sfarson
New member
Yesterday rode to the Cripple Creek, Victor area of Colorado. Serious gold mining history. Found some images online of how the Victor area looked almost 110 years ago. Gonna look at the past, find the present, look forward.
The weather turns gloomy quickly. Things turn dark as nearby Pike's Peak creates its own weather. Can't hang around long as thunder accompanies the exploration. So some of the later images reflect the declining conditions but in a way, the coming gray skies fit with the B&W images of the past.
The ride is in the pics. First stop is just above Cripple Creek at a scenic overlook...
That's the Sangre de Christo Range in the background, Cripple Creek in the foreground...
Victor is about five miles away. It is where we are going. Not far by a two wheeled horse, but more of an event when a four legged horse provided transport. Here's a sign in the town....
The fine print notes back in 1902 the population was 17,500...
Today it is 17,000 less...
But one can locate a 1900 image of a sturdy building...
And see it stands proudly today...
Turning slightly to the left, back then...
And today...
A busy place around 1900...
Less so today. One can note the slopes containing mines in the background...
The hills are a checkerboard of mines at the turn of the previous century...
But it is difficult to place just where the photographer stood back then. Slopes change shape as mines go down and tailings come out...
So why not another pic of this changed landscape...
Here's men on the payroll of the mines...
You may have noted darkening images of the slopes above. This is how it looked 90 degrees to the right from where the two slopeside pics were taken.
It was mentioned how the mines changed the landscape. The other was fire. Wood was the main source for construction, the fuel for warmth. Structures are packed tightly. A fire let loose in one could, and easily did, spread to others. Many towns in Colorado 100 years ago experienced the cycle of construction, destruction by fire, construction, destruction by fire... In 1899 one such blaze swept through much of the city...
The train tracks seen above are replaced by the dirt road here, but I couldn't get any higher for the residence on the rocks behind me...
The weather turns gloomy quickly. Things turn dark as nearby Pike's Peak creates its own weather. Can't hang around long as thunder accompanies the exploration. So some of the later images reflect the declining conditions but in a way, the coming gray skies fit with the B&W images of the past.
The ride is in the pics. First stop is just above Cripple Creek at a scenic overlook...
That's the Sangre de Christo Range in the background, Cripple Creek in the foreground...
Victor is about five miles away. It is where we are going. Not far by a two wheeled horse, but more of an event when a four legged horse provided transport. Here's a sign in the town....
The fine print notes back in 1902 the population was 17,500...
Today it is 17,000 less...
But one can locate a 1900 image of a sturdy building...
And see it stands proudly today...
Turning slightly to the left, back then...
And today...
A busy place around 1900...
Less so today. One can note the slopes containing mines in the background...
The hills are a checkerboard of mines at the turn of the previous century...
But it is difficult to place just where the photographer stood back then. Slopes change shape as mines go down and tailings come out...
So why not another pic of this changed landscape...
Here's men on the payroll of the mines...
You may have noted darkening images of the slopes above. This is how it looked 90 degrees to the right from where the two slopeside pics were taken.
It was mentioned how the mines changed the landscape. The other was fire. Wood was the main source for construction, the fuel for warmth. Structures are packed tightly. A fire let loose in one could, and easily did, spread to others. Many towns in Colorado 100 years ago experienced the cycle of construction, destruction by fire, construction, destruction by fire... In 1899 one such blaze swept through much of the city...
The train tracks seen above are replaced by the dirt road here, but I couldn't get any higher for the residence on the rocks behind me...
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