Skip to main content

Fort Peabody

Built on Imogene Pass during the Western Federation of Miners strike in Telluride in 1903–4, Fort Peabody was a Colorado National Guard post intended to prevent deported union members and activists from returning to Telluride via the pass. Named after…

San Miguel County

San Miguel County covers 1,289 square miles in southwest Colorado. Named for the river that flows northwest across its eastern flank, the county is bordered to the north by Montrose County, to the east by Ouray County, to the southeast by San Juan County…

Smuggler-Union Hydroelectric Power Plant

The photogenic Smuggler-Union Hydroelectric Power Plant sits precariously near the top of Bridal Veil Falls near Telluride. It is the last structure left from the Smuggler-Union Mining Company, one of the state’s most important mineral producers in the…

Telluride

Telluride is a small town located in the San Juan range of the Rocky Mountains. It is the county seat of San Miguel County. Like many other mountain towns, it was founded as a mining center in 1878. Originally, it was named “Columbia,” but in order to…

Telluride Flood of 1914

On July 27, 1914, Telluride experienced several days of severe flooding following a cloudburst in the mountains above town. Remarkably, the destructive deluge killed only one person, and Telluride made a swift recovery, demonstrating the resilience of…