Going Home to A Place I've Never Lived: Thar's Gold in Them Thar Hills!

Robert Miller "Bob" Womack discovered gold in the hills of Cripple Creek, Colorado in 1890, and by 1900 the cities of Cripple Creek and neighboring Victor were substantial communities. The population grew from 500 to 10,000 in just three years, and the last great Colorado gold rush was on! Over $500,000,000 worth of gold was dug from Cripple Creek; ironically, Mr. Womack himself died penniless in 1909. (Sounds like he needed some lessons in making wise investments!) The old underground mines have since been closed (and the population has diminished greatly), but there is still an open mine near Cripple Creek which has been active since 1994.

Cripple Creek and Victor, now primarily considered "ghost towns" (Victor more so as Cripple Creek is the seat of Teller County and has become more of a tourist attraction due to the various shops and gambling casinos) are only about 45 minutes from where we live. The drive is lovely, and it's truly a journey back in time to see the old gold mines and buildings. It was evident that everyone knows everyone in Victor and out of towners are regarded with polite curiosity. We had lunch at a biker bar in Victor called Lucky Buck's (Buck is trying to figure out if he should get any royalties from the place since they are using his name), where the food was most excellent. Dollar bills were stuck to the ceiling (you know folks must be drunk if they are going to waste a hard earned dollar like that - ha!).

I hope you have enjoyed today's history lesson. Here are some visual aides to help with your comprehension of what a GREAT place Colorado is.

Old mine and buildings at Victor.