The Cripple Creek mining district, to the southwest of Pike's Peak, is the greatest gold camp in the United States. It ranks second only to the famed Witwatersrand of the Transvaal, in South Africa. Cripple Creek has had a history stranger than fiction, and who can foretell the future of this "three hundred million-dollar cow pasture." The rush to Pike's Peak, in 1859-60, was the first determined attack of gold seekers upon the wilderness about this historic mountain. Some of the "Pilgrims" of that far-off time tramped over the grassy hills of what is now Cripple Creek, without suspecting the existence of an El Dorado beneath their feet. No other treasure was revealed near by, and the quest was speedily abandoned. This is not surprising, because the gold-bearing ore of the section is different from that found in most other Colorado diggings. So the Golconda of Cripple Creek remained unknown.

Robert Womack, familiarly known as Bob Womack, was the discoverer of gold in the Cripple Creek section. The story of his find and subsequent developments is one of the romances of mining that are real history. In the late '80s the Cripple Creek region was a lonely cattle ranch. Bob Womack was a herder riding the range where Cripple Creek is situated. Time and again he got off his horse and picked up a piece of float rock, thinking it might possibly contain gold. Some of these pieces of float rock did have traces of gold. He took them to Colorado Springs, but he could not succeed in interesting capitalists. No one believed the district whence they came was a bonanza. Womack never lost faith, however, and put in his spare time prospecting. It is said that "he built a little log cabin in what is known as Poverty Gulch," and whenever he could get away he would go up on the land where he found the float rock and dig for gold. It might be said that Womack made the discovery of gold at Cripple Creek so long ago as 1889, and he found some more in 1890.

He did not get gold ore in paying quantities, however, but he kept on trying. He pegged out a claim and dubbed it "Chance." The cowboys only laughed at him, but he did not lose faith. One day in January, 1891, he picked up a piece of float rock that looked good; he sent it to an assayer, who reported that it went $250 in gold to the ton. Several days later he struck a vein that glistened with sylvanite. It was deposited in such an unusual manner, it is not surprising that experienced prospectors did not discover it. This deposit was later known as El Paso lode of the Gold King Co., one of the most valuable properties in the camp. This was the first gold discovery in Cripple Creek that amounted to anything. It is to be remembered that Hayden's geological party looked about here for the royal metal, in 1874, and narrowly missed running across gold. The general prospecting that followed the gold rush stampede to Leadville brought fortune hunters to this district; they looked the ground over, never noticing the inconspicuous vein outcroppings. In the spring of 1884 "salted" mine on Mount Pisgah started an excitement, and 2,000 miners camped in the vicinity for a short time. As the story runs, a shaft "had been shot full of gold and then offered for sale as a wonderful prospect."

Untold ages ago a volcano formed a chasm in Cripple Creek plateau and piled up masses of granite and lava. The gold veins occur in the volcanic rocks of the district, which is about six miles square and has an elevation from nine thousand feet and upward above sea level. Here the first great deposit of gold telluride was discovered. Womack's great find set him wild. He made a hasty trip to Colorado Springs and loaded up with bad liquor. While half crazed with drink and success, he disposed of his bonanza for $500 in cash. He jumped on his bronco and rode through the streets, proclaiming his find. In a few days the cow pasture was literally swarming with people. Claims were staked out, and Mount Pisgah again became a scene of hustling activity. This time it was no wildcat excitement that attracted capitalists ; it was the beginning of the most celebrated gold camp of the Rockies. Cripple Creek is a veritable treasure vault, and yet the discoverer, poor Bob Womack, never realized anything out of the find that brought princely fortunes to scores of men. He died in poverty. There was at first no wild stampede of miners to the scene of Womack's discovery. In April and May, 1891, a number of men from Colorado Springs located claims in the new district. About forty prospectors were there then, but more came in the summer.

On the 4th of July. 1891, Winfield Scott Stratton staked out the Independence and Martha Washington claims, which soon lifted him from poverty to affluence. Other prospectors made notable finds that summer. By October a straggling settlement of log cabins and tents had grown up in Squaw Gulch, on Anaconda ground and on the site of the present Town of Cripple Creek. Lots sold for $25 and $50. A mining district was organized in the fall, and it was named after the little stream which had been dubbed Cripple Creek from the fact that several men living thereabouts had met with accidents of one kind or another. The growth of the place thereafter was simply remarkable. In the spring of 1892 its population was over four thousand, it had a big hotel, business blocks were building, a newspaper was started, there were saloons galore, electric lights, etc. Men who knew little or nothing about mining were making and losing fortunes in a day. "The people actually went wild," remarks a newspaper man who was there. "AH of the trading was curbstone, and the streets were crowded with excited people." Some incidents of the excitement may be mentioned. "Gold King stock was put on the market at 25 cents, and twenty-five thousand shares were sold immediately. It soon went to 60 cents a share. Buena Vista went from $1.75 a share in one day to $5 a share."

It is said that the Blue Bell was the first mine discovered and opened. It was discovered and opened by Dick Langford. Among the pioneer mines were the Hub, Ironclad, Marguerite, Princess, Star of the West, Tarn O'Shanter and a score of others opened in 1892. The mining agitation of that year resulted in the discovery of new "gold fields" in the adjacent country. The would-be camps near Manitou and other localities in various directions from Cripple Creek never panned out much; they were only shallow placer grounds. All the placer gold was very fine in size and there were no gold nuggets. Not much had been heard of Cripple Creek in 1891, although it had attracted many adventurers, some of whom made important strikes. In discovering and developing the Independence mine, Stratton did more than any other man to make the camp known. The fame of this bonanza district soon traveled to the ends of the earth, and Stratton's name was indissolubly linked with America's greatest gold camp.

In 1891, Cripple Creek's output was only a trifle. From that time its production of the royal metal rapidly increased. Previous to that year Colorado's yield of gold had never exceeded $5,000,000 a year. Thenceforth the harvest of the yellow metal in the Centennial State began to pick up. The stream of gold poured out of the mines of Cripple Creek saved Colorado in the lean years of the '90s. Colorado's gold production (in round numbers) jumped from $5,000,000 in 1S92 to $28,000,000 in 1900. The latter year the mines of Cripple Creek had $18,000,000 to their credit, or over two-thirds of Colorado's total yield of gold in 1900. Some years in the '90s Cripple Creek's gold output exceeded that of the remainder of the state. During the first decade of the camp, 1891-1900, its total production of gold amounted to $77,274,872. In this decade the population of the district had increased from less than a hundred to over ten thousand. Through all these years Stratton had been a dominating personality in the life and development of Cripple Creek. There were, however, other brainy men who helped in making it a great mining camp. There was an army of promoters, mining engineers and mine superintendents who contributed to the prosperity of Cripple Creek. Among them a dozen may be named—F. M. Symes, J. W. O'Brien, Philip Argall, William Weston, John Stark, R. A. Tregarthen, W. M. Bainbridge. Milo Hoskins, Joseph Luxon, Sam Strong, Warren Woods, T. R. McKinnie, Irving Howbert, E. M. De La Vergne and Verner Z. Reed. Cripple Creek gold had made many millionaires. The treasure taken from the mines had done much for the up building of Colorado Springs and Denver; it had aided the growth of the entire commonwealth. The stimulus of this bonanza camp was felt throughout the whole Rocky Mountain region.

From the start many of the mining ventures in the Cripple Creek district were successful because men found high-grade ore at grass roots in paying quantities. Much of it ran from $50 to $250 a ton. The ore has been described as "altered and enriched rock." The deeper they went, the more productive the mine became in numerous instances, and the profits were much larger than in some other gold camps of the state. The vein-structure at Cripple Creek is peculiar. So some investors were skeptical and wary, even after the mines had produced gold to the value of tens of millions. While the gold-bearing district of Teller County includes about one hundred and thirty square miles, the noted mines are congregated in the hills and valleys within a small area. There are over one hundred different mines here, some of them having tunnels over half a mile long and shafts more than two thousand feet deep. Among the large producers are Stratton's Independence, Cresson, Golden Cycle, Granite, Ajax, Elkton, Findlay, Vindicator, El Paso, Isabella, Mary McKinney and the Portland.

There is a group of great mines in this golden crest of the continent, and the Portland is the foremost. The story of the Portland is well worth telling. The news of Womack's discovery attracted James F. Burns and James Doyle, who came to Colorado, in the '80s, from Portland, Maine. A friend kindly grubstaked them to do a little prospecting in the new gold camp. That was in 1882. "In course of time Doyle found a little unclaimed triangular piece of ground and staked it as the Portland in honor of his old home. John Harnan combined with Doyle and Burns, and by their partiality his name was also written on the stake. They opened up rich ore almost immediately, but kept still about it, for their little bit of a claim was so surrounded by conflicting surveys they were in danger every minute. For weeks they carried sacks of ore, mined during the day, on their backs at night, down the trails to wagons, whence it was hauled away to the mills and smelters." The men soon found themselves in possession of riches and bought adjoining claims. Presently they had lawsuits on their hands. Then Doyle sold his interest. The others stayed with the property and reaped a handsome reward, for during the last twenty-four years the Portland has given the world bullion to the value of over $40,000,000. It’s dividends up to January 1, 1898 have amounted to $11,047,000. Undoubtedly the Portland is the most celebrated mine in this far-famed gold bearing zone of the Centennial State. Its underground area of mineral territory, over two hundred acres, is honeycombed with tunnels, drifts and crosscuts. The workings extend under the summit and the northern slope of Battle Mountain, directly north of the Town of Victor. In 1894 the present company was organized with a capital of $3,000,000. About one hundred men were employed at that time, and it was shipping sixty tons of smelting ore daily. From time to time new pay shoots and ore bodies were encountered, and the extent of underground workings was increased until a force of more than five hundred men were employed. In 1904 its output was 100,000 tons of ore, about one-sixth of the total production of Cripple Creek. Up to the time of the discovery of ore of extraordinary value in the Cresson mine, in December, 1914, the Portland was the banner producer of the camp. Other Cripple Creek mines have achieved eminence in gold production. For instance, the Mary McKinney holdings, comprising about one hundred and forty four acres on Raven and Gold hills, have added over $10,000,000 to the money of the country, while the Elkton has a still larger sum to its credit. It would require a volume to relate in detail all the happenings of the Cripple Creek camp the last fifteen years. Some of the principal events are jotted down concisely.

1901—The gold production of Cripple Creek this year was $17,261,579, according to figures given in the U. S. Geological Survey report for 1901. Stratton's Independence Mine produced about $2,500,000, from which a profit of over $1,000,000 was realized. Notable improvements were made in this mine. The production of the Portland was $2,408,413, the profit being $1,760,939.
1902—This year Cripple Creek produced gold to the value of $16,912,783. A lower grade of ore was handled than in 1901. There were heavy shipments from Stratton's Independence mine. Rich discoveries were made in the lower workings of the Blue Bird and the Last Dollar mines. Preparations were made to draw on an extensive area of the district between the Gold King and Elkton and El Paso.
1903—The gold production of the district this year was $12,967,338, a considerable falling-off from the preceding year. Labor troubles greatly interfered with mining in Cripple Creek; there were strikes, and some mines were operated under military protection. Stratton's Independence mine produced 200 tons of low-grade ore daily. Its total production reached the sum of $11,000,000 since its acquisition by the Stratton's Independence, Limited. Its dividends amounted to $260,000 this year. The Portland declared dividends of $360,000, realized from 90,000 tons of ore valued at $2,609,000. The Golden Cycle, Strong, and Vindicator mines yielded large returns. Two cyanide mills were built this year in Cripple Creek. A re-survey of the district was begun in June by Messrs. Lindgren and Ransome. The El Paso drainage tunnel was dug at an expense of $80,000.
1904—Cripple Creek's gold output for this year was $14,504,350. Valuable discoveries were made in the Portland, Elkton, Gold Coin, Gold King and Blue Bird mines.
1905—Cripple Creek produced gold to the value of $15,411,724, a marked increase over the output of the previous year. The average was about $21.50 a ton. The Portland maintained its position of supremacy, its output being $2,422,033, from 109,233 tons of ore.
1906—Cripple Creek's gold output this year was $14,253,245. The banner producer of the camp, the Portland, was credited with a yield of $1,932,083. from 103,614 tons of ore.
1907—The gold production of the camp this year was $10,913,687. The Portland's output was $1,600,950. The Golden Cycle produced 67,397 tons of ore, averaging $21.02 in value.
1908—Cripple Creek produced gold to the value of $12,740,287 this year, which saw an influx of skilled miners. Success attended cyanide experiments in treating low-grade ore. Steady progress was made in the Roosevelt drainage tunnel.
1909—The gold production of Cripple Creek this year was $11,470,673. Mining operations were reduced in the Portland, the Golden Cycle, El Paso and other mines.
1910—Cripple Creek's golden harvest this year was $11,002,253. The yield from the Portland mine was 67,515 tons, valued at $1,241,168.
1911—Cripple Creek's gold production fell off this year to $10,562,653. The Portland produced 50,258 tons, valued at $1,140,054, averaging $22.68 a ton.
1912—The gold production of the camp this year was $11,008,362, about three-fifths of all Colorado's gold output in 1912. The Portland's yield was 44 562 tons, valued at $987,416.
1913—The yield of the camp this year fell below the average, being $10,905,003. The Portland, the \'indicator and other mines had a prosperous year. The grand total production of the Portland mine from April 1, 1894, to December 31, 1913, was 1,767,592 net tons, of a gross value of $36,268,797.
1914—The mines of Cripple Creek yielded $11,996,116 this year. As a result of the unwatering of the mines by the Roosevelt tunnel, many large bodies of valuable ore were disclosed in the Portland, Vindicator and other mines. The richness of some of the ore found in the Cresson mine surpassed all previous Cripple Creek records. In a chamber 1,265 feet below the surface "masses of decomposed quartz, filled with coarse grains of calaverite and sylvanite" were discovered. The amount of gold was reported to run into thousands of dollars to the ton.
1915—This year witnessed a notable gain in the gold production of the district, it being $13,683,494. Stratton's Independence mine, after producing ore to the value of $23,621,728, was sold to the Portland Gold Company. To December 31, 1915, the Portland and Independence mines, comprising 250 acres of highly mineralized land, had produced 3,653,969 tons of ore, valued at $64,426,370.
1916—The gold output of the camp this year was about the average, being $12,199,550. This was a year of marked activity in the Cripple Creek district. The grand total production of the camp, 1891-1916, amounted to $285,245,393, according to Government figures.
1917—Gold production was $11,402,968, making the golden harvest of the camp during the past quarter of a century far over three hundred million dollars. Work progressed steadily on the Roosevelt tunnel, its total length being about 24,000 feet. The tunnel has lowered the general water level of the district approximately 700 feet vertically. Deep mining was profitable in many of the mines, huge bodies of good ores being encountered at depths of 2,000 feet or more.

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