Telluride, Colorado

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About Telluride, Colorado

Photography taken in beautiful Telluride, Colorado at various locations. Feel free to discuss and leave comments about these locations... kind of like a free online travel guide! :)

*Geography
Telluride is situated in San Miguel County in southwestern Colorado. A former silver mining town in the western San Juan Mountains, Telluride is now a ski town with a current population of approximately 2,500. Telluride sits in a box canyon and Bridal Veil Falls is at the head of the canyon. Telluride’s elevation is 8,750 feet and is at the Four Corners region of Colorado where the New Mexico, Utah and Arizona borders come together. The town is accessible via Colorado Route 145.

*History
Gold was discovered in 1858 in Telluride. John Fallon made the first claim in 1875 and early settlement soon followed. Founded in 1878, its original name was “Columbia” but was later changed to Telluride in 1887. It is believed the town was named after the chemical element tellurium, which ironically was never found in the mountains of Telluride. In 1890 the railroad reached Telluride. Also, the Generator House, a power plant house that is the second-oldest operating AC generator in the country, is located in Telluride. In the early 1900’s labor disputes occurred between miners and mine owners. Unions formed and strikes led to improved working conditions and increased pay. These struggles were named the Colorado Labor Wars.

In 1891 L.L. Nunn with Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse built the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant, the world’s first commercial-grade alternating-current power plant, near Telluride. Following the success of the Tesla-Westinghouse exhibits at the World’s Fair, Nunn and his brother built power plants in Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Mexico.

*A New Industry - Skiing
The snow that once disadvantaged Telluride’s miners is now the tourist attraction to Telluride. In 1972, the first ski lift was installed by Telluride Ski Resort founder Joseph T. Zoline and since then numerous tourists flock to Telluride year after year. Today it is a leading high-end Colorado ski resort. Festivals are common every weekend, including Mountainfilm in Telluride, the Telluride Film Festival, Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Mushroom Festival, Nothing Day Festival and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

*Hollywood Crowd
Telluride attracts celebrities like Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey, Christie Brinkley and Oliver Stone. Local residents and regular visitors include Bob Dylan, Daryl Hannah, Jerry Seinfeld and more. The town of Telluride, which has served as the backdrop for several television commercials, is home to an international film festival, and has been the subject of songs such as “Smugglers Blues” by Glenn Frey and “A Colorado Christmas” by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

*Notoriety
In June 1889, Butch Cassidy robbed the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride riding away with about $25,000.

Information courtesy of:
www.lavozcolorado.com/news.php?nid=4241