Ski slopes are important for owners of Breckenridge and Keystone real estate in Summit County, Colorado. And, so are our gold-medal fishing holes. But, nothing quite compares to the extraordinary tales that are told about historical Summit County real estate. From the evolution of mining camps into real towns in blue River, Copper, Dillon, Frisco, Heeney, Keystone, Montezuma, Silverthorne, and Breckenridge real estate to the hunting grounds of ancient tribes, the stories are fascinating.
From what we know, the peaceful tribes of Native American Ute Indians entered this Rocky Mountain basin over six-thousand years ago. They followed the big game down from the north. Archeological digs track them coming from the Williams Fork Mountains, revealing campsites in Keystone and Copper Mountain. The Ute accepted the appearance of “white man” in the 1800s and sought to share their bounty with them. However, when it came down to diminishing success during hunting season because so many miners, explorers, and trappers moved in, the nomadic Ute simply move along to the southern part of the state.
During the early 1800s during negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase, surveyors such as Zebulon Pike followed the Arkansas and South Platte rivers into the area. They mapped major portions of the Continental Divide and the Mosquito Range in the southern part of the county. Did you know that the land on the west side of the Continental Divide was held by Mexico until the Mexican War mid-century? And, when the Colorado Territory was formed from the Louisiana Territory—that it extended all the way into California?
When gold was discovered in Denver’s Cherry Creek and miners followed the little bits to their source along Clear Creek. The heartiest workers climbed the Continental Divide and search this Summit Basin. The narrow-gauge railroad crossed over the Boreas Pass for the purpose of hauling that gold ore back to Denver. Breckenridge was established by George L. Spencer and named after the Vice President of the United States. Nonetheless, when it was learned that he favored the South, the original spelling with a central “i” was changed to the current “e”.
By 1876, President Ulysses S. Grant promoted Colorado to statehood and so it was surveyed again. When compiling the information for a map, Breckenridge and a long strip along the Divide were omitted. The western portion of the map did not meet the eastern portion! So, townsfolk began thinking of themselves as being a separate kingdom, “Colorado Kingdom” in fact, and the notion continued on until the middle of the 1900s. Hence, there is an annual celebration during June of Kingdom Days, a town festival.
Much more can be learned about the colorful past in the area by touring the Barney Ford Museum, the Edwin Carter House, Frisco Historic Park, and the Summit Historical Museum in Silverthorne. To find real estate in the area for your family vacations or a permanent home, call Jonna Beardsley at (970) 453-2200.
