Victor, Colorado – The City of Mines
Nestled high on the slopes of Battle Mountain, at an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet, lies Victor, Colorado, a living testament to the thrilling era of gold mining. This historic village, adorned with well-preserved vintage buildings and relics of its gold mining past, stands as one of Colorado’s most remarkable and authentic mining camps, teetering on the edge of being a ghost town but vibrantly alive with history.
Even before its official platting in 1893, the settlement had already earned the moniker "City of Mines." This title was no accident, as the most extensive and lucrative gold mines of the Cripple Creek Mining District were strategically located on Battle Mountain, overlooking the burgeoning camp of Victor, Colorado. The landscape itself seemed to breathe gold, promising fortunes to those daring enough to seek them.
The Cripple Creek gold rush, the catalyst for the birth of Victor, Colorado, ignited in 1890 when Bob Womack, a cowboy with prospecting inclinations, stumbled upon gold on his cattle ranch. This ranch, bisected by the unassuming Cripple Creek, would become the first of numerous sites within the district to yield veins rich with gold ore. Initially, fewer than two dozen people inhabited the four-by-six-mile expanse that would soon become home to over 50,000 individuals in less than a decade, driven by the allure of striking it rich.
News of Womack’s discovery spread like wildfire, drawing prospectors to the remote area on the southwestern flank of Pikes Peak. Almost overnight, the town of Cripple Creek was established, followed swiftly by the emergence of a dozen other mining camps, including Victor, Colorado, Goldfield, Elkton, Altman, Independence, Anaconda, Gillette, Cameron, Beaver Park, Arequa, and Lawrence. Each camp buzzed with ambition, fueled by the dreams of striking it rich.
Winfield Scott Stratton’s discovery of gold in Victor, Colorado, in 1891 marked another significant turning point, leading to the establishment of the Independence Mine. This area quickly became a hub of mining activity. Warren Woods and his sons, Frank and Harry, formed the Woods Investment Company and acquired 136 acres at the base of Battle Mountain. They then meticulously platted a townsite, naming it Victor, Colorado, in honor of Victor C. Adams, an early homesteader. The Woods brothers marketed their lots as potential "gold mines," attracting prospectors and businessmen eager to build homes, stores, hotels, and saloons, all contributing to the bustling growth of the town and its numerous mines.
In addition to the Independence Mine, other mines, such as the Portland and Ajax Mines, flourished just north of Victor, Colorado, on Battle Mountain, an area renowned as the "richest hill on earth." These mines contributed significantly to the burgeoning economy and the town’s growing reputation.
The Woods Brothers, recognizing the need for a central hub, embarked on constructing the Victor Hotel in 1894. During excavation, they unearthed a rich vein of ore. Undeterred, they secured another lot for the hotel and established the Gold Coin Mine at Diamond and Fifth Streets. This mine proved to be one of the most lucrative in the region, producing over $50,000 worth of gold ore each month.
However, the disposal of mine waste posed a challenge. The Woods brothers ingeniously created a dump and the Economic Mill approximately 4,000 feet away in Arequa Gulch, constructing a network of tunnels beneath the streets of Victor, Colorado, to facilitate the transport of materials.
The Victor Hotel, completed just in time for travelers arriving via the newly constructed Florence & Cripple Creek Railroad, became a symbol of the town’s prosperity. The two-story wooden-frame building boasted a cone-shaped tower and enclosed balconies on the second and third stories. This "modern" hotel even featured electricity, marking a significant advancement for the time.
Beyond the Gold Coin Mine and the Victor Hotel, the Woods family also established the Pike’s Peak Power Company, owned the First National Bank of Victor, and the Teller County Mining Supply Company. They held a controlling interest in over two dozen mining companies and extensive real estate holdings, solidifying their influence in the region.
While the Woods family is often credited as the founders of Victor, Colorado, numerous other individuals also played a crucial role in shaping the town’s destiny and amassing their own fortunes.
Jimmy Burns and Jimmy Doyle arrived in Victor, Colorado, in 1891, drawn by tales of readily available gold. However, they found that most claims had already been staked, and major mines like Winfield Scott Stratton’s Independence Mine, Sam Strong’s Strong Mine, the Black Diamond, the Anna Lee, and the Captain Mines were already yielding substantial profits on Battle Mountain.
Despite the competition, Burns and Doyle persevered, meticulously examining claim maps and measuring distances between stakes. They eventually identified a small, unclaimed area of about 1/10th of an acre, which they registered and named the Portland. Initially, their efforts proved fruitless, yielding nothing in the 30-foot hole they excavated.
Frustrated, they sought the advice of John Harnan, an employee of the Independence Mine. Harnan recognized that the "dump" pile that Burns and Doyle considered worthless was, in fact, rich with gold. He negotiated a one-third interest in the claim in exchange for revealing the location of the gold. Harnan showed them a vein halfway down their existing hole.
News of the discovery spread rapidly, prompting neighboring miners to claim that the vein in the Portland Mine originated on their properties. To protect their interests, the three partners secretly removed sacks of gold to stockpile in case the lawsuits went against them. Realizing they needed additional support, they turned to Winfield Scott Stratton, who accepted a one-third stake in the Portland to assist them. The legal battles persisted, with 47 lawsuits filed against the Portland.
With Stratton’s backing, the partners fought back, acquiring neighboring claims until the Portland grew from 1/10th of an acre to 30 claims on 135 acres. After years of legal struggles, the Portland emerged as the largest and most powerful mine in the Cripple Creek Mining District.
Within a few years, Victor, Colorado, had grown into a thriving town rivaling Cripple Creek, leading to the saying, "Cripple Creek gets the glory, but Victor, Colorado, has the gold."
However, the town’s golden age was marred by a devastating fire on August 21, 1899, which started in a brothel in Paradise Alley. The inferno consumed fourteen blocks, destroying 800 buildings, causing $1.5 million in damages, and leaving 1,500 people homeless.
The Woods Investment Company, as the largest property owner, suffered the most significant losses, including the destruction of their bank and the original Victor Hotel. Yet, the citizens of Victor, Colorado, immediately began to rebuild. Within three days, banks and saloons were back in operation.
On December 24, 1899, the Woods family’s new First National Bank of Victor opened, housing their banking, investment, and retail operations.
Despite the town’s resurgence, the Gold Coin Mine’s principal ore vein began to deplete in 1900, causing the Woods family’s profits to decline. Further exacerbating their financial woes, the Woods’ Economic Mill burned down. The Woods Investment Company faced a bleak future.
Despite an estimated net worth of $45 million, the company was heavily leveraged, and rumors of its impending collapse triggered a run on the First National Bank of Victor. In an attempt to recover, the Woods Investment Company consolidated its mining properties into the United Gold Mines Company in 1902.
These efforts proved futile. On November 4, 1903, bank examiners declared the First National Bank of Victor insolvent, forcing it to close its doors. The Woods Family Empire crumbled over the following years, and the Woods Investment Company permanently closed in 1910.
Harry Woods relocated to California and started a new business in oil. Although he achieved modest success, he never regained the lavish lifestyle he enjoyed during Victor, Colorado’s, peak. He passed away in 1928.
Frank Woods faced personal tragedies, including the loss of his son in a mining accident and the deaths of his daughter and wife. After remarrying, his second wife also died. Despite several new ventures, he could not recover financially. He died in Los Angeles in 1932, and his friends had to raise money to cover his burial expenses.
At its height, over 500 mines dotted the landscape surrounding Victor, Colorado, and approximately 50,000 people called the area home. However, like the Woods family, the town’s prosperity waned in the early 1900s as gold deposits became depleted or too costly to extract. In total, over 22 million tons of gold were extracted from the region’s mines.
The value of the gold mined in Teller County surpassed that of all other gold mining operations ever conducted in the United States combined. Unlike many Colorado mining towns, Victor, Colorado’s gold resources have not been exhausted. The Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company continues to operate the largest open pit and heap leach mine in Colorado.
While today’s gold mining operations cannot replicate the excitement of Victor, Colorado’s, heyday, it remains central to the city’s economy, contributing to the preservation of the district. The Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company has built trails and established mining equipment exhibits in partnership with a local volunteer group, alongside meeting environmental requirements.
Today, Victor, Colorado, retains its charm with its 1890s architectural buildings and headframes dotting the landscape. Beneath the streets, over two miles of Gold Coin tunnels remain. The entire city and several buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Key landmarks include the City Hall, built in 1900, the Midland Terminal Railroad Depot, the Victor Hotel, the Woods’ old bank building, and Stratton’s Independence Mine and Mill.
Other remnants of the mining era include the Gold Coin Mine, the Cresson head frame, and the Battle Mountain Interpretive site, featuring mining remains, historical photographs, and the city’s history.
Of the Cripple Creek Mining District, only Victor, Colorado, Gillette, Goldfield, and Cripple Creek survive today, standing as silent witnesses to the boom and bust of the gold rush era. The other towns have long vanished, leaving behind only whispers of their existence.