Breckenridge History
History
Summer 1859-
Gold is discovered along the Blue River and a base camp, later to be known as Breckenridge, is established. While none of this base camp remains today, Breckenridge does contain more than 350 historic structures, making it the largest historic district in the state of Colorado.
1859-
The Gold Pan Saloon is established as a rough and ready bar for the miners. Today, the Gold Pan is still in business at 103 North Main Street in Breckenridge, and stands propud as the oldest continuously operated bar west of the Mississippi.
1860-
Breckenridge gets a post office to serve the more than 8,000 miners and merchants who flock to the area.
1869-
Breckenridge Navy founded by "Captain" Sam Adams. Adams, seeking a water route from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, leads four boats on an ill-fated trip from the Blue River to the Colorado River before hopes are abandoned.
1879-
Father John L. Dyer, the "Snowshoe Itinerant Preacher" founds his Methodist church in Breckenridge. Dyer spends winters on his twelve-foot-long wooden skis, travelling between mining camps and over mountain passes to preach and deliver mail. The church he founded is located at 310 Wellington and still holds services today.
1882-
The railroad arrives in Breckenridge. South Park & Pacific Railroad Company lay rail tracks over what is current day Boreas Pass Road. Today visitors can view original narrow guage rail cars, including an original engine, a rotary snowplow, a coal tender and two boxcars at the Denver, Leadville, & Gunnison Railway Park located at 189 Boreas Pass Road.
1887-
"Tom's Baby" a 13.5 pound gold nugget is discovered near Breckenridge by local miners Tom Graves and Harry Lytton. Tom's Baby is now on display at the Colorado Museum of Natural History in Denver.
1898-
The Big Snow" comes to Breckenridge. Snow falls everyday from November through February, forcing residents to dig tunnels to travel throught town and stopping all trains from visiting Breckenridge for months.
Breckenridge Historic People
Barney and Julia Lancelot Ford were two runaway slaves who lived in Breckenridge in the late 1880's. Barney was a successful miner in his early days in Breckenridge, but was bilked out of his fortune by his lawyers who took advantage of the fact that African Americans were unable to own property in Colorado at the time. Barney and Julia didn't accept this fate, however. Instead, they worked to guarantee rights for African-Americans in the Colorado Constitution and returned to Breckenridge to gain a new fortune running the upscale Denver Hotel and Ford's Chop House. The historic couples home has been renovated and opened as the Barney Ford Museum, located at the corner of Washington and Main Street.
1908-
School children discover Pug Ryan's treasure near Breckenridge. Pug Ryan and his gang robbed the Denver Hotel in Breckenridge in 1898, making off with considerable loot. The rovvery resulted in a shoot out and the death of all gang members except Pug who escaped- never to return to claim his prize. The found treasure included the gold watch of the Denver Hotel's owner.
1909-
Mining erea money funds the building fo the stately brick K-12 schoolhouse, complete with an indoor swimming pool and pressed-tin ceilings. Today, the building is inhabited by Colorado Mountain College and the Speakeasy Theatre and is located at 103 South Harris Street.
1942-
Dredge Boat mining comes to a halt after more than 40 years when World War II requires all metal be melted down for the war effort. Today visitors can view where the progress stopped at Maggie Pond at the base of Peak 9.
1945-
The Country Boy Mine ceases operation after a flood. Developed in 1887 adn utilized through the years as a gold, silver, and zinc mine; today the mine si open to visitors and provides guided underground tours, gold panning and a view into the past.
1960-
Breckenridge continues as the Summit County seat, but the population dips to 393 and town members fear the area will soon be a ghost town.
July 27, 1961-
Rounds and Porter Lumber Company of Wichita, Kansas are issued a permit for a new ski area in Breckenridge. Tapping into a new "vein" of winter sports, the ski area ensures the continuation of the town and the areas history.
December 16, 1961-
The Breckenridge Ski Area officially opens with one Heron double chairlift and a short T-bar. Almost 17,000 skier visits were recored that first season, despite the fact that Interstate 70 was still not complete to Summit County.
Breckenridge Historic People
Trygve Berge, a native Norwegian, served as the Breckenridge Ski School Director for the resort's first 11 years. Trygve was a Norwegian national ski champ in 1955 and founded a ski school with Stein Eriksen prior to locating Breckenridge. Today Trygve's legacy is honored with Trygves Run for beginners, and the Bergenhof Restaurant, both named for him.
1971-
Peak 9 opens with two double chairs and 12 trails. Skier visits for the 1971-72 season total 221,000, compared to 17,000 during the 1961-62 season.
1978-
Colorado's first alpine slide begins operation on Peak 8.
1981-
Breckenridge installs the world's first high-speed quad chairlift on Peak 9. The lift, capable of transporting 2,800 skiers per hour, started the industry's high-speed quad revolution.
1984-
Breckenridge became Colorado's first major resort to allow snowboarding.
1985-
Breckenridge's third interconnected mountain; Peak 10, opens and the resort hosts the worlds first Snowboarding World Cup.
1993-
Peak 7, this ski area's fourth interconnected mountain, opens for hiking access and glade skiing.
1997-
Breckenridge Ski Resort and Keystone Resort are merged with Vail and Beaver Creek to form Vail Resorts, the largest mountain resort company in North America at the time.
1998-
$18 million is invested into on-mountain improvements, including two new high-speed quads - the most in the resort's 37-year history.
1999-
Another $14 million invested includes construction of Ten Mile Station on Peak 9. Breckenridge celebrates being the country's most popular ski resort that season with a record 1,392,242 skier visits.
Summer 1859-
Gold is discovered along the Blue River and a base camp, later to be known as Breckenridge, is established. While none of this base camp remains today, Breckenridge does contain more than 350 historic structures, making it the largest historic district in the state of Colorado.
1859-
The Gold Pan Saloon is established as a rough and ready bar for the miners. Today, the Gold Pan is still in business at 103 North Main Street in Breckenridge, and stands propud as the oldest continuously operated bar west of the Mississippi.
1860-
Breckenridge gets a post office to serve the more than 8,000 miners and merchants who flock to the area.
1869-
Breckenridge Navy founded by "Captain" Sam Adams. Adams, seeking a water route from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, leads four boats on an ill-fated trip from the Blue River to the Colorado River before hopes are abandoned.
1879-
Father John L. Dyer, the "Snowshoe Itinerant Preacher" founds his Methodist church in Breckenridge. Dyer spends winters on his twelve-foot-long wooden skis, travelling between mining camps and over mountain passes to preach and deliver mail. The church he founded is located at 310 Wellington and still holds services today.
1882-
The railroad arrives in Breckenridge. South Park & Pacific Railroad Company lay rail tracks over what is current day Boreas Pass Road. Today visitors can view original narrow guage rail cars, including an original engine, a rotary snowplow, a coal tender and two boxcars at the Denver, Leadville, & Gunnison Railway Park located at 189 Boreas Pass Road.
1887-
"Tom's Baby" a 13.5 pound gold nugget is discovered near Breckenridge by local miners Tom Graves and Harry Lytton. Tom's Baby is now on display at the Colorado Museum of Natural History in Denver.
1898-
The Big Snow" comes to Breckenridge. Snow falls everyday from November through February, forcing residents to dig tunnels to travel throught town and stopping all trains from visiting Breckenridge for months.
Breckenridge Historic People
Barney and Julia Lancelot Ford were two runaway slaves who lived in Breckenridge in the late 1880's. Barney was a successful miner in his early days in Breckenridge, but was bilked out of his fortune by his lawyers who took advantage of the fact that African Americans were unable to own property in Colorado at the time. Barney and Julia didn't accept this fate, however. Instead, they worked to guarantee rights for African-Americans in the Colorado Constitution and returned to Breckenridge to gain a new fortune running the upscale Denver Hotel and Ford's Chop House. The historic couples home has been renovated and opened as the Barney Ford Museum, located at the corner of Washington and Main Street.
1908-
School children discover Pug Ryan's treasure near Breckenridge. Pug Ryan and his gang robbed the Denver Hotel in Breckenridge in 1898, making off with considerable loot. The rovvery resulted in a shoot out and the death of all gang members except Pug who escaped- never to return to claim his prize. The found treasure included the gold watch of the Denver Hotel's owner.
1909-
Mining erea money funds the building fo the stately brick K-12 schoolhouse, complete with an indoor swimming pool and pressed-tin ceilings. Today, the building is inhabited by Colorado Mountain College and the Speakeasy Theatre and is located at 103 South Harris Street.
1942-
Dredge Boat mining comes to a halt after more than 40 years when World War II requires all metal be melted down for the war effort. Today visitors can view where the progress stopped at Maggie Pond at the base of Peak 9.
1945-
The Country Boy Mine ceases operation after a flood. Developed in 1887 adn utilized through the years as a gold, silver, and zinc mine; today the mine si open to visitors and provides guided underground tours, gold panning and a view into the past.
1960-
Breckenridge continues as the Summit County seat, but the population dips to 393 and town members fear the area will soon be a ghost town.
July 27, 1961-
Rounds and Porter Lumber Company of Wichita, Kansas are issued a permit for a new ski area in Breckenridge. Tapping into a new "vein" of winter sports, the ski area ensures the continuation of the town and the areas history.
December 16, 1961-
The Breckenridge Ski Area officially opens with one Heron double chairlift and a short T-bar. Almost 17,000 skier visits were recored that first season, despite the fact that Interstate 70 was still not complete to Summit County.
Breckenridge Historic People
Trygve Berge, a native Norwegian, served as the Breckenridge Ski School Director for the resort's first 11 years. Trygve was a Norwegian national ski champ in 1955 and founded a ski school with Stein Eriksen prior to locating Breckenridge. Today Trygve's legacy is honored with Trygves Run for beginners, and the Bergenhof Restaurant, both named for him.
1971-
Peak 9 opens with two double chairs and 12 trails. Skier visits for the 1971-72 season total 221,000, compared to 17,000 during the 1961-62 season.
1978-
Colorado's first alpine slide begins operation on Peak 8.
1981-
Breckenridge installs the world's first high-speed quad chairlift on Peak 9. The lift, capable of transporting 2,800 skiers per hour, started the industry's high-speed quad revolution.
1984-
Breckenridge became Colorado's first major resort to allow snowboarding.
1985-
Breckenridge's third interconnected mountain; Peak 10, opens and the resort hosts the worlds first Snowboarding World Cup.
1993-
Peak 7, this ski area's fourth interconnected mountain, opens for hiking access and glade skiing.
1997-
Breckenridge Ski Resort and Keystone Resort are merged with Vail and Beaver Creek to form Vail Resorts, the largest mountain resort company in North America at the time.
1998-
$18 million is invested into on-mountain improvements, including two new high-speed quads - the most in the resort's 37-year history.
1999-
Another $14 million invested includes construction of Ten Mile Station on Peak 9. Breckenridge celebrates being the country's most popular ski resort that season with a record 1,392,242 skier visits.
