Telluride, Colorado | |
|---|---|
 Colorado Avenue: As seen from The New Sheridan Hotel | |
 Location of Telluride in San Miguel County, Colorado | |
| Coordinates:37°56′22″N107°49′05″W / 37.93944°N 107.81806°W /37.93944; -107.81806 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | San Miguel |
| Founded | 1878 |
| Incorporated | February 10, 1887, as Columbia |
| Government | |
| • Type | Home rule municipality |
| • Mayor | Teddy Errico |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.22 sq mi (5.76 km2) |
| • Land | 2.22 sq mi (5.76 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 8,754 ft (2,668 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 2,607 |
| • Density | 1,172/sq mi (452.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code | 81435 |
| Area code | 970 |
| FIPS code | 08-76795 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413371[2] |
| Website | Town of Telluride |
Telluride is thecounty seat of and the most populous town inSan Miguel County in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state ofColorado.[3] The town is a formersilver mining camp on theSan Miguel River in the westernSan Juan Mountains. The first gold mining claim was made in the mountains above Telluride in 1875, and early settlement of what is now Telluride followed. The town was founded in 1878.[4]
Telluride sits in abox canyon. Steep forested mountains and cliffs surround it, withBridal Veil Falls situated at the canyon's head. Numerous weathered ruins of old mining operations dot the hillsides. A freegondola connects the town with its companion town,Mountain Village, at the base of the ski area. Telluride and the surrounding area have featured prominently in popular culture, and it is the subject of several popular songs. It is especially known for itsski resort and slopes during the winter, as well as an extensive festival schedule during the summer, including the Hot Air Balloon Festival, which traditionally occurs the first weekend in June.
TheTelluride Historic District, which includes a significant portion of the town, is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places and is also one ofColorado's 20 National Historic Landmarks. The town population was 2,607 in the2020 United States census.[5]
Gold was first discovered in Colorado near present-day Denver, setting off thePike's Peak gold rush of 1858. The Smuggler gold vein above Telluride, and placer gold in theSan Miguel River, were discovered in 1875.[6]: 51, 54 John Fallon made the first claim in Marshal Basin above Telluride in 1875 and settlement followed. The town ofColumbia was founded in 1878. The Telluride, Colorado, post office opened at Columbia on July 26, 1880, since theUnited States Post Office Department would not approve the name Columbia. Columbia (Telluride since 1887) has been the seat ofSan Miguel County, Colorado, since the county was created on March 2, 1883. The Town of Columbia was incorporated on February 10, 1887, but the town changed its name to the Town of Telluride a few months later. The town was named after valuableore compounds of thechemical elementtellurium, ametalloid element which forms naturaltellurides, the most notable of which are telluride ores of gold and silver. Althoughgold telluride minerals were never actually found in the mountains near Telluride, the area'smines were rich inzinc,lead,copper, silver, and ores which contained gold in other forms.
Telluride began slowly because of its isolated location. In 1881, atoll road was opened byOtto Mears, which allowed wagons to go where only packmules could go before. This increased the number of people in Telluride, but it was still expensive to get gold-rich ore out of the valley.
In June 1889,Butch Cassidy, before becoming associated with his gang, the "Wild Bunch", robbed the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride. This was his first major recorded crime. He exited the bank with$24,580 (equal to $869,658 today) and later became famous as a bank robber.[7]
In 1891, theRio Grande Southern Railroad, also begun by Mears, arrived in Telluride, eventually building a two-stall engine house, water facilities, a section house and a bunkhouse, sidings, and a depot. It continued further up the valley to end its Telluride branch at Pandora, serving the mines and the town until 1952. The cheaper and consistent transportation for passengers and freight allowed miners and goods to flow into the San Miguel town and ore to flow out to the mills and foundries elsewhere. This brought a brief but unprecedented boom to Telluride before thePanic of 1893.[8]
Around the turn of the 20th century, there were seriouslabor disputes in the mines near Telluride. TheColorado National Guard was called out and there were deaths on both sides.Unions were formed as miners joined theWestern Federation of Miners in 1896. 1899 brought big changes as unionstrike action led most mines to grant miners $3 a day for an 8-hour day's work plus a boarding pay of $1 a day (equal to $38 today). At this time, workers were putting in 10- to 12-hour days and the mines ran 24 hours a day.Work conditions were treacherous, with mines above 12,000 ft (3,700 m), a lack of safety measures, and bitter weather in winter months. Even theboarding houses were precariously placed on the mountainsides.
Telluride's labor unrest occurred against the backdrop of a statewide struggle between miners and mine owners.Bulkeley Wells was one mine operator considerably hostile to the union. The Telluride Miners' Union was led byVincent St. John. The disappearance of mine guardWilliam J. Barney, which Wells declared a "murder", created much intrigue and national interest. The accusations, animosity,gunplay, and expulsions that followed were part of an ongoing struggle throughout Colorado's mining communities which came to be called theColorado Labor Wars.
In 1891, Telluride'sL. L. Nunn joined forces withGeorge Westinghouse to build theAmes Hydroelectric Generating Plant, analternating currentpower station, near Telluride. The plant supplied power to theGold King Mine 3.5 miles (5.6 km) away. This was the first successful demonstration of long-distance transmission of industrial-grade alternating current power and used two 100 hp (75 kW) Westinghouse alternators, one working as a generator producing 3,000 volts, 133 Hertz, single-phase AC, and the other used as an AC motor.[9] This hydroelectric AC power plant predated the Westinghouse plant atNiagara Falls by four years.[9] Nunn and his brother Paul built power plants in Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Mexico, and the Ontario Power plant at Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. Nunn developed a keen interest in education as part of his electrical power companies, and in conjunction with Cornell University built theTelluride House at Cornell in 1909 to educate promising students inelectrical engineering. Later, Nunn along withCharles Walcott, started the non-profitTelluride Association. Nunn foundedDeep Springs College in 1917.[10]
Telluride's most famous historic mines are the Tomboy, Pandora, Smuggler-Union, Nellie, and Sheridan mines. Beginning in 1939, the hard-rock mining operations in the Red Mountain and Telluride mining districts began a lengthyconsolidation under theIdarado Mining Company (Idarado), now a division ofNewmont Mining. The consolidation ended in 1953 with Idarado's acquisition of the Telluride Mines. Idarado kept the underground workings and mill operations open at Telluride's Pandora hard-rock mine until 1978. When the mine officially closed, thesnow which tormented Telluride's miners became the town's new source of income, in the form ofskiing and tourism. The documentary video "the YX factor" chronicles the transition from mining to skiing and the influx of "hippies" in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the words of local residents and commentators such asPeter Yarrow andTom Hayden.[11]
Mining was Telluride's only industry until 1972 when the firstski lift was installed byTelluride Ski Resort founderJoseph T. Zoline and his Telluride Ski Corporation (Telco). Zoline bought the land for the future resort in 1969 and began to craft the slopes. Along with his mountain manager, Telluride native Bill "Sr." Mahoney, they slowly and thoughtfully put together a plan for the sustained development of Telluride and the region. As mining phased out and a new service industry phased in, the local population changed sharply. Mining families fled Telluride to settle in places likeMoab, Utah, where uranium mining offered hope of continued employment. Mining families were replaced by what locals referred to as "hippies", young people with a 1960s worldview that often clashed with the values of Telluride's old-timers. These newcomers were characterized as idle "trust funders" drawn to the town for a casual lifestyle and outdoor excitements such ashang gliding,mountain climbing, andkayaking.
The new population opposed town growth and economic expansion, including growth due to tourism and skiing. At one point, a serious effort was made to ban cars from the city limits and force visitors to use horse-drawn carts. The 1970s had fluctuating snowfalls and economic recession, but the town's music andfilm festivals flourished. They exposed hundreds of thousands to the grandeur of the valley for the first time and created iconic associations with elite entertainers. Meanwhile, ski area founder Joe Zoline worked to develop one of the best mountains in North America for expert skiers,[citation needed] and created the infrastructure for tourism that respected Telluride's need to stay small.[citation needed]
As the final ore carts were rolling out of the Pandora mine, tourists began to discover Telluride's views, skiing, and autumn color changes. After the brutal snow drought of 1976 nearly wiped out the embryonic ski and lodging industry, the town started to rebound economically. In 1978, Ron Allred and his partner Jim Wells bought a stake in the ski area to form the Telluride Company. They expanded the infrastructure by adding a gondola connecting Telluride with the Mountain Village.
During the 1980s, Telluride developed a reputation as "Colorado's best-kept secret", which paradoxically made it one of the better-known resort communities. Wealthy skiers flocked to the mountain all winter, and sightseers kept hotel rooms full all summer. Telluride also became notorious in the drug counterculture as a drop point for Mexican smugglers and a favorite place for wealthy importers to enjoy downtime. The town was even featured in the hit song byGlenn Frey fromMiami Vice, "Smugglers Blues". Telluride was living up to its Wild West history. This type of attention helped differentiate it fromAspen. The festivals and Telluride's bad-boy image attracted celebrities likeTom Cruise,Oprah Winfrey, andOliver Stone. By the mid-1990s, Telluride had shed both its mining personality and drug image to establish itself as a premier resort town balancing modern culture with fascinating western history. In 2003, Prospect Bowl, an extension to the ski area opened, providing the resort with many new trails and runs. Most lifts in the area are high-speed quad chairs capable of holding four passengers. The highest lift on the mountain reaches 12,570 feet (3,830 m).
Telluride has an elevation of 8,750 feet (2,670 m) in an isolated spot in Southwest Colorado. From the west, Colorado Route 145 is the most common way into Telluride; two other passes enter the town,Imogene Pass andBlack Bear Pass.
On the eastern side of town, there are two waterfalls: Ingram Falls, which is visible from town, andBridal Veil Falls and the Bridal Veil Hydroelectric plant, which are just out of sight from town to the right of Ingram. The power plant house was leased for some time by Eric Jacobson, who restored the house and the generator inside. The hydroelectric plant was built in 1895 to power the Smuggler-Union Mine.
The town is served by air transportation viaTelluride Regional Airport (TEX), once the highest elevation commercial airport in the United States at 9,070 feet (2,760 m).[12] The airport is considered challenging by pilots because of frequent adverse weather conditions, high elevation, and the extremely rugged mountain terrain surrounding the airport on nearly all sides. Major airline service is provided seasonally into Montrose (MTJ), approximately 70 miles (110 km) north by road.
Telluride has ahumid continental climate (Dfb). The coldest month is January, averaging 18.2 °F (−7.7 °C), and the hottest July, which averages 58.7 °F (14.8 °C). Precipitation peaks as snow in winter and as thunderstorms in summer with a dry period in late spring. Telluride gets moderate precipitation all year due to its altitude, averaging 20.37 inches (517.4 mm) ofwater equivalent precipitation, including 130.8 inches (332.2 cm) inches of snow, each year.
| Climate data for Telluride, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1900–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 58 (14) | 65 (18) | 73 (23) | 78 (26) | 83 (28) | 91 (33) | 96 (36) | 91 (33) | 88 (31) | 83 (28) | 73 (23) | 60 (16) | 96 (36) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 50.2 (10.1) | 51.9 (11.1) | 57.7 (14.3) | 66.4 (19.1) | 73.7 (23.2) | 82.0 (27.8) | 85.3 (29.6) | 82.2 (27.9) | 78.4 (25.8) | 70.8 (21.6) | 61.3 (16.3) | 51.4 (10.8) | 86.0 (30.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 36.2 (2.3) | 37.6 (3.1) | 43.7 (6.5) | 50.8 (10.4) | 60.4 (15.8) | 72.5 (22.5) | 76.7 (24.8) | 74.1 (23.4) | 68.0 (20.0) | 57.4 (14.1) | 45.4 (7.4) | 36.2 (2.3) | 54.9 (12.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 18.2 (−7.7) | 21.5 (−5.8) | 28.3 (−2.1) | 36.4 (2.4) | 44.6 (7.0) | 53.3 (11.8) | 58.7 (14.8) | 57.2 (14.0) | 50.8 (10.4) | 40.4 (4.7) | 29.0 (−1.7) | 19.0 (−7.2) | 38.1 (3.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 0.3 (−17.6) | 5.3 (−14.8) | 12.9 (−10.6) | 22.0 (−5.6) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 34.2 (1.2) | 40.7 (4.8) | 40.2 (4.6) | 33.6 (0.9) | 23.4 (−4.8) | 12.6 (−10.8) | 1.8 (−16.8) | 21.3 (−5.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −17.0 (−27.2) | −12.3 (−24.6) | −5.8 (−21.0) | 9.4 (−12.6) | 19.0 (−7.2) | 26.5 (−3.1) | 32.8 (0.4) | 33.0 (0.6) | 22.9 (−5.1) | 10.4 (−12.0) | −7.4 (−21.9) | −15.1 (−26.2) | −19.7 (−28.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −32 (−36) | −36 (−38) | −24 (−31) | −10 (−23) | 3 (−16) | 15 (−9) | 26 (−3) | 22 (−6) | 9 (−13) | −3 (−19) | −22 (−30) | −31 (−35) | −36 (−38) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.45 (37) | 1.38 (35) | 1.61 (41) | 1.71 (43) | 1.60 (41) | 0.85 (22) | 2.37 (60) | 2.60 (66) | 2.34 (59) | 1.56 (40) | 1.53 (39) | 1.37 (35) | 20.37 (518) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 23.6 (60) | 22.0 (56) | 22.7 (58) | 13.1 (33) | 5.1 (13) | 0.3 (0.76) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.7 (1.8) | 5.3 (13) | 18.7 (47) | 19.3 (49) | 130.8 (331.56) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 21.3 (54) | 23.2 (59) | 21.5 (55) | 10.3 (26) | 3.0 (7.6) | 0.3 (0.76) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.3 (0.76) | 3.4 (8.6) | 9.9 (25) | 12.8 (33) | 26.4 (67) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.9 | 9.6 | 9.9 | 9.5 | 9.1 | 5.3 | 12.7 | 14.9 | 11.0 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 9.2 | 117.2 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 9.5 | 9.2 | 8.5 | 6.1 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 6.3 | 9.1 | 53.1 |
| Source 1: NOAA[13] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[14] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 766 | — | |
| 1900 | 2,446 | 219.3% | |
| 1910 | 1,756 | −28.2% | |
| 1920 | 1,618 | −7.9% | |
| 1930 | 512 | −68.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,337 | 161.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,101 | −17.7% | |
| 1960 | 677 | −38.5% | |
| 1970 | 553 | −18.3% | |
| 1980 | 1,047 | 89.3% | |
| 1990 | 1,309 | 25.0% | |
| 2000 | 2,221 | 69.7% | |
| 2010 | 2,325 | 4.7% | |
| 2020 | 2,607 | 12.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[15] | |||
As of thecensus[16] of 2000, there were 2,221 people, 1,013 households, and 357 families residing in the town. Thepopulation density was 3,143.3 people per square mile (1,213.6 people/km2). There were 1,938 housing units at an average density of 2,742.8 per square mile (1,059.0/km2). Theracial makeup of the town was 92.57% White, 0.81% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.41% African American, 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% weremarried 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 aged 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. Theper capita income for the town was $38,832. About 8.5% of families and 11.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those aged 65 or over.
Telluride is served byTelluride Regional Airport. Scheduled flight options are limited, due to the airport's somewhat short runway and frequent closures under bad weather, so most passengers going to Telluride useMontrose Regional Airport, 67 miles (108 km) to the north.
Free public transportation is provided in Telluride. The bus system, calledGalloping Goose, makes a complete loop around the town.[17] A gondola lift links Telluride withMountain Village.[18]
Telluride's free gondola is the only one of its kind in North America. It stops at four stations: Telluride, St. Sophia, and two stops in Mountain Village.[19] It was the first leg of a transportation agreement for the Telluride Region that was stipulated as part of the Mountain Village zoning expansion that would provide free gondola service from the Town of Telluride and the Mountain Village to the Aldasoro Development, the West Meadows Development, the Valley Floor Development, and the West Meadows Development to virtually eliminate the use or need for a car in the Telluride Region of San Miguel County. It is a 13-minute ride and reaches an elevation of 10,540 feet (3,210 m) at the San Sophia station.
Regional bus service is provided by the San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART).
Telluride is part of Colorado'sBustang intercity bus service network. It is on the Durango-Grand Junction Outrider line.[20]
State Highway 145 is part of theSan Juan Skyway. It connects Telluride toCortez andNaturita. This road also gives access toState Highway 62, the main route toDenver,Montrose and other important places inColorado.Americanheavy metal bandPantera’s 1990Cowboys from Hell album cover includes a picture taken in 1910 of what was called the “Cosmopolitan Saloon” in Telluride with the bandmembers pasted over it.[21]
Clive Cussler's 1998 novelAtlantis Found is partially set in Telluride. The novel features signs of an ancient civilization being found in an underground chamber next to a mine outside the city.[22]
In Justin Cronin's 2010 novelThe Passage, Telluride is the site of a secret military compound used to test a purported "longevity drug" on death row inmates.[23][24]
The production ofThe Hateful Eight directed byQuentin Tarantino began filming near Telluride in January 2015.[25][26]
TheCoen brothers 2018 filmThe Ballad of Buster Scruggs used Telluride as a filming location for the vignette "All Gold Canyon", based on a short story byJack London.[27]
TheKia Telluride SUV is named after the town.[28][29]
Media from Commons
Travel information from WikivoyageMunicipalities and communities ofSan Miguel County, Colorado,United States | ||
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| Towns |  | |
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
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