Early Days in the Cripple Creek Gold Region

Post (c) by Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

On the way to Cripple Creek
Photo (c) Doris McCraw

Early Days in the Cripple Creek Gold Region:

Some of the earliest people in the region were probably the Utes and various other Native American tribes. Little is written about that time and what is known is mostly supposition. It appears they have found artifacts from the native people around the Mt. Pisgah area. It may have been used as a signal mountain in those early days. Between 1842 and 1844 Capt. John C. Fremont explored the region and his travels around Pikes Peak took him into the Cripple Creek area. As the '59r's headed toward South Park and the mines there, they traveled just north of the Cripple Creek area. 

During the Hayden survey, some members of the survey found gold specimens. However,  nothing came of that find. In 1874, H.T. Wood, of the Hayden survey party, returned to the Cripple Creek district. He was accompanied by other prospectors who tried to find gold. It was Wood who organized the district under the name of Mt. Pisgah. Starting in those early days, the hunt was on to find the source of the gold 'float' from that early survey. That in turn, led to the run on the district. Despite the effort, none of those early prospectors were successful in finding the source. 

In 1884 a second 'discovery' started a second rush into the area. This time there were as many as 5,000 people who rushed to the area searching for that elusive gold. The 'founder' of the rush, 'Chicken Bill', it was leaned had 'salted' the area. He escaped the area just ahead of the lynching party.

Headstone of Robert 'Bob' Womack
Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs, CO
Photo (c) Doris McCraw

This last event was still in most people's memories when Bob Womanck made the real strike in the region in 1890. As a result, it took time for people to accept the truth. 

Since my last post, I've celebrated the publication of my anthology/box set: "Old West Stories of Love". Some of the stories take place near the Cripple Creek area. It helps when you can walk the areas you write about. 

(C) Doris McCraw

Until Next Time: Stay safe, Stay happy, and Stay healthy.

Doris