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This Week in Summit County History: Terrible night fire — almost

Compiled by Breckenridge Heritage Alliance
This Week in History
Members of the Breckenridge Volunteer Fire Department take a break from their bicycle ride in Kremmling, Colorado.
From the Summit Historical Society, ​Courtesy of the Dr. Sandra F. Pritchard Mather Archive, Breckenridge |

This week in history as reported by the Summit County Journal 100 years ago, the week of May 30 to June 3.

Breckenridge went through all the horrors of a terrible night conflagration Monday about 2 a.m. There was the long, impulsive ringing of the fire bell, hurried exits from comfortable beds, quick rushing into the streets, and eager inquiries — everything except the conflagration. A fire in a brush pile at the south end of town was the cause of all the excitement.

Great activity in Montezuma district



Close to 200 men are now on the payrolls of Montezuma mines, the largest number of men employed in that camp for many years. A heavy ore tonnage is being produced daily. Concentrates from three mills are being hauled to the railroad at Keystone in large quantities and a vast lot of ore is being opened up throughout the district.

The flotation process is playing an important part in the saving of values and increasing the incomes of producers. In addition to the ore being mined and milled at the present time, almost incalculable quantities of low grade ore are being developed, and in the event the railroad is extended to that point, this ore will prove profit-rendering and prolong the camp’s production many years.



Fire destroys Robinson buildings

For the third time this year, a Summit county town has suffered serious fire damage. Following the fire at Montezuma shortly after the first of the year and the one at Dillon a few weeks ago, Robinson, where an energetic mining boom has been in progress was partly destroyed Thursday forenoon.

The fire which started in a miner’s cabin, spread rapidly along the easy side of the main street, destroying nine buildings. A boarding house in which 35 men made their home, was at the edge of the burned area, and entirely destroyed. At the other edge, the Philip Walter home was leveled and between these buildings, seven families were burned out.

This is the second fire to visit the camp, one having destroyed a number of buildings several years ago. The men occupying the burned boarding house were engaged in remodeling the Wilson mill into a custom plant. Residents of the camp were powerless to check the flames.

Comes for health, dies few hours after arrival

Coming to Colorado, hoping to find relief from lung trouble, Miss Louise Birk, 41 years old, died at 9:30 Friday morning at the home of her cousin, Mrs. Annie Jobe of Dillon.

Miss Birk reached Dillon Thursday evening, coming from her home at Canton, Mo. She was apparently none the worse as a result of her trip at the time of her arrival but early Friday morning she became very ill. Dr. Condon was summoned, but her weakened physical conjunction and the sudden change in climate proved more than medical skill could overcome.

The father will arrive Monday and take the body to the Missouri home for burial.

Gold King mine gets new compressor

A new compressor is being installed at the Gold King mine in the Silverton district. A crew of miners has been placed in the mine. The Ibex Mining Company of the San Juan has received between $5,000 and $6,000 for a shipment of 2,120 pounds of tungsten concentrates that ran 71.10 percent.


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