A Brief History of Lake City 

Lake City sits at an elevation of 8,671’ between Gunnison and Creede on Highway 149 which can be reached from Highway 50 just west of Gunnison or from Highway 160 in South Fork.  It is a picturesque community surrounded by beautiful 14,000’ peaks, and tall, old-growth Cottonwood trees that line the highway through town.  Built as an 1870’s mining town, it is located in a valley formed by Henson Creek and the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River.  Nearby Lake San Cristobal is the second largest natural body of water in Colorado.  It was formed by the Slumgullion Earthflow about 800 years ago and is well known for its beauty.

In the early 1870’s precious metals were discovered in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.  The construction of the Golden Fleece Mine at the north end of Lake San Cristobal in 1874 marked the beginning of a gold and silver rush to the area and Lake City was entered into the Land Office in 1875.  It had five general stores, two bakeries, two blacksmith shops, two sawmills, three restaurants, one livery stable, a millinery store, a shoe shop, five saloons, two meat markets, and one newspaper.  Hotels, banks, billiard rooms, brothels and dance halls, and a public school were soon established.  By early 1877 the population had grown to 2,500 people.  Mines in the area produced over ten million dollars worth of silver, gold, copper, lead, and zinc during the boom years.

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