The Summit Daily published its first issue 30 years ago on Aug. 21, 1989. We have released the following stories in celebration of our history in Summit County.
Summit County mining history runs deep after prospectors first struck gold near Breckenridge in 1859
Adventurers and fortune-seekers made a mad dash across a wild country with nothing but a dream to keep them going.
Creation and growth of Summit County’s ski areas shaped the mountain sports community
Breckenridge Ski Resort co-founder Trygve Berge once dreamed of Breckenridge resort offering skiing all the way north to Peak 1 in Frisco with a monorail connecting the two towns.
The history of notorious outlaw Pug Ryan and the robbery at the Denver Hotel in Breckenridge
Just before midnight Aug. 11, 1898, a group of heavily armed robbers entered the Denver Hotel in Breckenridge. The target was the hotel safe, or rather the thousands of dollars owner Robert Foote was holding inside for others in safekeeping.
How Dillon residents moved an entire town three times before the reservoir was filled
In 1956, nearly 100 years after Summit was founded as one of Colorado’s 18 original counties, the construction of Dillon Reservoir officially began, a singular event that would change Summit County forever.
158 years of Summit County history
A timeline of events within Summit County’s history.
30 years of Summit Daily front pages
See the front pages of the Summit Daily throughout history.
Read more about Summit County history
This week in history: Only 6 trains a week for Breckenridge
This week in history as reported by the Summit County Journal the week of December 6, 1919. Only 6 trains per week for Breckenridge As a result of the coal famine in Colorado, the train service...
This week in history: Men die in mine near Keystone
This week in history as reported by the Summit County Journal the week of November 29, 1919. JOHN WINTERS GAVE HIS LIFE FOR PARTNERS Carl Olson, 30, and John Winters, 27, met with death while...
This week in history: Mines, mills to resume full operations
This week in history as reported by the Summit County Journal the week of November 22, 1919. MILLS AND MINE OPEN FULL TILT IN THREE WEEKS Manager Henderson of the Wellington Mines company gave assurance...
This Week in History: $135 Raised In Roosevelt Memorial Campaign
This week in history as reported by the Summit County Journal 100 years ago. Summit county has raised $135.68 with one district yet unreported, for the Roosevelt Memorial fund, according to Campaign Manager S.S. Fry,...
This week in Summit County history: Hoodlums, possible ski tourney and more
This week in Summit County history as reported by the Summit County Journal, Saturday, October 25, 1919. HOODLUMS CONTINUE TO COMMIT CRIMINAL ACTS; CHURCH IS DESECRATED Breckenridge boys, believed to be the same ones who...
This week in Summit County history: Firetrucks crash, silver vein discovered
This week in Summit County history as reported by the Summit County Journal, Saturday, October 11, 1919. Montezuma Group, A Former Bonanza, Is Now Being Worked The Montezuma Consolidated Mines Company Reopens Property That Paid...
This week in Summit County history: Cafe sold, man found dead and more
This week in history as reported by the Summit County Journal, the week of October 5, 1919. E.S. CAFÉ SOLD TO MRS. WM. FORMAN The E.S. café has been transferred by purchase from the possession...
Looking back on 30 years of Summit Daily publishers
Jim PavelichPublisher 1989-1993(Not pictured) Bob BrownPublisher 1993-1999 Points of pride One of the most remarkable efforts was accomplished by the Summit Daily management team and our production manager, Doug Bart: In 1995, this group coordinated...
158 years of Summit County history
30th Anniversary TimelineInfogram
Looking back on 30 years of Summit Daily editors
Curtis RobinsonEditor 1989-1990(not pictured) Mike KirschbaumEditor 1990-1994 Memorable stories One is “Assault by burrito” chronicling the exploits of an obviously angry fellow who didn’t like something about his order at the Frisco Taco Bell. Being...
How Dillon residents moved an entire town three times before the reservoir was filled
The history of Summit County spans 158 years, with many intertwining tales of exploration, conquest, fortune and heartbreak. But in 1956, nearly 100 years after Summit was founded as one of Colorado’s 18 original counties,...
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The history of notorious outlaw Pug Ryan and the robbery at the Denver Hotel in Breckenridge
The history of Summit County is written largely on gold and snow. Long before the resorts moved in and skiing became the dominant culture among residents living in “Colorado’s playground,” the county served as almost...
Creation and growth of Summit County’s ski areas shaped the mountain sports community
Breckenridge Ski Resort co-founder Trygve Berge points out several locations from his perch at The Crown coffee shop above Breckenridge’s Main Street. Few structures resided in the footprints of these contemporary buildings when he first...
Summit County mining history runs deep after prospectors first struck gold near Breckenridge in 1859
The year was 1859, two years before Colorado became a territory and 17 before recognition as a state. The Pikes Peak gold rush, sparked by gold discoveries the year prior in the area now known...
Jim Bunting honored with Theobald Award for Historic Preservation
BRECKENRIDGE — Community members gathered on the Barney Ford Lawn in Breckenridge on Thursday afternoon to celebrate the work of residents in the community who are taking steps to help preserve the town’s historic treasures....
This Week in History: Rich ore struck in King Solomon Mines in Frisco District
This week in history as reported by the Summit County Journal 100 years ago. Recent tests on ore mined by the Leadville Leasing Syndicate, from the West 11 vein of the King Solomon Tunnel and...
Frisco continues Lunchtime Lecture Series with look at lost lodges in Rocky Mountain National Park
FRISCO — Frisco is hosting another event in the town’s Lunchtime Lecture Series on Wednesday afternoon, inviting residents to the Frisco Historic Park & Museum to take in a discussion about the “Lost Lodges of...
Summit County history: How Dillon residents moved an entire town before filling the reservoir
This story has been updated to correct dates, dollar amounts and other specifics about how the town was moved. The little town known today as Dillon has a particularly peculiar history. The town — which...
