The last of Colorado’s great gold booms occurred in the Cripple Creek District, high on the backside of Pikes Peak, in 1891. Prior to that, the ranchers populating the area were hardly concerned with crime. The busy bustle of city life had yet to descend on the area.
With the discovery of gold, however, the region’s status quickly turned from that of quiet cow camps and homesteads to several rollicking boomtowns within a short distance, each complete with the accompanying evils.
My wife and I drove thru Cripple Creek in 1992. It was pretty cool because I love The Band and the song.
ReplyDeleteThe casinos were just being built though. Such a shame.