Ouray (Colorado)
Ouray County
08-56420
Ouray is a small city in the U.S. state of Colorado and the administrative center of the county of the same name. The most important industry is tourism; most jobs there are in the hotel and catering sector. Ouray and its surroundings offer many opportunities for jeep tours. They are ideal for walkers, climbers, mountain bikers and photographers. Very popular are the hot springs.
Geography
Ouray is located in the San Juan Mountains in the picturesque valley of the Uncompahgre River at about 2,347 m above sea level and is surrounded on all sides by high mountains: In the East, the amphitheater (up to 3,769 m ), which is not a single mountain, but a curved cliff, in the south of Mount Abram ( 3,902 m) and Mount Hayden ( 4,025 m) and Mount Sneffels in the West ( 4,313 m), the name of the novel " journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne is borrowed. From Silverton in the south, you reach the city on the Uncompahgre River along the spectacular Highway 550, also known as the "Million Dollar Highway ", the 3,355 m reaches its greatest height in the Red Mountain Pass. East of it are Red Mountain No.. 1, no. 2 and no. 3 to see, make, especially in summer, up to its name. The landscape, which is strongly reminiscent of the Alps, the town owes its nickname " Little Switzerland ".
Attractions
Worth the Box Canyon Falls are resembling a European Gorge and the U.S. in this form are very rare.
A special attraction in winter is the Ouray Ice Park, the first artificial ice climbing in the world, was opened in 1995. The park in the Box Canyon south of the town consists of dozens of frozen waterfalls and offers 175 climbing routes with a height of 24 to 61 m at. This takes place every year Ice Festival lasts for a week and attracts ice climbers from around the world. Since the existence of the Ice Park, many hotels are also open in winter.
Weather
Ouray has an average of 285 sunny days per year in low humidity. The temperatures in January between -10 and 3 ° C and in July between 11 and 26 ° C. It snows from November to April.
History
Long before the white man discovered the Indians, the area around Ouray. The Tabeguache - Ute Indians lived in the summer months in this pristine valley, hunted the abundant game and took advantage of the hot springs. They worshiped this valley as a sacred place. Later, white settlers also settled here. It succeeded the Ute chief Ouray Chief, to achieve a peaceful coexistence between them and his people.
As in 1875, in the surrounding mountains numerous gold and silver deposits were discovered, was a gold mining town, which was named after this great chief. Unlike other gold rush towns, however, the visitors were soon also because of the beauty and majesty of the surrounding mountains, because of the sparkling waterfalls, pleasant climate and natural hot springs. On October 2, 1876 Ouray was founded. Four years later there were around more than 30 active mines. The city took a steep upswing, because from here the mines were supplied in a wide area with all the necessary things. At that time there were in Ouray around 30 saloons and brothels, but only four churches. Today there are five churches in Ouray. The Presbyterian Church is now for more than 125 years.
In 1880 lived more than 2,600 residents in Ouray. To Ouray around there were many ore deposits. The largest and most productive, the Camp Bird Mine, was 10 miles south of Ouray in the Ironton area. Ouray has been for more than 90 years at the hub and logistics center of the larger environment. Another big growth the city experienced by the connection to the railway network. The first scheduled train of the Denver & Rio Grande Railway reached Ouray on 21 December 1887. Thus stood a cheap and safe transport for the removal of the ore, which previously had to be brought with mule trains over the passes, are available. The development of cars and trucks led to the decline of the railways in the area. The last scheduled passenger train left Ouray on September 14, 1930. March 21, 1953, the line was finally abandoned.
In the increasingly rich town many houses were in the 80s of the 19th century, built in the Victorian style, which are still preserved, as Ouray, but the most gold rush towns, has never fallen prey to a major fire disaster. The town of Ouray was recorded in 1983 as a National Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places. Likewise, the following historic buildings on the National Register of Historic Places are listed below:
- Ouray County Historical Museum, 420 Sixth Avenue
- Beaumont Hotel, 505 Main Street
- Wright 's Opera House ( Wright 's Hall ), 472 Main Street
- Ouray County Courthouse, 541 Fourth Street
- Western Hotel, 342 Seventh Avenue
- St. Elmo Hotel, 426 Main Street
Mining
Ouray has a long mining tradition as the former gold and silver mine, Bachelor - Syracuse Mine north of Ouray, visitors from 20 May to 15 September visit is open. Furthermore promotes Headquartered in Denver Star Mining Company, today nor silver from the Revenue - Virginius Mine.
Mine gas explosion in silver mining revenue Virginus on November 17, 2013
In a coal mine gas explosion on November 17, 2013 at 7:20 pm in the Revenue - Virginius Mine to die two people and 20 other pals are injured, some seriously. The miners hard for several hours from underground.