News from the Southern Teller County Focus Group

Doyle Block Assessment Grant Awarded

The State Historical Fund has awarded the STCFG a $10,000 grant to assess the structural needs of the Doyle Block in Downtown Victor. This historic building once housed the 1908 Democratic Headquarters, the Silver Dollar Saloon and more recently the office of Dr. A.C. Denman. The new owners hope to save the building and develop housing upstairs, a brewery and at gallery downstairs.

More information will be available soon...

El Paso Gold King Preserved at Library of Congress

   The Gold King Headframe in Poverty Gulch is in danger of collapsing and an assessment and attempt to save it determined that the ground under it is not stable enough to rehab the structure. A grant was awarded in 2005 to the Southern Teller County Focus Group to document the structure in detailed engineering and architectural drawings. Those drawings were completed along with photos and historical documents, preserving this mine's place in history in the archives of the national trust.

   That drawing is now available for sale in our online store. Click here to purchase your copy today!     All proceeds are used to preserve and interpret historic sites in southern Teller County.

National Trust/Explore Colorado

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is again teaming up with KUSA 9NEWS to present a public education program called, Explore Colorado.  Using the power of television and the internet, Explore Colorado will reach more than 6 million people, raising public awareness and educating audiences about our State’s heritage, inspiring interest in and visitation to historic and cultural places across the state.  “Colorado has such an incredible range of historic places to explore.  Visiting these sites is a great way to learn more about the state’s rich heritage,” said Barbara Pahl, Director of the Mountains/Plains Office of the National Trust.

The Trails of Gold are part of this project.

More info...

Historic Preservation Month Features Treasures of Victor’s Gold Mining Heritage

Two events highlighting Victor’s golden past will be held during May – Colorado Historic Preservation Month. Both are funded by grants from the Colorado Historical Society.

Downtown walking tours and a guided tour of the Gold Coin Mine will be held May 19 this month. In addition, visitors to this historic mining town can search for treasures during a citywide garage sale, with locations around the city and downtown including the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum.

Saturday, May 19 the new Victor Downtown Walking Tour will get its debut – two guided tours of a new tour/trail and interpretive signs will be held. This new tour and connection to the Trails of Gold just outside of Victor includes a map and written tours of the downtown historic buildings. It allows hikers and bicyclists to access from downtown over 4 miles of Southern Teller County Focus Group (STCFG) trails through gold rush history. The tours start at 9:30 and 1:30 at the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum, corner of 3^rd St. and Victor Avenue.

This project was funded by a grant from the Gold Belt Byway Association and created by Doug McNiel of the Victor Heritage Society and Ruth Zalewski of the STCFG. Each tour will be about 1.5 hours and be conducted on the sidewalks and streets of Victor. Please wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for walking on all grades in cool, possibly wet, spring weather.

At 11:30 May 19 Victor mining engineer and historian Ed Hunter will conduct a guided tour of the Gold Coin Mine at 5^th & Diamond Ave. This historic mine site was owned by the Woods family who founded Victor. The tour, sponsored by the STCFG, will include a close-up look inside the locked gate of the 1890’s hoist that carries remnants of gold décor, as well as the shaft and other structures of the mine. Please wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for inclement weather.

May 19 and 20 will also include the Victor Chamber of Commerce’s Citywide Garage Sale. Treasures of all kinds can be found along the sidewalks of downtown and streets of the residential areas as businesses and residents clean out their attics, yards and garages. The sales will be from 10-4 both days – maps of all the sales will be available at businesses both days and the museum on Saturday. A downtown flea market will be held on Victor Avenue and a craft fair is being planned for the Community Center. Call 719-689-5958 for information.

The Victor Lowell Thomas Museum will be open May 19 and also have items for sale on the sidewalk as weather permits.

Other historic activities in Victor include visiting the Victor Hotel, a National Historic Site, hiking to Stratton’s Independence Mine, also a National Historic Site, as well visiting the American Eagles Scenic Overlook, the Trails of Gold and other sites.

For more information, visit www.victorcolorado.com.

Own a Piece of Gold Mining History

  The Portland Collection, a Series of Pen & Ink Drawings by Cherry Hunter, have been put on sale as a fund-raiser to help build more historic trails and sites in the Victor area.

   Reproduced from originals commissioned by Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company in 1987, this project a fund-raiser for the Southern Teller County Focus Group.  Proceeds will be used to continue the STCFG’s efforts to build, maintain, interpret and promote heritage sites and stabilize historic structures in & around Victor. For more information regarding the STCFG's preservation & rehabilitation activities, visit the Golden Loop Historic Parkway & Trails of Gold or victorcolorado.com.

    With your support, the STCFG will continue its work & provide opportunities for generations of local residents & tourists to view our mining history. The recent opening of the Independence Mill Site Trail and the popular Vindicator Valley Trail are an examples of projects that benefit from donations to the STCFG.

  Now you can own a piece of gold mining history preserved in the artwork of Cherry Hunter & help the STCFG preserve the district's wealth of history. Six pen and ink drawings are being offered in Limited Edition releases of individual prints and in sets of all six. The prints will include brief histories by Ed Hunter.

  Purchase individual prints framed for $95 or unframed for $45 or a complete set of all six prints for $500 either framed with history/description in the same frames, framed prints with history sheets included (not in frames) or unframed with history sheets included.

  The first print to be released is Portland I & II. These mines were located above Victor and were some of the richest in the mining district. Hunter created these pen and ink drawings on site in 1987. She preferred drawing and painting on site, often adding the final touches in her Victor studio. Hunter was a long-time resident of Victor, capturing the mining scenes around the gold camp on paper and canvas. She was active in the community and helped build the Trails of Gold alongside friends and family. She will always be remembered for her beautiful art depicting the gold mining history of the Victor area. Thanks to the family of the artist, and to Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company, owner of the original pen & ink drawings, for granting permission to reproduce the Portland Collection and allowing them to be shared with the general public.

 Sets are a limited edition of 150 each; sets may sell out before the final order date. Prints are reproduced on archival quality paper. Prints to be released can be viewed at the online store.

   Contributions are deductible for federal income tax purposes to the extent allowed by law.  The STCFG is a 501c3 non-profit organization and will furnish each purchaser with a receipt that acknowledges their contribution.

  For information, please visit www.victorcolorado.com or to purchase in person, visit the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum in Victor after June 14.

New Signs Guides to Trails, Historic Sites
  The STCFG map sign project is complete, replacing the outdated and faded map signs at 10 locations around the district.
  The project is now completed and the signs were installed by volunteers.
  The installation was completely volunteer by Ed Hunter, Jane
Mannon, Jon and Ruth Zalewski. The design was donated by
ZStudios using artwork from Cherry Hunter, the Lowell Thomas
Museum, as well as a base map provided by the Teller County
Information Technology Dept. The map signs denote the new trail
system, historic sites and roads that have been rerouted over the
past years due to mining activity. The new signs are National Park Service Standard fiberglass embedded panels in dark brown
frames.
  The City of Cripple Creek Community Resource Funds were
donated for this project as well as private donations to the
STCFG.

Thanks to

Wayne Stewart of the Lock Shop in Woodland Park for his generous donation of 12 keyed locks for securing our trailheads from motorized traffic. And to Tom Bollinger of Florissant for fabricating and donating the donation tubes for our trailheads.

Group Assists Victor Masons in Historic Preservation
The Victor Masonic Lodge on South 4th St., is in dire need to repairs to keep the structure in tact. The STCFG has adopted the Masonic Lodge and partnered with the Victor Masons to repair the building. Members of both groups teamed up in June to make temporary roof repairs needed to keep the building from further deterioration until a rehab grant can be obtained.
The local lodge members and available funds to maintain the building have dwindled to nearly nonexistent.
The STCFG applied for and received in a Historic Structural Assessment Grant from the State Historical Fund. The group applied for a state historical grant Oct. 1, 2005 to repair the roof. Matching funds will be needed for this project and anyone wishing to make a donation may do so to STCFG, POB 328, Victor, CO 80860.

Historic Headframe Relocated
The metal structure that is the remnant of the gold mining operations at the Julia E shaft of the Ophir Mine has been relocated below its former location in Squaw Gulch..
Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company and Conley Construction erected the headframe this summer just above Highway 67 between Victor and Cripple Creek. The structure was
moved on request of the Southern Teller County Focus Group.The Julia E. was on the edge of the mine expansion on Raven Hill, just above the Golden Wedge, a tall, thin, wooden headframe still intact. The STCFG requested the structure be moved to preserve it and the historic mining landscape in Squaw Gulch. The structure may be viewed from state Highway 67 and the Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad.
The Advance Gold Mining, Bonding and Leasing Company owned stock in and leased the Julia E on Raven Hill at the turn of the century.The STCFG is a non-profit organization that addresses community development and historic mining in southern Teller County.

Gold Coin Wall Restored
The STCFG has funded from its historic preservation funds, raised by the sale of Portland II prints, the restoration of a 30 foot by 12 foot wall of the east side of the Gold Coin Mine. The mine, located in downtown Victor, was founded by the Woods family.
The wall, which was made from hand hewn native rock, served as the east foundation for the mine site. The new wall was constructed of native rock from the Strong and Independence mines by J&K Landscaping of Victor. The wall was completed in the fall of 2004. Others donating to the cause were Mark Gregory, Lorri Sewald, Ron Robb, Woody, Andy Watson and the Strong Mine.

High Speed Internet

The Focus Group was instrumental in bringing High Speed Internet Access to Southern Teller County, thru a partnership with CCVNet.net. The project begun in 2001 brought wireless service into existing businesses and homes as well as to those who wish to relocate here.

Grant Awarded to Restore Headframe on Womack's Original Claim
The Gold King Headframe in Poverty Gulch is in danger of collapsing and an assessment and attempt to
save it determined that the ground under it is not stable enough to rehab the  structure. A new grant was awarded in 2005 to document the structure in detailed engineering and architectural drawings.
The headframe has been in place since the 1920s. The original headframe that hoisted men and ore from the El Paso Gold King Mine was moved to the Hoosier Mine which can be seen from County Road 83 near the Gold Camp Trailhead. The current headframe was built sometime in the early 1920s and
served the mine until it was closed in 1958. Womack discovered gold on the site, called the El Paso lode, in October of 1890.
CC&V has generously allowed public access to the area via the Gold Camp Trail. The mining company is also funding the archaeological study required for the grant project.

The STCFG is a non profit organization dedicated to positive community development in Southern Teller County. This is the fifth SHF grant the group has sought and received for projects. Other STFCG projects that are partnerships with private property owners include the popular Vindicator Valley Trail, Battle Mtn. Trail, Little Grouse Trail, Independenc Millsite Trail,
Golden Circle Trail, interpretation of the Gold Camp Trail, structural assessments of the Bebee House and Miners Union Hall as well as interpretation of historic mining exhibits at two of the trailheads

Two Memorial Benches Placed
Two benches were placed July 7 in memory of Cherry Hunter, well known Victor
artist and volunteer. The benches were purchased with funds donated to the
STCFG Victor Lowell Thomas Museum by family and friends after Cherry's
passing in Nov. 2004. One bench is at the American Eagles Scenic Overlook
and the other on the Vindicator Valley Trail.

Frizzell Fund-raiser A Success
The entire series of 100 signed Frizzell Portland II prints have been sold - thanks to you all for your support! We still have unsigned prints left for sale - the proceeds go toward our historic preservation and mining history projects.