Silver Cliff, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Silver Cliff, Colorado
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The original Silver Cliff firehouse & town hall, now a museum, on Main Street, September 2018
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Location of Silver Cliff in Custer County, Colorado
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Colorado |
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| County | Custer County | ||
| Incorporated | February 10, 1879 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Statutory Town | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 15.46 sq mi (40.04 km2) | ||
| • Land | 15.46 sq mi (40.03 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 8,262 ft (2,518 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 609 | ||
| • Density | 43.15/sq mi (16.66/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) | ||
| ZIP code |
81252
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| Area code(s) | 719 | ||
| FIPS code | 08-70250 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 2413286 | ||
The Town of Silver Cliff is a small town in Custer County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest town in Custer County by population. In 2020, about 609 people lived there. This was a small increase from 587 people in 2010.
Contents
History of Silver Cliff
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Silver Cliff was founded in the late 1870s. It was built to house miners who worked in the nearby silver mines. The most famous mines were the Silver Cliff mine and the Bull-Domingo mine.
The town officially became a town in 1879. By 1880, it had grown very quickly. There were 5,040 people living there. This made Silver Cliff the third largest town in Colorado at that time. Only Denver and Leadville were bigger.
Silver Cliff was also the main town, or "county seat," for Custer County for many years. It became the county seat in 1886, taking the title from Rosita. It remained the county seat until 1928. After that, the county seat moved to the nearby town of Westcliffe.
The Silver Cliff Mine Story
The Silver Cliff mine, also called the Geyser mine, was a very important mine. It was located on a hill just north of the town. Many people in Silver Cliff worked there.
However, the mine had problems because of some dishonest people. In 1879, a famous stock operator named James R. Keene tried to make a lot of money from the mine's shares. But the company soon went bankrupt.
Later, another company called Julianna Mining Company bought the mine. This company was run by someone even more dishonest, Dr. Richard C. Flower. The Julianna company also went bankrupt in 1888.
The people who owned shares in the company saved it and renamed it the Geyser Mining Company. Even though Dr. Flower left, some of his friends still ran the mine. Because of this, the mine never actually made a profit. At one point, the Geyser mine was the deepest mine in all of Colorado.
Geography and Location
Silver Cliff is located in the middle of Custer County. The town of Westcliffe is right next to it, to the west.
If you travel from Pueblo, Silver Cliff is about 54 miles (87 km) to the west. You can get there by taking Colorado State Highway 96.
The United States Census Bureau says that Silver Cliff covers an area of about 15.46 square miles (40.1 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Enjoying Dark Skies
Silver Cliff and its neighbor, Westcliffe, Colorado, are special places for stargazing. They are recognized as IDA International Dark Sky Communities. This means they are great for seeing the night sky clearly.
People in these towns and the surrounding areas have worked to reduce "light pollution." This is when too much artificial light from buildings and streets makes it hard to see stars. By using less light at night, they help keep the skies dark for everyone to enjoy.
Population Changes Over Time
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 5,040 | — | |
| 1890 | 546 | −89.2% | |
| 1900 | 576 | 5.5% | |
| 1910 | 250 | −56.6% | |
| 1920 | 241 | −3.6% | |
| 1930 | 201 | −16.6% | |
| 1940 | 309 | 53.7% | |
| 1950 | 217 | −29.8% | |
| 1960 | 153 | −29.5% | |
| 1970 | 126 | −17.6% | |
| 1980 | 280 | 122.2% | |
| 1990 | 322 | 15.0% | |
| 2000 | 512 | 59.0% | |
| 2010 | 587 | 14.6% | |
| 2020 | 609 | 3.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The population of Silver Cliff has changed a lot over the years. In 1880, when the silver mines were booming, over 5,000 people lived there. After the mines closed, the population dropped quite a bit.
By 1970, only 126 people lived in Silver Cliff. But since then, the town has slowly grown again. In 2020, the population was 609 people.
In 2000, there were 512 people living in Silver Cliff. About 33% of the homes had children under 18. The average age of people in the town was 36 years old.
Silver Cliff Cemetery
Just outside Silver Cliff, you can find the Silver Cliff Cemetery. It was started in the early 1880s. This cemetery is famous for something unusual. People have reported seeing mysterious lights floating around the cemetery at night!
See also
In Spanish: Silver Cliff (Colorado) para niños
