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  A Brief History

 

In 1859, gold was discovered in Tarryall Creek, and the rush was on. Hordes of gold-seekers spilled into the Park. Mining camps sprang up in every gulch and gulley. Soon the hills were dotted with towns bearing such colorful names as Tarryall, Buckskin Joe, Eureka, Horseshoe, and Mudsill. Latecomers to the Tarryall diggings found themselves locked out. Disgruntled, they referred to the place as “Graball” and moved to the junction of Beaver Creek and the South Platte. They called their camp Fair Play and vowed to offer the same in good measure to all comers.The camps prospered, but soon the lone prospector’s stakes gave way to larger and more stable placer and hard-rock mining operations, which flourished for the next thirty years. During this time, the trades and professions moved in to provide goods and services to the residents of South Park. When the gold rush era ended, most of the camps were abandoned to the ravages of time and weather. Only a few, such as Fairplay, Alma and Como, survived with their more diversified economies. Later, hydraulic and dredge mining, and improved milling methods were introduced. Other minerals such as silver, lead and zinc were discovered and these communities prospered again. Today, only a few working mines exist, but the importance of mining to South Park is evident all along the South Platte River, from the tailings left by the dredges to the weekend prospector with their gold pan.

 

  South Park City: Genesis

 

During the early part of the twentieth century, a rare breed of humanity slipped into the South Park scene unobtrusively. Leon H. Snyder, an attorney from Colorado Springs, would leave an indelible mark on the area. He was one of those people who had the foresight to see value in the relics of the past.Mr. Snyder found respite from his work schedule for over forty years by fishing the Park’s many streams. During that time, he became keenly aware that time, neglect and vandalism were taking their toll on the remains of the mining era. He contacted other individuals who were of like mind, that the best way to preserve that history was to move representative period buildings to a single site and in 1957, the South Park Historical Foundation was organized. The site selected was on the outskirts of Fairplay. The land and existing buildings were purchased, and an inventory of other available structures was made. The rights to the most suitable of these were secured by donation or purchase. In the summer of 1957, the move was on! A professional mover was hired, and a volunteer labor force laid foundations. By the end of that summer, six buildings had been moved to Fairplay. Together with the seven already on site, they formed the beginnings of Colorado’s newest mining town.The summer of 1958 was a busy one. Additional buildings were moved in, and restoration work was in full swing. Various civic groups took on the responsibility of collecting artifacts and furnishing the buildings. The families of Park County embraced the project and scoured their attics, basements and barns for appropriate artifacts. Roughly 40,000 items were donated. In 1959, 100 years from the first gold find, South Park City was opened to the public as an endorsed project of the Colorado “Rush to the Rockies” celebration. The reconstructed mining town turns back the clock to a lustier time for thousands of visitors.Today, 44 original buildings stand in tribute to that time and the men and women who lived it.