What is the history of Cripple Creek, Colorado?
For many years, at an elevation of 9,494 feet, near the tree-linetimberline, the area was considered no more than cattle pasture. It was the site of a hoax, the Mount Pisgah Fiasco, a mini gold rush caused by “salting” (putting a bit of rich ore in a worthless site). In 1891, however, rich ore was found and the last great Colorado gold rush was on. Thousands of prospectors flocked to the mountains, including W. S. Stratton, who located the famous Independence Lode, one of the largest gold strikes in history. The gold-bearing area was the core of an ancient volcano of six square miles. Cripple Creek is in the Thirtynine Mile volcanic field. Free gold was found near the surface but at depth unoxidized tellurides and sulfides were found. There were Timeline of labor unions in the United Statesserious labor problems, perhaps the worst in Colorado history. To keep the ore flowing, Governor James Peabody sent the state militia into Cripple Creek on November 23, 1903, to break up a miners’ st
