Breckenridge, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Established in 1859, the historic town of Breckenridge is a home rule municipality that is the county seat
of Summit County
, Colorado
, United States
. As of the 2010 Census, the town had a population of 4,540. The town also has many part-time residents, as many people have vacation homes in the area. Breckenridge
is also home to one of North America's most popular ski resorts during the winter months, with the Breckenridge Ski Resort
servicing multi-difficulty ski slopes across 4 peaks on the Ten Mile Range of the Rocky Mountains
. Summer in Breckenridge attracts outdoor enthusiasts with hiking trails, wildflower
s, fly-fishing
in the Blue River
, mountain biking, nearby Lake Dillon
for boating, white water rafting, alpine slides, and several shops up and down Main Street. Every year, Breckenridge hosts the Breckenridge Festival of Film, established in 1981, as well as an annual Fourth of July parade.
of Kentucky
, Vice President of the United States
, in the hopes of flattering the government and gaining a post office
. Spencer succeeded in his plan and a post office was built in Breckinridge; it was the first post office between the Continental Divide
and Salt Lake City, Utah
.
However, when the Civil War
broke out in 1861, the former vice president sided with the Confederates
(as a brigadier general
) and the pro-Union citizens of Breckinridge decided to change the town's name. The first i was changed to an e, and the town's name has been spelled Breckenridge ever since.
) during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush of 1859, soon after the placer gold discoveries east of Breckenenridge near Idaho Springs
. Breckenridge was founded to serve the miners working rich placer gold deposits discovered along the Blue River
. Placer gold mining
was soon joined by hard rock mining, as prospectors followed the gold to its source veins
in the hills. Gold in some upper gravel benches north of the Blue River was recovered by hydraulic mining
. Gold production decreased in the late 1800s, but revived in 1908 by gold dredging operations along the Blue River and Swan River
. The Breckenridge mining district is credited with production of about one million troy ounces
(about 31,000 kilograms) of gold.
The gold mines around Breckenridge are all shut down, although some are open to tourist visits. The characteristic gravel ridges left by the gold dredges can still be seen along the Blue River and Snake River
, and the remains of a dredge are still afloat in a pond off the Swan River.
Notable among the early prospectors was Edwin Carter
- Log Cabin Naturalist who decided to switch from mining to collecting wildlife specimens. His log cabin built in 1875 exists today and has been recently renovated by the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance with interactive exhibits and a small viewing room with a short creative film on his life and the early days around Breckenridge.
The Breckenridge Heritage Alliance reports that in the 1930s, a women's group in Breckenridge stumbled upon an 1880s map that failed to include Breckenridge. They speculated that Breckenridge had never been officially annexed into the United States, and was thus still a "No Man's Land". This was completely false - official US maps did include Breckenridge - but these women created an incredibly clever marketing campaign out of this one map. In 1936 they invited the Governor of Colorado to Breckenridge to raise a flag at the Courthouse officially welcoming Breckenridge into the union - and he came. There was a big party. And the entire event/idea of Breckenridge being left off the map made national news. The "No Man's Land" idea later morphed into a new theme of Breckenridge being referred to as "Colorado's Kingdom", and the theme of Breck's independent spirit is still celebrated to today during Breck's annual "Kingdom Days" celebrations every June.
Breckenridge was the film location of the 1989 comedy National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
and some scenes in Dumb and Dumber (shots of Aspen in the movie are actually Breckenridge).
On November 3, 2009, voters passed ballot measure 2F by a nearly 3 to 1 margin (73%), which legalized marijuana possession for adults. The measure allows possession of up to an ounce of marijuana and also decriminalizes the possession of marijuana-related paraphernalia. Possession became legal January 1, 2010. Possession is still illegal by state law however. The measure was written mainly to be symbolic.
, the town has a total area of 4.9 square miles (12.7 km²), all of it land. The elevation
of Breckenridge is 9600 feet (2926 m) above sea level.
with the tree line ending at 11,500 ft. The average July high and low are 73 °F (22.8 °C) and 39 °F (3.9 °C) respectively. The average January high and low are 31 °F (-.6 °C) and 0 °F (-17.8 °C) respectively. The record high is 89 °F (31.7 °C) set in July, 1939; the record low is -46 °F set in December, 1924. The town receives an average of 163 inches of snow
fall per year. The valley basin has only 30 frost-free days each year. The highest average precipitation
occurs in July with 1.75 inches (44.5 mm); the average low of 0.78 inches occurs in October.
The average humidity remains around 30% throughout the year. The average warmest month is July, when most of the average precipitation occurs. The coldest month is January.
of 2000, there were 2,408 people, 1,081 households, and 380 families residing in the town. The population density
was 486.4 people per square mile (187.8/km²). There were 4,270 housing units at an average density of 862.6 per square mile (333.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.56% White, 0.37% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races
, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.44% of the population.
There were 1,081 households out of which 13.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.9% were married couples
living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 64.8% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 0.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.61.
In the town the population was spread out with 11.1% under the age of 18, 22.8% from 18 to 24, 45.3% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 2.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 160.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 164.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $43,938, and the median income for a family was $52,212. Males had a median income of $29,571 versus $27,917 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $29,675. About 5.2% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
For 2009 the average price for a single family home in the Breckenridge area is $1,035,806 with a sold price per square foot of $314.00. For multifamily properties the average price is $560,689 with a sales price per square foot of $440. Land sales prices averaged $373,067.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Summit County
Summit County, Colorado
Summit County is the 19th most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 23,538 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Breckenridge...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 Census, the town had a population of 4,540. The town also has many part-time residents, as many people have vacation homes in the area. Breckenridge
Breckenridge Ski Resort
Breckenridge Ski Resort, or just Breck, is perenially one of North America's top 2 most visited ski resorts, and is located in Summit County, Colorado in the town of Breckenridge...
is also home to one of North America's most popular ski resorts during the winter months, with the Breckenridge Ski Resort
Breckenridge Ski Resort
Breckenridge Ski Resort, or just Breck, is perenially one of North America's top 2 most visited ski resorts, and is located in Summit County, Colorado in the town of Breckenridge...
servicing multi-difficulty ski slopes across 4 peaks on the Ten Mile Range of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. Summer in Breckenridge attracts outdoor enthusiasts with hiking trails, wildflower
Wildflower
A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...
s, fly-fishing
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
in the Blue River
Blue River (Colorado)
The Blue River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in the U.S. state of Colorado.It rises in southern Summit County, on the western side of the continental divide in the Ten Mile Range, near Quandary Peak. It flows north past Blue River and Breckenridge, then through the...
, mountain biking, nearby Lake Dillon
Lake Dillon
Dillon Reservoir, sometimes referred to as Lake Dillon, is a fresh water reservoir located in Summit County, south of I-70 and bordered by the towns of Frisco, Silverthorne, and Dillon. It is a reservoir for the city of Denver, and its waters are under the control of Denver Water...
for boating, white water rafting, alpine slides, and several shops up and down Main Street. Every year, Breckenridge hosts the Breckenridge Festival of Film, established in 1981, as well as an annual Fourth of July parade.
The name Breckenridge
The town of Breckenridge was formally created in November 1859 by General George E. Spencer. Spencer chose the name "Breckinridge" after John C. BreckinridgeJohn C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
, in the hopes of flattering the government and gaining a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. Spencer succeeded in his plan and a post office was built in Breckinridge; it was the first post office between the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
and Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
.
However, when the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
broke out in 1861, the former vice president sided with the Confederates
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
(as a brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
) and the pro-Union citizens of Breckinridge decided to change the town's name. The first i was changed to an e, and the town's name has been spelled Breckenridge ever since.
History
Prospectors entered what is now Summit County (then part of Utah TerritoryUtah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
) during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush of 1859, soon after the placer gold discoveries east of Breckenenridge near Idaho Springs
Idaho Springs, Colorado
The City of Idaho Springs is a municipality in the U.S. state of Colorado that is the most populous settlement in Clear Creek County, Colorado. Idaho Springs is located in Clear Creek Canyon, in the mountains upstream from Golden, some thirty miles west of Denver...
. Breckenridge was founded to serve the miners working rich placer gold deposits discovered along the Blue River
Blue River (Colorado)
The Blue River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in the U.S. state of Colorado.It rises in southern Summit County, on the western side of the continental divide in the Ten Mile Range, near Quandary Peak. It flows north past Blue River and Breckenridge, then through the...
. Placer gold mining
Placer mining
Placer mining is the mining of alluvial deposits for minerals. This may be done by open-pit or by various surface excavating equipment or tunneling equipment....
was soon joined by hard rock mining, as prospectors followed the gold to its source veins
Vein (geology)
In geology, a vein is a distinct sheetlike body of crystallized minerals within a rock. Veins form when mineral constituents carried by an aqueous solution within the rock mass are deposited through precipitation...
in the hills. Gold in some upper gravel benches north of the Blue River was recovered by hydraulic mining
Hydraulic mining
Hydraulic mining, or hydraulicking, is a form of mining that uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material or move sediment. In the placer mining of gold or tin, the resulting water-sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold.-Precursor - ground...
. Gold production decreased in the late 1800s, but revived in 1908 by gold dredging operations along the Blue River and Swan River
Swan River (Colorado)
The Swan River is a short tributary of the Blue River, approximately 10 miles long, located in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States. The river drains a mountainous area in the upper basin of the Blue River in southern Summit County. It rises in three short forks along the...
. The Breckenridge mining district is credited with production of about one million troy ounces
Troy weight
Troy weight is a system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals, gemstones, and black powder.There are 12 troy ounces per troy pound, rather than the 16 ounces per pound found in the more common avoirdupois system. The troy ounce is 480 grains, compared with the avoirdupois ounce,...
(about 31,000 kilograms) of gold.
The gold mines around Breckenridge are all shut down, although some are open to tourist visits. The characteristic gravel ridges left by the gold dredges can still be seen along the Blue River and Snake River
Snake River (Colorado)
The Snake River is a short tributary of the Blue River, approximately 15 miles long, in central Colorado in the United States. It drains a mountainous area on the west side of the Front Range in southeastern Summit County east of Keystone....
, and the remains of a dredge are still afloat in a pond off the Swan River.
Notable among the early prospectors was Edwin Carter
Edwin Carter
Edwin Carter - log cabin naturalist, was born in upstate New York around 1830. Carter lived in the Breckenridge, Colorado area from 1860 to 1900...
- Log Cabin Naturalist who decided to switch from mining to collecting wildlife specimens. His log cabin built in 1875 exists today and has been recently renovated by the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance with interactive exhibits and a small viewing room with a short creative film on his life and the early days around Breckenridge.
The Breckenridge Heritage Alliance reports that in the 1930s, a women's group in Breckenridge stumbled upon an 1880s map that failed to include Breckenridge. They speculated that Breckenridge had never been officially annexed into the United States, and was thus still a "No Man's Land". This was completely false - official US maps did include Breckenridge - but these women created an incredibly clever marketing campaign out of this one map. In 1936 they invited the Governor of Colorado to Breckenridge to raise a flag at the Courthouse officially welcoming Breckenridge into the union - and he came. There was a big party. And the entire event/idea of Breckenridge being left off the map made national news. The "No Man's Land" idea later morphed into a new theme of Breckenridge being referred to as "Colorado's Kingdom", and the theme of Breck's independent spirit is still celebrated to today during Breck's annual "Kingdom Days" celebrations every June.
Breckenridge was the film location of the 1989 comedy National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Christmas Vacation is a 1989 Christmas comedy film directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. It is the third installment in National Lampoon's Vacation film series, and was written by John Hughes, based on his short story in National Lampoon Magazine, Christmas ‘59...
and some scenes in Dumb and Dumber (shots of Aspen in the movie are actually Breckenridge).
On November 3, 2009, voters passed ballot measure 2F by a nearly 3 to 1 margin (73%), which legalized marijuana possession for adults. The measure allows possession of up to an ounce of marijuana and also decriminalizes the possession of marijuana-related paraphernalia. Possession became legal January 1, 2010. Possession is still illegal by state law however. The measure was written mainly to be symbolic.
Geography
Breckenridge is located at 39.486445°N 106.043516°W. According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 4.9 square miles (12.7 km²), all of it land. The elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of Breckenridge is 9600 feet (2926 m) above sea level.
Climate
Breckenridge's climate is considered to be high-alpineAlpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
with the tree line ending at 11,500 ft. The average July high and low are 73 °F (22.8 °C) and 39 °F (3.9 °C) respectively. The average January high and low are 31 °F (-.6 °C) and 0 °F (-17.8 °C) respectively. The record high is 89 °F (31.7 °C) set in July, 1939; the record low is -46 °F set in December, 1924. The town receives an average of 163 inches of snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
fall per year. The valley basin has only 30 frost-free days each year. The highest average precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
occurs in July with 1.75 inches (44.5 mm); the average low of 0.78 inches occurs in October.
The average humidity remains around 30% throughout the year. The average warmest month is July, when most of the average precipitation occurs. The coldest month is January.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,408 people, 1,081 households, and 380 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 486.4 people per square mile (187.8/km²). There were 4,270 housing units at an average density of 862.6 per square mile (333.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.56% White, 0.37% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.44% of the population.
There were 1,081 households out of which 13.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 64.8% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 0.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.61.
In the town the population was spread out with 11.1% under the age of 18, 22.8% from 18 to 24, 45.3% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 2.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 160.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 164.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $43,938, and the median income for a family was $52,212. Males had a median income of $29,571 versus $27,917 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $29,675. About 5.2% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
For 2009 the average price for a single family home in the Breckenridge area is $1,035,806 with a sold price per square foot of $314.00. For multifamily properties the average price is $560,689 with a sales price per square foot of $440. Land sales prices averaged $373,067.
Events
Breckenridge holds public events throughout the year. Every January, the International Snow Sculpture Championships are held in Breckenridge, where sculptors from around the world compete to create works of art from twenty ton blocks of snow. The annual winter Ullr Fest parade pays homage to the Norse god of snow. During the summer, Breckenridge is host to the National Repertory Orchestra and the Breckenridge Music Institute. Concerts are scheduled three to four nights a week. Full orchestra, ensembles, and contemporary artists perform at the Riverwalk Center, downtown by the Blue River. Several art fairs come to Breckenridge every summer, attracting many local artists and buyers. The town also puts on an annual Fourth of July celebration, featuring a parade in the morning and fireworks at night. The Breckenridge Ski Resort also hosts its own annual activities, including the Winter Dew Tour every December, featuring the biggest names in extreme snowboarding and skiing, the annual Imperial Challenge, Breck's version of a triathlon, The 5 Peaks, North America's longest ski mountaineering race, the Breck Ascent Series, with races up the mountain, as well as other competitions, festivals, and the annual Spring Fever month-long celebration at the end of the ski season with live concerts, festivities and other celebrations around spring skiing.Summer Activities
Common activities include mountain biking and road biking, hiking, and fly fishing. For mountain biking, Breckenridge hosts innumerable trails such as the Peaks trail which connects Breckenridge and Frisco and the Flume Loops which explore the Highlands Area. The 9 miles (14.5 km) tarmaced Breckenridge to Friso bike track parallels Highway 9 and is a popular ride. The large number of passes in Summit County also attract road bikers. The nearby fourteener Quandary Peak gains the most attention for hikers. Fly fishing is also popular. Breckenridge Ski Resort hosts the annual Summer Fun Park from June-Sept. on the slopes of Peak 8 with attractions from everything from Jeep tours to chairlift rides to mountain biking.See also
- Breckenridge Ski ResortBreckenridge Ski ResortBreckenridge Ski Resort, or just Breck, is perenially one of North America's top 2 most visited ski resorts, and is located in Summit County, Colorado in the town of Breckenridge...
- Colorado geography
- Blue River (Colorado)Blue River (Colorado)The Blue River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in the U.S. state of Colorado.It rises in southern Summit County, on the western side of the continental divide in the Ten Mile Range, near Quandary Peak. It flows north past Blue River and Breckenridge, then through the...
- Front RangeFront RangeThe Front Range is a mountain range of the Southern Rocky Mountains of North America located in the north-central portion of the U.S. State of Colorado and southeastern portion of the U.S. State of Wyoming. It is the first mountain range encountered moving west along the 40th parallel north across...
- Tenmile RangeTenmile RangeThe Tenmile Range is a mountain range in U.S. state of Colorado. The range is an extension of the Mosquito Range which is part of the Rocky Mountains. The two ranges are effectively the same range. They are split only by the Continental Divide and name. The Tenmile Range is on the west side of...
- Arapaho National ForestArapaho National ForestArapaho National Forest is a National Forest located in north-central Colorado, United States. The facility is managed jointly with the Roosevelt National Forest and the Pawnee National Grassland from the United States Forest Service office in Fort Collins, Colorado...