Silver Plume History
Silver Plume was established in 1869 near the rich silver deposits west of Georgetown. Only a few buildings were erected that first year, and the town’s early development was slow.
By 1872, however, Silver Plume had grown into a community of about 500 residents with a thriving commercial district. The town continued to expand as the regional silver industry boomed, eventually reaching a population of more than 2,000 before 1893.
Disaster struck in 1884 when a fire destroyed most of the business district, causing an estimated $100,000 in damage and claiming several lives. The November 8 edition of the Carbonate Chronicle reported:
One of the most disastrous fires that has ever been witnessed in this county, occurred at Silver Plume this morning about one o'clock, when all the inhabitants were peacefully slumbering. It is claimed that the fire was the work of an incendiary. The flames were first discovered in the rear of a saloon kept by Sam Dermott. Strenuous efforts were used to stay the flames, but without avail... The members of the fire company were untiring in their efforts to subdue the flames, but all to no purpose...
The fire department of Georgetown was immediately telegraphed for, and they responded; arriving upon the scene they went to work with a will, and in time the course of the flames was stopped, but not before the entire business portion of the town was laid in ashes. Forty-one buildings, including the Coloradoan office, succumbed to the flerce element. One man, Patrick Barrett by name, suffered cremation. His insensible and inebriated condition was no doubt the cause. The scene of devastation and desolation today is one never to be forgotten.
With the mining industry still prosperous, the town was quickly rebuilt.
Tragedy returned in 1899, this time in the form of a massive avalanche. Newspapers reported that on February 12, “two mighty avalanches, combining into one, swept down Cherokee Gulch, carrying away a dozen or more mine buildings, cabins, and machinery, and causing great loss of life. How many dead bodies lie in this great mass of snow and debris will not be known before spring. Eight dead bodies are now at the morgue.”
The repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893 dealt a devastating blow to Colorado’s silver industry. Like many other mining towns, Silver Plume’s boom years abruptly came to an end.
Demand for lead during World War I brought the district back to life and Silver Plume experienced a short revival. In 1917 the Los Angeles Herald reported:
WAR PRICES REVIVE OLD MINING TOWN - War prices for metals have resulted in a return of activity, in the Clear Creek county mining district and unprecedented prosperity is being enjoyed in several settlements in that district. Georgetown, Silver Plume and Argentine are experiencing much difficulty in caring for the influx of miners and their families into those towns.
Numerous weather-beaten and dilapidated structures are being repaired to meet the urgent demands of the fast growing population. Silver Plume's population has more than doubled during the last twelve months - from 500 to 1,200.
The end of the war brought falling lead prices, and Silver Plume’s brief resurgence quickly faded. After World War II, skiing and tourism gave the community a new lease on life. Today, the town has a few hundred residents, and many historic buildings from its boom years still stand. Much of Silver Plume is now part of the Georgetown–Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District, established in 1966.
A historical study by the National Park Service later examined the relationship between Silver Plume and Georgetown. The study noted that Georgetown served as the district’s commercial and financial center, while Silver Plume was its work center:
Here the majority of the mines were located. Homes in Silver Plume are far less impressive as those of Georgetown. Though the ore was removed from Silver Plume, so was the wealth. This working relationship between the two towns has been the cause for much resentment - both past and present."
The Silver Plume school, an impressive brick building built in 1894, now houses the George Rowe Museum. The museum has numerous artifacts from the town's boom years.
The Georgetown Loop Railroad remains a major tourist draw to the area. The Lebanon mine tour is open seasonally and is part of the rail tour. The Silver Plume depot, built in 1884, has had extensive renovations and is popular with visitors.
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