Breckenridge History Timeline

  1. 1859 – Gold is discovered along the Blue River on August 10th and the first mining camp, Fort Mary B., is established.
  2. 1859 – Breck”in”ridge is founded in November.
  3. 1860 – Breckinridge secures a post office. The first stage coach arrives in town.
  4. 1860 – Hydraulic mining operations - using water under high pressure to recover gold - begin in Breckinridge.
  5. 1862 – Father Dyer, the “snowshoe itinerant preacher”, begins his preaching circuit to the area's mining camps. He travels on 12-foot-long wooden skis.
  6. 1862 – Breckenridge becomes the Summit County Seat, after records are removed from Parkville in Georgia Gulch, the first county seat.
  7. 1869 – The Breckenridge Navy is founded by “Captain” Sam Adams. Adams, in an effort to find a water route from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, leads four boats on an ill-fated trip down the Blue River to the Grand (Colorado) River before misfortunes end his adventure.
  8. 1870 – The population of Breckenridge plummets to 51.
  9. 1875 – Edwin Carter, the “log cabin naturalist” opens his museum. Carter practices taxidermy and displays Rocky Mountain animal specimens in his museum.
  10. 1879 – The silver hard-rock mining boom hits Breckenridge.
  11. 1880 – Breckenridge is formally incorporated with a mayor and town board. The population peaks at 1657 in July and the town is home to two dancehalls, ten hotels and eighteen saloons. The famous Denver Hotel is built.
  12. 1880 – The Breckenridge Fire Department is formed.
  13. 1880 – Barney Ford, an escaped slave, becomes Breckenridge's first black businessman when he opens Ford's Restaurant and Chop Stand.
  14. 1882 - depot site for the Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad is secured in Breckenridge, bringing rail service to the community. The town adds three newspapers, a schoolhouse, and a cemetery.
  15. 1887- Tom's Baby is discovered at a mine outside of Breckenridge. Weighing in at 13.5 pounds, it is believed the single largest piece of crystallized, wire gold ever found in Colorado.
  16. 1892 – Electricity is introduced to Breckenridge.
  17. 1898-1899 – A record snowfall hits Breckenridge and residents are forced to dig snow tunnels to get around town. Rail service resumes on April 24th, after a 78 day blockade.
  18. 1898 – Gold dredging boats begin operating in the waterways around Breckenridge.
  19. 1898 – Pug Ryan and his gang hold up Breckenridge’s Denver Hotel.
  20. 1899 - The Colorado Telephone Service provides service to Breckenridge.
  21. 1900 - Edwin Carter passes away. His collection of 3,300 Rocky Mountain fauna specimens forms the foundation of today’s Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
  22. 1909 - A stately brick K-12 school is built on Harris Street. It includes an indoor swimming pool and pressed-tin ceilings.
  23. 1909 - Construction is completed on the Summit County Courthouse. The local Masons lay the cornerstone on July 31st.
  24. 1942 – The last dredge boat ceases operation on October 12th.
  25. 1950 – The Breckenridge population dwindles to approximately 296.
  26. 1961 – The Breckenridge Ski Area opens on Peak 8.
  27. 1963 – Breckenridge celebrates its first Ullr Dag, now known as Ullr Fest.
  28. 1971 – Peak 9 opens at the Breckenridge Ski Area.
  29. 1973 – The Eisenhower bore of the Eisenhower and Johnson Tunnels opens on Interstate 70, decreasing the drive time from Denver Breckenridge significantly.
  30. 1980 - The Breckenridge Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  31. 1984 - The Town of Breckenridge embarks on the Blue River Reclamation Project.
  32. 1985 – Peak 10 opens at the Breckenridge Ski Area.
  33. 1993 – The Breckenridge Riverwalk Center opens.
  34. 1993 – Peak 7 opens at Breckenridge Ski Resort.
  35. 2001 - The Town establishes the Breckenridge Arts District.
  36. 2004 – The Barney Ford House Museum opens to the public.
  37. 2006 – The Breckenridge Welcome Center opens to the public. The year-round population of Breckenridge is 3,335.
  38. 2007 – The BreckConnect Gondola begins operation, directly linking the town to the base of the ski area.
  39. 2008 – The Edwin Carter Museum closes its doors to undergo a major rehabilitation project.