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The History of Telluride Colorado
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Telluride sits at the head of the San Miguel River and was first home to the Ute Indians in the 1600’s. Known to the natives as “The Valley of Hanging Waterfalls”, this majestic canyon offered the Native Americans plenty of hunting and fishing opportunities, along with cooler summer temperatures.
By the mid 1850’s the first gold was discovered in what was first called Columbia, but by the late 1870’s was known as Telluride. The town was named after an element called Tellurium, which is a metalloid associated with gold and silver deposits, even though Tellurium was never found in the canyon. Beginning to experience quick development, the valley attracted herds of miners and gold rushers from across the country, all in search of a fortune. Along with the mining boom, came success for a lot of western pioneers. At one point, Telluride was home to more millionaires than New York City, making it a worthy target for bank robbers, such as Butch Cassidy. In 1889, Butch and his gang made of with over $24,000 from a bank in Telluride.
The mining boom would not last forever, and in the 1950’s Telluride began to see its town shrink by the hundreds as the mines shut down. The history of Telluride and its role in the American West would not go unnoticed, however, when in 1964 Telluride was designated a National Historic Landmark District.
In 1972, the town began to experience its next boom. Wealthy east coasters and outdoor enthusiasts flocked to this magical mountain town with the opening of the first ski lift at the Telluride Ski Resort. Since then, Telluride has continued to grow and there is excitement every season of the year, from huge outdoor musical festivals in the summer to the coveted “white gold” in the winter.
esidents of Telluride are passionate about preserving the town’s historical architecture, openness and small-town mountain lifestyle.
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