In the late 19th century, on October 20, 1890, Robert Miller "Bob" Womack discovered a rich gold vein in the area, setting off a frantic gold rush.

Photo: Cripple Creek, Colorado late 1800s

Two savvy Denver realtors, Horace Bennett and Julius Myers, decided to chase their dreams of wealth by subdividing 80 acres of land for a new townsite. They aptly named this budding community Fremont, and it boasted 30 meticulously planned blocks, each brimming with 766 lots. The price? A mere $25 for a regular lot and $50 for a prized corner lot. In just a year, the value of these lots skyrocketed, fetching no less than $250 each.

Not too long after that, investors from Colorado Springs embarked on a similar journey, plating 140 acres near Fremont and christening their town, Hayden Placer. But Bennett and Myers weren't done yet; they filed another plat close to the Broken Box Ranch and dubbed it Cripple Creek. In the blink of an eye, the combined population of these burgeoning towns swelled to an impressive 600 to 800 individuals by the end of 1891. By the time 1892 rolled around, the post office officially bestowed the name Cripple Creek upon Fremont, Hayden Placer, and Cripple Creek itself. It marked the beginning of a new era for these settlements.

During this time, Bennett and Myers took charge of the Fremont Electric Light and Power Company, bringing electricity to the district, and in 1893, the district's first telephone line was established. Thousands of hopeful prospectors flocked to this flourishing district, and soon enough, Winfield Scott Stratton stumbled upon the famed Independence lode, one of the most significant gold strikes in history.

By 1892, Cripple Creek had grown into a thriving community of 5,000 residents, with an additional 5,000 in the towns of Victor, Elton, Goldfield, Independence, Alton, and Strong. As newcomers arrived, the marshal welcomed them and collected their firearms, which were sold in Denver to fund the salaries of Cripple Creek's dedicated teachers. The Palace Hotel and the Windsor Hotel were so full that chairs were rented out to be slept on for $1 a night.

However, this newfound prosperity faced trials, most notably in 1896 when two devastating fires struck Cripple Creek. The first tragedy unfolded on April 25, sparked by a dispute between a bartender, Otto Floto, and his dancehall girlfriend, Jennie Larue. Their heated altercation resulted in an oil lamp being hurled, igniting the curtains and setting ablaze most buildings on Myers Avenue. Four days later, a second inferno erupted as a cook at the Portland Hotel accidentally spilled a kettle of grease on a hot stove, sparking a fire that consumed a third of Cripple Creek, spreading from Myers to Bennett Avenue.

Despite the staggering $500 million worth of gold ore extracted from Cripple Creek and the creation of over 30 millionaires during its mining heyday, it's worth noting that Robert Womack, the man who ignited this gold rush, did not share in this fortune. He had parted with his claim for a meager $500 and a case of whiskey and, tragically, passed away penniless on August 10, 1909.

Read and see more of historic Cripple Creek, CO.: https://amzn.to/3Lmq324

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