Who is breckenridge colorado named after

Since they were in the heart of hostile Ute territory, they built a log blockhouse which they named Fort Mary Bigelow after the one woman that stayed with them. Boss Mine at Breckenridge, Colorado s enhanced image. By midsummer of some 8, people came to the valley to seek their fortune. Mining camps were set up at several gulches in the area, and a townsite central to the various mines began to be planned by George Spencer.

Breckenridge, Colorado ca. A popular story says that the town was named for John C. Spencer supposedly picked the name to gain favor of the Vice President, and maybe pull some strings to get a post office for the new town. Later the town decided to change the spelling of the town to Breckenridge to avoid associations with the Southern Democrat and later Major General in the Confederate Army.

A competing story, although less known but perhaps more plausible, is that the actual eponym of the town is Thomas E. Breckenridge, one of the original group of 30 to mine in the valley. Main Street - Breckenridge, Colorado ca. In , some enterprising citizens of Breckenridge decided their town was more deserving of the county seat then their neighbor Park City. Naturally the citizens of Park City were not pleased, but in a few months their ire calmed down and Breckenridge citizens retrieved the documents and began to set up county offices in their town.

Assembling four boats and ten men, the expedition made it about miles downriver before losing all of their boats. Historic building at Breckenredige, Colorado.

Please read on for the brief history of Breckenridge, CO and then click on the links below for more detailed information. Early Settlement and Mining. Long before white settlers from the east crossed the Continental Divide, the area that would become Breckenridge was part of the summer hunting grounds of the nomadic White River and Middle Park Ute Native Americans.

Although there were a few white trappers, mountain men, and traders roaming the area as early as , the establishment of a town was the result of America's mid-nineteenth-century rush to settle the West. By the Pike's Peak Gold Rush was on, and discovery of gold in the Breckenridge area brought miners and fortune seekers to the "Blue River Diggings.

Spencer's prospecting company founded Breckenridge in November of By June of , a U. Breckenridge soon boasted several stores, hotels, and saloons and became the permanent county seat of Summit County, Colorado.

A log cabin on the main street became the clerk and recorder's office in By , the Civil War and increasing difficulty in locating free, accessible gold began to clear the camp of prospectors. Individual miners and mining companies consolidated their holdings.

While there was some early hydraulic mining in the local gulches, including Lomax, Iowa, and Georgia, the mids saw a change in the character of the local mining industry. The days of the lone prospector were gone, and by the population of Breckenridge had plummeted to Breckenridge was quiet and would remain so until large-scale hydraulic mining created a boom in the early s.

In , rich silver and lead carbonates were discovered, and fortune hunters once again invaded Breckenridge. Miners, merchants, and professionals migrated to the mining camp for a different reason than in This time it was for silver rather than gold. Breckenridge became an important hard-rock mining location and a prominent supply center.

Read about the top events in Breckenridge. What better way than to spend Christmas than in a quaint mountain town, blanketed with snow…. Why do movie directors continue to return to Colorado to film?

Quite simply the incredible scenery…. View more Breckenridge articles. Vacation like a VIP! Leisurely Lifestyle shares life and travel hacks, as well as cheap luxury travel. Menu Skip to right header navigation Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar Skip to footer. Downtown Breckenridge. Photo: Av9 Breckenridge is close to I, Denver, and other big ski resorts. Historic District, Colorado. Recreation Aerial view of Breckenridge from atop Peak 6. Kite Lake CG is located in the woods northwest of Alma.

Read about the camping near Breckenridge, around Summit County. Main Street. Winter night. Seems like this hiker was minding his own business and just trying to take a video of the beautiful scenery around him in Girdwood, Alaska …. Ski resorts across the country traditionally rely heavily on international employees. These youngsters come to the U.

This message has been around for …. Praying for snow has long been an integral part of fall. Skiers and snowboarders do a little dance, burn some old skis and say a prayer to …. Ever seen a boat cause waves under a thin top layer of ice?