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45-570: Cripple Creek may refer to: Populated places in the United States [ edit ] Cripple Creek, Colorado , a statutory city and county seat Cripple Creek, Virginia , an unincorporated community Streams in the United States [ edit ] Cripple Creek (Colorado) Cripple Creek (New York) Cripple Creek (East Fork Stones River) , Tennessee Cripple Creek (Virginia) Songs [ edit ] "Cripple Creek" (folk song) ,

90-426: A business college, a county school district with 19 schools and 118 teachers educating almost 4,000 students, 90 doctors, 40 stockbrokers, 15 newspapers, 9 assay offices, 10 barber shops, 72 lawyers, 20 houses of ill-repute, over 300 prostitutes, 26 one room cribs, and several opium dens. Prostitution flourished until the 1920s and was taxed at a rate of $ 6 a month per prostitute and $ 16 a month per madame. Pearl De Vere,

135-563: A cattle pasture. Many prospectors avoided the area after the Mount Pisgah hoax , a mini gold rush caused by salting (adding gold to worthless rock). On October 20, 1890, Robert Miller "Bob" Womack discovered a rich ore and the last great Colorado gold rush began. By July 1891, a post office was established. By November, hundreds of prospectors were camping in the area. Rather than investing in mines, Denver realtors Horace Bennett and Julius Myers sought wealth by platting 80 acres of land for

180-531: A dispute between a bartender, Otto Floto , and his dancehall girlfriend, Jennie LaRue, on the second floor of the Central Dance Hall on Myers Avenue. Their struggle resulted in an oil lamp being thrown setting fire to the curtains. The fire incinerated most buildings on Myers Avenue before it was put out. Four days later, another fire destroyed much of the remaining half. A cook at the Portland Hotel spilled

225-432: A famous madame who owned The Old Homestead, a high class brothel that serviced wealthy mine owners and entrepreneurs of the area, was known to have charged clients in the upwards of $ 250 a night. Over 8,000 miners worked in the district making $ 3 per day. Most miners and foremen supplemented their incomes by as much as 1/3 through high grading . It was estimated that an average of $ 1–2 million dollars per year were stolen from

270-494: A few small operations. There are significant underground deposits remaining which may become feasible to mine in the future. Large scale open pit mining and cyanide heap leach extraction of near-surface ore material, left behind by the old time miners as low grade, has taken place since 1994 east of Cripple Creek, near its sister city of Victor, Colorado. The district’s population began declining starting in 1905 as mines began closing. By 1920, only 40 mines were in business, and by 1945

315-457: A ghost town. At one point, the population dropped to a few hundred, although Cripple Creek was never entirely deserted. In the 1970s and 1980s, travelers on photo safari might find themselves in a beautiful decaying historic town. A few restaurants and bars catered to tourists, who could pass weathered empty homes with lace curtains hanging in broken windows. Colorado voters allowed Cripple Creek to establish legalized gambling in 1991. Cripple Creek

360-498: A kettle of grease on a hot stove, which caused fire to travel from Myers to Bennet Avenue and burned 1/3 of Cripple Creek. The town was rebuilt using brick and better construction methods in a period of a few months; most historic buildings today date back to 1896. By 1900, the Cripple Creek mining district was home to 500 mines. By 1910, it had produced 22.4 million ounces of gold. Between 1894 and 1902, around 50,000 people lived in

405-482: A real gold miner. In 2006 Cripple Creek broke ground on the new Pikes Peak Heritage Center. Constructed at a cost over $ 2.5 million, the building is over 11,000 square feet (1,000 m ) of educational displays. State of the art electronics are used throughout the building and there is also a theatre showing historical films about the area. Newly named the Cripple Creek Heritage Center, admission

450-539: A townsite which they named Fremont. The town consisted of 30 platted blocks containing 766 lots. Each lot sold for $ 25 and $ 50 for corner lots. Within a year, the lots value increased and sold for at least $ 250 each. Months later, investors from Colorado Springs platted 140 acres near Fremont and called their town Hayden Placer. Bennett and Myers filed another plat near the Broken Box Ranch and named it Cripple Creek. The towns’ combined population totalled 600-800 people by

495-639: A traditional folk song "Cripple Creek" by Skip Spence on the album Oar Films [ edit ] Cripple Creek (film) , a 1952 Western Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Cripple Creek . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cripple_Creek&oldid=1191979578 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

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540-577: Is currently more of a gambling and tourist town than a ghost town. Casinos now occupy many historic buildings. Casino gambling has been successful in bringing revenue and vitality back into the area. It also provides funding for the State Historical Fund , administered by the Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation . In 2012, Colorado casinos produced over $ 104 million in tax revenue for these programs. The gold-bearing area of

585-423: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Cripple Creek, Colorado Cripple Creek is a statutory city that is the county seat of Teller County , Colorado , United States. The city population was 1,155 at the 2020 United States Census . Cripple Creek is a former gold mining camp located 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Colorado Springs near

630-643: Is free. Cripple Creek is also home to the Butte Opera House, a theatre first managed by the Mackin family (previous owners of the Imperial Hotel and producers of a long-running, much-loved melodrama theatre company). The Butte is currently the home of the Mountain Rep Theatre Company that produces plays, musicals, and classic melodramas year-round, including such shows as Forever Plaid, Hot Night in

675-748: The Colorado School of Mines in 1874. In August 1872, Stratton worked as a carpenter for $ 3 a day in Colorado Springs, Colorado area. Stratton joined the Carpenter's Union, and built furniture and homes during the winter, including working on the house of Helen Hunt Jackson and the McAllister House . In 1874, he began prospecting for gold and silver in the summers. He was unsuccessful in San Juan County, Colorado , but he started prospecting in

720-738: The Cripple Creek Mining District and located the Martha Washington mine, which he sold for $ 80,000. Stratton filed a claim for the Independence mine in Cripple Creek, Colorado on July 4, 1891. He used the money from the sale of the Martha Washington mine to work the Independence Mine. He found a gold vein close to the surface worth $ 3 million in 1893. He earned an average of $ 1 million each year until 1899, which made him

765-490: The Cripple Creek district very much what Mr. Tabor had earlier done for Denver. His wise and public-spirited use of the money have entitled him to a place in the public remembrance which will endure for many years. He gave money to prospectors or others in need and he paid for schooling for a teen who was a talented violinist and provided all the laundresses in the town with bicycles. After the Cripple Creek fire of 1896, Stratton paid for food and shelter for many left homeless by

810-519: The Cripple Creek district was the core of an ancient volcano within the central Colorado volcanic field , last active over 30 million years ago during the Oligocene . Free or native gold was found near the surface but at depth unoxidized gold tellurides and sulfides were found. At the 2020 United States Census , the town had a total area of 974 acres (3.941 km ), all of it land. The community takes its name from nearby Cripple Creek . In

855-677: The Jr/Sr High School is Daniel Cummings and Miriam Mondragon is the Superintendent of Schools. Winfield Scott Stratton On July 22, 1848, Stratton was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana . Stratton's parents were Mary and Myron Stratton. Stratton is a descendant from the Windsor, Connecticut line of the Stratton family. Stratton's mother had twelve children; of four boys, he is said to be

900-773: The Old Town, A Cripple Creek Christmas Carol , The Rocky Horror Show, and The Christmas Donkey . Cripple Creek features many events throughout the year like the Cripple Creek Ice Festival, Donkey Derby Days, the July 4 Celebration, and a Gold Camp Christmas. Cripple Creek is served by the Cripple Creek-Victor School District RE-1 . The district has one elementary school and one junior/senior high school, including Cresson Elementary School and Cripple Creek-Victor Junior/Senior High School. Principal of

945-417: The age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.82. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under

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990-460: The age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 39,261, and the median income for a family was $ 41,685. Males had a median income of $ 27,600 versus $ 25,000 for females. The per capita income for

1035-561: The baby was his child and was often angry and jealous. She returned to her family and the marriage ended. He had a housekeeper for many years named Eliza, with whom he could be brusque. She was called the "suffering but faithful housekeeper Eliza" in the Gold Rushes and Mining Camps of the Early American West book. He became reclusive and eccentric. He drank and read a great deal, but rarely had guests or went out socially. Stratton

1080-503: The base of Pikes Peak . The Cripple Creek Historic District , which received National Historic Landmark status in 1961, includes part or all of the city and the surrounding area. The city is now a part of the Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor . For many years, Cripple Creek's high valley, at an elevation of 9,494 feet (2,894 m), was considered no more important than

1125-416: The city was $ 19,607. About 4.7% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over. The Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad , a narrow gauge train ride from Cripple Creek passes several small ghost towns, goldmines , and glory holes . The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine provides tours into a real gold mine led by

1170-475: The city. The Colorado Springs and Interurban Railway became one of the best streetcar systems in the country. The Colorado Springs Millionaires played at the city's first professional baseball stadium, which was built by Stratton. It was located at the corner of Cheyenne Boulevard and South Tejon. He donated the money in his estate for the Myron Stratton Home . Mr. Stratton had done for this city and

1215-633: The construction of the El Paso County Courthouse, which is now the Pioneer Museum . He paid for the construction of the Independence Building, where he had an office. He bought the streetcar system that became the Colorado Springs and Interurban Railway and spent $ 2 million improving it so that it had 36 miles of tracks and 56 cars. The line ended in the southwest park of Colorado Springs at Stratton Park , which Stratton donated to

1260-525: The district, and before long Winfield Scott Stratton located the famous Independence lode , one of the largest gold strikes in history. In three years, the population increased from five hundred to ten thousand. The Palace Hotel and the Windsor Hotel were so full that chairs were rented out to be slept on for $ 1 a night. Although $ 500 million worth of gold ore was dug from Cripple Creek and more than 30 millionaires were produced since its mining heyday, Womack

1305-544: The early mines through high grading. While $ 3 a day was typical for a miner, some miners had to work 8 hours a day while others had to work 9 or 10 hours. The average miners paid $ 1.75 per week for an unfurnished house or $ 2.50 per week to boarding houses that included a room, bath, and meals. During the 1890s, many of the miners in the Cripple Creek area joined a miners' union, the Western Federation of Miners (WFM). A significant strike took place in 1894 , marking one of

1350-473: The early years, miners arrived without their families to seek their fortunes. Once settled, their families joined them leading the district’s population to ballon. Over 1/3 of the district’s citizens were White and Catholic. Swedes were a large enough ethnic group to have established their own newspaper, Svenska Posten. Hundreds of French people lived in the district and owned many businesses. A small population of Chinese and African Americans secured employment in

1395-593: The end of 1891. By 1892, the Cripple Creek Mining District name had caught on and in June 1892, the post office assigned the Cripple Creek name to Fremont, Hayden Placer, and Cripple Creek and all the settlements became known as one. From 1892, Bennett and Myers oversaw the Fremont Electric Light and Power Company. The district’s first telephone was established in 1893. Thousands of prospectors flocked to

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1440-462: The establishment of the Myron Stratton Home , for "the aged poor and dependent children." It is named for his father Myron Stratton. A bronze statue of Stratton by Nellie Walker was placed on the grounds of his estate in 1909. Another casting of Walker's statue of Stratton stands in downtown Colorado Springs. Stratton was inducted into the National Mining Hall of Fame . In 1967, he

1485-469: The few times in history that a sitting governor called out the national guard to protect miners from anti-union violence by forces under the control of the mine owners. By 1903, the allegiance of the state government had shifted, and Governor James Peabody sent the Colorado National Guard into Cripple Creek with the goal of destroying union power in the gold camps. The WFM strike of 1903 and

1530-507: The fire. He is said to have written a check for $ 5,000 to "Crazy Bob" Womack, the prospector who first discovered gold at Cripple, but was down on his luck. He gave $ 20,000 to Horace A. W. Tabor when Tabor was broke. Stratton lived a simple life in a wooden house on Weber Street after he became wealthy. He did not seem to have long-lasting relationships with women until he had a short marriage with Zeurah Stewart. She became pregnant before their marriage in 1876. Stratton did not believe that

1575-703: The first millionaire of the Cripple Creek Gold Rush . In 1899, Stratton sold Independence mine for $ 11 million. Stratton also had an interest in the Portland mine . Stratton invested in real estate in Denver, Colorado. He provided the land to build the Colorado Springs City Hall , Mining Exchange building, and Post Office and Federal Courthouse in Colorado Springs. He donated the money for

1620-488: The governor's response precipitated the Colorado Labor Wars , a struggle that took many lives. The 1904 silent film short, Tracked by Bloodhounds; or, A Lynching at Cripple Creek , directed by Harry Buckwalter , was filmed in the area. Through 2005, the Cripple Creek district produced about 23.5 million troy ounces (979 1/6 troy tons; 731 metric tons) of gold. The underground mines are mostly idle, except for

1665-419: The laundry business and as porters in saloons. The Chinese were not allowed to work on mines and only a handful of African Americans were hired as miners. A good mix of Irish, French, German, African Americans and Chinese women worked as prostitutes who charged between 50 cents to $ 1. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,115 people, 494 households, and 282 families residing in the city. The population density

1710-453: The mining district with 35,000 in the town of Cripple Creek alone making it the fourth most populous town in Colorado at the time. The seven adjoining boom towns includes Victor, Gillette, Alban, Independence, Goldfield, Elton, and Cameron—all of which were connected by rail. During the boom, there were 150 saloons, 49 grocery stores, 25 restaurants, four department stores, 12 casinos, 34 churches,

1755-429: The number dwindled to just 20 mines. The current mining operation is conducted by Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company (CC&V) , run currently by Newmont Mining. The mine operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Mine operations, maintenance, and processing departments work a rotating day/night schedule in 12-hour shifts. With many empty storefronts and picturesque homes, Cripple Creek once drew interest as

1800-399: The only one who lived beyond childhood. In 1860, Mary and Myron had nine children aged from 22 years to six months of age: Diantha, Harriet, Anna, Winfield, Mary, Virginia, Luella, Jesse and Ada. Stratton was the only male child at that time. Stratton learned carpentry in his father's shipyards. After he moved to Colorado, he studied geology at Colorado College and studied metallurgy at

1845-447: Was 988.7 inhabitants per square mile (381.7/km ). There were 737 housing units at an average density of 653.5 per square mile (252.3/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 92.29% White , 0.90% African American , 2.15% Native American , 0.81% Asian , 1.43% from other races , and 2.42% from two or more races. 6.01% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 494 households, out of which 23.3% had children under

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1890-554: Was fond of a quote by William Henry Channing , 19th-century religious thinker and part of the Transcendental movement: Stratton lived at 115 N. Weber St. in Colorado Springs. He had failing health due to cirrhosis of the liver and diabetes . By the time he was 43, he was tall, thin and frail with silky white hair. His personal physician Dr. D.H. Rice traveled with him on long journeys because of his poor health. He died at his home on September 14, 1902, at 54 years of age. His body

1935-566: Was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum . The actor Gene Evans was cast as Stratton in the 1964 episode, "Sixty-seven Miles of Gold", on the syndicated anthology series , Death Valley Days . hosted by Stanley Andrews . James Best and Jack Albertson played Jimmy Burns and Pearlman, respectively. In the story line, Stratton strikes it rich just as he signs over his mining claim to

1980-538: Was not among them. Having sold his claim for $ 500 and a case of whiskey, he died penniless on August 10, 1909. By 1892, Cripple Creek was home to 5,000 people with another 5,000 in the nearby towns of Victor, Elton, Goldfield, Independence, Alton, and Strong. As people arrived, the marshal greeted them and confiscated their firearms, which were then sold in Denver to pay for the salary of the teachers of Cripple Creek. In 1896, Cripple Creek suffered two disastrous fires. The first occurred on April 25 with flames resulting from

2025-480: Was visited by more than 8,600 people at the Mining Exchange Building the day before he was buried in southeastern Colorado Springs at Evergreen Cemetery . When he died, most of his estate went towards the creation and maintenance of the Myron Stratton Home . He did, though leave $ 50,000 each to his son, Harry Stratton of Toulon, Illinois and other relatives. Stratton left the bulk of his estate for

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