Colorado 91 is now a well-engineered modern highway, but driving over Fremont Pass wasn't always as safe or convenient as it is today.
The silver mining boom created a population of more than 30,000 people in Leadville by 1879, making it the biggest city between St. Louis and San Francisco. The railroad did not arrive until 1880, and only a crude wagon road connected Leadville with Breckenridge. It was improved when gold was discovered in Tenmile Creek (between here and Copper Mountain), and a stage line established regular service using wagons in the summer and sleighs in the winter.
The Colorado and Southern (C&S) Railroad linked Leadville and Climax in 1883, and most traffic moved by rail. The wagon road, even after the advent of the auto-mobile in the early 1900's, remained a dirt track that was closed nearly six months of the year by drifting snow, avalanches and washouts.
When World War I ended in 1918, most of the mines in Summit and Lake counties were dosed. The C&S was losing money and wanted to abandon the High Line between Leadville and Climax (which was the only profitable station on the entire line). This made it vital to keep the highway open year-round, and it was paved in 1936. Heroic efforts have often been required to keep traffic moving in winter.
Colorado 91 has been relocated
four times, at Climax expense, to make room for tailings ponds. The mine also paid for the construction of Clinton Reservoir, planted tens of thousands of trees, and revegetated disturbed areas with the custom high-altitude seed blend known as "Climax Mix."
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