Celebrate History

Lake City is a small mountain town, settled in 1874 by Enos Hotchkiss, in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. The town was shaped by nineteenth-century silver and gold mining and twentieth-century tourism.

 

Its remote location and mountain elevation also influenced Lake City’s growth and design of its historic architecture. It is located 55 miles southwest of Gunnison and 55 miles northwest of Creede, at an 8,671-foot elevation on the Silver Thread Scenic Byway. Lake City is also located on the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway, a primarily four-wheel-drive backcountry tour of historic sites emphasizing the silver mining boom of late 1800s. This byway connects Lake City to Silverton and Ouray, also historic mining towns.

The Town of Lake City currently boasts more than 200 historic structures. Homes, outbuildings, barns, churches, public buildings, motor courts, the oldest operating courthouse, and more tell stories of days gone by. The Lake City Historic District was designated so in 1978, honoring Lake City’s role in the development of the American West. The Hinsdale County Museum offers walking tours for visitors to travel through history and find a deeper understanding of these incredible buildings.

Lake City has numerous shops and restaurants located in historic buildings. A stroll through the downtown historic district takes visitors past the beautiful garden plots at the Third Street Market and the Town Park. It is home to a playground, a sand volleyball pit, picnic tables, a grassy area for tossing the football, and special events. The Moseley  Arts Center in the historic Hough Building features musical performances, art shows, dance shows, and more. Come to the Lake City Historic District and enjoy the living side of history.

Ute Ulay Project

Thanks to a unique partnership of local government, a private mining company, nonprofit organizations, and state and federal agencies, this area is being reclaimed as a heritage tourism destination to showcase mining history and offer outdoor recreational opportunities.

Congratulations to the Ute Ulay Project in 2016 for receiving funds for projects including the Division of Minerals, Reclamation & Safety (DRMS) for emergency stabilization of buildings and a five-day HistoriCorps project; a USDA Rural Development grant for business planning; an Endangered Places Program grant for a two-day HistoriCorps project; and a Bureau of Land Management grant for a National Historic Register nomination application.

As the first patented mining claim in Hinsdale County - and with an estimated $12 million mined between 1874 and 1903 - the Ute-Ulay mining complex spurred regional development and powered Lake City's economy for decades. Located three and a half miles from Lake City, this 12-acre site surrounding the Ute-Ulay is formerly known as the town of Henson.

This site demonstrates various eras of mining technology - from 1874 up to the 1980s. Structures that remain today include residential cabins, an assayer's office, the mill, a blacksmith shop, a boarding house, a red-cedar water tank, the main headframe, and several additional historically significant structures.

The Ute-Ulay Mine and Mill stabilzation and National Register nomination was the recipient of the 2018 State Historic Preservation Officer’s Award.

Links