The
Town of Telluride is a Home Rule Municipality that is the
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
and the most populous town of
San Miguel CountySan Miguel County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is named for the San Miguel River. The county population was 6,594 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Telluride.-Geography:According to the U.S...
in the southwestern portion of the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
ColoradoColorado is a U.S. state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. It may also be considered to be part of the Western and Southwestern regions of the United States. Colorado entered statehood in 1876 and was nicknamed the “Centennial State”...
. The town is a former
silverSilver is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
miningMining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, usually from an ore body, vein or seam. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock salt and potash...
camp on the
San Miguel RiverThe San Miguel River is a tributary of the Dolores River, approximately 90 mi long in southwestern Colorado in the United States. It rises in the San Juan Mountains southeast of Telluride and flows northwest, along the southern slope of the Uncompahgre Plateau, past the towns of Placerville and...
in the western
San Juan MountainsThe San Juan Mountains are a rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and Telluride...
. A
Telluride Historic DistrictTelluride Historic District is a historic district in Telluride, Colorado, USA. It consists of of downtown Telluride, and parcel that is Lone Tree Cemetery. It includes Late Victorian and Gothic Revival architecture....
which includes some or all of Telluride is listed on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and further is one of
Colorado's 20 National Historic Landmarks. The town population was 2,221 at U.S. Census 2000.
Telluride sits in a
box canyonBox Canyon is a canyon in Ouray County, Colorado, United States. It was originally founded as a mining camp and helped the city of Ouray establish itself as a permanent community. Box Canyon is home to Box Canyon Falls, a 285-foot waterfall, with quartzite walls that extend almost one hundred feet...
. Steep forested mountains and cliffs surround it.
Bridal Veil FallsBridal Veil Falls is a 365 foot waterfall at the end of the box canyon overlooking Telluride, Colorado. Hiking and off-road trails pass by the falls and the power plant at its top. In winter frozen shape of the falls forms an imposing challenge to intrepid ice climbers.Bridal Veil Falls is a two...
is at the head of the canyon. Numerous weathered ruins of old mining operations dot the hillsides. A free
gondolaA gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, often called a cable car, which consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in the terminal, which is connected to an engine or electric motor...
connects the town with its companion town
Mountain Village, ColoradoMountain Village is a Home Rule Municipality in San Miguel County, Colorado, United States. The population was 978 at the 2000 census. The town is expanding rapidly due to the presence of the Telluride Ski Resort-Geography:...
at the base of the ski area.
Telluride and the surrounding area have featured prominently in pop culture. The town of Telluride has served as the backdrop for several television commercials, is home to an international
film festivalA film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. The films may be of recent date and, depending upon the focus of the individual festival, can include international releases as well as films produced by...
, and has been the subject of songs such as "
Smugglers BluesThe Allnighter is the second album by Glenn Frey, released in 1984 .-Track listing:#"The All Nighter" - 4:22#"Sexy Girl" - 3:30#"I Got Love" - 3:49#"Somebody Else" - 6:00...
" by
Glenn FreyGlenn Lewis Frey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as one of the founding members of the rock band Eagles.-Early life:...
, an essay by
Edward AbbeyEdward Paul Abbey was an American author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues and criticism of public land policies. His best-known works include the novel The Monkey Wrench Gang, which has been cited as an inspiration by radical environmental groups, and the non-fiction...
, and eponymous songs by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band,
Kate WolfKate Wolf was an American folk singer and songwriter. Though her career was relatively short, she had a significant impact on the folk music scene, and many musicians continue to cover her songs...
, and
Tim McGrawSamuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts, leading him to achieve total album sales in excess of 40 million units. He is married to country singer Faith Hill and is the son of former baseball player...
, and later recorded by
Josh GracinJoshua Mario Gracin is a country music singer. A former member of the United States Marine Corps, he first gained public attention as the fourth-place finalist on the second season of the Fox Networks talent competition American Idol.After his elimination from the show, Gracin completed his...
. Telluride is also known for its
ski resortA ski area is a developed recreational facility, usually on a mountain or large hill, containing ski trails and vital supporting services. It is common for a ski area to have food, rental equipment, parking facilities and a ski lift system catering to the sports of skiing and snowboarding...
and slopes during the winter as well as an extensive festival schedule during the summer.
Geography
Only one road reaches Telluride year round, but there are also two off-road routes. Telluride sits in an isolated spot in the Four Corners region of Colorado where the New Mexico, Utah and Arizona borders come together. From the west, Colorado Route 145 is the most common way into Telluride, however there are two alternate passes to enter the town as well.
Imogene PassImogene Pass is a high mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains in the southwest part of the US state of Colorado.It crosses a ridge connecting Ouray, Colorado with Telluride, Colorado, and is the highest mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains, and the second highest vehicular mountain crossing in...
is the more forgiving of the two passes, though it still requires 4x4 experience and should not be taken lightly.
Black Bear PassBlack Bear Road is a notorious jeep trail that starts from summit of Red Mountain Pass on U.S. Highway 550 to Telluride, Colorado. The Black Bear Road crests at Black Bear Pass, elevation . The road descends over a set of infamous switchbacks as it navigates the heights above Telluride...
is noted to be Colorado’s most dangerous pass. It is only passable in one direction because of a treacherous stair step section. Telluride is situated at an elevation of 8,750 feet.
On the eastern side of town, or the falls side,
Bridal Veil FallsBridal Veil Falls is a 365 foot waterfall at the end of the box canyon overlooking Telluride, Colorado. Hiking and off-road trails pass by the falls and the power plant at its top. In winter frozen shape of the falls forms an imposing challenge to intrepid ice climbers.Bridal Veil Falls is a two...
and the Generator House which sits at the top of the falls overlook the Victorian town of Telluride. The power plant house is owned by Eric Jacobson, who restored the house and the generator inside, which now provides about 25 percent of Telluride with its electricity. The house was originally used to power the Smuggler-Union Mine and requires an aerial tramway for Jacobson and his family to get home. It is the second-oldest operating AC generator in the United States, the first being the
Ames Hydroelectric Generating PlantThe Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant, located near Ophir, Colorado, was the world's first commercial system to produce and transmit alternating current electricity. It is now on the List of IEEE Milestones....
near
Ophir, ColoradoThe historic Town of Ophir is a Home Rule Municipality located in San Miguel County, Colorado, United States. Ophir was the site of the world's first commercial system to generate and transmit alternating current electricity, the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant...
.
The town is served by air transportation via
Telluride Regional AirportTelluride Regional Airport is a public use airport located five nautical miles west of the central business district of Telluride, a town in San Miguel County, Colorado, United States. It is owned by the Telluride Regional Airport Authority...
, the highest commercial airport in the United States. The airport is considered challenging by pilots because of frequent adverse weather conditions, high altitude, and the extremely rugged mountain terrain which surrounds the airport on nearly all sides.
Telluride is located at (37.939153, -107.816317).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe 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. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the town has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²). A small creek flows through the town.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "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.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 2,221 people, 1,013 households, and 357 families residing in the town. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 3,143.3 people per square mile (1,207.8/km²). There were 1,938 housing units at an average density of 2,742.8/sq mi (1,053.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.57% White, 0.41% African American, 0.81% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 4.14% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.20% of the population.
There were 1,013 households out of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.2% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 64.7% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the town the population was spread out with 14.3% under the age of 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 50.9% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 1.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 122.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 127.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,938, and the median income for a family was $66,136. Males had a median income of $35,329 versus $30,096 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the town was $38,832. About 8.5% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
History
In general the area would have been considered too rugged and difficult to access for the Utes to maintain any long lasting encampments in the general Telluride area.
Mining days
Gold was first discovered in 1858. John Fallon made the first claim in Marshal Basin above Telluride in 1875 and early settlement of Telluride followed. The town itself was founded in 1878. Telluride was originally named "Columbia," but due to confusion with
ColumbiaColumbia is a former California Gold Rush boom town that lives on as a state-preserved historic park and a National Historic Landmark that preserves the original, gold-rush-town flavor of the town, once dubbed the "Gem of the Southern Mines." Founded in 1850 by Mexican gold miners, it is in...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
, the name was changed by the post office in 1887. The town was named after the
chemical elementA chemical element is a pure chemical substance consisting of one type of atom distinguished by its atomic number, which is the number of protons in its nucleus. The term is also used to refer to a pure chemical substance composed of atoms with the same number of protons.Common examples of elements...
telluriumTellurium is a chemical element that has the symbol Te and atomic number 52. A brittle silver-white metalloid which looks similar to tin, tellurium is chemically related to selenium and sulfur. Tellurium is primarily used in alloys and as a semiconductor.-Characteristics:Tellurium is extremely...
, which was never actually found in the mountains of Telluride. Tellurium is a
metalloidMetalloid, or semi metal is a term used in chemistry when classifying the chemical elements. On the basis of their general physical and chemical properties, nearly every element in the periodic table can be termed either a metal or a nonmetal...
element sometimes associated with deposits of gold and silver. An alternate theory for the naming of Telluride is that it is a contraction of "to hell you ride". Telluride's mines were rich in
zincZinc , also known as spelter, is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
,
leadLead is a main-group element with symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal, also considered to be one of the heavy metals. Lead has a bluish-white color when freshly cut, but tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed to air...
,
copperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is rather soft and malleable and a freshly-exposed surface has a pinkish or peachy color...
, silver, and, of course, gold.
Telluride began slowly because of its isolated location. In 1881 a
toll roadA toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
was opened by Otto Mears which allowed wagons to go where only pack
muleA mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
s could go before. This increased the number of people in Telluride, but it was still expensive to get gold-rich ore out of the valley. In 1890 the railroad reached town, which brought in more mines and brought out more ore.
In June 1889,
Butch CassidyButch Cassidy , born Robert LeRoy Parker, was a notorious American train robber, bank robber and leader of the Hole in the Wall Gang.- 1880-1887 — first incidents, becoming a robber :...
before becoming associated with his gang, "the wild bunch", robbed the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride. This was his first major recorded crime. He exited the bank with $24,580, and later became famous as a bank robber.
Around the turn of the 20th century there were serious labor disputes in the mines near Telluride. The
Colorado National GuardThe Colorado National Guard has both Army and Air components. The Colorado National Guard is under the jurisdiction of the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The United States Code, Titles 10 and 32, specifically charge the National Guard with dual federal and state missions...
was called out and there were deaths on both sides. Unions were formed as miners joined the
Western Federation of MinersThe Western Federation of Miners was a radical labor union that gained a reputation for militancy in the mines of the western United States and British Columbia. Its efforts to organize both hard rock miners and smelter workers brought it into sharp conflicts – and often pitched battles...
in 1896. 1899 brought big changes as union strikes led most mines to grant miners $3 a day for an 8 hour day’s work plus a boarding pay of $1 a day. This came at a time when workers were putting in 10–12 hour days and the mines ran 24 hours a day.
Work conditionsOccupational safety and health is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. The goal of all occupational safety and health programs is to foster a safe work environment...
were treacherous, with mines above 12,000 ft and a lack of safety measures, not to mention bitter weather in winter months. Even the boarding houses were precariously placed on the mountainsides.
Telluride's labor unrest occurred against the backdrop of a state-wide struggle between miners and mine owners.
Bulkeley WellsBulkeley Wells was born in Chicago on March 10, 1872, to businessman Samuel Edgar Wells and Marry Agnes Bulkeley. He was educated at Roxbury Latin School and at Harvard University. He married into the wealthy family of Colonel Thomas L. Livermore, to daughter Grace Livermore...
was one of the mine operators expressing considerable hostility to the union. The leader of the Telluride Miners' Union was
Vincent St. JohnVincent Saint John was an American labor leader and a prominent Wobbly. He was born in Newport, Kentucky and was the only son of New York native Silas St. John and Irish immigrant Marian "Mary" Cecilia Magee. He had a sister two years younger named Helen.The family moved frequently, Silas going...
. There developed considerable intrigue and national interest over the disappearance — Wells declared it was a "murder" — of mine guard
William J. BarneyWilliam Julius Barney was born to William Miles Barney and Millison J. "Melissa" Rannells, on August 14, 1867. William J. may have led a normal life, conducting normal business and living as a member of a normal family, but for one act: he quit a job as a Telluride, Colorado mine guard during a...
. The accusations, animosity, gunplay, and expulsions which followed were one part of an ongoing struggle throughout Colorado's mining communities which came to be called the
Colorado Labor WarsColorado's most significant battles between labor and capital occurred primarily between miners and mine operators. In these battles the state government, with one clear exception, always took the side of the mine operators....
.
In 1891, Telluride's L.L. Nunn joined forces with
Nikola TeslaNikola Tesla was an inventor and a mechanical and electrical engineer. He is frequently cited as one of the most important contributors to the birth of commercial electricity and is best known for his many revolutionary developments in the field of electromagnetism in the late 19th and early 20th...
and
George WestinghouseGeorge Westinghouse, Jr was an American entrepreneur and engineer who invented the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry. Westinghouse was one of Thomas Edison's main rivals in the early implementation of the American electricity system...
and built the
Ames Hydroelectric Generating PlantThe Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant, located near Ophir, Colorado, was the world's first commercial system to produce and transmit alternating current electricity. It is now on the List of IEEE Milestones....
, the world's first commercial-grade alternating-current power plant, near Telluride. (Nunn's home can be found at the corner of Aspen and Columbia Streets, next door is the home he purchased for the "pinheads" to study hydro-electric engineering.) The hydro-powered electrical generation plant supplied power to the Gold King Mine 3.5 miles away. This was the first successful demonstration of long distance transmission of industrial grade alternating current power. The invention sparked the "
War of CurrentsIn the "War of Currents" era in the late 1880s, George Westinghouse and Thomas Edison became adversaries due to Edison's promotion of direct current for electric power distribution over alternating current advocated by Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla.- Introduction :During the initial years of...
" between the
Westinghouse Electric CorporationFounded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and was renamed CBS Corporation in 1997. George Westinghouse had previously founded the Westinghouse Air Brake Company.The company pioneered...
and the General Electric Company headed by
Thomas EdisonThomas Alva Edison was an American inventor, scientist and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb...
and J.P. Morgan. At the
Chicago World's FairThe World's Columbian Exposition — also known as The Chicago World's Fair — was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World. Chicago bested New York City, Washington, D.C. and St. Louis, Missouri, for the honor of...
of 1893 AC current and DC current both had exhibits to appeal to the 25 million people attending the fair. Following the success of the Tesla-Westinghouse exhibit, the Westinghouse Company was awarded the contract to build the power plant at Niagara Falls. Nunn and his brother Paul built power plants in Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Mexico, and the Ontario Power plant at Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. Nunn developed a keen interest in education as part of his electrical power companies, and in conjunction with Cornell University built the Telluride House at Cornell in 1909 to educate promising students in electrical engineering. Later, Nunn along with Charles Walcott, started the
Telluride AssociationThe Telluride Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that provides young people with free educational programs emphasizing intellectual curiosity, democratic self-governance, and social responsibility. Students are invited to apply based on academic criteria, such as high...
. Nunn founded
Deep Springs CollegeDeep Springs is a private, all-male, alternative college in Deep Springs, California, in the United States. Each year it admits 10 to 15 students from a pool of 100 to 200 applicants. The institution currently aims for a student body size of 26, though the number is occasionally lower...
in 1917. All of Nunn's educational endeavors are going strong today. Each year the Telluride Tech Festival honors Nunn, Tesla, and Westinghouse, along with current day technology and science leaders.
Telluride’s most famous historic mines are the Tomboy, Pandora, Smuggler-Union, Nellie, and Sheridan mines. Beginning in 1939, the hard-rock mining operations in the Red Mountain and Telluride mining districts began a lengthy consolidation under the
Idarado Mining CompanyThe Idarado Mine was a gold mining operation in the San Juan Mountains of Ouray County, Colorado. The mine is within the Sneffels-Red Mountain-Telluride mining district. The remains of the operation are visible from the Million Dollar Highway, north of Red Mountain Pass, between Ouray and...
(Idarado), presently a division of
Newmont MiningNewmont Mining Corporation , based in Denver, Colorado, USA, is one of the world's largest producers of gold, with active mines in, Nevada, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana, and Peru. Some smaller operations include Bolivia, Mexico, and Canada. Holdings include Battle Mountain Gold,...
. The consolidation ended in 1953 with Idarado’s acquisition of the Telluride Mines. Idarado kept the underground workings and mill operations open at Telluride’s Pandora hard-rock mine until 1978. When the mine closed for good; the snow which once tormented Telluride's miners had become the town's new gold,in the form of skiing and tourism. The documentary video "the YX factor" chronicles the transition from mining to skiing and the influx of "hippies" in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the words of local residents and commentators such as Peter Yarrow and Tom Hayden.
The skiing era
Mining was Telluride’s only industry until 1972, when the first
ski liftAn elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
was installed by
Telluride Ski ResortTelluride Ski Resort is a ski resort located in Telluride and Mountain Village, Colorado.The resort was founded by Joe Zoline who hoped to build a "world class resort" from scratch. Telluride's remoteness, Zoline acknowledged, is also what makes the resort special. Weekend warrior skiiers from the...
founder Joseph T. Zoline and his Telluride Ski Corporation (Telco).
Joe ZolineJoseph T. Zoline was the Founder of the Telluride Ski Resort.Born 1912 in Chicago, the child of Ukrainian immigrants, Zoline grew up in an era in which the Great Depression shaped its survivors very strictly...
bought the land for the future resort in 1969 and began to craft the slopes. Along with his mountain manager, Telluride native Bill "Sr." Mahoney, they slowly and thoughtfully put together a plan for sustained development of Telluride and the region. As mining phased out and a new service industry phased in, the local population changed sharply. Mining families fled Telluride to settle in places like
MoabMoab is a city in Grand County, in eastern Utah, in the western United States. It is 233 miles southeast of Salt Lake City and 354 miles west of Denver, Colorado, about 30 miles South of Interstate 70 at the intersection of U.S. Route 191 and State Route 128. The population was 4,779 at the...
,
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
, where uranium mining offered hope of continued employment. Mining families were replaced by what locals referred to as "
hippieThe hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world. The word hippie derives from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district...
s," young people with a 1960s world view which frequently clashed with the values of Telluride's old timers. These newcomers were characterized as being idle trust funders who were drawn to the town for a casual life style and outdoor excitements such as
hang glidingHang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies a light and unmotorized foot-launchable aircraft called a hang glider.Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite-framed fabric wing...
,
mountain climbingMountaineering is the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, backpacking and climbing mountains. In Europe it is also referred to as alpinism, while in the Americas the term refers to a particular style of mountain climbing, that involves a mixture of ice climbing, rock climbing, mixed...
, and
kayakingKayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking is generally differentiated from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is defined by the International Canoe Federation as a boat where the paddler faces forward, legs in...
.
The new population was initially anti-growth and rallied against any economic expansion, including growth due to tourism and skiing. At one point a serious effort was made to ban cars from the city limits and force visitors to use horse drawn carts. Success did not come overnight for Telluride in this environment. The seventies were a time of fluctuating snowfalls and economic recession. However, the town’s now famous music and film festivals were immune from anti-growth criticism and flourished. These festivals exposed hundreds of thousands to the grandeur of the valley for the first time and created iconic associations with elite entertainers. Meanwhile ski area founder Joe Zoline worked hard to put Telluride on the map, developing one of the best mountains in North America for expert skiers and creating infrastructure for tourism which respected Telluride's need to stay small and beautiful.
As the final ore carts were rolling out of the Pandora mine, tourists began to seriously discover Telluride for its magnificent views, expert skiing, and famous autumn color changes. After the brutal snow drought of 1976 which nearly wiped out the embryonic ski and lodging industry the town started to rebound economically. In 1978 a stake of the ski area was purchased by Ron Allred and his partner Jim Wells to form the Telluride Company. The new owners expanded the infrastructure which Zoline had put into place by adding a gondola connecting the Town of Telluride with the Mountain Village.
During the 1980s, Telluride developed a reputation for being "Colorado's best kept secret," which paradoxically made it one of the more well known resort communities. Wealthy skiers flocked to the world class mountain all winter and sightseers kept hotel rooms full all summer. In the 1980s Telluride also became notorious in the drug counter culture for being a drop point for Mexican smugglers and a favorite place for wealthy importers to enjoy some downtime. The town was even featured in the hit song by
Glenn FreyGlenn Lewis Frey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as one of the founding members of the rock band Eagles.-Early life:...
from
Miami ViceMiami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The show became noted for its heavy integration of music and visual effects to tell a story. The series starred Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in...
, "Smugglers Blues." For a while the modern Telluride was living up to its Wild West history. This type of attention, as it turned out, was just what the town needed to differentiate it from Aspen. The festivals combined with Telluride's bad-boy town image attracted celebrities like
Tom CruiseThomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known by his screen name of Tom Cruise, is an American actor and film producer. Forbes magazine ranked him as the world's most powerful celebrity in 2006. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and won three Golden Globe Awards...
,
Oprah WinfreyOprah Gail Winfrey is an American media personality, actress, television producer, literary critic and magazine publisher, best known for her self-titled, multi-award winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history...
, and
Oliver StoneWilliam Oliver Stone is an American film director and screenwriter. Stone came to prominence as a director with a series of films about the Vietnam War, in which he had participated as an American infantry soldier, and his work continues to focus frequently on contemporary political and cultural...
. By the mid 1990s, Telluride had shed both its mining personality and drug image to establish itself as a premier resort town balancing modern culture with fascinating western history. In 2003, Prospect Bowl, an extension to the ski area opened, providing the resort with many new trails and runs. In 2007-08, the ski area opened some of the most extreme, in-bound, hike-to terrain in the country. Most lifts in the area are high speed quad chairs capable of holding four passengers. The highest lift on the mountain reaches an altitude of 12,255 feet.
Tourism
Beyond the ski lifts, Telluride is now widely recognized as a premier all season resort. Telluride Ski Resort is definitely the main attraction in the winter. But when summer comes around, Telluride transforms into an outdoor recreation hot spot, with tourists visiting to enjoy a wide range of activities including but not limited to
mountain bikingMountain biking is an ever evolving sport that has recently seen a huge flux of popularity but has firm roots in experimentation with non "mountain" style bicycles. The sport consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, with specially equipped mountain bikes or hybrid / cross...
,
hikingHiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking have been confirmed in studies...
, river rafting, sightseeing and more. The
Telluride Tourism BoardImage:Telluride-logo1.jpg|Telluride Tourism Board
Telluride Tourism Board is a community non-profit organization that is funded by the Town of Telluride, Mountain Village and San Miguel County in Colorado, USA...
promotes tourism in the region.
Transportation
Telluride is served by
Telluride Regional AirportTelluride Regional Airport is a public use airport located five nautical miles west of the central business district of Telluride, a town in San Miguel County, Colorado, United States. It is owned by the Telluride Regional Airport Authority...
. However, the scheduled flight options are very limited, due to the airport's short runway and frequent closures under bad weather. Therefore most of the passengers going to Telluride use
Montrose Regional AirportMontrose Regional Airport is a non-towered public airport located at the northwest edge of Montrose in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Colorado...
, located 67 miles to the north.
Free public transportation is provided in Telluride. The bus system, called
Galloping Goose, makes a complete loop around the town and the
Gondola links Telluride with
Mountain VillageMountain Village is a Home Rule Municipality in San Miguel County, Colorado, United States. The population was 978 at the 2000 census. The town is expanding rapidly due to the presence of the Telluride Ski Resort-Geography:...
.
Major Highways
State Highway 145State Highway 145 is a long state highway in western Colorado. The route begins in the south at its intersection with U.S. Highway 160 in the eastern portion of the city of Cortez. The route winds northward through the towns of Dolores, Rico, Sawpit, Placerville, Norwood, and Redvale before...
is named San Juan Skyway. It connects Telluride to CortezThe City of Cortez is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 7,977 at the 2000 census...
and NaturitaNaturita is a Statutory Town in Montrose County, Colorado, United States. The population was 635 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Naturita is located at ....
. This road also gives access to State Highway 62State Highway 62 is a 23.41 mile long state highway connecting the towns of Placerville and Ridgway in the western part of the U.S. state of Colorado...
, the main route to DenverThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the state of Colorado, in the United States. Denver is a consolidated city-county located in the South Platte River Valley on the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, MontroseThe City of Montrose is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Montrose County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 15,479 in 2005. The main road that leads in and out of Montrose is U.S...
and other important places in ColoradoColorado is a U.S. state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. It may also be considered to be part of the Western and Southwestern regions of the United States. Colorado entered statehood in 1876 and was nicknamed the “Centennial State”...
.
Effect on pop culture
Telluride and the area surrounding it has had a notable effect on pop culture. The nearby town of
OurayThe historic City of Ouray is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Ouray County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 813 at the U.S. Census 2000. The Ouray Post Office has the ZIP Code 81427....
was the inspiration for Galt's Gulch in
Ayn RandAyn Rand , was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her best-selling novels and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
's
Atlas Shrugged Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States. This was Rand's fourth, longest and last novel, and she considered it her magnum opus in the realm of fiction writing...
, and historic Telluride figures prominently in
Thomas Pynchon'sThomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. is an American novelist based in New York City and noted for his dense and complex works of fiction. Hailing from Long Island, Pynchon spent two years in the United States Navy and earned an English degree from Cornell University...
Against the DayAgainst the Day is a novel by Thomas Pynchon. The narrative takes place between the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and the time immediately following World War I and features more than a hundred characters spread across the United States, Europe, Mexico, Central Asia, and "one or two places not strictly...
. Modern Telluride is the setting of Raymond H. Ring's 1988 detective novel
Telluride Smile. Telluride is the subject of the song "Smugglers Blues" by Glenn Frey, and two songs called "Telluride", one by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1985 and one by Tim Mcgraw in 2001, which was re-recorded by
Josh GracinJoshua Mario Gracin is a country music singer. A former member of the United States Marine Corps, he first gained public attention as the fourth-place finalist on the second season of the Fox Networks talent competition American Idol.After his elimination from the show, Gracin completed his...
in 2008. It was the setting of the 1998 Scrapple movie directed by Christopher Hansen. Local residents and common visitors have included
John DenverJohn Denver was an American country music/folk singer-songwriter and folk rock musician. He was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the 1970s in terms of record sales, recording and releasing around 300 songs, of which about 200 were composed by him. He was named Poet Laureate of Colorado...
,
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet and painter who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was, at first, an informal chronicler and then an apparently reluctant figurehead of social unrest...
,
Daryl HannahDaryl Christine Hannah is an American film actress. After making her screen debut in 1978, Hannah starred in a number of Hollywood films throughout the 1980s notably Blade Runner, Splash, Wall Street and Roxanne and in 2003-4 received acclaim for her role in the Kill Bill series.-Early life:Hannah...
,
Jerry SeinfeldJerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is an American comedian, actor and writer, whose style is often described as observational comedy...
, Oprah Winfrey and
Tom CruiseThomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known by his screen name of Tom Cruise, is an American actor and film producer. Forbes magazine ranked him as the world's most powerful celebrity in 2006. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and won three Golden Globe Awards...
.
The short-lived but legendary early 1990s hard rock group
T-RideT-Ride was a California-based heavy metal band whose only album shared the same title. Noted for its wildly complex instrument and vocal arrangements.Steve Ouimette was one of the first guitarist to try out for the band....
took their name from a commonly used contraction of Telluride. They seem to have chosen this name at least in part because of the theory that "Telluride" is itself a contraction of "To Hell You Ride". The song "Ride" from their album
T-RideT-Ride was the debut album of the California-based heavy metal band of the same name. Noted for its wildly complex instrument and vocal arrangements. It featured lead singer Dan Arlie's multi-octave vocal styles and Van Halen influenced guitar playing by Jeff Tyson...
includes the lyric "Te-hell-ya Ride".
Originally a mining town, Telluride now is known for its
ski resortA ski area is a developed recreational facility, usually on a mountain or large hill, containing ski trails and vital supporting services. It is common for a ski area to have food, rental equipment, parking facilities and a ski lift system catering to the sports of skiing and snowboarding...
,
Telluride Ski ResortTelluride Ski Resort is a ski resort located in Telluride and Mountain Village, Colorado.The resort was founded by Joe Zoline who hoped to build a "world class resort" from scratch. Telluride's remoteness, Zoline acknowledged, is also what makes the resort special. Weekend warrior skiiers from the...
. In the summer, there are festivals almost every weekend, including
Mountainfilm in TellurideMountainfilm in Telluride is America’s premier festival of mountain, adventure, cultural and environmental film and video, held annually over Memorial Day weekend in the box canyon town of Telluride, Colorado...
, the
Telluride Film FestivalThe Telluride Film Festival was started in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, Tom Luddy and Jim Card in the town of Telluride, Colorado, United States. It is operated by the National Film Preserve, LTD....
, Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Mushroom Festival, Nothing Day Festival and the
Telluride Bluegrass FestivalThe Telluride Bluegrass Festival is held annually in Telluride, Colorado by . Although traditionally the festival focuses on bluegrass music, it often features music from a variety of genres. In 1973, its first year, it attracted 1000 participants. Currently the festival's attendance is capped at...
.
Notable residents
- Slator "Lightning Bolt" Aplin
- Patricia Aburdene
Patricia Aburdene is an author and motivational speaker.As an advocate of corporate transformation, Aburdene now inspires audiences with predictions of how values and consciousness will transform business....
- Christie Brinkley
Christie Brinkley is an American model best known for her three appearances on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in the late 1970s and early '80s, for her long-running contract with CoverGirl and for being the ex-wife of musician Billy Joel.Brinkley has also worked as an actress,...
- Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known by his screen name of Tom Cruise, is an American actor and film producer. Forbes magazine ranked him as the world's most powerful celebrity in 2006. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and won three Golden Globe Awards...
and Katie HolmesKate Noelle "Katie" Holmes is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003...
- Ben Clark
Ben Clark is a mountaineer and native of Clarksville, Tennessee, though he resides in Colorado. He starting rock climbing as a boy and progressed to larger, more challenging mountains in his early twenties....
- Richard Holbrooke
Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke , Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan under the Obama administration, is a top-ranking American diplomat, magazine editor, author, professor, Peace Corps official, and investment banker...
- Charlie Fowler
Charlie Fowler was an American mountain climber, writer, and photographer. He was one of North America’s most experienced mountain climbers, and successfully climbed many of the world’s highest peaks. Along with his climbing partner, Christine Boskoff, he went missing in southwestern China...
- Clifford J. Laube
Clifford J. Laube was an American Catholic poet, magazine and newspaper editor and publisher.Born to a prospecting couple in Telluride, Colorado, Clifford J. Laube spent most of his early years in poverty. Upon the death of his mother, Laube was placed in an orphanage where he developed his strong...
- Antonya Nelson
Antonya Nelson is an American author and teacher of creative writing who writes primarily short stories.-Life and education:Antonya Nelson was born January 6, 1961 in Wichita, Kansas....
- L. L. Nunn
Lucien Lucius Nunn was an American entrepreneur and educator who founded Telluride Association and Deep Springs College. He received his higher education at Oberlin College and in 1880 moved to Telluride, Colorado where he started a law practice and dealt in real estate...
- Vincent Saint John
Vincent Saint John was an American labor leader and a prominent Wobbly. He was born in Newport, Kentucky and was the only son of New York native Silas St. John and Irish immigrant Marian "Mary" Cecilia Magee. He had a sister two years younger named Helen.The family moved frequently, Silas going...
- Susan Saint James
Susan Saint James is an American actress and activist, most widely known for her work in television during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s....
- Rob Schultheis
Rob Schultheis is an author and journalist who lives in Telluride, Colorado. He has written books about the wars in Afghanistan and the 2003 Iraq War, as well as books about Colorado, the Western United States, and extreme sports such as mountain climbing...
- Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.
General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. is a retired United States Army General who, while he served as Commander of U.S. Central Command, was commander of the Coalition Forces in the Gulf War of 1991.-Biography:Schwarzkopf was born Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr...
- Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey is an American media personality, actress, television producer, literary critic and magazine publisher, best known for her self-titled, multi-award winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history...
- Peter Yarrow
Peter Yarrow is an American singer who found fame with the 1960s folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Yarrow co-wrote one of the group's most famous songs, Puff, the Magic Dragon...
- Joe Zoline
Joseph T. Zoline was the Founder of the Telluride Ski Resort.Born 1912 in Chicago, the child of Ukrainian immigrants, Zoline grew up in an era in which the Great Depression shaped its survivors very strictly...
- Pamela Zoline
Pamela Zoline or Pamela Lifton-Zoline is a writer and painter living in the United States in Telluride, Colorado.Among science fiction fans, she is known for her controversial 1967 short story "The Heat Death of the Universe"...
See also
- Colorado municipalities
The 271 incorporated municipalities of the State of Colorado operate under one of five types of municipal governing authority.-Consolidated City and County:...
- Mountainfilm in Telluride
Mountainfilm in Telluride is America’s premier festival of mountain, adventure, cultural and environmental film and video, held annually over Memorial Day weekend in the box canyon town of Telluride, Colorado...
- San Juan Mountains
The San Juan Mountains are a rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and Telluride...
- Telluride Ski Resort
Telluride Ski Resort is a ski resort located in Telluride and Mountain Village, Colorado.The resort was founded by Joe Zoline who hoped to build a "world class resort" from scratch. Telluride's remoteness, Zoline acknowledged, is also what makes the resort special. Weekend warrior skiiers from the...
- Telluride Bluegrass Festival
The Telluride Bluegrass Festival is held annually in Telluride, Colorado by . Although traditionally the festival focuses on bluegrass music, it often features music from a variety of genres. In 1973, its first year, it attracted 1000 participants. Currently the festival's attendance is capped at...
- Telluride Film Festival
The Telluride Film Festival was started in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, Tom Luddy and Jim Card in the town of Telluride, Colorado, United States. It is operated by the National Film Preserve, LTD....
Telluride in media
- $40 a Day
- Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet
The Gauntlet is the seventh season of Real World/Road Rules Challenge. It featured 28 castmates competing in missions with an immunity life-saver awarded to the best individual performer. Each team would then select a player from their team to go into the Gauntlet elimination challenge. This...
- Telluride Sessions
The Telluride Sessions is an album recorded by five acoustic-music instrumentalists under the name Strength in Numbers and released in 1989 on MCA Records Nashville. The five members are: Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Béla Fleck, Mark O'Connor, and Edgar Meyer. The album is progressive bluegrass with...
- Live at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival
Live at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival is the first live album by the San Francisco, CA based band New Monsoon. It was recorded live on June 17, 2004 at the venerable Telluride Bluegrass Festival...
External links