COLOEADO. 479 



the most developed in the Territory, must be reached, and connected, as it 

 soon will be, with the great railway lines of the West, it bids fair to rival 

 Denver in the importance of its business relations with the mountain towns ; 

 while its abundant water power, its proximity to the coal mines, and their 

 associated beds of iron ore and fire-clay, and its facilities for communication 

 with the surrounding agricultural districts, combine to make it an important 

 point for manufacturing and industrial pursuits. There are already extensive 

 brick and pottery works established here, producing ordinary building brick 

 and fire-brick of good quality, besides all kinds of common pottery for 

 domestic purposes ; three or four flour mills, one paper mill, a foundery, and 

 several other manufacturing establishments. There are churches, schools, 

 and newspapers, and a population estimated at 1,200 to 1,500. 



Besides these more important cities on the plains there are several other 

 smaller towns and villages, scattered through the agricultural regions or located 

 in the neighborhood of the coal mines, that are steadily increasing in import- 

 ance as the country is developed. Such are : Burlington, situated on the main 

 stage road between Cheyenne and Denver, and in the midst of a well-culti- 

 vated farming country ; Boulder, at the mouth of the canon whence Boulder 

 Creek emerges from the mountains upon the plains ; Valmont, at the junc- 

 tion of the north and south branches of the same creek ; Mount Vernon, a 

 few miles south of Golden City, and several others, as Colorado City and 

 Canon City in the southern portion of the Territory. 



The principal mountain towns are Black Hawk, Central City, and 

 Nevada, on the head-waters of North Clear Creek, in Grilpin County, the cen- 

 ter of the gold mining industry ; Georgetown, in Clear Creek County, on 

 the head-waters of South Clear Creek, and the most active point in silver 

 mining ; besides which are several smaller towns and villages, such as Idaho, 

 Fall River, Empire City and others, that are located in the outlying mining 

 districts. 



The first three of the above-named towns, though possessing separate 

 organizations, are, in fact, one settlement, being located in close proximity to 

 each other. Black Hawk is situated at the junction of North Clear Creek 

 with its tributaries. Chase Gulch and Gregory Gulch ; Central City, a mile 

 further up the stream, is at the point where Spring, Nevada, and Eureka 



