Divide and Cripple Creek Area

Divide, Colorado sits nestled on the north slope of "America's Mountain", Pikes Peak . The same regional splendor that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write "America the Beautiful" has drawn people to Divide to make it their home.

Originally named Hayden's Divide after Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, (a surveyor, geologist and paleontologist who helped to map the region), local settlers in the 1880's just called the area Divide because major water run-offs divided to the north, south, east and west at this point.

Over the past 100+ years of settlement in the region, Divide has seen a range of activities from ranching and farming (iceberg lettuce and potatoes being the most notable crops), to tourism (Mueller State Park, Pike National Forest).

The Midland Depot in Divide played a significant role during the heyday of train travel in Colorado. Significant not only for its location between the thriving gold camps of Cripple Creek and Victor and Colorado Springs, but significant as well for the tourist industry that, with the advent of railroads, was able to thrive in the region as well. The proximity of the train station to Coulson Lake also allowed the farming industry to boom. Ice was cut from the lake and lettuce was packed for export, made less perishable with the cold storage opportunity.

Divide is the gateway to many of Colorado's outstanding State and National Parks. Annual visitors are awed by the proximity to wild beauty and pristine vistas.

Divide is also a thriving community of local residents and businesses. Divide is home to about 4,000 year-round residents. The area is protected from uncontrolled development by a regional growth plan that protects view corridors and the types of development that are appropriate for a rural community.

Located at the central crossroads of Teller County, Divide is affectionately called "The center of the known universe". This is the place where Teller County's past intersects the future.

Cripple Creek History

Elevation: 9,494 feet above sea level

Step back in time - Cripple Creek, CO. The World's Greatest Gold Camp!
Meet Bob Womack. On first appearance he seems the typical turn-of-the-century cowboy. But this man made a discovery that changed history.

 

In October 1890, he discovered gold in Poverty Gulch (now Cripple Creek, Colorado), starting a rush that caught the attention of the world. The ore Womack dug from the earth sent the fever through thousands of souls and has created a National Park Service recognized National Historic District that draws tourists from around the world.

Historic mine shafts, head frames and cabins still dot the landscape here in the high country behind Pikes Peak. Today gold mining is still in full swing as the state's largest open pit and heap leach project takes shape between Cripple Creek and Victor. Modern-day miners scoop ore-laden earth in gigantic trucks and haul it to the local gold processing plant, a far cry from the pioneer ways of Womack's time. Despite his discovery, Womack died impoverished. But the gold rush he started left a legacy that lives on today.

Cripple Creek is one of three Colorado cities to have limited-stakes gambling. While the golden history of Cripple Creek lures many, thousands also flock to Cripple Creek to try their luck at a different venture. Poker, blackjack and slot machines abound in the city's casinos. New and historic hotels are on line to help accommodate those who want to spend a few days taking in the scenery, feeding the donkeys and feeling the excitement of gambling. Restaurants and shops offer fine food and local art. Are you ready to discover the wealth Cripple Creek has to offer?

Bob Womack is ready to lead you down the path of adventure to The World's Greatest Gold Camp ...

There was always a reason to celebrate during the heyday of gold rush days in Cripple Creek. If there wasn't a huge gold strike to celebrate, there was the arrival of the newest railroad, stage, road, the mail delivery and, of course, the usual July 4ths and religious holidays.

Celebrations brought out the best in Cripple Creek, with red, white and blue buntings, banners, horse carriages and the Sunday's best clothes being donned for the occasion.

Today, the annual summer celebrations offer fun for all. The biggest Cripple Creek event is Donkey Derby Days, always held the last full weekend of June. Nearby Victor holds Gold Rush Days every year, during the third weekend of July.

Gold Mining

Gold fever put Cripple Creek on the map in 1890. The district's mines are responsible for making the area the fourth largest producing gold camp in the world. 

In the first year of production, early day mines reported about $250,000 taken from the ground. By 1893, miners had dug up $3 million in gold ore; by 1899 about $59 million in ore was sent out of the camp. By the end of the gold rush, area mines produced $432 million. 

At the turn of the century, assay offices were as prevalent as grocery stores and everyone it seemed came to Cripple Creek and Victor to make a fortune from the earth, or from some related service. Tent cities sprang up and wooden store fronts lined the dusty streets. In 1896, the town burned to the ground in two fires. Brick buildings soon replaced the old wooden shops. Most of these brick building's have been refurbished and now play home to casinos filled with visitors trying to hit a modern-day jackpot. 

Today gold mining still has a tremendous influence on the area. Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Co., a subsidiary of Anglo Gold, operates the largest open pit and heap leach gold mine in the state of Colorado. The operation is located between Cripple Creek and Victor. 

 The district's only underground gold
 mines are owned by Victor resident Jim  
 Watson (Strong Mine) and the Lanning
 family (Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine). The
 Strong mine is located just above Victor.
 The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine offers
 underground tours and above-ground
 modern-day mine tours.