CREEDE- The small mountain town of Creede was featured on the most recent episode of Colorado experience that aired during the Sunday edition of Rocky Mountain PBS and the results are nothing less than amazing. The documentary takes viewers into the wild west and explores the historical significance of Creede, highlighting its mining history and the famous faces that helped shape the town into what it is today.
The documentary begins with the boom years, classifying Creede as Colorado’s last Boomtown and breaks down some of the most significant events that took place in the late 1800s. Local historians and mining enthusiasts talk about the olden days with flare and brings to life the struggles the town has gone through to survive.
Owner of the Last Chance Mine, Jack Morris has a decent segment in the show where he talks about the preservation of mining history in the area and talks about his journey to becoming the owner of the Last Chance Mine that he has spent years restoring. Morris was fortunate enough to highlight some of Creede’s most beloved stories, including the most recent, which is the hope that younger generations can learn about the past and understand the depth of what it was like to be a miner back in the day.
Local historians like Johanna Gray with the Creede Historical Society spent time with production crews to talk about how Creede was the last silver boomtown in Colorado, the rise of silver prices and the eventual decline and bust that occurred in 1985.
Ken Wyley, the director of the Days of 92 mining competitions explained how the town holds onto the heritage of their mining past because it was what made Creede into what it is today. The town hosts the state mining competitions every year during the Fourth of July celebrations, bringing to life the techniques used in the old days. The event brings in competitors from around the United States to vie for the top spot in several competitions including mucking, hand drilling and jackleg drilling.
In addition to the PBS documentary the Creede and Mineral County Chamber of Commerce recently received a $11,000 grant through the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) to help with marketing during the slower months in Creede. “The Grant Project will focus on marketing the fall and winter “shoulder seasons” of Creede/Mineral County. In addition to expanding our webpage, creede.com, to elaborate on fall and winter activities, we will also be purchasing ads in the Official Colorado Out-of-State Guide along with other CTO publications. This grant aligns well with the Governor’s and State’s goals to drive Front Range travelers to rural areas of the state and provide economic development for the rural regions. In 2019 Mineral County Lodging Tax monies awarded to the Chamber will be used as a match for this grant. This is the first time the Chamber has received a CTO grant of this magnitude,” said Executive Director Kathleen Murphy.
The documentary is available to view at the following web address, https://video.rmpbs.org/video/creede-the-last-boom-town-hsltbu/