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)
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- Ouray (Colo.)
- Black and white panoramic view of Ouray looking southeast. The town's gris of streets fills the valley. A park in the lower left stands out against the buildings and lines of trees. Pines line the flatter cliffs on the closest slope. The valley curve back to the right.
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- Ouray (Colo.)
- Photo of downtown Ouray; older vehicles parked on both sides of the street; two people crossing the road Chevron Gas Station is on the left a mountain Peak overlooks the town
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- Ouray (Colo.)
- Photo of a depiction of a room in a Ouray parlor house or crib. There is a stove and a bed with red garments on it to the right of the stove is a dresser covered with many items on the back in large print states "27 Rooms of Museum Contents."
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- Ouray (Colo.)
- Aerial view of main street in downtown Ouray. Building on the left has "Garage" written on it; to the right of it the Hotel Beaumont is visible.
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- Ouray (Colo.)
- Aerial view of Ouray on the right side cliffs hang above the town a main road runs through the town that leads out of town and runs through a valley. Duplicate of postcard #761 in Volume 5 in the Nina Webber collection.
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- Ouray (Colo.)
- Ouray, Colorado. Photograph of a street in Ouray, showing the Beaumont Hotel, across from a Texaco station.
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- Ouray (Colo.)
- Ouray, Colorado. Panorama of Ouray city streets.
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- Ouray (Colo.)
- High vantage point photographic print of Ouray covered in snow. Hills leading to mountain peaks at left.
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- Ouray (Colo.)
- Aerial view of main street in Ouray a winding road leads into town; on the left side mountain peaks overlook the town.
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- Ouray (Colo.)
- Photo print image of autumn view of Ouray, CO through spruce trees. A highway the town streets lined with conifers, golden aspen, and buildings can be seen. A ridge of striated cliffs edges with conifers where it is level enough to grow separates the town from a distant rocky mountains beyond.
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- Ouray (Colo.)
- Colored lithographic photo print image of an elevated view of photo of Ouray, CO in a valley surrounded by mountains.