10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Victor Colorado
Located near Cripple Creek, on the south side of Pike's Peak lies the town of Victor. At nearly 10,000 feet in elevation, it offers an incredible turn of the century feel as if you've stepped back in time. Designated as a historic district, and a part of the Gold Belt National Scenic Byway, Victor is one place you have to visit. But what else about this town is awesome? Let's look.
An Unusual Way To Get a Name
Although no one is completely certain how the town was named Victor, local legend has it that all the names of the men were placed into a hat, and Victor was chosen.
Welcome to the City of Mines
Named so because the largest and richest gold mines were located just above the town on Battle Mountain.
That's A Lot of Gold
Victor and the associated mines in the area brought in $434,000,000 in gold, around 6-billion dollars by today's standards.
Over 500 Mines Were Located Here
Most of the workforce for those mines lived in Victor. And it was these brave souls who brought that gold out of the mines and to the surface.
Build a Building, Find Gold
In 1894, the Woods family, founders of Victor, started building a hotel. When they dug for the foundation, they found a vein of gold, which led to the famous Gold Coin Vein. Access was severely limited due to a fire that ravaged the town. The shaft was ruined all the way to the 200-foot level.
Burned to the Ground
A fire in August of 1899 took only five hours to completely destroy the town, aided by high winds. It was rebuilt with bricks less than six months later.
Power Isn't Cheap
The Woods family, who founded and built the town, also built a power plant, which they then used to sell power to the town.
Tunnels Every Where
Over 62 miles of tunnels are beneath the Eagle mine, and other tunnels once used are now under the water line and inaccessible.
From 18,000 to 403
A once bustling gold town of nearly 20,000 people is now a town of 403 hearty residents.
Stratton Set the Bar
A carpenter by trade, Winfield Scott Stratton sold his mine for $11,000,000 and promptly looked for ways to improve the area and give back. His gifts included the land for the post office in Colorado Springs, as well as a park there.
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