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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Crested Butte History Prospectors were present in the Elk Mountains region of Colorado as early as the 1860s. However, the remote and harsh nature of the high Colorado mountains, combined with often hostile encounters with Native Americans, discouraged the formation of settlements for many years.Following the removal of the Ute Indians from Colorado (starting in the 1870s), miners, prospectors, businessmen, and settlers of all types started pouring into the Colorado mining regions. Early view of Crested Butte, ColoradoCrested Butte was laid out in 1878 by Howard Smith, and was incorporated in 1880. The town was aggressively promoted as the supply and commerce center of the Elk Mountain region’s numerous mines and camps. The town grew quickly and a population of over 400 was reported in 1880.Crested Butte was also the location of coal beds. While the prospect of coal mining was not as glamorous as the silver mines of nearby camps, coal would keep the town prosperous long after the silver camps died out.Former President Ulysses Grant came through in August 1880 as part of a tour of Colorado mining camps. Grant was reportedly impressed with the coal deposits of the area.The town’s location in a wide and pleasant valley that was central to many mining camps, along with the presence of abundant coal, attracted a branch line of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. Construction of the line was completed in November of 1881, ensuring that Crested Butte would be the region’s center of commerce.Colorado Fuel & Iron Coke Ovens at Crested ButteThe arrival of the railroad further stimulated the growth of the town. In 1882 Crested Butte had over 1,000 residents, and counted a bank, five hotels, several saloons, and three livery stables among its numerous businesses.Coal mining began in the area in 1881, and throughout the 1880s and 1890s coal was Crested Butte’s primary industry. Early coal miners in the area were Anglo-Saxon from Wales, Scotland, Germany, Ireland and Cornwall. In the 1890s many Greeks, Italians and Slavs from Southern Europe began arriving to work the mines. As a result Crested Butte became a diverse town of immigrants, and many lodges and fraternal orders were established among the various groups.The Jokerville Mine Disaster of 1884The Jokerville mine, opened in 1881 by the Colorado Coal and Iron company, was one of the area’s top coal mines. By 1884 the mine had around 120 miners working day and night.Webmaster's
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