Silverton, Colorado

 

 

 

 

"Silverton: A gritty little mining town with Victorian pretensions!" Once the stomping ground of silver kings and railroad giants, Silverton survives today as one of Colorado's most endearing destinations.

The Silverton district opened legally to miners in 1874, following the Brunot Treaty with the Utes. An estimated 2000 men moved into the region that year. They came from across the U.S., many parts of Europe and even China, to endure severe winters and dangerous mining conditions in their pursuit of the minerals they hoped would make them rich.

Not all who settled were miners. By 1875 the 100 "sturdy souls" who lived in Silverton proper worked in the post office, sawmills, blacksmith shop, mercantile, newspaper, liquor stores, smelters, or assay office. The town's population grew to 500 by 1876. Life was not easy for any of them. Statistics from Silverton's cemetery note causes of death in early Silverton as 117 from snowslides, 143 from miner's consumption, 161 from pneumonia, 138 from influenza (most in the 1918 epidemic) and 202 from mine accidents.

It's just a little place, but fun for a stop in your drive through the mountains.

Balcony House, Mesa Verde, Colorado

 

 

Balcony House can only be visited with a ranger-led tour. This adventuresome tour allows you to experience a taste of what the orginal inhabitants experienced. Access is accomplished by ladders and stone steps carved into the cliff. Also, it is one of the few places where a dwelling has a preserved balcony.

Access to Balcony House is by a 32 foot ladder at the right end of the dwelling. Exiting the ruin is to the left, crawling behind a huge boulder, then climbing 60 feet up the cliff face on steps carved into the cliff and finally another ladder near the top. The tour is not for those who fear heights or tight places. The tight places didn't bother me, but I found heights bothered me more than I expected.

Balcony House is named for the remnants of a balcony on this building. Structures such as this balcony as well as roofs and upper floors were generally built with thin logs and branches covered by adobe. They deteriorated much more quickly than brick walls and are therefore rarely seen today.

The round objects in front of the buildings are remnants of kivas. They are chambers about eight feet deep and were originally covered over with an opening in the center for access. Kivas were thought to be community gathering places for religious ceremonies.

Between Ouray and Silverton, Colorado

The water was colorful to say the least, so I did a little research on it. Red Mountain Creek is an acid mine drainage stream in southwestern Colorado. It contains mining-related metals- concentrations of aluminum, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc exceed chronic aquatic-life standards established by the State of Colorado. It also contains arsenic, iron, molybdenum, and vanadium. The minerals appear to be the result of surface inflows that have been affected by mining activities. All of that aside, the entire area is magnificent.

 

 

 

 

Bachelor Syracuse Mine (1884), Ouray, Colorado

 

 

 

 

The Bachelor-Syracuse Mine Tour takes you 1,800 feet horizontally into Gold Hill, rich in gold, silver, and other precious metals. You are accompanied by a thoroughly trained guide who has first-hand experience working the mine. The guide is prepared to answer questions and eager to share the legend and lore of the mine. You will see the equipment used in mining, the rich silver veins, and other mineral deposits. The stopes, declines, crosscuts, run-a-rounds and drifts are explained. You visit the work areas and see how explosives are used (even though there are no explosives underground currently.)

Ute Indian Museum, Montrose, Colorado

 

 

 

 

The Ute Museum sits in the heart of traditional Ute territory on lands once homesteaded by Chief Ouray. Migrating from the mountains in the summer to river valleys in the winter, the Utes used the abundant plants and animals of the Uncompahgre River valley for food, clothing, and shelter.

The museum lies on the original 8.65-acre homestead owned by Chief Ouray and his wife, Chipeta. Built in 1956 and expanded in 1998, the museum offers one of the most complete collections of the Ute people. The grounds include the Chief Ouray Memorial
Park, Chipeta's Crypt, and a native plant garden.

Just by luck, we happened to be at the Ute Museum on Chipeta Day, a cultural happening for the entire community of Montrose. Chipeta Day started in 2002 to remember, honor, and respect Chipeta, wife of Chief Ouray. Chipeta died in 1924, and was brought back home to Montrose in March 1925. At that time, only two Indian people attended her funeral. The three Ute tribes came together on traditional Ute lands to honor and remember Chipeta.

Christ of the Mines, Colorado

 

 

This shrine, located on the mountain just on the outskirts of Silverton, was built to ask for Christ's blessings on the mining industry of the San Jaun in 1958. A plaque of thanksgiving to Christ of the Mines was placed on the shrine for the deliverance of the entire workforce in 1978 when Lake Emma flooded the Sunnyside Mine. People have written little prayers to Jesus and put them in a box at the shrine. The notes were very touching, as was the act of faith that inspired the building of the shrine. I loved it!

Old South Meeting House, Boston

 

 

 

 

The Old South Meeting House was built in 1729 as a Puritan house of worship. It was also the largest building in colonial Boston.The Old South Meeting House is best known as the site of where the Boston Tea Party began. In the winter of 1773, more than 5,000 colonists gathered at Old South in a meeting to protest the tax on tea. After many hours of debate, Samuel Adams announced, "This meeting can do nothing more to save the country!" Protestors stormed out of the Old South Meeting House to the waterfront where they dumped three shiploads of tea into Boston Harbor. They changed American history forever.