Summit County

In 1859, a group of men from Denver crossed the Continental Divide with the hope of finding gold in the Blue River Valley. Their initial success changed the landscape as towns blossomed across the countryside, and ranches, which provided much needed food, were established along the lower part of the valley. The arrival of the railroads in 1882 facilitated the movement of people and goods in and out of the area. The railroads also made mining operations much more profitable and diminished th...