Cripple Creek, Colorado
Cripple Creek, is a city in
Teller County,
Colorado; it is the
county seat. Cripple Creek is 44 miles north west of
Colorado Springs, Colorado on the southern slopes of
Pike's Peak. It was the most fabulous
gold mining camp of Colorado.
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View of Cripple Creek, circa 1900 |
For many years, at an elevation of 9,494 feet, near the
timberline, 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
serious 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' strike.
By
1935 half a billion dollars in gold, most figured at the price of $20 an ounce, had been extracted. At the turn of the century Cripple Creek and its sister city, Victor, were substantial towns. Eventually the mines played out, the population dropped to a few hundred, and with their many empty storefronts and picturesque homes, Cripple Creek and Victor were tourist attractions as
ghost towns.
Toward the end of the twentieth century, casino
gambling was authorized in Cripple Creek, and this venture was successful in bringing revenue and vitality back into the area. Almost all the gold claims have been consolidated and open pit mining remains a possiblity.
In 2006 Cripple Creek broke ground on the new Pikes Peak Heritage Center. This new building is being constructed during the 2006/2007 season and will cost over $2.5 million dollars. The building will be over 11,000 square feet of educational displays. State of the art electronics will be used throughout the building and there will also be a large theatre showing historical films about the area. Admission will be free and there will be NO retail space in the building enhancing the educational experience of our visitors.
During the season (May through October) Cripple Creek features over 22 special events for our visitors to enjoy. From Chili Cook-off's to Pony Express Races and more. Cripple Creek also features a 1200 seat outdoor convert venue with several concerts through the season.
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Location of Cripple Creek, Colorado |
Cripple Creek is located at (38.747294, -105.179283).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.9
km² (1.1
mi²), all land.
As of the
census of 2000, there were 1,115 people, 494 households, and 282 families residing in the city. The
population density was 381.0/km² (988.7/mi²). There were 737 housing units at an average density of 251.8/km² (653.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.29%
White, 0.90%
African American, 2.15%
Native American, 0.81%
Asian, 1.43% from
other races, and 2.42% from two or more races. 6.01% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 494 households out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were
married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 104.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,261, and the median income for a family was $41,685. Males had a median income of $27,600 versus $25,000 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $19,607. About 4.7% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.
*
The Band's
1969 eponymous album includes the song
Up on Cripple Creek.
*
Neil Young's
1970 album
After the Gold Rush includes the song
Cripple Creek Ferry.
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Linda Goodman's novel
Gooberz (1989) is set in Cripple Creek, where Ms. Goodman made her home.
*
Vincent J. Cardinal's off-Broadway play,
The Colorado Catechism (1990) takes place in a fictional rehabiliation center in Cripple Creek.
* A
sandwich named the "Cripple Creek" is made by Colorado-based "Silver Mine Subs," a national chain of submarine sandwich shops.
* A classic
bluegrass banjo tune called "Cripple Creek" has long been a favorite of banjo virtuosos.
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City of Cripple Creek*
Teller County*
Teller County Real Estate*
Teller County Online Yellow Pages
