eee 



GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TEERITOEIES. 



have to be shoveled out : if left to themselves they would not be pass- 

 able until the last of June. 



The winter of 1872 and 1873 was quite mild and open, and horses 

 crossed the mountain-passes as late as the last part of February, but 

 the heavy spring-snows blocked the trails, and iu the middle of June 

 there was still 5 feet of snow in the Berthoud Pass. In 1867 there was 

 a large amount of snow there as late as the 29th of June. 



The new road from Eollinsville across the main divide is closed this 

 winter by the snow, and it will be impossible to keep it open during the 

 winter-season, as it crosses above timber-line. 



The most practicable route for a road to be kept open the whole 

 season, in case the settlements in Middle Park increase sufficiently to 

 require it, is through the Berthoud Pass, where it can cross below timber- 

 line.* 



A list of the towns, with the date of their settlement, the population 

 as given in the census report of 1870, together with their present i)oj)U- 

 lation, as gathered from various sources, is appended. 



Black Hawk 



Boulder City 



Breckeuridge 



Caribou 



Central City 



Denver 



Empire 



Erie 



Georgetown 



Golden City 



Gold Hill 



Idaho 



Jamestown 



Longmont 



Nederland, formerly Middle Boulder 



Mill City .' 



Montezuma 



Mount Vernon 



Nevada City 



Peru 



Silver Plume 



Valmont 



Ward District 



Year of 



settlement. 



1S59 

 1859 

 1860 

 1870 

 1859 

 1859 

 1860 

 1871 

 1861 

 1859 

 1860 

 1859 

 1866 

 1871 

 1871 

 1861 

 1864 

 1859 

 1859 

 1885 

 1871 

 1864 

 1862 



Population. 



Census 

 1870. 



1,068 

 343 



2,360 

 4,759 



802 

 587 



229 



31 

 973 



Estimated. 

 1873. 



1,500 



1,500 



250 



400 



3,000 



15, 000 



50 



400 



3, 500 



■ 2,000 



600 



400 



25 



800 



600 



75 



100 



30 



800 



25 



200 



150 



200 



The towns and mining-camps on the Blue and Snake liivers are 

 almost deserted in the winter, with a very variable population in the 

 summer. Empire, now almost forsaken, was once very active and pros-, 

 perous. Gold Hill was of considerable importance when first settled, 

 and then declined until it was nearly deserted, but within the last year 

 or two, since the^liscovery of the rich telluride ores at the Eed Cloud 

 and Gold Spring mines, it has returned to its former prosperity. A 

 number of towns and mining-camps, like Gold Dirt and Bakerville, are 

 now entirely abandoned. 



* Since this was written a road has been built over this pass, connecting Empire 

 City directly with the Hot Springs in Middle Park, and a bridge across the Grand River 

 at the Springs renders crossing there possible at all seasons of the year. 



