Ouray, CO 1880 Federal Census Transcription Transcriber's Notes: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Colorado in 1880. The Ouray County in 1880 consisted of 2 districts 91 and 92 with different enumerators. These gentlemen rode their horses to the many mining camps of the day. While the Ouray enumerator Mr. Joseph Van Dorn was collecting names from several camps, local citizens in the City Ouray added an additional 200+ names. These souls were day miners who did not have true dwelling, only a tent or cave as a residence. They would come into town on weekends and stay in bars, saloons, the few hotel or rooms that existed, or in the houses of 'Ill Fame'. These records may be found on pages 171D-172D. In the Rico Precinct the pages are not in continuous sequence, but all the names and data are listed, so for example you might find a father on line 50 of a certain page, and expect the wife or children to be on the next page. This is not always true. Jack Murray, Transcriber Hailey,Idaho 1-15-2000 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Additional Transcriber notes on Ouray County, Colorado The first settlers in Ouray were prospectors, Gus Begole and JackEchols in 1875. They made a big strike of high grade ore and named their claim the Mineral Farm. By 1876 others were rushing into the area hoping to find their own fortune. In 1876 the town of Ouray, formerly known as Uncompahgre City, was incorporated with a population of 400. There were over 200 houses, 4 general stores, a sawmill and other assorted establishments. Ouray soon became one of the most elegant mining towns in the San Juans. It had some of the richest silver properties in the world, attracting wealthy investors to the area. It's said that early church services were held in a local saloon with the congregation seated on beer kegs. Ore wagons in the 1880's to 1910 filled the streets of Ouray.Clydesdale and Percheron horses, as well as mules and burros were used to haul timber, mine rails and pipe to the mines surrounding the town. Otto Mears built several wagon roads to remote mining camps in the area as well as a road between the towns of Ouray and Silverton. This stretch of road would later be known as the "Million Dollar Highway" (US550). The most avalanche-pron road in the world. The Denver Rio Grande Railroad reached the town in 1887 and Ouray soon became the trading and transportation center for mining camps in the San Juan region. Much competition existed between the rival towns of Ouray, Telluride and Silverton. Newspaper editors in each town berated the other towns with snide editorial comments. Dave Day, (page 154C, line 22) editor of the Ouray paper, commenting on the popularity of "masked balls" in Silverton said, "the average Silverton woman never appears half so attractive as when masked... The majority of them are so dumpy they have to stand on a chair to scratch their backs". Again Day reported that "Telluride has 7 lawyers, 2 dance halls, 0 churches and 0 school houses. Mercy what a wicked village". By 1885 Ouray had a water works, electric light plant, telephones and telegraph service. In 1890 2,000 people were living in Ouray. There were over 30 saloons in the town serving drinks for 15 cents a shot or 2 for 25 cents. 3 mining districts surrounded Ouray, the Uncompahgre, Red Mountain and Mount Sneffels. Among the most profitable mines were the Yankee Boy and Virginius mines discovered in 1877. With the silver crash of 1893 a depression set in on Ouray. Only a few short years later Thomas Walsh was to discover gold at the Camp Bird mine and it soon became one of the largest and most valuable properties in the San Juans, reviving the economy of Ouray. Multimillionaire Walsh was to purchase the Hope Diamond for his wife, Carrie Bell, and was later owned by their daughter Evalyn Walsh McLean. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~