Or, as one local puts it, "Silverton: A gritty little mining town with Victorian pretensions!"
Once the stomping ground of silver kings and railroad giants, Silverton survives today as one of Colorado's most endearing
destinations.
The Silverton district opened legally to miners in 1874, following the Brunot Treaty with the Utes. An estimated 2000 men
moved into the region that year. They came from across the U.S., many parts of Europe and even China, to endure severe
winters and dangerous mining conditions in their pursuit of the minerals they hoped would make them rich.
Not all who settled were miners. By 1875 the 100 "sturdy souls" who lived in Silverton proper worked in the post
office, sawmills, blacksmith shop, mercantile, newspaper, liquor stores, smelters, or assay office. The town's population
grew to 500 by 1876. Life was not easy for any of them. Statistics from Silverton's cemetery note causes of death in
early Silverton as 117 from snowslides, 143 from miner's consumption, 161 from pneumonia, 138 from influenza (most in the
1918 epidemic) and 202 from mine accidents.
For more information on the history of Silverton and San Juan County
visit www.silvertonhistoricsociety.org