Did You Know? Telluride Facts and Trivia
If you’re looking for a break that includes four-seasons beauty and fun around every turn, you’ll want to make sure you consider Colorado, then zoom in on Telluride. It’s a fun, interesting place with plenty of history and little-known Telluride facts and trivia you’ll love to discover during about your home away from home.
A Mining Town
Telluride began and endured as a mining town for nearly 100 years! What started as a silver mining camp along the San Miguel River grew into a full-fledged mining town with the discovery of gold in the 1870s.
The Name
The previously unnamed mining camp was first called Columbia. After much confusion with Columbia, California, the Post Office system changed the name. Telluride was chosen, named after the chemical element tellurium, a metalloid element which forms natural tellurides, many of gold and silver ore. No tellurium has ever been found near Telluride!
Butch Cassidy
Some may know of the infamous bank robber Butch Cassidy. Did you know he got his start right in Telluride? Cassidy robbed his first bank, the San Miguel Valley Bank, in Telluride in June of 1889. His take of $24,580 is worth over $815,000 today!
Power Station
In 1891, L.L. Nunn and George Westinghouse built the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant – an alternating current power station – in the area. The plant supplied power to the Gold King Mine 3.5 miles away. It was the first successful demonstration of long-distance transmission of industrial-grade alternating current power. The plant preceded the Westinghouse plant at Niagara Falls by a full four years!
Skiing
It wasn’t until 1972 that Telluride began to build a reputation for winter sports. Joseph T. Zoline, founder of the Telluride Ski Resort, installed the first ski lift and began crafting ski slopes. Today, Telluride is a winter sports mecca, bringing enthusiasts from across the country and the globe.
Telluride in Pop Culture
Telluride not only played a part in the “Wild West,” but has had a hand in other aspects of pop culture and entertainment. The Grateful Dead played in Telluride in 1987 as part of their In the Dark album tour. It’s also the topic of the song “Smugglers Blues” in Miami Vice, sung by Glenn Frey.
Knowing More About Telluride
You came to Telluride to explore and experience all the excitement, fun, rest, and relaxation it offers. Enjoy a stress-free, worry-free stay when you book a vacation rental with Lodging in Telluride. Book a studio style unit all the way up to a six-bedroom unit for a larger group of trivia seekers. Enjoy access to private outdoor spaces like a balcony or patio, or soak in a private hot tub. Make a meal in the fully equipped kitchen, then spread out in an open living area afterward.
Call us today to start planning a trivia-filled visit to Telluride!
