AUGUST THEME
Summit County
SUMMIT COUNTY COLORADO 150
Old Summit County Courthouse. Colorado Governor Ed Johnson gathered at the Summit County Courthouse lawn to officially “welcome” Breckenridge back into the United States after a local women’s club humorously publicized that the town had been accidentally left off an 1880s map.
Celebrating 150 Years of Summit County History
Summit County
In 1876, Colorado entered the United States as the 38th state and by 1883 with the creation of other counties, Summit County became its current size. New technologies in mining ushered in hydraulic, hard rock, and dredge mining from the early days of gold panning.
By the middle of the 20th century, local entrepreneurs realized that Summit County’s future lay above the ground, and the ski industry was born. The environment was not only reshaped by mining and skiing, but also by the two major water diversion projects that formed the Green Mountain Reservoir and Lake Dillon.
Summit County is constantly balancing continuity with change; preserving heritage and identity while adopting to new circumstances and opportunities.
This month we offer stories that highlight the evolution of recreation, government, brewing and distilling, and schools.
AUGUST: WEEK 1
Pre-Statehood
Man on skis, date unknown, Summit Historical Society Collection
Balce Weaver and Christian Weaver
The Weaver brothers cut a spruce tree into boards, steamed the board tips to curve upward and added long thong bindings. Their introduction of “snowshoes” as skis were called, allowed them to traverse snowy depths.
Their first “ski trip” in February of 1860 culminated in the discovery of gold in nearby Gold Run Gulch. The Gold Run district became one of the most lucrative placer mining areas.
1876-1926
Slate Creek Baseball Team, 1910, Summit Historical Society Collection
Early Days of Baseball in Summit County
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s there were over 20 baseball teams in Summit County. Towns, mining camps and companies, and ranches had teams. People worked hard, and baseball provided a break and was a major social event for isolated communities. The games were often raucous affairs.
The team from Montezuma was followed by an ardent supporter, the local madam named Dixie. She was known for taking bets, and her colorful language causing more than one mother to relocate where her children were watching.
Some of the teams and their fans traveled by train. Many an exciting game was abruptly halted by the train whistle which signaled that the game was over. Both players and spectators needed to catch the train to return home.
The Breckenridge Reds found that the railroad provided a major advantage in that they could “recruit” players to travel to Breckenridge by train. The Leadville team proved to be their only real competition in this regard.
Breckenridge also fielded a women’s team, the “Breckenridge Bloomers” so named for their loose pants worn under shortened skirts. Although it seems the “Bloomers” only played an exhibition game against the men, their existence confirms the popularity of baseball.
1926-1976
Established: 1968, shortly after the construction of the Dillon Dam and the relocation of the town
Dillon Yacht Club
The Dillon Yacht Club began with an ending – when Old Dillon disappeared under 85 billion gallons of water. Before marinas, boats were launched off a campground ramp between Frisco and Breckenridge.
The originally privately owned Dillon Marina was built shortly after the lake filled and gave rise to DYC. A Sunfish fleet started racing on the lake around 1965, with wives running the races using orange painted peach baskets turned upside down on inner tubes as buoys.
Larry Jump, a Summit icon, got some friends together and started the DYC in 1968. That year, membership soared 20% (from 10 to 12 members) after publishing applications in the Dillon newspaper.
The impetus for the DYC was the Ski Yachting Championship, held Memorial Day weekends. A two day race on Lake Dillon was followed by a ski race at A-Basin and the scores combined.
Currently, the DYC supports many racing fleets, including Stars, J/80’s, 24’s, 22’s, Ensigns, and Etchells.
1976-2026
Photo Credit: U.S. Forest Service - White River National Forest
Evolution of Open Trails and Spaces
Summit County’s commitment to open space traces back to grassroots concern over rapid development. In 1996, Breckenridge voters passed a dedicated 0.5% sales tax for open space preservation, leading to the creation of the Open Space and Trails department in 1997.
Through the early 2000s and into the 2010s, the focus was on acquiring private land, protecting scenic viewsheds like Tenderfoot Meadows, preserving wildlife winter ranges, and securing high-priority mining claims before development could claim them.
The next chapter brought recreation infrastructure. Partnering with Great Outdoors Colorado and the U.S. Forest Service, the county developed an extensive trail network including the beloved 38-mile paved Recpath, connecting Breckenridge to Copper Mountain and Vail Pass.
Today, with most key parcels protected, the department focuses on stewardship, restoring abandoned mine lands, cleaning up polluted waterways like the Snake River, and managing visitor impact to keep these wild places healthy for generations to come.
AUGUST: WEEK 2
Photo Mining district map Courtesy: Summit Historical Society Collection
Miner’s Court
In the early 1860’s, prospectors came to the Blue River Valley, of what would become Summit County, by the thousands. One can only imagine the disputes that arose over mining claims and water rights, not to mention frankly criminal behavior.
Before formal government, miners established their own legal system known as “Miners’ Courts”. A mining district would call a meeting of all the miners in the district for the purpose of establishing a “Miners’ Code”, the laws governing that district. The miners elected a judge and sheriff. If a dispute arose or a crime identified, the court would convene a jury and a verdict would be rendered. Not surprisingly, Miners’ Courts were very active in camps across Summit County. One notable Miners’ Court judge was Marshel Silverthorn who carried the title, “Judge” long after the Territorial government took the place of Miners’ Courts.
1876-1926
Photo courtesy Joyce Bivens.
Jeremiah G. (J.G.) Detwiler
(Circa 1866 – 1934)
Sheriff Jeremiah G. Detweiler spent over 35 years protecting the County, beginning 1898.
Duties included enforcing foreclosures, conducting courthouse property auctions, and policing a rough-and-tumble population of miners, laborers, and transient workers.
One of the most dramatic events of his career came on August 11, 1898, when outlaw Pug Ryan and his gang robbed the Denver Hotel in Breckenridge. Sheriff Detweiler quickly organized a posse with local marshals to pursue the gang. The chase ended in a violent shootout near Kokomo, where two deputies lost their lives, making it one of Summit County’s most tragic Old West law enforcement encounters.
1926-1976
Photo courtesy: Summit Daily News
Robert Farris
(1937–2009)
Robert “Bob” W. Farris was the first Black sheriff in Summit County, Colorado, serving from 1975 to 1983.
Elected in 1975, he famously served during the release of the comedy Blazing Saddles, which led his friends and colleagues to affectionately give him the “Blazing Saddles” moniker throughout his tenure.
He was widely recognized for successfully coordinating law enforcement efforts when the Hells Angels motorcycle club arrived in Summit County.
He was president of County Sheriffs of Colorado in 1982.
After his time in office, Farris resided in Heeney, Colorado, until his death in March 2009.
1976-2026
Photo Glen Kraatz, courtesy Glen Kraatz
Glen Kraatz
Glen and Georgia Kraatz moved to Summit County in the fall of 1999, after a corporate career that took them from California to New Jersey and also to Saudi Arabia. Glen had always been an outdoor adventurer, leading canoe trips in summers during college, back packing in the Sierras, and rock climbing in Yosemite.
Volunteering for the Summit County Rescue Group seemed like a natural fit when Georgia said, “you need to find something to do in retirement”. The County’s Mountain Rescue Team is a nonprofit founded in 1973 that responds to back country emergencies under the oversight of the County Sheriff’s office.
24/7, 365 days a year the 70 plus volunteers are called out by 911 to anything from overdue hikers, downed aircraft, avalanches, and off road vehicle accidents. After being on the Team for years, Glen had scrambled up and down the slopes of Quandary Peak dozens of times on rescues, but never summited. Finally, he, Georgia, and a friend climbed to the top for fun in 2006.
Search and Rescue volunteers like Glen are dedicated and passionate about helping others.
You can hear more from him at a Frisco Historic Park Lunch Time Lecture on August 26 or on the Rescue Group’s website, www.scrg.org.
AUGUST: WEEK 3
Pre-Statehood
Photo Courtesy: Bill Fountain
Henry Weiss Brewery
One of the first breweries in Colorado, the Henry (sometimes written as Henery) Weiss Brewery began brewing a German style lager in 1861 in Parkville.
At the time, Parkville was booming with prospectors and boasted of theaters, boarding houses, saloons, and thirsty miners. Weiss is said to have claimed that he made far more money with his brewery than did the many prospectors actually working the gold deposits.
Although the brewery in Summit County lasted perhaps only a year, Weiss followed the mining boom to other parts of Colorado, establishing a brewery in Del Norte that was operational until 1880. Early frontier breweries represent the foundation for modern day craft beers.
1876-1926
Photo Interior of a saloon, 1900’s, Summit Historical Society Collection
George & Peter Engle
George (1848-1926)
Peter (1846-1932)
George and Peter Engle didn’t just chase the American Dream – they built it. Arriving from Switzerland in the late 1800’s, the brothers kicked off their frontier adventure by opening the Engle Brothers Billiards and Saloon in Breckenridge.
However, local school teacher, Gertrude Briggle, refused to marry George until he abandoned the rowdy bar scene. Motivated by love and ambition, George and Peter pivoted. In 1888, they bought the defunct Bank of Breckenridge, opening the Engle Brothers Exchange Bank across the street from their saloon. Gertrude proudly said “I do” in 1891.
The brothers soon became civic titans, serving as town treasurer, trustee, and coroner. By 1900, Peter left to ranch the Lower Blue River valley, prompting George to break norms by appointing his socialite wife, Gertrude, as bank vice-president. Together, this powerhouse family shaped early 20th century Breckenridge.
1926-1976
Photo: Still. Photo courtesy Frisco Historic Park & Museum
Chick Weatherby, Moonshiner
The Legend of Chic Weatherby
As told by Alan Rice to Bruce Queen
During the early days of the 20th century, Summit County experienced an economic decline caused by a drop in the price of silver and difficulties with railroad transportation which pressured ranchers trying to move cattle, hay and produce to market.
With Prohibition starting in Colorado in 1916, three years before the U.S., some enterprising individuals turned to moonshining to make ends meet. Chic Weatherby was one.
Chic would regularly travel from his remote cabin into Dillon carrying backpacks filled with bottles of what the locals called White Mule – a moonshine named for its color and kick. Chic would hangout in local bordellos for a few days, then make his way back to his cabin with sacks of empty bottles and a 100 pound bag of corn.
For moonshine, you need good water, corn, wood, and a hideout. Summit County had everything but the corn.
1976-2026
High Altitude, High Spirits
Summit County’s pure mountain water has fueled a brewing tradition for more than 150 years, from the breweries on Brewery Hill in Parkville during the 1860s to today’s nationally recognized craft breweries and distilleries.
Today, visitors can sample a wide variety of locally crafted beers and spirits at
- Angry James Brewery
- Breckenridge Brewery
- Breckenridge Distillery
- Broken Compass Brewing
- Dillon Dam Brewery
- Highside Brewery
- Outer Range Brewery
- Syndicate Brewing Company
- Steep Brewing & Coffee Company
From award-winning whiskey at the world’s highest distillery to innovative craft ales, mountain-inspired lagers, and community gathering places, these local businesses showcase the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that continue to define Summit County’s beverage scene.
AUGUST: WEEK 4
Photo 1884 Montezuma schoolhouse between 1889 and 1891.
Summit Historical Society preserved the Montezuma Schoolhouse until 2014 when it was deeded to the Town of Montezuma for $1.
Credit: Summit Historical Society Collection
Early Schools
The challenge for mountain mining camps was great. Weather and remote locations were obstacles, but the greatest obstacle was that there were not enough children in many of the locales.
Some historians believe that the first school in Summit County was in Lincoln City in 1862. The first schoolhouse in Breckenridge was on Main Street in 1871. Just before statehood, the residents of Montezuma and Saints John constructed the “Halfway School” built between the two mining camps. When Colorado became a state in 1876, the elements of the School Law were almost entirely maintained in the Colorado Constitution.
1876-1926
Photo Old Dillon Schoolhouse. Courtesy Summit HIstorical Society
Old Dillon Schoolhouse
Built in 1883 for the children of Dillon’s first families, the one-room Dillon Schoolhouse was made possible in part by the railroad, which had already arrived in town and brought modern building materials — including casement windows and pressed tin ceiling — to this remote mountain community.
The schoolhouse served the growing mining community until 1910, when a larger school was constructed. The building then served as a church until the construction of Dillon Dam forced its relocation. It was the Ladies of Dillon who were the driving force in preserving the building and guiding its move when the historic town was cleared to ensure water purity for the new Lake Dillon.
The schoolhouse became a museum in 1972, and today its classroom looks much as it did in 1892, complete with McGuffey desks, slate chalkboards, and an 1885 piano. In 2025, it was added to the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties
1926-1976
Photo. The 1909 Brick Schoolhouse Credit: KUNC
Halsey Victoria Rosedahl Peabody
(1886-1972)
Breckenridge’s first school was a one room log cabin, followed by a two story building featuring elaborate gingerbread woodwork. In 1909, the town opened a larger two story brick school, which allowed them to expand education to include the 11th and 12th grades.
Halsey Victoria “Vic” Fosedahl, a Kansas native, earned her teaching certificate in 1908. After teaching in one room schools in Roger and Meeker, Colorado, she came to Breckenridge to teach English literature and poetry to seniors at the new school. Known as an excellent disciplinarian, she taught there for two years.
Like many young women in town, Vic fell in love and married Elmer Clifton “Cliff” Peabody, a dashing young miner. Cliff belonged to a family of adventurers; his father and uncle had operated mines during the early gold rush days. In her later years, Vic was known as a devoted wife, mother, neighbor, and county official in the Lower Blue valley branching community.
1976-2026
Photo. Credit Millie Hamner
Millie Hamner
Dr. Millie Hamner is a Colorado native and ongtime Summit County resident who worked in education for over 35 years. Her career included serving as the Superintendent of Summit School District before being appointed to the Colorado House of Representatives in 2010.
She went on to serve four terms representing District 61. Among her legislative accomplishments, she sponsored the Colorado READ Act expanding early childhood literacy programs and carried the Future School Finance Act, which redesigned Colorado’s school funding formulas.
Hamner currently serves as Senior Policy Director at the Keystone Policy Center in Keystone, Colorado, where she works on education and government policy initiatives at both the local and national level.
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