Explore the History of Breck!

Starting out as a vibrant mining community, Breckenridge, Colorado is immersed in rich history with tales of ghosts, Indians, miners striking it rich, and tales of woe.

 

The Brown Hotel

Sitting among over 350 buildings in Breck’s Historic District, is The Brown Hotel and Restaurant. Remaining in operation since 1895, The Brown is filled with rich history of ghosts and murder. As the legend goes, the Hotel’s specter, Miss Whitney was supposedly shot dead in one of the upstairs bedrooms while having an affair and because she intended to turn the hotel into a brothel. Locals claim that her ghost can still be seen in the upstairs corridors and bathroom; an area that one must eventually visit for relief after all those beers the bartender kept pouring for you down at the bar.

 

Gold Pan Saloon

In 1859, the Gold Pan Saloon is established as a rough-and-ready bar for the miners. At the time, The Gold Pan was reportedly known for pushing Taos White Lightening, a style of whiskey containing tobacco, red pepper, lye, and other dangerous chemicals. Today, The Gold Pan is still in business at 103 N. Main Street in Breckenridge, and stands proud as the oldest continuously operated bar West of the Mississippi.

 

Fort Mary B

One of the lesser traveled runs on Peak 7; Fort Mary B was named after a wooden stockade that was used to protect miners from Indian invasions in the mid 1800’s. Originally named Independence Fort (where Independence SuperChair got it’s name), the name of the fort soon became widely accepted as Fort Mary B, after “the first woman in these parts”.

 

Tom’s Baby

Traversing under the E-Chair lift line, Tom’s Baby is one of Peak 9’s steeper mogul runs. In 1887, “Tom’s Baby” a 13.5 pound gold nugget is discovered near Breckenridge by local miners Tom Graves and Harry Lytton. As the legend goes, Tom disguised his nugget as a baby when he walked through town with it to avoid getting robbed. Tom’s Baby is now on display at the Colorado Museum of Natural History in Denver.

 

-Nick Pease