The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-11-23
Full Development of Crested Butte
BY Miss Hove

by MISS HOye
One of our present residents, Mr.
F. E. Songer, came to Crested Butte
n 1887. He was followed in 1879 by
C. S. Robinson and his brother S. c.
Robinson who now remained here per-
manently Messrs. Hurst, Buster, and
the late Mr.. Sigman also came about
this time.
The life of the early pioneers of
our town suffered as many difficulties
and thrills as were sketched within
the pages of early history or were
ever flashed on the motion picture
screen. In 1873 report from the
Black Hills stated that the Indians
were on the war path, and in 1879
killed Mr.. Meeker, on the second
day of May. In 1880 it seemed that
those repeated outbursts by the In
dians were almost realization to the
people of Crested Butte. Visions of
the ruthless tomahawk and the fierce
Indian war dance flashed thru the i'm
sginations of our early settlers as
courier appeared from the White Riv-
er agency, near Glenwood Springs,
voicing the alarm that the Indians.
were beyond control and were coming
this way. Confusion reigned All of
the women and children left town i'm
mediately. And to- use the statement
of an early resident, the saddest part
of this affair was that greater part
of the men left too seaving the few
who remained to fortify the town.
These people built Notifications about
three feet high in the part of town
facing the C. F. & l. mine. Fortu-
nately the Indians were brought un-
der control before reaching our town
and the residents who had gone away
returned with the subsiding of the
fright.
In 1881 the town reached the cul-
mination of it's dreams. A railroad
was built and with this means of
transportation the population of
Crested Butte was now a growing min
ing district; possessing Main street,
city hall, a postoffice, many other
business houses; and with the increas-
ing needs of the town it was found
necessary to establish. school. house.
This was two roomed school which
was located where the present C. F..
& I. hotel now stands. Mr.. Clark was
the. first principal Of this school in
1881, In 1888 the present stone
building was erected by. Mr.. Hurst, =
stone contractor who also built the
coke ovens about this, time, Mr..
Hurst completed the mssonery work
on the building in two months but
was compelled to remain throughout
the winter to supervise the carpenter
work and in March 1883 the stone
building was ready for use.
One often hears. the question, why
do the school houses face the north7"
1t might be interesting to know that
the street which they face was origi-
naIly Main street, Of our town.
The early school houses consisted Of
two small frame buildings moved
from the vicinity of the C. F. & I. ho-
tel to the present school site. They
were sold a few years ago for dwell
ingS At present George Kapushin
owns and lives in one and Mr.. Fred
Miller lives in the other.
The first home erected in Crested
Butte may still be seen. 1t is small
log house near the depot.
It would not be just to close this
series of historical articles without
giving mention of the time when the
Colorado Fuel & Iron company doomed
on the historical horizon Of our town.
The company originally worked what
is now the C. F. &. I. mine. Under
the management of this mine the
Jokerville explosion occurred Janu-
ary "a, 1884, killing fifty-nine miners.
Their burial place is in the old cem-
etery marked by fenced lot.
The C. F. & I. took over the Colo
RADIO Coal & Iron company and also
the White Burst Mining company at
Smith Hill in 1886.
Mr.. Heagney talked to the high
school assembly last Friday. His sub
ject was "How to Determine the Age
of Tree" Mr.. Heagney is we'll in
formed along the lines of horticulture
and consequently his talk was most
interesting and instructive.
The cataloging of the school library
under the direction of Mr.. Hatch has
been finished. There are now over
five hundred volumns. Any donations
of books which would be Of value in
our library would be gladly received.
rauu haskef hall has been nur-