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Once over Kenosha Pass, descending into South Park,
one can experience the beautiful melody of a high meadow just as the
hardy souls of the late 1800’s did as they traveled this crossing in
their feverish stampede for gold. From noble white-capped peaks to a
vast grassy basin, this is a land of a thousand voices. Three sleepy
little towns Como, Fairplay and Alma-located in South Park- have
delicately preserved the life and times of the 19th century miners.
As you travel to these historic towns, listen for the pioneer’s song
on the wind as the cool air brushes your cheeks.
South Park, located in central Park County, Colorado,
is one of only three designated Heritage Areas in the state. Known
for its beautiful flat valley, the term South Park was first used in
the 1840s by hunters and trappers who bravely traversed the Rocky
Mountains. Ten years later, word spread like fire across America of
three successful gold strikes in Colorado. Fortune seekers flocked
to the area and gold camps sprang up overnight. From 1860-1863, Park
County boasted $1,500,000 in gold extraction. By the 1880s, the area
was known for its mineral springs, hunting, fishing and wildflower
meadows. One advertisement stated that a visit to the area “could
cure the most nervous into refreshing sleep.”
 
Dropping off of Kenosha Pass the first town you
meander through is Jefferson. The town had been preceded by two
other “Jefferson's” during the gold rush in the 1860s and 1870s.
the current town of Jefferson sprang up in 1879 as the Narrow gauge
railroads (DSP&P rail line) steamed through the valley. The town
was founded by Willard Head who also donated land from his ranch to
the railways and opened a store. He ran his personal home as a
hotel and stagestop & this home still stands just south of the
Highway and across Jefferson Creek along CR 77. The stage line ran
between Jefferson and the town of Swandyke via Georgia Pass. By
late 1881 Jefferson had boomed to a population of 300.
By the mid 1880s Jefferson had 2 butchers, saloon,
post office, express office, lumber mill, blacksmith, hotel, school
(Now the local Church), store, Livery (where Jefferson Real Estate
now sits), Depot, Section house, jail (now moved next to the Gas
station) & stock pens to handle the growing cattle & Sheep economy.
By 1890, believe-it-or not, even a cheese factory opened up due to
the success of the local dairy farmers (the old factory has since
been converted into the local community center). Most of
Jefferson’s livelihood was derived from it’s central location w/respect to the
railroad & numerous businesses such as the “South Park Hay Company”,
numerous local saw mills & the Cattle & Sheep ranchers in the
area.
By the mid 1900’s the railroads had gone and many of
the original buildings had either been dismantled or burned to the
ground over the years. But if you stand next to the highway where
the old railroad used to come through, you can imagine the steam
engine with the smoke coming out of the pipe chugging down Kenosha
pass pulling into Jefferson and all the hustle and bustle of
unloading supplies and loading the rail cars with Lumber, Hay &
livestock.
 
A short distance into the basin is the quaint town of
Como. Home of many Italian coal miners and stonemasons, Como was
named for a lake and city in Italy. The historic roundhouse, one of
only three in the state, sits majestically on a hill just outside of
town. Built as a railroad facility in the late 1800s, Italian
stonemasons were imported to build the roundhouse and other stone
structures. The first train arrived from Denver in 1879 and the
circular stone and wood roundhouse was built shortly thereafter.
Como was the company town for the DSP&P rail line and for a period
of time, only railroad employees could purchase land in the area to
build homes. As a primary rail division point, the town developed
around the railroad with as many as twenty-six trains passing
through each day. Sam Peas who worked for the railroad described the
area in 1887: The town spread southward, its wide, dusty roads lined
with small frame houses, boardinghouses, general stores, liveries,
confectioneries, Chinese laundries and saloons. Almost every man in
the population of 400 worked on the railroad, including twenty-two
engineers, dozens of firemen, and 100 machinist, roundhouse
employees, office clerks, and section gang laborers..
By the early 1900s, decline in the railroad industry
caused the work force to be discharged or transferred. In 1935, a
fire destroyed the woodsheds and roof of the roundhouse. Even though
the roof was repaired, the railroad filed a petition of abandonment
two years later. In less than a year, the railroad tracks were
pulled up and Como’s population diminished to about 100 people.
Standing on the hill that hosts the town of Como, if you listen
closely, you may still hear the old train’s shrill whistle in the
wind.
 
Driving on to Fairplay, the experience of open space
in the basin brings to mind the unmatched beauty of life’s form and
grace. A deep feeling of protection comes from the soft, sweeping
hills that are surrounded by rugged mountains.
In the days of the early pioneers, hopeful
prospectors fanned out across the area and the town of Fair Play
(1859) was created. Fair Play, where “even-handed justice should
rule” -the story behind this name lies in a town about twelve miles
northeast called Tarryall. Tarryall was known as the land of
greediness because the first gold miners who arrived there
established claims so large that no room was left for the late
comers.
The camp at FairPlay was located at the junction of
Beaver Creek and the South Platte River and served as a supply
center for nearby mining camps. At its peak, the Hallock and
Davidson Lumber Mill reportedly produced 30,000 ft of lumber and
75,000 shingles a week. In 1861, a post office was established for
the town’s 100 or so citizens. Six years later Fair Play became the
county seat of Park County and the log courthouse from Buckskin Joe
was moved to Fair Play. With a school, several churches and hotels
and approximately sixty buildings, Fair Play was rechristened as the
town of South Park City in 1869 then back to Fairplay (one word) in
1874. Along with a growing population came an increasing need for a
jail. Built in 1880, the county commissioners, under pressure to
insure the jail was escape-proof, used files to test the bars
themselves.
As the mining industry faded, tourism, along with
cattle and hay raising, became the economic mainstays of the area.
Standing in the streets of Fairplay, one can imagine the rusty ore
buckets swaying in the wind during the day and picture weary miners
playing cards under the dancing kerosene light and dreaming of
fortunes at night.
 
On the outskirts of Fairplay lies Old South Park
City. This make-shift town was created in the late 1950’s by a group
of citizens concerned that the old mining and ghost towns of Park
County were being dismantled and destroyed. The group, led by Leon
Snyder, a Colorado Springs attorney, envisioned a recreated gold
mining town. Buildings were brought in from the high gulches of the
Mosquito Range and from mining towns such as Alma, Leavick, Buckskin
Joe and Montgomery. Most of these buildings boast an array of period
furnishings and equipment. A stroll down the boardwalk takes one
back to another time when the town dentist and the mortician
probably shared the same building!
 
Further on down the road past the “Long Meadow Ranch”
is Alma. From the meadow’s basin the sun tipped mountains stand
silent and expansive as lazy white-winged-tipped birds float
overhead. Signs along the way state “Lost Park Road” and “Snow
Stoppers” both clear warnings of how cruel the winters here can be.
In 1884, the Rocky Mountain News stated that Alma, Situated at the
foot of Mount Lincoln, six miles west of Fairplay, at the very mouth
of the great true fissure gold and silver mines, commands a view,
the like of which for magnificent scenery is rarely met, even in the
picturesque Rocky Mountains.
During the same year, Alma, served as the
ore-processing center of South Park and grew to 900 residents. The
commercial district also served as an entertainment district since
the manager of the Moose Mine would not allow saloons or gambling in
Dudley-a town just a mile away. Some of the more religious residents
built Methodist, Catholic and Presbyterian churches. After President
Lincoln’s assassination, many visitors arrived by train to climb
Mount Lincoln. As Leadville’s population boomed, Alma’s began to
drift away. Before leaving town, catch a glimpse into the life of
the early pioneers at Alma’s cemetery. One stone is carved with a
peculiar message; “I love you but please go to sleep.” In the
cemetery there is silence, silence everywhere, except for a whisper
of a breeze which might tell you of the days of a gaiety and raucous
living here not so long ago.
Park County, Colorado is old Colorado, a scene from
which the native strength of the state sprang. From a tranquil
valley to a bustling mining area, the ghosts of the ever-hopeful
miners still roam this lush panorama. This is a dramatic mountain
paradise that stood as a silent witness to many triumphs and
tragedies experienced by the men and woman who settled here. Come
experience the fragrant land of hushed echoes.
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