OUR HISTORY - FOUNDING AND EARLY YEARS

On May 6, 1859, John H. Gregory located, staked, and pre-empted the first mining claims in what was to become known as the "Richest Square Mile on Earth."

This spot, marked by the Gregory Monument, is near the city limits of Central City and Black Hawk. The area was originally called Gregory's Diggings, but very soon became known as Mountain City.

News of the strike reached Denver by May 17th. First publication of this was in the May 28, 1859 issue of the Rocky Mountain News. As of May 23rd, there were a total of 14 claims in the gulch.

In the June 11, 1859 issue of the Rocky Mountain News the following item appeared:

"When we entered the diggings on the 20th of May, there were about twenty men in that vicinity, only two quartz leads had been opened and but three claims on one of those and two on the other. In two weeks from that time more than 3,000 men were at work, at least thirty leads satisfactorily prospected, and several hundred claims opened and profitably worked."

Living conditions were atrocious. In the Daily Central City Register of December 3, 1874, an article regarding the history of Gilpin County described the area as follows:

"By the first of June 1859, Gregory Gulch from North Clear Creek to the confluence of Eureka, Nevada and Spring Gulches was literally crowded with human beings huddled together in tents, wagons, log cabins, dugouts, houses made of brush, and of every conceivable material that promised shelter."

Other gold deposits were found in surrounding gulches. Quickly, mining camps grew in those areas too. Some of those camps were Springfield, Bortonsburg, Missouri City, Nevada City, Dog Town, Eureka, Russell Gulch, Lake Gulch, Black Hawk Point, Chase's Gulch and Enterprise City.

By the middle of July 1859, between 20,000 and 30,000 people were living in and around Gregory Gulch.

From 1859 through 1866, Central City was the most important town in Colorado Territory. Central City became the county seat when Gilpin County was organized in 1861. The Territorial legislature granted a City Charter to the City of Central in March 1864. This was 12 years before Colorado achieved statehood in 1876.

There are two popular stories about how Central City was named. One story involves William N. Byers, founder of the Rocky Mountain News. In June 1859, he camped where the Golden Rose Inn is now located. He suggested that a town be laid out in that vicinity. Since it was about half way between Nevada City (Nevadaville) and Mountain City he said it should be called "Central City."

Another story is that a miner's supply store was in the same area and the sign over the entrance was "Central City Store." The surrounding area then became known as Central City. One way or another, Central City, the cradle of Colorado, was born. It's official name: The City of Central.

The first newspaper published in the mountains was the Rocky Mountain Gold Reporter and Mountain City Herald. In its first issue, dated August 13, 1859, it contained the following article regarding Mountain City:

"Although not three months old, it contains already some 300 buildings substantially erected, with a population of between 2,800 and 3,000, nearly all of whom are miners. Yet the arts and trades are well represented, we have about 25 stores, 2 jewelry shops, 3 tailor shops, blacksmiths, shoemakers, painters, etc."

On September 29, the first snow fell and most of the miners returned to lower elevations. However, a census taken in late October revealed that nearly 2,300 men were still in the mountain areas of Black Hawk, Central City, Nevadaville, and Russell Gulch.

The December 21, 1859 issue of The Rocky Mountain News estimated:

"From a million and a half to two millions of dollars in dust has been taken out, which has found its way to all parts of the Atlantic States and Territories..."

From the mid-1830s to the 1930s gold's price was fixed by the US government at $20.67 per troy oz. One and one-half to two million dollars worth of gold at that price would weigh between 90,000 and 125,000 ounces.

In February 1860 there was "a report of the discovery of a six pound nugget near Gregory's." The discoverer was offered $16 per ounce for it, but refused to sell.

Also in February 1860, the first steam engine was assembled in Mountain City. It was used to produce shingles and was ready to crush quartz as soon as the mines would begin delivering ore. This engine cost $1,500 when it was purchased at the foundry in Chicago in late 1859. In March 1860, it was sold at Mountain City for $15,000.

February 1860 also saw many miners returning to the mountains. A letter from Mountain City dated February 12, 1860 stated in part:

"The immigration for the past week has been perfectly surprising. Not less than two hundred of last summer's miners have returned and reoccupied their old cabins..."

During the Winter of 1859 - 60, many new gold discoveries had been made through out the mountains. When the immigrants began to arrive in the Spring of 1860, they spread through the Territory, relieving the pressure on the area around Gregory's Diggings.

On April 25, 1860 the Rocky Mountain News reported the following about the Gold Rush:

"The emigration is coming in at the rate of over one hundred men each day, and constantly increasing."

Just a little over a month later on May 30th, the News reported that emigrants were coming in at the rate of a thousand a day.

In June 1860, The Western Stage Company began running daily stage coaches from Denver to Mountain City. The ride took seven to eight hours. One year earlier it was a three or four day journey.

During the summer of 1860, the population around Gregory's Diggings began to stabilize. Immigrants came and looked, some stayed, but many moved on to other mining districts or returned to the "States" where they had come from.

The 1860 United States Census, listed Central City at 598, Mountain City 840 and Nevada City 879. About 5,000 people were in the immediate area, and 34,000 in the mining region.

By August 1860, the easy pickings were over and mining for gold became more difficult. As the depth of the mines increased, extracting gold from the ore became more complex. As little as 1/3 of the assayed amount of the ore was being recovered. This was due to the primitive technology available at that time.

Other problems also contributed to an economic slow-down in the area. Some of these were: the Civil War; Indian attacks on wagon trains crossing the Plains with supplies; and a decrease in the number of people coming to the gold fields.

Nathaniel P. Hill, a Professor at Brown University, began studying the problem of extracting gold from the sulfide ore in 1865. He developed a smelting process that rid the ore of most of its impurities. This process produced a concentrate of copper, gold and silver. The concentrate then had to be separated and refined.

In 1867, Hill began operating the Boston & Colorado Smelting Company in Black Hawk. Mines began shipping ore to the smelter for processing. The concentrate of copper, gold and silver was then shipped to Swansea, Wales (over 7,000 miles away). There the metals were separated and refined.

As a result of this smelting and concentrating process, the district was "booming" again by early 1868. This "boom" resulted in extensive construction in Central City during the summer of 1868.

An article in the Daily Miner's Register of June 16, 1868 noted that:

"No less than eleven brick store houses will be put up on Main street this summer. Hurrah for Central City."

Two of those brick storehouses built in 1868 survived the fire of 1874 and are still standing. They are the north half of the "Roworth Block" on Main street and the "Seavey Block" on Spring street.

1870 to 1880

The 1870s provided many events of significance to the City of Central. Central was the most important city in the territory. In 1871, the City had 13 blacksmiths, 5 boarding houses, 10 butchers, 1 dentist, 4 drugstores, 12 grocery stores, 18 lawyers, 7 physicians, 11 shoemakers and 5 tailors.

In 1873, the City applied for a government patent, which would give the City title to 578 acres. The following year, the Federal Government issued a patent to the Mayor of Central City. The patent granted surface rights to all land within the city limits.

The Mayor, in turn, issued individual deeds to applicants who were entitled to possession by:

"virtue of the local laws and customs of miners, in said City of Central, the laws of Colorado Territory, and the act of Congress..."

These deeds are called "Mayor's Deeds." The surface rights to most property within Central City can be traced to these deeds.

Before 1873, most buildings were constructed of wood. In January 1873, a fire destroyed sixteen buildings on Lawrence street, below Raynolds' Court, before it was brought under control.

Finally, aware of the potential danger from fire, the city began to prepare for such occurrences. An 1873 resolution of City Council prohibited any new construction of wood buildings in the business district. However, their efforts were too little and to late.

On May 21, 1874, a fire started in Dostal Alley, behind Main Street. The fire destroyed about 150 buildings in the downtown area.

The fire proof Teller House and Register Block on Eureka Street stopped the fire in that direction. The Continental Fireproof and Raynolds' Court on Lawrence Street blocked the fire to the East. Toward the South, the fire burned as far as the Seavey Building on Spring street. The fire proof Roworth Block was the only building on Main street that survived the fire.

The loss was estimated to be about $500,000. Fire insurance policies paid $114,533 toward the loss.

As a result of the fire's destruction of the business district, the city was able to widen and straighten the streets. The community also planned for a more substantial city than the one that burned.

Rebuilding began immediately. The first brick building (Morse Block) was completed just nine days after the fire.

This rebuilding of the city resulted in the downtown business district that exists today.

1880 to 1900

By 1880, Central City began a period of relative stability that lasted about twenty years.

However, Colorado was also growing and the Little Kingdom of Gilpin was no longer as influential as it had been. For example, in 1876, Gilpin County produced almost one-half of the total mineral production of the State. During the 1880s Gilpin county's share dropped to 1/10th and by the 1890s it was only 1/20th of Colorado's total production.

In 1870, the population of Central City, Black Hawk and Nevadaville was about 4,000 - the same as Denver. Ten years later, the three cities were 1/7th the size of Denver. Central City's population was 2,547 - ninth largest city in the State.

From the early 1880s until the early 1900s Central City was merely a good mining town. Central's "boom" days were over.

The first evidence of Central's decline was in 1881, when the Tabor Grand Opera House opened in Denver. This immediately displaced the Opera House in Central City as the leading show house in the state.

Population shifts were also occurring. Many entrepreneurs and business men were moving their offices and homes from Central City to Denver. Many prominent citizens of Central also began moving to Denver in 1878. The spotlight was shifting from Central City to other parts of Colorado.

1900 TO 1930

In 1900, the population of Central City was 3,114. That of Central City, Black Hawk, and Nevadaville combined was 5,137 and Gilpin County, 6,690.

From the mid 1880s to the beginning of World War I, the relationship between the price of gold and the price of other commodities was favorable to gold. In the early 1900s, gold production began to decline. There were two reasons for this.

First, the mines were getting so deep that it was too expensive to continue mining except under the most favorable conditions. Second, inflation caused the price of other commodities to rise while the value of gold stayed constant at about $20.00 per ounce.

The following, from the Weekly Register-Call of April 30, 1920 illustrates the problem:

"... the man with $2,000 in 1913 found on October 31, 1919 that this income had automatically been reduced in purchasing power to $870 ..."

Inflation during World War I also caused prices to increase drastically. However, the price of gold remained at $20.67 per ounce, the same price that it had been since the 1880s.

By September 1918, it cost $30.00 per ounce to produce gold that could be sold for $20.67 per ounce. By December 1918, gold was worth half of what its value was in 1914.

By 1920, the value of gold had changed to at least a 10 to 1 ratio in favor of other commodities. As a result, most mines in this area suspended operations, and many businesses closed. This caused the population of Central City to drop from 3,114 in 1900 to 553 in 1920.

During the 1910s and 1920s, many frame houses in Central City, Black Hawk and Nevadaville were torn down. The lumber was taken to other parts of the state for construction of new residences.

The following advertisement appeared in The Weekly Register-Call every week from January 1 through May 24, 1918.

"FOR $60.00 CASH The two story frame dwelling house and four lots, on Nevada street, opposite the ball park. Inquire of H. J. Hawley."

Lamenting this condition, the following appeared in The Weekly Register-Call on May 31, 1918.

"Iron junk is passing through this city everyday for the railroad yards in Black Hawk, where the stuff is shipped to Denver. The same can be said of lumber from old houses which have been purchased by wrecking parties of Golden and Denver, in this city and Nevadaville. Mr. Hawley's old house on Nevada street, opposite the ball park is the latest building to be torn down and there are many more in this city to follow."

Other houses were boarded up, their owners hoping for better days ahead. The primary example of "boarding up" this activity is the Thomas - Billings House. All of its contents are still intact to this day.

Many other houses were abandoned to the elements, tax roles, and vandals. This can be seen by the many vacant lots within the city.

1930 TO 1945

During the 1930s there was some recovery in mining due to:

1. Cheap labor from men who had been put out of work by the depression;
2. Consolidation of claims and glory hole mining on Quartz Hill which put over 200 men to work. The Glory Hole annually took out more ore than all local companies produced in the boom years of the previous century;
3. An increase in the price of gold from $20 to $35 per ounce; and
4. A more favorable relationship between gold and other commodities due to the Depression of the 1930s.

In 1932, the Central City Opera House Association (CCOHA) began producing summer festivals. This activity also stimulated interest in Central City. Many people began buying old residences for summer and week-end retreats. This brought a small economic revival to the area.

At the beginning of World War II the government prohibited commercial mining of gold. This was done in order to direct labor into the war effort. This act sent gold mining into a tail spin from which it has never recovered. The summer opera festival was also suspended during the war years.

1945 to 1990

After the war, some mines occasionally reopened, sputtered for a while, and reminded everyone of Central's former grandeur. Then, like old soldiers, they would fade away.

There are still vast quantities of gold ore beneath the surface of Central and the surrounding area. However, it is not economically feasible, in most cases, to produce it.

Current environmental concerns and constraints, coupled with Government regulatory activities, makes mining an activity that can coexist with a tourism based economy in a very limited way.

After World War II, the summer opera festival was renewed and expanded. It now runs six weeks each Summer during July and August.

The Opera Festival, the increased mobility of vacationers and creation of other tourist attractions helped Central City to remain a viable community into the 1980s.

By the mid 1980s, many Centralites recognized that other attractions were diverting tourists from Central City. Major ski resorts began enticing tourists to their areas during the Summer and Fall. Economic downturns, and especially the energy bust of the early 1980s also contributed to the decline in tourism.

It was also recognized that the City of Central did not have the tax base to adequately maintain its infrastructure. New sources of revenue had to be found.

Something had to be done to extend the tourist season beyond its traditional Memorial Day to Labor Day time frame.

In 1989, a group of Centralites formed Central City Preservation Incorporated (CCPI) and its political action arm, Preservation Initiative Committee (PIC). They began working toward the legalization of limited gambling as a way of attracting tourists back to Central City.

On November 6, 1990, the voters of Colorado approved amending the State Constitution to legalize limited gambling in the historic mining towns of Central City, Black Hawk and Cripple Creek.

TOMORROW - A NEW GOLD RUSH

As this second edition was being prepared in the Winter of 1990, the year-round population of Central was between three and four hundred people. One hundred twenty-five people voted in the election for Mayor and four Aldermen for the City. The 1990 Census indicated a county-wide population of 3,070.

It is expected that the increase in tourists resulting from the approval of limited gambling will create a "boom" as significant as John Gregory's original discovery of gold.

Everyone involved in the day to day life of Central realizes there will be many changes, some good and some bad. However, we also believe it will be better to deal with problems of economic recovery and improvement, than it would be to watch Central continue to disintegrate and eventually become a true ghost town.

YESTERDAY AND TODAY

Central City's appearance today is very similar to how it looked over 100 years ago. After the fire of 1874, the business district was constructed to last. Only buildings of brick and stone would be built. There would be no more wooden buildings with their ever present potential for destruction by fire.

On Eureka street, from the Court House to Main street, only one building that existed in 1874 is not there today. That was the white wood Presbyterian Church which stood between the Teller House and the Opera House. Even Henry Teller's Law Office, built about 1860, still survives.

On Lawrence street, from Main street East to Raynolds' Court, most of the existing buildings were erected in the 1870s.

On Main street, only the buildings on the South side of the Gold Coin were built after 1900. The Roworth Block even survived the fire of 1874, and dates to the 1860s.

As money becomes available for historic preservation activities - from the proceeds of limited gambling - more of Central City's rich heritage of 19th century architecture will be preserved for the enjoyment and enrichment of future generations.