A brief history of Breckenridge, CO
In 1859 gold was discovered in the mountains near Idaho Springs, CO. A small group led by General George E. Spencer set up camp along the Blue River. The settlement was named “Fort Mary B” in honor of the only woman in the group. The camp soon grew and Spencer renamed the settlement “Breckinridge” in honor of the vice president of the United States at the time. Spencer hoped this politically astute move would result in the area being awarded a post office. His strategy paid off, and in January 1860 Breckinridge boasted of having the first post office between the Continental Divide and the state of Utah. Later that same year, Breckinridge officially became part of the Colorado Territory.
A year later, former Vice President Breckinridge chose to side with the Confederate Army and accepted a position as a brigadier general. Small-town residents didn’t like this choice very much, so they opted to change the spelling of their community to Breckenridge … which remains the spelling today.
Breckenridge has a number of famous citizens. George Spencer later became a United States Senator. Barney Ford, once a runaway slave and member of the Underground Railroad, built several businesses, established an adult education program, and is considered one of the Founding Fathers of Colorado. Father John Lewis Dyer juggled his passion for God and the great outdoors by skiing across the Continental Divide and delivering gold, mail and the gospel. Edwin Carter originally came to the area in 1859 and began his search for gold, but after seeing the damage mining efforts caused to the area’s natural beauty, he began cataloging and saving local plant life. The converted naturalist collected thousands of specimens during his lifetime and was largely responsible for founding the Denver Museum of Natural History.
Gold remained Breckenridge’s main attraction until the early 1900s. The most famous find is attributed to Tom Groves in 1887. Groves presented his nugget wrapped in a blanket and was named “Tom’s Baby.” Interestingly, after putting the 13-pound nugget on the train to Denver, it disappeared. When he appeared 85 years later, he weighed five pounds less. In the early 1900s, the Blue River was being dredged and these efforts continued until shortly before World War II, when labor resources ran out.
Today, Breckenridge benefits from its proximity to another major mountain attraction: tourism. The Colorado mountains attract thousands of visitors each winter in search of snow, and even more visitors who enjoy fishing, hiking, biking, and golfing during the summer. Breckenridge was once a rustic tent mining town, but today it is a vibrant community with a variety of Colorado hotels, condos, and vacation rental options. [http://www.playnicevacations.com] – Recreation Colorado brought a renaissance to the city.