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The Land
During the lushly tropical dinosaur period the peace was disturbed by heavy volcanic activity. Superheated, mineralized water and steam from the core of the earth were forced upward into the cracks formed by the volcanism. As the earth cooled many ore veins were formed. The San Juan area was then much higher, perhaps twice, than it is today, though it was an elevated plain rather than mountainous. Halfway between the early volcanic period of 65,000,000 years ago and today another extended period of volcanism occurred, followed by another period of spewing volcanoes a short time later (only 5,000,000 years.) Ash and lava from this period filled in the valleys and fissures, leveling the area. After all these eruptions the pools of magma under the earth's surface in this area shrank, creating spaces into which portions of the earth sank forming bowls, or calderas. (The side of one such creating the "Amphitheater" in Ouray.) |
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Near the end of this upheaval of the earth more mineralized water and steam were forced upward. The resulting veins are unlike most other mineral deposits. The mountains, as we now see them, were formed largely by lava and ash from the volcanoes with the subsequent valleys and canyons formed by erosion from glaciers, water and wind.
These veins differed greatly in size, running from a few hundred to a few thousand feet deep and from perhaps one hundred feet wide to over a thousand feet. Some of the chimneys contain much smaller 'pipes' which carry especially rich ores. Between the variations in width and depth of the chimneys and pipes and given the variety of value between the pipes, the chimneys and the various layers, mining the San Juans took a financially risky business to a new level of chance.
The People
Around 1300 the Utes found themselves driven from the lowlands and forced to exist in the mountainous area of the Four Corners by pressure from the more-populous Plains Indians.
Little occurred here during the first half of the 18th-century. Gold, however, was discovered east of Silverton in 1860, and over the next decade prospectors and miners came in growing numbers.
Within five years of its discovery by the white man, and as word of the rich mineral strikes became widely known, Ouray was flooded with eager prospectors becoming the center of intense mining and economic development. By 1885 Ouray had become a thriving business community managed by well-educated professional men and was inhabited, unlike most mining towns, with a very family-oriented population.
From the early 20th-century onward the decline in the price of silver (the dominant prize in the area mines) eviscerated mining and the economics and population of the area steadily declined.
The books by P. David Smith provide extensive historical background for an area whose past is as interesting and varied as the wonderful scenery. Our Favorites Trip Tips and Tools Copyright © 1997-2001 E.J.
Gehrlein Traveling
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he San Juans cover 12,000 square
miles (31,000 sq. kms.) of southwestern Colorado, an eighth of the state. The mountains,
relatively new geologically speaking, are among the most rugged and highest of North
America, and equally superlative in their mineral content. Hundreds of peaks rise above
13,000 feet (3,962 meters) and many tower above 14,000 feet (4,265 meters.) The area of
richest mineralization is small, perhaps 250 square miles (650 sq. kms.) This "mother
lode" is bounded by Ouray on the north, Silverton south, Lake City to the east and
Ophir (near Telluride) west.
nstead of horizontal seams, the veins
are vertical, more or less cylindrical and are called chimneys. Adding to the spice of a
prospectors life the top of the chimneys tend to be low-grade ores (zinc and lead or
silver/lead.) Below this one typically finds copper and silver, and at the bottom
low-grade copper with often a little gold. Further, the topmost layer of ore is often
covered with a hard silica 'cap'.
lso high in reward, of course. The famous Camp Bird mine
produced $5,000 in gold and silver every day at the end of the 19th-century ... one of the
richest mines ever found. 
uray lies at the heart of the
"Four Corners" area. The region had been controlled by the Tabeguache Ute
Indians for several hundred years. They didn't live (full-time) in the area, wisely
preferring the warmer lower elevations for most of the year. They were nomadic and
traveled up to the higher elevations during the summer. 
They ventured often to the beautiful setting of Ouray.
Nestled in a bowl of volcanic origins, attended by the three large waterfalls, accompanied
by several creeks and hot springs, and with plentiful game the site would have been a
welcome summer camp.
or the
remainder of the century mining dominated the area's history. This saga of discoveries of
wealth and the drudgery of hard-rock mining is joined by the running battle between Ouray
and Silverton to gain dominance as the source of supplies for the mines and miners and the
transit point for the ore. Equally interesting are the the tales of road- and
railroad-builders forging commercial routes through what were thought to be impenetrable
mountains.