Cripple Creek, Colorado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cripple Creek, Colorado
Statutory City
Entering Cripple Creek.
Motto(s):  "Real Fun, Real Colorado."
Location of the City of Cripple Creek in Teller County, Colorado
Cripple Creek, Colorado Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	Teller County seat
Incorporated	June 9, 1892
Government
• Type	Statutory City
Area
• Statutory City	3.941 km2 (1.522 sq mi)
• Land	3.941 km2 (1.522 sq mi)
• Water	0.000 km2 (0 sq mi)
Elevation	2,882 m (9,456 ft)
Population  (2020)
• Statutory City	1,155
• Density	293.07/km2 (759.1/sq mi)
• Metro	755,105 (79th)
• Front Range	5,055,344
Time zone	UTC−07:00 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−06:00 (MDT)
ZIP Code	80813
Area code(s)	719
FIPS code	08-18530
GNIS feature ID	204769

Cripple Creek is a city in Colorado, United States. It is the main town of Teller County. In 2020, about 1,155 people lived there.

Cripple Creek used to be a famous gold mining town. It is located about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Colorado Springs. It sits near the base of Pikes Peak. The historic part of Cripple Creek is a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important place for history. Today, Cripple Creek is part of a larger city area and a popular place for tourists.

History of Cripple Creek

Gold mines in Cripple Creek in 1898

Sunset in Cripple Creek in 1899, with Mt. Pisgah on the left

Bennett Avenue in Cripple Creek, early 1900s

For many years, the high valley where Cripple Creek is located was just used for cattle. People didn't think it had much gold. Some prospectors even avoided the area because of a trick called the Mount Pisgah hoax. Someone had secretly added gold to worthless rocks to make it seem like there was a gold rush.

On October 20, 1890, a man named Robert Miller "Bob" Womack found a lot of gold ore (rock with valuable minerals). This discovery started the last big gold rush in Colorado. By July 1891, a post office was opened. Soon, hundreds of gold seekers came to the area.

Instead of digging for gold, some people bought land to create towns. Horace Bennett and Julius Myers bought 80 acres and named their town Fremont. They sold small pieces of land for $25 to $50. Within a year, these pieces of land were worth much more. Other investors started a town called Hayden Placer nearby. Bennett and Myers also started another area called Cripple Creek.

By the end of 1891, the towns together had about 600 to 800 people. In June 1892, the post office decided that all these small settlements would be known as one town: Cripple Creek. The town quickly grew. Winfield Scott Stratton found the famous Independence lode, which was one of the biggest gold discoveries ever.

In just three years, the population grew from 500 to 10,000 people. Hotels were so full that people paid $1 just to sleep in a chair. Even though $500 million worth of gold was found in Cripple Creek, Bob Womack, who first found the gold, did not become rich. He sold his claim for only $500 and some whiskey and died without money.

By 1892, Cripple Creek had 5,000 people. Another 5,000 lived in nearby towns like Victor and Goldfield. When new people arrived, the town marshal would take their firearms. These firearms were then sold to help pay the salaries of Cripple Creek's teachers.

Fires and Rebuilding

In 1896, Cripple Creek had two big fires. The first fire started on April 25. It began when an oil lamp was knocked over during an argument. This fire burned down most of the buildings on Myers Avenue. Just four days later, another fire started when a cook spilled hot grease on a stove. This second fire destroyed even more of the town.

But the people of Cripple Creek quickly rebuilt their town. They used brick and better building methods. Most of the historic buildings you see today were built after these fires in 1896.

Mining Life and Unions

By 1900, there were 500 gold mines in the Cripple Creek area. By 1910, these mines had produced a huge amount of gold. Between 1894 and 1902, about 50,000 people lived in the mining district. About 35,000 of them lived in Cripple Creek itself. This made it the fourth largest town in Colorado at the time.

Many miners worked 8 to 10 hours a day and earned about $3 per day. Some miners also secretly took small amounts of gold ore for themselves, which was called "high grading." This added to their income.

Many miners joined a union called the Western Federation of Miners (WFM). Unions helped workers get better pay and working conditions. In 1894, there was a big strike in Cripple Creek. The governor of Colorado even sent the National Guard to protect the miners from violence. Later, in 1903, the governor sent the National Guard again to try and weaken the union's power. This was a difficult time for workers and mine owners.

Cripple Creek Today

Over the years, the gold mines slowly closed down. By 1920, only 40 mines were still working. By 1945, there were only 20. The population of Cripple Creek also went down. For a while, it seemed like a ghost town with many empty buildings.

However, large-scale mining started again in 1994. The Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine still operates today. It runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

In 1991, voters in Colorado allowed Cripple Creek to have legal gambling (casinos). This brought new life and money back to the town. Many historic buildings are now casinos. The money from gambling also helps fund the State Historical Fund, which protects historic places in Colorado.

Geography

Cripple Creek is located in an area that was once an ancient volcano. This volcano was active over 30 million years ago. The gold found here was either pure gold near the surface or gold mixed with other minerals deeper down.

The town covers about 1.5 square miles (3.941 square kilometers) of land. The community is named after a nearby stream called Cripple Creek.

Climate

Population Changes

In the early days, many miners came to Cripple Creek alone to find gold. Once they settled, their families joined them. This caused the population to grow very quickly.

The town was home to people from many different backgrounds. Many were White and Catholic. There were enough Swedish people that they even had their own newspaper. Many French people lived there and owned businesses. A small number of Chinese and African Americans worked in laundries or as porters in saloons. Most Chinese people were not allowed to work in the mines. Only a few African Americans were hired as miners.

In 2000, there were 1,115 people living in Cripple Creek. About 22% of the population was under 18 years old. The average age was 39 years.

Fun Things to Do in Cripple Creek

Cripple Creek in 1957

Downtown Cripple Creek in January 2009

Cripple Creek has many fun activities for visitors:

• The Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad offers a train ride. You can see small ghost towns and old gold mines along the way.
• The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine gives tours deep inside a real gold mine. A real gold miner will be your guide!
• The Cripple Creek Heritage Center is a great place to learn about the area's history. It has educational displays and shows films about the past. Admission is free.
• The Butte Opera House is a historic theater. It hosts plays, musicals, and classic melodramas all year long.

Cripple Creek also has many events throughout the year. These include the Cripple Creek Ice Festival, Donkey Derby Days, and a big July 4 Celebration. There's also the annual Ice Castles event and a Gold Camp Christmas.

Education

Students in Cripple Creek attend schools in the Cripple Creek-Victor School District RE-1. The district has one elementary school, Cresson Elementary School. It also has one junior/senior high school, Cripple Creek-Victor Junior/Senior High School.

See also

In Spanish: Cripple Creek para niños