History
along the Top of the Rockies Byway
When Abe Lee discovered gold in 1860 in
California Gulch, the entire face of Colorado changed. The Boom began.
Towns were established, the railway arrived and populations swelled.
Fortunes were made by the likes of Horace Tabor, David May, J.J. Brown
and his wife, Margaret also known as Molly Brown, the Guggenheims and
the Boettcher family. With the money came development and culture. The
repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893 effectively wiped out
much of the wealth enjoyed by so many. The mining communities have had
to find other ways to flourish or would die.
The next significant event in reshaping
this region came in 1942. During World War II, the 10th Mountain Division
at Camp Hale began training on skis. These “Soldiers of the Summit” fought
valiantly in the Italian campaign and led the pursuit of the Germans
toward the Austrian border. The men of the 10th Mountain Division were
responsible, more than any other group, for the creation of the American
Ski Industry. The Top of the Rockies National Scenic and Historic Byway
is shaped by the stories of these men and women who shaped the American
West.
| Top of the Rockies Area History
Information Resources |
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