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Category: History

  • Central City Has Never Been Afraid of Big Moments. Until Now.

    Central City Has Never Been Afraid of Big Moments. Until Now.

    EDITORIAL

    Central City Has Never Been Afraid of Big Moments. Until Now.

    A unanimous vote by the county’s three sitting commissioners turns away an $8 million opportunity—and raises hard questions about leadership, legacy, and the town’s future.

    Central City historic view
    Central City, Colorado — where constitutional history was written and economic futures are now rejected. [Photo credit TK]

    The desk on which Colorado’s Constitution was drafted still sits in Central City.

    That matters, because this town has never been a footnote. It has always been a starting point.

    Central City exists because John H. Gregory struck gold in Gregory Gulch in 1859 and ignited a chain reaction of risk, investment, and ambition that built the Rocky Mountains’ first great boomtown. This place was not preserved into existence. It was built—forcefully, deliberately, and at great personal cost.

    Last week, that legacy was set aside.

    In a unanimous vote by the three current sitting county commissioners, a development proposal was rejected that would have increased local economic activity from roughly $1 million annually to an estimated $8 million, while restoring Central City’s standing as the only authentic mountain gaming town in the region.

    That decision will linger.

    This was not speculative growth. It was a targeted reinvestment aligned with the town’s identity, its economic reality, and its history. Gaming is not incidental here; it is the modern continuation of the same risk-based enterprise that built Central City in the first place.

    Instead, the vote ensured that the mountain gaming spotlight remains fixed on outside corporate ownership groups operating elsewhere—Monarch, Ameristar—entities with capital and scale, but no roots in the canyon and no connection to the town’s founding values.

    They did not build Central City.
    They did not carve Gregory Gulch.
    They did not rebuild after fire reduced the town to ash—twice.

    Yet through caution and inaction, they have been left as the stewards of Colorado’s mountain gaming identity, while the town that created that identity is asked to accept permanent second-tier status.

    That is not preservation. It is abdication.

    The Economic Math

    The economic math alone should have settled the matter. An $8 million impact in a town this size is not upside—it is oxygen. Jobs, infrastructure, secondary business activity, tax base, visibility. These are not luxuries for Central City. They are the difference between circulation and stagnation.

    Central City is not a museum accidentally left outdoors. It is a living town that has reinvented itself repeatedly—from mining camp, to cultural center, to gaming town—each time through investment, not retreat.

    Every historic building standing today was once a controversial new development. The opera house was audacious. The grand hotels were excessive. Ambition offended those who preferred smaller horizons. And yet those choices are exactly why Central City mattered then—and why it still should.

    “The commissioners failed to grasp a basic mountain truth: when opportunity is blocked upstream, consequences flow downhill.”

    Businesses close. Workers leave. Identity erodes.

    A Call for Accountability

    This vote stands as one of the most consequential political miscalculations in recent memory—not because it was bold, but because it was unnecessary. It turned away growth that honored the town’s past by extending it forward.

    Leadership is stewardship, not paralysis. When elected officials fail to act in defense of a town’s survival, accountability follows.

    This paper stands opposed to the commissioners’ decision and calls for new leadership—leaders who understand that Central City’s future is not something to defer, and that history is respected by building, not by standing still.

    The creek keeps flowing.
    History keeps moving.
    Central City should too.

    SIDEBAR | Central City: Built by Risk, Sustained by Investment

    1859 — Gregory Gulch
    John H. Gregory’s discovery ignites the Colorado Gold Rush.

    1860s–1870s — Boomtown
    Opera houses, mills, hotels, and civic buildings rise in extreme terrain.

    1874 & 1877 — The Great Fires
    The town burns—twice—and rebuilds each time with greater ambition.

    Early 1900s — Decline and Endurance
    Mining slows, but Central City survives through adaptation.

    1990s — Limited-Stakes Gaming
    Gaming restores economic life and preserves historic structures through use.

    Today — A Crossroads
    A decisive investment is rejected, placing the town’s future in question.

    Patrick Henry Sweeney is Publisher and Editor of the Weekly Register-Call, Colorado’s oldest newspaper (est. 1862), and operates under the Robert F. Sweeney Foundation for Excellence in Journalism. The Register-Call has won 27 Colorado Press Association awards in three years. Contact: admin@registercall.com

  • Nevadaville in the 1880’s

    Nevadaville in the 1880’s

    Part 1 – Formation of the Nevadaville Fire Department

    By Mary Peery

    This is a new fact-based series based on newspaper articles, and a little fiction, to depict life in Nevadaville during its economic peak.  The fire department came about after devastating fires like the one depicted below:

    “A Fifteen Thousand Dollar Fire” by the Rocky Mountain News, January 4, 1882 (more…)

  • A Timeless Legacy in Central City

    A Timeless Legacy in Central City

    Peter Gottesleben was born on Dec. 31, 1834, in the Rhine Province, Germany. Today, 190 years later, his legacy endures in the Teller House lobby in Central City, where an impressive eight-foot George A. Jones Walnut Parlor Clock stands. The clock, inscribed with “Hense Gottesleben,” tells a rich historical and roman- tic story.

    The “Hense” refers to Peter’s brother-in-law. After im- migrating to Quincy, Ill., and living there for two years, Peter and his wife, Elizabeth Hense, traveled to Denver in 1857 by covered wagon pulled by an ox team. Upon ar- rival, they opened a jewelry store on Larimer Street near the original May Company building that was constructed by Frank Kirchhof, another German immigrant who was influential in Denver’s early development. He built landmark structures like the Albany and Oxford Hotels and founded the Kirchhof Lumber Company, amassing considerable wealth.

    While there is no direct evidence that Gottesleben and Kirchhof knew each other, they likely crossed paths through church or Denver’s growing business networks. Their connection is further underscored by Kirchhof pur- chasing the walnut parlor clock in the mid to late 1860s from Hense Gottesleben’s jewelry store on Larimer Street. The clock was likely a centerpiece in Kirchhof’s opulent home.

    Manufactured by the George A. Jones & Company in New York during the early 1860s, the Teller House clock is one of the finest of its era. In a time when most clocks were imported from England, owning a precision-made American clock was a symbol of status. The George A. Jones & Company also imported the finest clocks and bronzes from France, Germany, Prussia and England and was renowned in New York City for its quality.

    Legacy in timekeeping at Teller House

    Members of the National Association of Watch and Collectors Chapter 21 from Denver recently balanced the Teller House clock.

    The Teller House clock is particularly special because of the engraving on its pendulum, which identifies both George A. Jones as the manufacturer and Hense Gottesleben as the retailer. Another fascinating feature is the pendulum’s mercury component.

    Mercury was used in clocks of this period to improve timekeeping accuracy by compensating for temperature-induced changes in the pendulum’s length. As temperature rises and the pendulum rod expands, the mercury in the bob also expands, adjusting the clock’s center of mass to maintain consistent time- keeping.

    As we welcome 2025 in, we honor pioneers like Peter Gottesleben and Frank Kirchhof, along with generations of entrepreneurs who contrib- uted to the growth of Colorado. Frank Kirchhof’s daughter, Bernadine Kirchhof, donated the valuable clock to the Teller House in the 1930s and stands proudly in the first-floor lobby. Its inscrip- tion commemo- rates the long journey to Denver by a covered wagon pulled by the ox team—a tribute to the Gottesleben- Hense family’s 1857 Westward migration.

    Today, the clock continues to tick 165 years later, thanks to the dedicated efforts of Eric Chinn, Central City Op- era’s director of Historic Proper- ties, who winds it regularly, and the volunteers from Denver Chapter 21 of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors. Special thanks go to Chapter 21’s Randy Schnei- der, Charles Daldry, Mike Korn, Jane and Steve Stap, David Gies, and others who help maintain and adjust historic clocks, including the tower clocks at two high schools in Denver. The Chapter also maintains a list of clock repair professionals on its website for anyone needing repairs at nawcc21.com/business-directory

     

     

  • 2 counties, diferent economies, yet share comon links in terms of history, demographics

    2 counties, diferent economies, yet share comon links in terms of history, demographics

    the Gilpin Historical Society
    and the Gilpin Arts Society
    also bring new visitors.

    several years on an “ongoing
    renaissance” plan to diver-
    sify Black Hawk into a resort
    destination for visitors, even
    if they don’t like gambling.

    Continued from previous page

    Central City and Black
    Hawk faced complex financial
    problems after most local
    mines closed nearly a century
    ago. It wasn’t until 1991 that
    Colorado voters threw the
    two a lifeline by permitting
    limited-stakes gaming in the
    struggling old mining com-
    munities. In 1992, Central
    City, called “The Richest
    Square Mile on Earth,” and
    Black Hawk, “The City of
    Mills,” were given a chance to
    bounce back from decades of
    misfortune.

    Presently, at least five new
    potential casinos are being
    eyed for some of the shut-
    tered storefronts in the Main
    Street business district in
    Central City. Local leaders are
    also discussing a new parking
    garage to accommodate the
    potential upswing in business.

    Black Hawk is continuing
    to develop its Gregory Street
    area, which includes retail
    shops and restaurants. Its
    Gregory Plaza is home to a
    volunteer firemen’s museum,
    and the well-decorated main
    plaza is used for the city’s
    annual Founders’ Day each
    June and a growing number
    of local outdoor activities. At
    least one new restaurant, the
    Copper Kitchen Pizzeria, is
    expected to open in the plaza
    in 2025. Across the street, the
    city plans to spend more than
    a million dollars to open a
    gold-mining tour for visitors.

    Further north in Gilpin
    County, small business own-
    ers in Rollinsville (along
    Highway 119) have opened
    a distillery, pizza parlor and
    coffee shop to attract younger
    visitors who come to the area
    to visit the national forests
    nearby.

    Today, the flashing lights
    and noises of slot machines
    in Black Hawk and Central
    City attract more year-round
    tourists to the two small cities
    within Gilpin County. Both
    cities are part of the national
    historic district because of
    their roots in the local gold
    rush era when prospector
    John Gregory discovered gold
    in the ravine between the two
    communities in 1859.

    It is Black Hawk, however,
    that primarily accounts for
    the largest influx of visitors
    to the county. The city boasts
    15 casinos, several offering
    high-rise towers filled with
    guest rooms, restaurants,
    swimming pools and spas.
    Black Hawk generates more
    than 75 percent of all gaming
    revenues the state collects
    annually and can attract as
    many as 20,000 or more visi-
    tors weekly, especially during
    the warm-weather months.
    Property taxes and other
    revenues from Black Hawk
    also is the primary source of
    income for Gilpin County. The
    city also donates some of its
    sales taxes to help finance the
    local school district.

    Black Hawk also has devel-
    oped a recreational area for
    hikers and mountain bikers
    just north of the downtown
    gaming district. The Mary-
    land Mountain/Quartz Valley
    trail system typically results
    in filled-to-capacity parking
    lots during warm-weather
    months. Within the next two
    years, the city plans to extend
    the trails to reach Gregory
    Street – close to Gregory
    Plaza – and extend them to
    another developing area on
    Gregory Hill (formerly Miners
    Mesa). That section of the city
    will feature several distilleries
    and offer overnight lodging
    in geodesic domes or luxury
    Airstream trailers for those
    who prefer to sleep in a scenic
    hilltop area primarily sur-

    Lyndsey Valdez president CCEDC, Central City Heritage West
    Realty owner Roy Varela joins Central City Mayor Jeremy Fey
    at the Idaho Springs Economic Mixer event.

    Photo by Bob Sweeney

    rounded by mountains and
    forests.

    did, the formerly sheltered-
    in-place patrons helped Black
    Hawk shatter any previous
    economic performances.

    Over the years, external
    factors have impacted the
    economies of Clear Creek
    and Gilpin. Four years ago,
    health-related COVID-19
    pandemic restrictions forced
    many business owners to
    close their shops temporar-
    ily. While some were able to
    reopen later, others weren’t as
    fortunate. In Gilpin County,
    the state ordered casinos
    closed for three months – es-
    sentially crippling the gov-
    ernment economies. It took
    nearly a year before casino
    patrons returned. When they

    Central City’s historic
    opera, the fifth oldest in the
    country, and its variety of
    Victorian-style homes and
    historic storefronts in the
    business district help attract
    out-of-towners to the city.
    Central and several of its
    organizations also sponsor
    various summer activities –
    including the Madam Lou
    Bunch bed races along Main
    Street, the Great Central City
    Beer Festival and Stills in the
    Hills, to name a few. Attrac-
    tions and events sponsored by

    Local elected leaders and
    business owners are trying
    to figure out the best ways to
    improve their economies and
    attract new potential jobs to
    their areas. As CCEDC Board
    Chair Kelly Flenniken com-
    mented, “A good quality life
    depends on a good quality
    job.”

    With some creative local
    planning and a little luck, the
    futures for Gilpin and Clear
    Creek counties could be head-
    ing for better futures.

    However, Black Hawk isn’t
    solely interested in being
    known as a casino town.
    City leaders have worked for

    2 counties, diferent economies, yet share comon li
    2 counties, diferent economies, yet share comon li
  • Bed racing on Central City’s Main Street

    Bed racing on Central City’s Main Street

    47th Annual Madam Lou Bunch Day

    By Jaclyn Schrock

    With festivities returning to our Central City, we all cheer the arrival of Madam Lou Bunch Day. Thank you to all the volunteers and dedicated workers who made the 2021 Madam Lou Bunch Day such a success!  Central City has had many lives and historical events remembered and forgotten. (more…)

  • Trio of Civil War heroes visit Central City

    Trio of Civil War heroes visit Central City

    Gilpin Historical Society

    By David Forsyth, PhD

    The story of Ulysses S. Grant’s 1873 visit to Central City is well known. Central City’s residents, in an effort to impress the president and his wife, laid $20,000 worth of silver bricks (made from silver from the Caribou Mine outside of Boulder) on the sidewalk (more…)

  • A pocket party everyone can enjoy

    A pocket party everyone can enjoy

    Belvidere Pocket Park Opens in Central City

    By David Josselyn

    On Tuesday, August 3, Central City commemorated the opening of the Belvidere Pocket Park with a ribbon cutting ceremony. (more…)

  • Returning the headstones to their rightful place

    Returning the headstones to their rightful place

    Gilpin Historical Society

    By David Forsyth, PhD

    Theft from cemeteries has been a problem for decades. People steal floral arrangements for decorative purposes, vases for scrap metal, and even headstones and statues to put in their back yards. Gilpin County’s cemeteries have not been immune (more…)

  • Who stole Gilpin County’s money?

    Who stole Gilpin County’s money?

    Another mystery from the Gilpin Historical Society

    By David Forsyth, PhD

    On the morning of January 20, 1967, Gilpin County Treasurer and Glory Hole Tavern owner Bill Axton was found bound and gagged inside the vault of the Treasurer’s (more…)

  • Sword fights and train robberies

    Sword fights and train robberies

    Fun at Belvidere Theatre and Clark School

    By Brian Gibbins

    As a tourist town in the summer, Central City made and exciting background for adventure for any nine-year old boy. Imagine living in the middle of a western set for a movie. Where almost every building is dedicated to bringing the essence of mining, the old west and the Victorian era into the hearts and photographs of visitors. (more…)

  • St. James 162nd Homecoming

    St. James 162nd Homecoming

    July 11, 2021 in Central City

    By Jaclyn Schrock

    The charms of a loved church building can take your breath away, because it is not just a building. Being inside, you can join with the others who have been here, to worship (more…)

  • Iconic Fritz Peak Observatory research lab

    Iconic Fritz Peak Observatory research lab

    Shooting green laser beams into Gilpin’s night skies – Part 1 of 2

    By Don Ireland

    If you’ve driven along Route 119 between Rollinsville and Black Hawk, you’ve passed by the Fitz Peak Observatory (FPO). The building has been part of local folklore since the era when green laser beams emanated from the roof into the night skies above Gilpin County. After decades of full-time use, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (more…)

  • A 1970s Friday night ritual in Gilpin County

    A 1970s Friday night ritual in Gilpin County

    Family night at the Gibbins house on Bald Mountain

    by Brian Gibbins

    When we lived in the old Buck House west of Central City back in the 1970s, we observed a Friday night ritual of homemade pizza and episodes of “The Love Boat.” Pizza night was dad’s night to cook; with the help of Chef Boyardee and me. We usually started with the plain pizza kit and then added items available in the kitchen. (more…)

  • The Briggs Mine disaster in 1869

    The Briggs Mine disaster in 1869

    Gilpin Historical Society

    by David Forsyth, PhD

    Charles H. Briggs and his brothers arrived in Black Hawk on May 9, 1860. Like thousands of others, they came to try their hand at mining. The brothers discovered and worked the Briggs Mine, which was on the Gregory Lode near Central City. The mine was repeatedly referred to by newspapers of the time as one of the best mines in Gilpin County. Its ore was regularly displayed at state (more…)

  • Gregory Street Plaza – a journey to Black Hawk’s historic past

    Gregory Street Plaza – a journey to Black Hawk’s historic past

    The Future of Black Hawk, Part 3

    By Don Ireland

    (Editor’s note: This is the final installment of a series regarding the ongoing Black Hawk renaissance, including planned developments and attractions.)

    When the Gregory Street Plaza officially opens in July, it will offer the opportunity for people to step into the past and experience Black Hawk’s rich history. (more…)

  • Black Hawk investing in and developing 700+ acres for outdoor hike/bike trails and activities

    Black Hawk investing in and developing 700+ acres for outdoor hike/bike trails and activities

    June 23 Council Meeting

    By Don Ireland

      Black Hawk has received a $46,600 state grant to help reimburse costs for the city’s police department during the Covid-19 pandemic. The city’s Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to accept the grant during last week’s council meeting. The grant was received from the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program (CESF). It will (more…)