Volume 5: Telluride/ Ouray/ Ophir
These mountain towns are gems in Southwest Colorado. Telluride and tiny Ophir are in San Miguel County, and Ouray, not far away if unimproved roads aren’t a barrier, is located in Ouray County. Telluride is the most populous (about two thousand residents) and best known of the three, home to a famous ski resort, many well-known music festivals, and exclusive luxury homes. Telluride’s colorful history as a hard-rock mining town where gold, silver, and tellurium were extracted beginning in 1878 changed dramatically in the 1970s when the Telluride Ski Resort opened. Telluride’s elevation is 8,750 feet above sea level, a bit higher than Ouray’s 7,792. (source) Fewer than 1,000 people call Ouray home, but each year many thousands of tourists visit the charming village, nicknamed the “Switzerland of America.” Like most mountain towns in the region, Ouray was founded on mining (gold, in this case), made accessible by the railroad, and popular with visitors. (source) Ophir, Colorado, is the highest in elevation of these three towns at 9,695 feet. Gold was discovered in 1875, and the town was founded in 1881, but the mines decreased until there was only one resident in 1970! Telluride’s popularity in recent has allowed a few hundred residents to call Ophir home. (source)
Pages
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- Greetings from Ouray, Colo.
- Pink ocean shell on a green background with a small sailboat on the right side. Gold glitter is used to outline the shell and form the words, "Greetings From Ouray Colorado." Handwritten information on the back dates the postcard at "Xmas 1909". No postmark or stamp.
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- Greetings from Ouray, Colorado
- Leather post card with outline of court house on the lower right-hand side "Ouray" colored green and red in back side addressed to Mrs. J. F. Font in Athens, Greene Co., New York postmarked Ouray July 30, 1908 one cent stamp
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- Greetings from Ouray, Colorado
- Various paintings of outdoor activities to participate in; there are three pictures on top and three on the bottom in the center of is a picture of three men camping with a flame in the center and a tent pitched on the left
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- Greetings from Telluride, Colo.
- A picture of downtown Tuelluride, Colorado is set upon a background of snakeskin texture and flowers.
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- Greetings from Telluride, Colorado
- Greeting card with a clam shell on the front. The writing inside the shell inside of shell is color pink painted green on bottom of shell [writing on back] addressed to Miss Edith Giono with a one cent stamp.
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- Greetings from Telluride, Colorado
- Greeting card with pink flowers on the front the lettering written in glitter. There is a small tear on the bottom right corner [writing on back] addressed to Miss Eda Giono dated Sept. 29, 1909
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- Greetings from Telluride, Colorado
- Photo of downtown Telluride in the winter; streets are snow packed; cars are parked on the sides of the street Sheridan Hotel in the foreground the theatre is also visible (both are on the left side).
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- Greetings from Telluride, Colorado
- Photo of downtown Telluride; cars are parked on the sides of the street Sheridan Hotel in the foreground the theatre is also visible (both are on the left side).
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- Greetings from the Beaumont Hotel (Ouray, Colo.)
- Greetings from the Beaumont Hotel, Ouray, Colorado.
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- Hand colored photograph postcard of Ouray, Colorado.
- Drawn image of Ouray, Colorado from Horse Thief Trail. Trees and mountains can be seen, and the town of Ouray can be seen in a mountain valley. Postmarked September 27th, 1927.
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- Hanging Rock (near Camp Bird Mill, Ouray, Colo.)
- Two men on horseback underneath a cliff hanging above them in the background are snow covered peaks and hills
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- Hanging Rock (near Ouray, Colo.)
- Four people on a road next to cliffs a woman is riding a horse two boxes on the road in the foreground [writing on back] addressed to Mrs. H.S. Holiday, Ridgway, Colorado, postmarked Ouray, Colorado. Oct. 30, 1908 one cent stamp