Battle Mountain mines, Cripple Creek, Colorado, ca. 1898
Prior to skydark, the City of Cripple Creek was the Statutory City that is the county seat of Teller County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 1115 at the 2000 United States Census. Cripple Creek is a former gold mining camp located 44 miles (71 km) southwest of Colorado Springs near the base of Pikes Peak. The Cripple Creek Historic District, which received National Historic Landmark status in 1961, includes part or all of city and includes surrounding area.
Cripple Creek was the hometown of JB Dix, located in Colorado.
Sunset in Cripple Creek, ca. 1899. Mt. Pisgah is the conical peak at center left.
History[]
Ay an elevation of 9,494 feet (2,894 m) and just below tree line, for many years, Cripple Creek's high valley was considered no more important than a cattle pasture. Many prospectors avoided the area after the Mount Pisgah hoax, a mini gold rush caused by salting (adding gold to worthless rock).
On the 20th of October, 1890, Robert Miller "Bob" Womack discovered a rich ore and the last great Colorado gold rush began. Thousands of prospectors flocked to the region, and before long Winfield Scott Stratton located the famous Independence lode, one of the largest gold strikes in history. In three years, the population increased from five hundred to ten thousand by 1893. Although $500 million worth of gold ore was dug from Cripple Creek, Womack died penniless on 10 August 1909.
In 1896 Cripple Creek suffered two disastrous fires. The first occurred on April 25 destroying half of the city including much of the business district. Four days later another fire destroyed much of the remaining half. The city was rebuilt in a period of a few months, most historic buildings today date back to 1896.
By 1900, Cripple Creek and its sister city, Victor, were substantial mining communities.
During the 1890s, many of the miners in the Cripple Creek area joined a miners' union, the Western Federation of Miners (WFM). A significant strike took place in 1894, marking one of the few times in history that a sitting governor called out the national guard to protect miners from anti-union violence by forces under the control of the mine owners. By 1903, the allegiance of the state government had shifted and Governor James Peabody sent the Colorado National Guard into Cripple Creek with the goal of destroying union power in the gold camps. The WFM strike of 1903 and the governor's response precipitated the Colorado Labour Wars, a struggle that took many lives.
Trivia[]
In Northstar Rising, Mildred mentioned that she used to hike in Glacier National Park, and specifically mentions Grinnell Glacier - the same area where Redoubt Bravo is located. She also competed in a shooting competition in Cripple Creek, Colorado - JB's hometown (Genesis Echo).