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Chaffee County History | Buena Vista History | History of Buena Vista's Park Chapel | "Ghost Town" of St. ElmoChaffee County History
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Chaffee County takes its name from Jerome B. Chaffee, who was elected the first US Senator after Colorado was admitted into the Union. The County was separated from Lake County by an act of the legislature that was approved February 8, 1879. Two days later, the new county was named Chaffee.
The earliest settlers were attracted to the Arkansas Valley soon after gold was discovered near Denver in the 1860s. These early settlers were mainly interested in mining, but some were attracted by the availability of water and good soil which made farming and cattle raising a possibility in the valley.
Soon came the stagecoach era and later the railroads. Both were to play an important role in the development of the county. The location of the highways, abundance of national forests and the interest in recreation greatly affected the sequence of events contributing to the county's present development.
- Source:
- A History of Chaffee County
- Wadsworth Publishing Co.
- Marcetine, Mississippi
Buena Vista History
Buena Vista, Colorado, nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, is the sort of little community most people only dream of. It was peacefully settled around 1864, contrary to the wild and woolly background of some of the nearby mining towns. Even the name (Spanish for Beautiful View) suggests serenity. The hard working and quiet type of people who have always resided in this area are a large part of what has made this community a great place in which to live and play.
By 1880 a vote was taken to have the county seat moved from Granite to Buena Vista. Granite was reluctant to release the records so a group of men confiscated a railroad flat car and engine and "drove" to Granite late one night. They emptied the courthouse in Granite of all the official records they could find. The next morning County employees and courthouse officials had to come to Buena Vista to continue their duties. In 1928, Salida out-populated and out-voted Buena Vista. The courthouse building then became a school until it was abandoned in 1968. Now it is a museum under the auspices of the Buena Vista Heritage Association; in September of 1979, the old courthouse and jail complex were added to the National Register of Historical Buildings.
The first church meeting was held in a harness shop in 1880; the first bank was incorporated in 1891. The fire department, known as the Buena Vista Bucket Brigade, was organized in 1880. They were kept busy for the first several years because, like many of the early settlements, Buena Vista suffered several major fires. The Chaffee County Times was the first newspaper; the first one came off the presses in 1880, and the Chaffee County Times is still going strong.
The Correctional Facility was built in 1889. It has played an important role in the economy of the town providing jobs and free labor for the public buildings and parks. Buena Vista is currently popular for white water rafting, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, mountain biking, backpacking, animal watching, and just about any other outdoor activity that comes to mind.
By 1894, Buena Vista had electricity, telephone service, arc street lights and several parcels of land which had been donated for use as parks, school buildings, and cemeteries. A town lake was built on a part of this land by building a dam to make the natural lake bigger.
Buena Vista has had its share of economic and population ups and downs, but the special people who live here have kept it alive instead of letting it become "just another Colorado ghost town." Today the economy and the population are steady and healthy, as are those special people. The beautiful scenery, tree-lined streets, year-round mild climate, clean air, and clear sparkling water are just some of the things that make Buena Vista a truly great place to live.
Corny - but native!
History of Buena Vista's Park Chapel
(Home of the Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce)
When
the little mountain town of Buena Vista, Colorado, was a brawling,
burgeoning, dusty mining center with freight wagons pouring through
enroute to the silver boom town of Leadville and the fabulous
gold fields of St. Elmo; while a heavy traffic of creaking wagons
brought rich ores to the local smelters, the town consisted mostly
of hastily constructed tents and shanties. And don't forget the
68 places where a man could get a drink! Then a group of folks
put their resources together to build Buena Vista's first church
building. The year was 1879.
Nearly 90 years later, after continuous use, the little church was about to be abandoned in favor of a new, "modern" assembly hall. The little church was to be demolished. As no-one wanted the job for its salvage value, and several tentative efforts by historically-minded individuals to have the church moved had failed, the fire department volunteered to use it for practice and burn it neatly to the ground. Although cries of dismay went up from many quarters, especially from the seniors whose childhood memories centered around the little church, nobody came up with money or an effective plan to save the building.
Then, near the date of the proposed cremation, a woman of some means and lots of determination managed to procure a restraining order, and within a few weeks, the little structure was sitting on a new foundation in a city park, surrounded by a grove of old cottonwood trees.
For three years it sat there, fallen plaster littering the hardwood floor, it's quaint pine pews all in disarray, ancient white paint flaking off with every breeze. The disgruntled firemen made threatening noises from time to time and the Town Council spread it's collective hands helplessly whenever the subject came up. None of the old established clubs wanted to even attempt the renovation. The Park Department eventually permitted the removal of the park trees in front of it to open up the view of a new gas station a block away.
Then, in August of 1972, a small committee determined to restore the "Little Chapel in the Park" to usefulness as a community center for art and history, club meetings, and perhaps weddings — simply because it was THERE. (The only "community house" in town had been moved during highway construction, years before). With publication of this aim, support had rallied. Donations of cash, labor, and good discounts on building materials made the project a possibility. Installation of water, heating, and electricity, and the painting and repair of walls made it a reality.
The Little Park Chapel houses the Buena Vista Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. It provides a unique place for visitors to find out more about this lovely, quiet mountain town.
"Ghost Town" of St. Elmo
St.
Elmo, originally named Forest City due to heavy pine growth, was
settled by miners prospecting in the surrounding area of the Chalk
Creek Mining District. In 1875 the discovery of the Mary Murphy
Silver mine solidified the town's future as a supply town. By
1880, there was sufficient interest and population in the area
for the town's incorporation as Forest City. The name was later
changed, by request of the US Postal Service, to St. Elmo after
the main character in a novel by Augusta Evans.
The town in the 1880s was a hub of activity serving the interests of the many miners employed in the District as well as supplying equipment and goods to the many mining operations. Early in the decade it was known as a "Saturday Night" town where laborers recreated in the town's saloons.
The town also became a major transportation center with goods destined for Tin Cup, Ashcroft and the Gunnison Valley by way of the many toll roads originating in the townsite. St. Elmo's prominence was further established with the completion of the Denver, South Park, & Pacific Railroad's line through the Alpine Tunnel by way of St. Elmo on its way to Gunnison country. Although remote today, St. Elmo was a major stopping point for train excursionists and major distribution area for the South Park Line. Luxuries such as tailor-made suits from Chicago and New York, blue point oysters, and fresh fruit from around the country were readily available in the town.
The town's economy and population fluctuated with the price of minerals. Until the silver crash the town and surrounding area was home to 2,000 people. With a lull in mining many residents left to pursue other mining camps. The re-capitalization of the Mary Murphy and increased mining activity in the District stabilized the population at 500. After WWI the demand for silver decreased and St. Elmo again began to lose many of its residents. By 1950 St. Elmo had two full time residents who kept vigil over the community. When they were removed in 1958, St. Elmo truly became a Ghost Town.
Today St. Elmo is a community with many summer residents and several year round residents. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Sites since 1979 and is known as the best example of 19th century mining architecture in the United States.
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