were discovered and worked. When the early snow began to tip the mountain peaks with its silvery sheen, the camp was deserted, some going to Silverton, and some to their eastern homes, while others repaired to the Mancos and remained during the winter. Early in the spring of 1879, Col. J. C. Haggerty, who was then prospecting here, visited Ouray for supplies, taking with him samples of ore from some claims on Nigger Baby Ilill, which, on being tested, proved to be lead carbonates very rich in silver. This caused a stampede. Everybody who could left the neighboring camps of Ouray, Lake City, Silverton, Ophir and San Miguel, and many came even much greater distances, lured by the exaggerated reports of the new Eldorado. The hills were soon honey-combed with prospect holes, and, in a short time, the country for a radius of several miles from the common center, where Rico has since been built, was covered in many places three or four deep by overlapping mining claims. The boom was of short duration. It was followed by a relapse, when a majority of those who came expecting to soon reap a rich silver harvest went away in disgust, cursing the camp. Excitement followed in tidal waves for the next three months, each one strengthening the camp, therefore, by the first of July, its permanency was an assured fact. In July, 1879, E. A. Robinson was appointed justice of the peace, and during the same month P. Halderman and A. K. Prescott brought in the first stock of goods, and Frank Lovejoy opened the first saloon. In August, 1879, the Wide Awake, Yellow Jacket, Phoenix, Pelican, Grand View, Major, Aztec and Columbia were sold to Senator John P. Jones of Nevada and John W. Bailey of Denver for $100,000. This was the first transaction in mines.

In the early part of August the first female residents in the Dolores valley were Mrs. William Embling and her daughter, Mrs. Henry Knight. During the same month, six blocks of the town site were surveyed and subdivided into lots, but no organization was effected later on. The last day of August, 1879, George McGoldrick, alias the Kid, shot and killed a man called "Frenchy," who was buried next day. This was the first start of the cemetery.

Early in September the post office was established with A. K. Prescott as post- master, and mail service via Ophir was begun.

On the 21st of August, 1870, the first number of the Rico "News" was issued from the La Plata "Miner" office in Silverton, as were the succeeding six numbers. October 2nd, the press, type, and office material of that paper were brought in by Reese Riley, who came from Silverton via Animas City, Mancos, Bear Creek and the Rio Dolores, and was, with the exception of Jim McJenkins' saw mill, which arrived about a month previous, the first wagon freight brought to the camp.

The night of October 5th, 1879, the inhabitants of Rico experienced a first- class Indian scare. All the female members of the community were corralled in a new log cabin without doors or windows, taken to the roof on a hastily constructed ladder and dropped down, after which guards were stationed at or near where the Grand View smelter now stands and on the grade above the old Passadena smelter. The rest of the men repaired to Frank Raymond's store on the lots now occupied by the Bailey block, and barricaded themselves upstairs against the expected on- slaught. The only casualty was one burro killed by an excited guard, who mis- took it for a bloodthirsty Ute. The building used as a bomb-proof in which the

THE LOTHROP BLOCK, COR.18TH & LAWRENCE STS., DENVER, COLO.

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ladies were corralled is the one now occupied by Shing Lee as a washee house, just north of the Rico-Aspen office.

July 4th, 1880, the machinery for the Grand View smelter arrived, being hauled on wagons from Alamosa, and November 17th, following, it was in place and began producing bullion in paying quantities.

The value and extent of the mineral veins having been established by the dis- coveries already made, and the developments entered upon, the people located there began to arrange for building a town. As a beginning, six blocks of ground were surveyed, subdivided and platted, forming a part of the existing town site, and the lots covered with tents and cabins. Additions under mill site, town site and squatter's right claims were taken up in every conceivable shape, yet the town had no name. By some it was called Carbonate City; by others, Dolores City, Dolores- ville, Carbonateville, Lead City, etc. At length a meeting was called and a com- mittee was appointed to select a name for the town and draft a petition for the establishment of a post office. Among the names discussed by the committee were Belford, Patterson, Wilson, Glasgow, Lovejoy, and many others, but all were re- jected. The committee were at a loss what to call it, until Mr. Wm. Weston, then of Ouray, suggested the appropriateness of the Spanish word Rico (riches). Every member except A. M. Rogers-who wanted it called Glasgow-accepted and voted for Rico, and thus the town came by its name, which it will be admitted is brief, musical and attractive, besides being appropriate. A few days later J. F. Wanne- maker was engaged to survey the town site as it now exists. A resolution was adopted to conform all alleged additions and subdivisions to the six blocks which had been surveyed and platted by Van R. Elliott a short time previous. Thus estab- lished, many business houses were opened, among them those of Donald McIntyre, Cohn Bros., F. W. Raymond, A. K. Prescott & Co., Cobb & Sherry, Higgins & Moore, Dunbar & Bacon. The Rico "News" was founded by John R. Curry, one of the most ardent pioneer journalists of the southwest. The first white child born in Rico or in the Dolores valley was Robert C. Spencer, son of Mr. and Mrs. George WV. Spencer, October 11th, 1879.

The first municipal election occurred December 5th, 1879, when the following officers were chosen: Mayor, Frank W. Raymond; clerk, D. A. McGraw; trustees, M. A. Bean, M. C. Marstin, E. P. Kent and H. E. Snyder. The first wedding oc- curred April 4th, 1880, that of Mr. C. P. Middaugh and Miss Alice Snyder. In 1880 there began a move for a separate county organization. Under the act of March Ist, 1881, creating the new county of Dolores, so named from the river and mountain cañon, the governor appointed the following officers to serve until the next annual election: Clerk and recorder, Frank W. Raymond: treasurer, E. B. Cushing; sheriff, Jacob Summa ; county judge, S. V. Rosser ; assessor, J. P. Norton ; commissioners, A. A. Waggoner, S. W. McCormick and S. H. Burghardt. In February, 1883, a mining boom of respectable proportions was inaugurated on the West Dolores; the town of Bowen was laid out and a post office established, but the activity was of brief duration, and the town collapsed.

From time to time various ripples of excitement have disturbed the placid serenity of the steadily growing progress. The original settlers found the country round about much troubled by Ute Indians, who viewed with sullen indignation the gradual occupation of their hunting grounds by white men. The first winter was long and severe. Rumors of danger from incursions by the savages were frequent. For more efficient protection a "home guard" was organized, which allayed the fears of the more timid. Provisions were scarce and the prices very high. Ouray being the nearest market, supplies were hauled in on hand-sleds from that distant quarter. The nearest that beef cattle could be driven was six miles from Rico, where they were slaughtered and the meat taken to town on sleds. After a season of such hardships many became discouraged, and in the spring left the county.

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Rico is eligibly situated in a spacious valley on the East Fork of the Dolores river at an elevation of 8.737 feet above the sea. Its population is about 2,000. Beyond the incidents noted there was no substantial activity between 1879 and 1889. The developments made by Mr. David Swickheimer in the Enterprise mine on Newman Hill from 1887 forward, whereby he not only created a very rich mine, but solved some extremely intricate geological problems in connection with all the veins in that quarter, was the first surprising revelation that led to great conse- quences. In 1891, he sold the property to Messrs. Crawford and Posey, for $1,250,- 000, who disposed of it to a syndicate of New York and English capitalists, and they formed the Enterprise Mining company, which enjoyed large and regular dividends from its products.

We have mentioned the Grand View as the first smelter established. It was followed by the erection in 1882 of the Waring and the St. Clair mills and the Passadena smelter, all of which were fairly successful for a time. The days of local mills and smelters passed into history upon the coming of the railway. The first house of worship, known as the "People's Congregational church," was built in the fall of 1800, the first service being held therein on Christmas Eve. The Pastor, Rev. S. C. Dickerson, was ordained and the church dedicated February 16-17, 1891. In the summer of 1892 a Catholic church was founded. In the fall of that year a four-room brick school house was completed. During the same year the people voted $20,000 in bonds for the erection of a court house, and a large handsome hotel was finished at a cost of $35,000. In the same period, six fine stone and briek blocks replaced an equal number of log structures that formerly had been used for business purposes. In addition, a large and complete ore sampling plant was put in operation. These and several other improvements of importance followed the introduction of the Rio Grande Southern railway, October Ist, 1801, which event caused universal rejoicing. In February, 1800, the Rico State Bank was organized, with a capital of $50,000. David Swiekheimer, president, B. N. Freeman, vice-president, and Wesley W. Parshall, cashier.

The more prominent of the developed mines are the Enterprise, Rico-Aspen, Black Hawk, Little Maggie, Grand View, C. H. C., Newman, Atlantic Cable and Cobbler groups, and those of the Consolidated Rico Revenue Return Mining company. There are almost numberless others in various stages of exploitation.

There are no prominent ranches or orchards in the county, but a considerable number of large cattle owners have extensive grazing ranges in the western division, which is comparatively well timbered, broken and mountainous. In the same locality are mines of bituminous coal, from which considerable coke is manufac- tured. It is said that large beds of good anthracite coal have been discovered and partially opened there. The mountains about Rico seem to be literally ribbed with veins of precious metal bearing minerals, and at no distant day, when our national monetary problems shall have been readjusted on a bimetallic basis, this portion of Dolores county will be one of the most productive mining fields in the West.

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EAGLE COUNTY.

MARCH OF CAPT. MARCY-OLD TRADITION OF BATTLE MOUNTAIN-ANCIENT GRAVES- FIRST SETTLERS-DISCOVERY OF MINES-UTE INDIAN OUTBREAK-ORGANIZATION- FOUNDING OF TOWNS-PRINCIPAL MINES-AGRICULTURE-MOUNT OF THE HOLY CROSS.

This county was named after Eagle river, which rises in the mountains north of Leadville and traverses the entire length of the county from southeast to west, uniting with Grand river at Dotsero a few miles northeast of Glenwood Springs. It was organized by an act of the General Assembly, approved February 11th, 1883, and was taken from the western part of Summit county. Its area is 1,600 square miles, and, according to the census of 1890, its population was 3,725. It is bounded on the north by Grand and Routt, south by Pitkin and Lake, east by Summit, and west by Garfield.

The first authentic account of the exploration of the Eagle river country, if such it can be called, appears in a book written by Captain-afterward General- Randolph B. Marcy of the United States Army, who, while stationed at Fort Bridger, in November, 1858, received orders from the Secretary of War to move his command in great haste across the mountains by the most direct route to Fort Massachusetts in the San Luis Valley .* He left Fort Bridger November 24th with 40 enlisted men and 25 mounted men, besides packers and guides. There being neither roads nor definite trails, he pursued his way under extreme difficulties to the valley of Grand river, probably near Glenwood Springs. Capt. Marcy speaks of passing up Eagle river, but to what point is undetermined. Returning from the San Luis valley and New Mexico, the command encamped at the mouth of Cherry creek, now occupied by the city of Denver, and while there some of the employés washed a small quantity of gold dust from its sands, which Marcy claims gave rise to the reports which, the same year, brought the first immigrants to the Rocky Mountains.

There is an old tradition among the Ute Indians, who once owned and hunted through the region described, that about the year 1849 two war parties, composed of Utes and Arapahoes, met on what is now Battle Mountain, when a tremendous fight ensued, in which many were killed and wounded. Whether true or wholly apocryphal, it is submitted for what it is worth.

I am indebted to Mr. H. W. Smith, clerk of Eagle county, for some inter- esting notes relating to the early history of this region. About half a mile above Red Cliff, on the bank of the river, is a grave. On the headstone is the following inscription: "AA. McEldry -- died August 17th, 1859." There are other very old isolated graves in different parts of the county, but none that so clearly set forth the date of death. How or when these people entered the region, whence they came or what

* An epitome of this expedition and its purpose appears in Vol. I. page 141.

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their purpose are impenetrable secrets. We know, however, that nearly all the mountain streams were explored by hunters and trappers attached to the various fur companies, between 1840 and 1860, and it is possible that some of them died and were buried there.

The first actual settlers in the Eagle river country, as far as can be ascertained, who located there with the intention of prospecting for the precious metals, were Joseph Britt and John Bauman, in March, 1879. They began digging on the margins of the river at a point some twenty miles below where Red Cliff now stands, at the mouth of Lake creek. These men are still residents of Eagle county, Britt occupying his original location, while Bauman is engaged in mining. The next settlement, as near as can be learned from the county records, occurred near the present town of Mitchell-named for and founded by George R. Mitchell, once a noted resident of Gilpin county (elected a member of the fourth, fifth and sixth councils of the territorial legislature), who took up a ranch in the upper part of Eagle Park. Placer claims were located for mining and town site purposes, March 17th, 1879, by Frank Benjamin, C. C. Welch and others. A town composed mainly of canvas tents was started, but disappeared within a year or two, the placers prov- ing a disappointment.

April 15th, 1879, Robert and John Duncan discovered and staked a few lode claims in Eagle river mining district. In Battle mountain district, near Gilman, the following discoveries were made which led to the subsequent populating of the county: The Little Ollie, April 25th, 1879, by James Demning, Win. Barney and Wm. Helmer; the Eagle Bird, April 15th, by J. T. McGrew, Wm. Helmer, Henry Helmer and D. C. Collier; the Silver Wave on the same date by the Helmer brothers et. al .; the Belden, May 5th, by D. D. Belden and Price Merrick. The latter was the first to produce workable ores in large quantities. Probably one hundred claims were staked and recorded during the summer of 1879 in the vicinity of Gilman.

The first locations near Red Cliff were: The Henrietta, July 4th, 1879, by Frank Bowland & Co .; the Horn Silver, July 7th, by G. J. Da Lee, Wm. Greiner and Thos. Hall. The ground now covered by the Wyoming group was located July 26th, by Dugan, Jenkins, et. al. Da Lee and Greiner built the first cabin in Red Cliff in the summer of 1879. July 25th of that year, at a called meeting of the miners and prospectors, the town was named Red Cliff, from the numerous red bluffs or cliffs surrounding the site. About July Ist, Ziers & Remain established a general provision store, including liquors. Almost simultaneously, George Stevens opened a store with a jack-load of goods brought from Leadville. July 15th, C. Bottolfson, N. K. Smith, and J. P. Manvill located the Argo mill site, and it was upon this that the town was built, but afterward a town company was formed, and more territory added.

Immediately after the Meeker massacre, in September, 1879, the people on Eagle river, apprchending a raid by the hostile Indians, built a fort which is still standing at Red Cliff, and made everything ready to welcome the Utes to "hos- pitable graves," should they come. Scouting parties were seen within a few miles of the town, but no attack occurred. In 1880 a smelter was built by the Battle Mountain Mining and Smelting company which owned the Belden and other mines. Most of the lead bullion turned out was bought by the Leadville smelters for their own use. It was abandoned in 1882, soon after the arrival of the Denver & Rio Grande railway in March of that year. October 5th. 1880, the first town council of Red Cliff met. The officers were, mayor. Fred Henry; councilmen, G. J. Da Lee, Frank Abair, A. O. Simons and D. W. Smart. A. G. Mays was the first practicing physician, Thos. N. Evans first survevor, Geo. Morris first blacksmith, H. L. J. Warren editor of the first newspaper, Melvin Edwards first druggist and

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postmaster. The Star hotel was the original building of that class. W. H. Dun- field and James Ash were the first attorneys.

Bell's camp, midway between Red Cliff and Gilman, was one of the older settlements in the county. Dr. Bell and B. S. Morgan located the Black Iron and a number of other properties near that place. In December, 1881, the D. & R. G. R. R. Co. began the work of extending its narrow gauge line from Leadville into Eagle county via Tennessee Pass, completing it to Rock creek in March, 1882, where it remained until January, 1887, when the extension to Glenwood Springs and Aspen was begun.

Up to the beginning of 1883 the territory now comprising Eagle county was a part of Summit. When the separation took place, the governor of the state ap- pointed the following officers to serve until the next ensuing general election :

Commissioners, D. D. Belden, H. R. McClelland and John C. Metcalf; clerk and recorder, E. F. Campbell; sheriff, N. L. Eby; county judge, L. R. Thomas; superintendent of schools, R. B. Foster; treasurer, William MeKissick; assessor, C. Riter. At the election held November 6th, 1883, Red Cliff was selected as the county seat. In 1887 a system of water works was built, the supply taken from Willow creek, 3,000 feet distant. The cost was about $4,000, being constructed by Mr. A. F. Graham, one of the town trustees. A number of fire plugs are attached, and there is a good volunteer fire department.

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History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV, Part 17

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company Publication date: 1889-95 Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co. Number of Pages: 791

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company
Publication date: 1889-95
Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co.
Number of Pages: 791