First Regular Session
Sixty-second General Assembly
LLS NO. R990777.01 Rebecca
Hausmann
STATE OF COLORADO
BY REPRESENTATIVE Spradley;
also SENATORS Tebedo, Epps, Hillman, Lamborn, and
Powers.
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 99-1012
CONCERNING THE DECLARATION OF THE MONTH OF MARCH
AS TELLER COUNTY MONTH IN THE STATE OF COLORADO.
WHEREAS, Teller county was established on March 23,
1899, carved from portions of El Paso and Fremont counties; and
WHEREAS, Teller county was established in order to
better represent the interests of the residents of the area in
matters relating to taxes and politics; and
WHEREAS, Teller county has a rich history and has
played an important role in the economy of the state; and
WHEREAS, The area that comprises Teller county was
first known for the old Ute Pass trail, which offered passage
through the Front Range of the Rockies for Indians, explorers,
prospectors, cowboys, buffalo, and cattle, and later, with the
construction of the Colorado Midland Railroad, the area grew to
provide important services to railroad workers; and
WHEREAS, After the construction of the railroad,
the area became a popular spot for pleasure seekers and recovering
tuberculosis patients as well as travelers aboard the Midland
trains; and
WHEREAS, The discovery of gold in the Cripple Creek
area created the last great gold rush in Colorado, bringing thousands
of people to the Teller county area and changing the economy of
region as well as that of the entire state; and
WHEREAS, Cripple Creek mining operations not only
produced amazing amounts of gold, but also boosted the economies
of neighboring towns that provided a wide array of important support
services to the mines and the miners; and
WHEREAS, As a result of the gold rush, lumber mills
in the area around Cripple Creek prospered and the town of Divide
became widely known for its highquality, diseasefree
potatoes and fine crops of lettuce; and
WHEREAS, Teller county played a vital role in saving
Colorado's crashing economy after the repeal of the Sherman Silver
Purchase Act in 1893; and
WHEREAS, The sixty million ounces of gold removed
from Cripple Creek and Victor boosted the nation's gold reserves;
and
WHEREAS, After struggling to survive decades of a
declining economy after the federal government shut down gold
mining operations in Teller county, Teller county is experiencing
a renewed economic boom with the introduction of limited gaming
in Cripple Creek and the return of largescale mining activities;
and
WHEREAS, Teller county will be the last Colorado
county to celebrate a centennial in the twentieth century; and
WHEREAS, It is important to recognize the centennial
of the county of Teller; and
WHEREAS, Officials in the state of Colorado and Teller
county wish to promote the study of the history of Teller county
by its residents and all of the citizens of Colorado; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives
of the Sixtysecond General Assembly of the State of Colorado,
the Senate concurring herein:
That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly, hereby proclaim the month of March, 1999, Teller county month.