History of Creede

Colorized photo of Creede's Main Street, June 1, 1892. Creede Historical Society Archives, Catalog #30-CR-6c5.

Creede Main Street, July 2010.

Aerial view of Creede from Mammoth Mountain, 1902. Creede Historical Society Archives, Catalog #377-CR-55.

The big flood in town before the Big Fire of 1892. Creede Historical Society Archives, Catalog #1307-D-2.

The interior of Duncan's Store taken on August 11, 1908, showing the ice cream parlor. Creede Historical Society Archives Catalog #1659-B-37.

The Sunnyside mining area in 1918. Sunnyside, along Miner's Creek and Rat Creek was the first mining area in the Creede area. Creede Historical Society Archives, Catalog #1814-MS-4C1.

The Commodore Mine, Level #3, taken in 1900. This mine is located up West Willow Creek about a mile north of Creede. Creede Historical Society Archives, Catalog #1845-MHC-18C1.

The west side of our present depot (now the Creede Historical Society Museum) in 1892 was officially known as Jimtown. Creede Historical Archives, Catalog #617-RR-3.

This photo taken on June 1, 1893, was titled "Originally Persuaded". Creede Historical Society Archives, Catalog #3457-CS-3.

Circa 1910. Three men sitting on a tram tower north of Creede. Creede Historical Society Archives, Catalog #2620-US-11.

The death of Bob Ford, slayer of Jesse James. Bob Ford was killed by Ed O'Kelly about a week after the Great Fire of 1892. Creede Historical Society Archives, Catalog #1948-CE-1c5.

This was the town of Bachelor located about 2000 feet higher than Creede. It gave miners better access to higher mines. Creede Historical Society Archives, Catalog #2194-MC-1c1.

c1892. This is a view of businesses and homes on the west side of Creede. Creede Historical Society Archives, Catalog #2915-B-75.

Taken in 1893. The lady in the center of the photo is probably Jenny Ullman, who ran the boarding house. Creede Historical Society Archives, Catalog #2959-SBU-5.

c1907. These are unknown ladies in front of the Pink House on the northwest corner of 2nd Street and La Garita Avenue. Creede Historical Society Archives, Catalog #3424-P-465.

Creede was probably the wildest mining town in Colorado during its heyday. It lasted only three years. Nicholas Creede discovered silver in 1898, and in just one year it became a boom town. The population increased by 300 people a day, growing to more than 10,000 people until 1893 when the silver prices dropped drastically.

But Creede has survived through all kinds of disasters, floods, fires, outlaws and infamous people like Bat Masterson and Calamity Jane. Now its population is around 600, increasing only during the summer months.

Creede maintains its early history through its Victorian architecture on Main Street, the Shotgun Graveyard, or “Boot Hill”, where some of the former, more colorful residents reside. Even Bob Ford, Jesse James' murderer, had a saloon of sorts in Creede until one of Jesse's gang shot him. Ford was buried in the cemetery until recently when one of his relatives claimed his body and took him back to his native state of Illinois.

For more information about Creede's history, please visit the Creede/Mineral County Chamber of Commerce Website: www.creede.com