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Welcome to Telluride, Colorado.
Utah). It is a dynamic community of 3000
residents and a place
of incomparable natural
beauty.
The free 
Telluride [1] is a town in San Miguel County in southwestern Colorado on the San Miguel River on the west side of the San Juan Mountains. The population was 2,221 at the 2000 census.
Originally a mining town, Telluride is now a major ski resort. In the summer, there are festivals almost every weekend, including the Telluride Film Festival, Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Mushroom festival, Nothing Day festival and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. It is the county seat of San Miguel CountyGR6.
Telluride sits in a box canyon. Steep forested mountains and cliffs surround it. Spectacular Bridal Veil Falls is at the head of the canyon. Numerous weathered ruins of old mining operations dot the hillsides.
Telluride was the inspiration for Galt's Gulch in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, and is the subject of the song "Telluride" by Tim McGraw.
With three ways in and only two ways out Telluride sits in a very isolated part of Colorado. Colorado Rt 145 is the most common way into Telluride, however there are two passes for the more adventurous types. Imogene Pass is the more forgiving of the two passes, though it still requires 4x4 experience and should not be taken lightly. Black Bear Pass is noted to be Colorado’s Most dangerous pass. It is only passable in one direction because of a treacherous stair step section. The town of Telluride is situated at an altitude of 8,750 feet.
The main road comes in from the west. The Eastern side of town, or the falls side, has Bridal Veil Falls and the intriguing Generator house that sits at the top of the falls. This house is owned by Eric Jacobsen, who restored the house and the generator inside, which now provides much of Telluride with its electricity. The house was originally used to power the Smuggler-Union Mine and requires an aerial tramway for Jacobsen and his family to get home.
Telluride is located at 37°56'21?N, 107°48'59?W (37.939153, -107.816317)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8 km² (0.7 mi²). 1.8 km² (0.7 mi²) of it is land, and there is a small creek that flows through the town.
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Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 2,221 people, 1,013 households, and 357 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,207.8/km² (3,143.3/mi²). There were 1,938 housing units at an average density of 1,053.9/km² (2,742.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.57% White, 0.41% African American, 0.81% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 4.14% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.20% of the population.
There were 1,013 households out of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.2% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 64.7% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the town the population was spread out with 14.3% under the age of 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 50.9% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 1.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 122.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 127.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,938, and the median income for a family was $66,136. Males had a median income of $35,329 versus $30,096 for females. The per capita income for the town was $38,832. About 8.5% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
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History
Nestled at in the mountains at the head of the San Miguel River, for centuries the Ute Indians spent summer and fall in the valley hunting elk, deer and mountain sheep before gold was discovered and mining moved in.
In 1858 the first gold was discovered. John Fallon made the first claim to Marshal Basin above Telluride in 1875 and early settlement of Telluride occurred. The town itself was founded in 1878. Telluride was originally named "Columbia," but due to confusion with Columbia California, the name was changed by the post office in 1887. The town was named after an element called Tellurium, which was never actually found in the mountains of Telluride. Tellurium is a non metallic element that is associated with rich deposits of Gold and some Silver. An alternate theory for the naming of Telluride is that it is a contraction of "to-hell-you-ride." Telluride's mines were rich in zinc, iron, lead, copper, silver and, of course, gold.
Telluride began slowly because of its very isolated location. In 1881 a toll road was opened by Otto Mears which allowed wagons to go where only pack mules could go before. This increased the number of people who settled in Telluride, but it was still expensive to get gold rich ore out of the valley. In 1890 the first trains reached town which brought in more mines and brought out more ore.
In June of 1889, Butch Cassidy and his gang robbed the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride. This was his first major recorded crime. He walked away from the bank with $24,580.
A little known fact is that just outside of Telluride, in Placerville, Uranium ore was discovered. In 1898 Marie Curie purchased ore from this location and is said to have visited the area.
Right around the century there were very serious labor disputes in the mines near Telluride. The Colorado National Guard was called out and there were deaths on both sides. Unions were formed as miners joined the Western Federation of Miners in 1896. 1899 brought big changes with most mines granting miners $3 a day for an 8 hour day’s work plus a boarding pay of $1 a day. This came at a time when workers were putting in 10-12 hour days and the mines ran round the clock. Work conditions were treacherous with mines over 12,000 ft and a lack of safety measures, not to mention nature’s wrath in the winter months. Even the boarding houses were precariously placed on the mountainsides.
Telluride's Mining days came to a close between 1953 and 1959 with the final closing of the Silver Bell mine. Families left town and it became a ghost town for nearly 20 years. The snow that once tormented the miners became the new gold for the town. The first ski lift was installed in 1974 by Joe Zoline. In 1978 the mountain was purchased by Ron Allred and his partner Jim Wells to form the Telluride Company
Further reading
The Telluride Story by David Lavender, Photography by George H. H. Huey, Wayfinder Press, Ouray, CO, 1987, ISBN 0-9608764-6-4.
The Corpse On Boomerang Road: Telluride's War on Labor 1899-1908 by MaryJoy Martin, Western Reflections Publishing Company, Montrose, CO, 2004, ISBN 1-932738-02-9
A comprehensive look at the labor history of Telluride.
Telluride: Landscapes and Dreams by Eileen Benjamin, Montoya Publishing, 2000 ISBN 0-9679986-0-3
A visit with the Tomboy Bride : Harriet Backus and her friends by Duane A. Smith, Western Reflections Pub. Co, Montrose CO, 2003 ISBN 1-890437-87-5
Title A brief history of Telluride. by Christian J. Buys, Western Reflections, Montrose, CO 2003 ISBN 1-890437-83-2
The mountains are the story : a history of Telluride for children written by Duke Richey, illustrated by the children of Telluride Elementary School, Between the Covers Bookstore, Telluride, CO 2000 ISBN 0-9706361-0-5
Conversations at 9,000 feet : a collection of oral histories from Telluride, Colorado compiled by Davine Pera, Western Reflections, Ouray, CO 2000 ISBN 1-890437-53-0
Historic Telluride in rare photographs Christian J. Buys, Western Reflections Ouray, CO 1999 ISBN 1-890437-02-6
