The Fuel Resources of Colorado. — Lakes. 9 
DISCOVERY OF THE COAL FIELDS. 
A glance at Mr. R. C. Hill's map in "Hall's Histoiy of Colov- 
ado, " gives some idea of the great area occupied b}- our coal 
fields, and their distribution in the state. And since formerly 
only that marked "The Northern Colorado Field " was known and 
worked, it will appear how largely the knowledge of our coal re- 
sources has increased within the past few 3'ears. This north- 
em field developed at Marshall, Erie, Louisville and Golden was 
formerly' the main supply of Denver and the mountain towns. 
Later the southern portion of the field was developed and worked 
from time to time at Franceville, near Colorado Springs. Excel- 
lent coal, too, was opened on the small isolated field near Canon 
Cit}'. But the most important discovery was made some years 
later in the Raton field, where the coal was found to be not onl}' 
bituminous, but also capable of making very fair coke, a com- 
modity long desired by the smelters, who up to this time had to 
rel}' upon Pennsylvania. 
Later, a mine was opened at Crested Butte, across the range, 
which produced a first-class coke, equal to that of Connellsville. 
Since this epoch of coke discovery, large areas of coking coal have 
been discovered in various parts of the state. 
In the same area a small field of excellent anthracite was dis- 
covered, covering a few hundred acres. Thus, in a veiy short 
time, our reputation as a so-called "lignite" bearing state had 
been raised to that of a first-class bituminous, coke and even an- 
thracite producing region. 
THE GRAND RIVER COAL FIELDS. 
The contest for a path to Utah between the Midland and the 
Rio Grande railways led to the discovery and development of still 
another new field, along the banks of the Roaring Fork and Grand 
river, even richer than the rest, in the varieties and great thick- 
ness and number of seams of bituminous, domestic, coking, and 
anthracite coals. The coking coals were developed bv the Marion 
mines, near Cardiff, and the coke found to l^e as good as Connells- 
ville. The great, thick and numerous seams of bituminous and 
domestic coal were, and still are being developed all along the 
great Hogback, from Gleuwood to Meeker, a distance of fort^- 
miles. Thus began the development of the great Grand River 
field, which for area, variet}' and excellence of its coal is the 
most important field of the future in Colorado. As yet its out- 
