The Colorado House

From Mark Feister's Blasted Beloved Breckenridge, p. 220

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Social life, though not worthy of the terminology "high society," stirred with the influx of additional miners and families into Breckenridge and nearby gulches. The Miners’ Record, William Byers’ Tarryall newspaper, told of Breckenridge’s social occasion, 4th of July Celebration, 1861:

Our national independence was celebrated here with great interest and enthusiasm. A large concourse of people, consisting of men, women and children, assembled about noon and repaired to the beautiful grove a short distance cast of town, conducted by Col. E. P. El-more. Marshal of the day. The exercises were opened by prayer from the Rev. M. Hubbard. The Declaration of Independence was read by Judge G. G. Bissell, after which orations were delivered by Dr. E. D. Leavitt, J. V. Carpenter, Esq., and Gov. R. W. Steele. The intervals between the orations were occupied by songs from Capt. Preston of Miners’ District, and also by the German Glee Club of Breckenridge, both of which were exceedingly entertaining.

The audience then retired to the Breckenridge Hotel (Marshall Silverthorn, Proprietor) where they partook of one of the finest and most complete dinners ever served on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains. Here we found the table spread with all the luxuries, from the oyster beds of the Atlantic to the silvery rivulets of the Western Slope, in which the speckled trout so greatly abound.

The day having passed, no small share of the time being spent in drinking of numerous toasts, and the best of music having been secured for the occasion, consisting in part of William

P. Pollack and Jack Spirry of French Gulch, the assembly crossed over to the Colorado House (J. Crissman, Proprietor) where they engaged in dancing, which was vigorously prosecuted until 12 o’clock, when a supper was served by the gracious landlady, which in variety and excellence cannot be surpassed, even in countries affording much greater facilities. The dance was then renewed and kept up until nearly the break of day, when all started to their homes, apparently much pleased with the proceedings of the day and night, and all convinced that Breckenridge has two hotels that cannot be beaten in Colorado.

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