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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- Switchbacks Leaving Ouray on the Million Dollar Highway
- Switchbacks on the route south leaving Ouray on the Million Dollar Highway.
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- Switchbacks on Million Dollar Highway leading out of Ouray, Colo.
- Black and white photograph of the switchbacks on the Million Dollar Highway leading out of Ouray, Colorado
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- Switzerland of America from Mt. Monadnock (N.H.)
- Ouray, the Switzerland of America, viewed from Mt. Monadnock.
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- T-Mountain Resort, Lake City, Colo.
- Eight buildings at the foot of a slope covered with scatted pine trees. One of the cabins on the right side is circled.
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- Telluride
- Telluride nestled in Colorado's San Juan Mountains.
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- Telluride (Colo.)
- Aerial photo of Telluride in a valley.
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- Telluride (Colo.)
- Image of an elevated view of Telluride in a valley with trees in the foreground. A trail or road can be seen winding its way up the slope behind town.
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- Telluride (Colo.)
- Lithograph photo print image of Telluride in a valley in the San Juan Mountains, at the beginning of the fall season when with a few of the aspens changing colors.
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- Telluride (Colo.)
- Photo of downtown Telluride; vehicles are parked on both sides of the street; the street is clear of snow; mountains in the background are covered with snow
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- Telluride (Colo.)
- Photo of Telluride Colorado taken from a hill. Writing on the side notes "this town is 8800 ft. high."
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- Telluride (Colo.)
- Color lithographic photo print postcard of downtown Telluride street. A Spring or Summer season scene with: Brick building with "Sheridan Hotel" sign at left; vehicles parked on each side of street; clouds hanging overhead; mountains in background are green and snow capped.