Gunnison news-champion. [volume] (Gunnison, Colo.) 1905-1932, 1917-04-06
GOD MADE THE COUNTRY
AND MAN MADE THE TOWN


In this magnificent republic there
are but two countries. the Red River
country and the Gunuison country. and
the create. OF these, the GuHnison
country. IS our theme In 1877 the
Legislature designated a territory SIS
miles wide by $40 miles In length and
extending vest from the summit OF
the Continental Divide 10 the Utah
line as GunH.ann county. This vast
territory contained upwards uf 1000
Of raeu,y.tire Of the ordinary counties
II the eastern states. and contained
Within its borders the natural re-
sources TO produce nca- ~ everything
raised by agriculture, mining manu-.
featuring and grazing in any part OF
the United States. Soon q became
The mecca Of thousands Of prospectors
and Adventures who reading and
hearing Of the great possibilities OF
this new and undeyeloped portion OF
the great west raised the cry OF ON
. ~ ArAllAA49oAA 80 AAlhA ga A4iF 1pl VI
1879 the eastern portion, or the por.
tiOn which is now GunnisOn county.
began to be rapidly peopIed and pros.
pected.
! In 1881 the legislature carved out
small portion OF the county in the
north and named 1t Pitkin county. and
again in 1853 II created the counties
OF Montrose. Delta. and Mesa on the
west. leaving land OF mountain and
valley SIS miles by So miles in its long.
est and widest parts, containing 2,l37.-
600 acres. or this about us 600 acres
has been purchased as agricultural
/ lands. the remainder being mineral in
| character, although some 100000 acres
ere suitable for grazing and etc o"cU-
pied by extensive herds of cattle and
sheep.
| When one considers that Gunnison
county is larger than are the states
OF Delaware and Rhode Island, that
It has within its borders more coal
than Pennsylvania ever had, more iron
than Michigan. and more marble than
all the New England states combined,
and is producing annually more gold,
silver and lead than the entire country
east OF the Mississippi, 1t becomes un-
necessary for any OF us to explain why
we are content TO remain here.
While few hunters and prospect
ors had visited this region in the COS
and early '70s, the tide did not turn
this way until 1878, during which year
comparatively small number came to
Tin Cup, Ruby and Gunnison. But in
1880 and 1881 the migration became
in 1882 there were not less than $4,000
people, mostly men, within the boun.
daries OF the county as now defined.
During 1881 both the South Park and
Denver & Rio Grande railways extend
ed their lines into the county and a
boom" was on which has rarely been
excelled in the United States. Unfor.
tunately, a very large percentage of
the newcomers we're men without sta
bility, or character. or means, and
crime OF all kinds went unpublished
in nearly every instance. But few
did come for the purpose of upbuild-
ing the county and their own fortunes
in legitimate way. The population
of Gunnison in 1882 was about 1900:
OF Pitkin and Tin Cup. $500 each; OF
White Pine, over 1000; of Irwin, 5000.
Early in the spring of 1878 ranch
man named Kelly built a log cabin
where Gunnison city is now located,
and filled it with small stock of
goods, which he had brought over the
range in a wagon. This was the first
store in the county. A town organiza-
tion for Gunnison was first perfected
in March, 1880, with F. G. Kubler as
mayor. At about the same time W. H.
F. Hall issued the initial number Of
The Gunnison News. that being the
first newspaper published in the
county.
The first place in the county where
a town was started was probably Vir-
ginia City, near where Tin Cup now
J is. although Irwin was so close a SEQ
ond that 1t is difficult to state with
certainty. At Tin Cup the discovery
Of the Gold Cup was the lode stone
!, hat turned the tide in that direction,
and at Irwin the Ruby Chief was the