Breckenridge
Summit County Courthouse -1911 - (www.photoswest.org)
Summer 1859- Gold is discovered along the Blue River and a base camp, later to be known as Breckenridge, is
established. While none of this base camp remains today, Breckenridge does contain more than 350 historic structures,
making it the largest historic district in the state of Colorado.
Breckenridge got its name when the town wanted a post office. The townspeople thought they could increase their odds
of getting one if they named their town after the nation's Vice President at the time, John Breckinridge. The idea worked
and Breckinridge got its post office. But when civil war broke out in 1864, John Breckinridge sided with the south and the
pro-Union citizens of Breckinridge wanted the town's name changed. The solution was easy: change an i to an e, and
it's been Breckenridge ever since
The Dredge Bar & Restaurant is an authentic piece of mining equipment from the 1800s. Make sure to visit some of the
historic mining shacks still located on the hill while skiing at Breckenridge!
The largest gold nugget ever found in North America was discovered in Breckenridge on July 3, 1887 by a man named
Tom Groves. The single nugget weighed 151 oz. and was about the size of an adult human head. It was dubbed "Tom's
Baby" because Mr. Groves paraded it around town like a new-born child. Whatever happened to the nugget is still one
of Breckenridge's great mysteries.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
The haunted & historic Brown Hotel & Restaurant
208 N. Ridge
(970) 453-0084
Owner: Michael Cavanaugh
Have a seat at the 120 year old bar and ask Mike about the ghosts that live there.....
Breckenridge has retained a large chunk of that legacy in the more than 350 town buildings listed on the National
Historic Register. Locals swear some of those buildings are still haunted by the miners who once called Breckenridge
home. So convinced is local Ariane Oettinger that she has never entered the restroom in The Brown Hotel for fear of
running into the establishment's infamous ghost. Mrs. Whitney was shot by her lover in an upstairs bedroom of the hotel
after he discovered she had ulterior motives-namely money-for sleeping with him. Locals claim she haunts the 1860s
structure to this day by slamming doors and emptying water glasses and relish trays. People also report feeling
unexplained cold spots inside the building.
(Ski Magazine)
Breck’s most intriguing nightspot is a certifiably haunted renovated hotel a block off Main Street, home to a long bar that
seems straight out of “The Shining,” plus a full pool and shuffleboard room. Free appetizers, a friendly flow of liquor and
the opportunity to explore some slightly spooky surroundings upstairs make for a cool evening.
(http://www.summitdaily.com)
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
The Gold Pan Saloon
103 N. Main St.
(970)453-5499
The Gold Pan is one of the oldest saloons in Colorado.
It is the oldest continuously operated bar West of the Mississippi.
Immersed in mining history, the Gold Pan Saloon and Restaurant offers a glimpse of a "rough and ready" Breckenridge,
when at any moment the swinging saloon doors might slap open and admit a thirsty prospector. Built around 1879 as the
Herman Strauss Saloon, the bar side of this complex has spent most of its days as a smoke-filled, whiskey-scented
dining and amusement hall. The most well-known of these establishments was the Palace Restaurant which attracted
customers with a large fish aquarium in the front window, stocked with "speckled beauties". Documented as the most
continuous operating liquor license west of the Mississippi, the building has also served as a dry goods store and as a
gas station. Over the years, the Gold Pan Bar has been one of the first saloons visited by a local. Locally owned and
operated, the Gold Pan provides visitors with a rustic atmosphere to relax and enjoy a drink and delicious food.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
The ghost of Sylvia at the haunted Prospector Restaurant
130 South Main Street
970-453-6858
Sylvia is one of Breckenridge's most enduring personalities. A miner's widow living in Breckenridge in the 1860's she
occupied a women's boarding house on Main Street and is said by many to still occupy the building. Sylvia was said to
be a prospector herself, (though of suitors, not gold), but failed to strike it rich and passed away alone. Today visitors
can try to spot Sylvia themselves at the former boarding house, now The Prospector Restaurant, located at 130 S. Main
Street. Local lore suggests that she only reveals herself to males, still in hope of finding a mate.
(Vail Resorts Management Company)
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Valley Brook Cemetery
Guided Tours
Visit the final resting place of many of Breckenridge's early pioneers, and learn all about them, their deeds and
misdeeds.
Call for information
The first cemetery in Breckenridge was just southwest of the Broken Lance Road/State Highway 9 intersection at the
south end of town. All but one of those early graves, that of Baby Eberlein, were moved to Valley Brook Cemetery in
1882. In 1997, the infant girl’s grave was moved next to the graves of her mother and brother in the Masonic section of
the cemetery.
Breckenridge Heritage Alliance
www.breckheritage.com
info@breckheritage.com
(800) 980-1859
Valley Brook Cemetery info & history
www.summithistorical.org
The first cemetery in Breckenridge was just southwest of the Broken Lance Road/State Highway 9 intersection at the
south end of town. All but one of those early graves, that of Baby Eberlein, were moved to Valley Brook Cemetery in
1882. In 1997, the infant girl's grave was moved next to the graves of her mother and brother in the Masonic section of
the cemetery.
Valley Brook Cemetery is laid out in streets and circles, with small brooks (thus its name) running through it. The brooks
simplify plot irrigation. Valley Brook is really two cemeteries, both platted in 1882 and delineated with markers. The 150-
grave Masonic cemetery lies to the south above Cucumber Creek. Owned by Lodge No. 47 A.F. & A.M., it is reserved for
burial of its members and their families. In 1896, groups of lots were sold to the Joseph A. Mower G.A.R. Post (where the
flagpole and Memory to the Unknown cross stand), to the Improved Order of Red Men Kiowa Tribe No. 6, to the
International Order of Odd Fellows Blue River Lodge No. 49 and to the Knights of Pythias Gold Nugget Lodge for burial
of their members and families. The town cemetery, at the north end, included several sections: Catholic (west of the
sexton house), Methodist/Episcopal and Loyalist, as well as a Potter's Field. The latter consists of a double line of
graves, all unmarked except for Bob Lott's, on the east side. Before Social Security, many a worker, especially a miner,
ended up with nothing after a lifetime of hard work. Unless his friends or fraternal order buried him, Summit County
interred him in the pauper section.
North of the entrance road is the sexton house, built in 1904. Also in 1904 the Lincoln City Cemetery was moved to
Valley Brook because placer mining forced the relocation of that entire town. The two large plots at the western edge of
the cemetery contain graves removed from the towns of Robinson/Recen and Kokomo; they were moved to make way
for the Climax Molybdenum Mine's settling ponds.
Many of the headstones are handcarved out of local materials such as marble from Marble, Colorado. The historical
fences around the various plots are a unique blend of ornate posts with chains, delicate baby wire, filigreed wrought-iron
gates, arches, early wooden pickets, concrete barriers and stone pillars.
Directions: The Valley View Cemetary is located near the intersection of Airport Road and Valley Brook Road on the
northern side of Breckenridge. From Blue River Plaza in the center of Breckenridge, proceed north on Main Street
(toward Frisco) for one block to the stoplight at Main and Lincoln. Turn left (west) and proceed one block to Park Ave.
Turn right onto Park Ave. and proceed approximately one-half mile to Airport road. Turn left onto Airport Road and
proceed north approximately one-half mile past the Library and Breckenridge Rec Center to Valley Brook Road. The
cemetary is on the left (west) side of the road.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Annual Halloween Haunted House
at the historic 1896 W.H. Briggle House & Museum!
Please call for exact dates and times
Visit former Summit County residents who have “passed to the other side.”
Don't be surprised if you are joined at the festivities by some well-known, local historical characters---
maybe even Mrs. Briggle!!
The William Harrison Briggle House
104 N. Harris Street
Summit Historical Society - (970) 453-9022
Some historical society volunteers claim that this old Victorian mansion is absolutely haunted.
This 1890s Victorian residence was home to a prominent Breckenridge family. The home has been restored to its period
condition and contains furnishings and artifacts that depict early Breckenridge life. The home is adjacent to the Alice G.
Milne Park, which contains an example of an 1880s and an 1870s home.
Open for tea and tours.
Call for directions and hours. (970) 453-9022
The Breckenridge district is listed on the Secretary of Interior National Register of Historic Places and is one of the
largest historic districts in Colorado . It contains many early homes from log cabins to stately Victorian residences. Self-
guided walking tour brochures are available free of charge. (970) 453-9022
www.summithistorical.org
mail@summithistorical.org
Back to home page
Summit County Courthouse -1911 - (www.photoswest.org)
Summer 1859- Gold is discovered along the Blue River and a base camp, later to be known as Breckenridge, is
established. While none of this base camp remains today, Breckenridge does contain more than 350 historic structures,
making it the largest historic district in the state of Colorado.
Breckenridge got its name when the town wanted a post office. The townspeople thought they could increase their odds
of getting one if they named their town after the nation's Vice President at the time, John Breckinridge. The idea worked
and Breckinridge got its post office. But when civil war broke out in 1864, John Breckinridge sided with the south and the
pro-Union citizens of Breckinridge wanted the town's name changed. The solution was easy: change an i to an e, and
it's been Breckenridge ever since
The Dredge Bar & Restaurant is an authentic piece of mining equipment from the 1800s. Make sure to visit some of the
historic mining shacks still located on the hill while skiing at Breckenridge!
The largest gold nugget ever found in North America was discovered in Breckenridge on July 3, 1887 by a man named
Tom Groves. The single nugget weighed 151 oz. and was about the size of an adult human head. It was dubbed "Tom's
Baby" because Mr. Groves paraded it around town like a new-born child. Whatever happened to the nugget is still one
of Breckenridge's great mysteries.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
The haunted & historic Brown Hotel & Restaurant
208 N. Ridge
(970) 453-0084
Owner: Michael Cavanaugh
Have a seat at the 120 year old bar and ask Mike about the ghosts that live there.....
Breckenridge has retained a large chunk of that legacy in the more than 350 town buildings listed on the National
Historic Register. Locals swear some of those buildings are still haunted by the miners who once called Breckenridge
home. So convinced is local Ariane Oettinger that she has never entered the restroom in The Brown Hotel for fear of
running into the establishment's infamous ghost. Mrs. Whitney was shot by her lover in an upstairs bedroom of the hotel
after he discovered she had ulterior motives-namely money-for sleeping with him. Locals claim she haunts the 1860s
structure to this day by slamming doors and emptying water glasses and relish trays. People also report feeling
unexplained cold spots inside the building.
(Ski Magazine)
Breck’s most intriguing nightspot is a certifiably haunted renovated hotel a block off Main Street, home to a long bar that
seems straight out of “The Shining,” plus a full pool and shuffleboard room. Free appetizers, a friendly flow of liquor and
the opportunity to explore some slightly spooky surroundings upstairs make for a cool evening.
(http://www.summitdaily.com)
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
The Gold Pan Saloon
103 N. Main St.
(970)453-5499
The Gold Pan is one of the oldest saloons in Colorado.
It is the oldest continuously operated bar West of the Mississippi.
Immersed in mining history, the Gold Pan Saloon and Restaurant offers a glimpse of a "rough and ready" Breckenridge,
when at any moment the swinging saloon doors might slap open and admit a thirsty prospector. Built around 1879 as the
Herman Strauss Saloon, the bar side of this complex has spent most of its days as a smoke-filled, whiskey-scented
dining and amusement hall. The most well-known of these establishments was the Palace Restaurant which attracted
customers with a large fish aquarium in the front window, stocked with "speckled beauties". Documented as the most
continuous operating liquor license west of the Mississippi, the building has also served as a dry goods store and as a
gas station. Over the years, the Gold Pan Bar has been one of the first saloons visited by a local. Locally owned and
operated, the Gold Pan provides visitors with a rustic atmosphere to relax and enjoy a drink and delicious food.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
The ghost of Sylvia at the haunted Prospector Restaurant
130 South Main Street
970-453-6858
Sylvia is one of Breckenridge's most enduring personalities. A miner's widow living in Breckenridge in the 1860's she
occupied a women's boarding house on Main Street and is said by many to still occupy the building. Sylvia was said to
be a prospector herself, (though of suitors, not gold), but failed to strike it rich and passed away alone. Today visitors
can try to spot Sylvia themselves at the former boarding house, now The Prospector Restaurant, located at 130 S. Main
Street. Local lore suggests that she only reveals herself to males, still in hope of finding a mate.
(Vail Resorts Management Company)
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Valley Brook Cemetery
Guided Tours
Visit the final resting place of many of Breckenridge's early pioneers, and learn all about them, their deeds and
misdeeds.
Call for information
The first cemetery in Breckenridge was just southwest of the Broken Lance Road/State Highway 9 intersection at the
south end of town. All but one of those early graves, that of Baby Eberlein, were moved to Valley Brook Cemetery in
1882. In 1997, the infant girl’s grave was moved next to the graves of her mother and brother in the Masonic section of
the cemetery.
Breckenridge Heritage Alliance
www.breckheritage.com
info@breckheritage.com
(800) 980-1859
Valley Brook Cemetery info & history
www.summithistorical.org
The first cemetery in Breckenridge was just southwest of the Broken Lance Road/State Highway 9 intersection at the
south end of town. All but one of those early graves, that of Baby Eberlein, were moved to Valley Brook Cemetery in
1882. In 1997, the infant girl's grave was moved next to the graves of her mother and brother in the Masonic section of
the cemetery.
Valley Brook Cemetery is laid out in streets and circles, with small brooks (thus its name) running through it. The brooks
simplify plot irrigation. Valley Brook is really two cemeteries, both platted in 1882 and delineated with markers. The 150-
grave Masonic cemetery lies to the south above Cucumber Creek. Owned by Lodge No. 47 A.F. & A.M., it is reserved for
burial of its members and their families. In 1896, groups of lots were sold to the Joseph A. Mower G.A.R. Post (where the
flagpole and Memory to the Unknown cross stand), to the Improved Order of Red Men Kiowa Tribe No. 6, to the
International Order of Odd Fellows Blue River Lodge No. 49 and to the Knights of Pythias Gold Nugget Lodge for burial
of their members and families. The town cemetery, at the north end, included several sections: Catholic (west of the
sexton house), Methodist/Episcopal and Loyalist, as well as a Potter's Field. The latter consists of a double line of
graves, all unmarked except for Bob Lott's, on the east side. Before Social Security, many a worker, especially a miner,
ended up with nothing after a lifetime of hard work. Unless his friends or fraternal order buried him, Summit County
interred him in the pauper section.
North of the entrance road is the sexton house, built in 1904. Also in 1904 the Lincoln City Cemetery was moved to
Valley Brook because placer mining forced the relocation of that entire town. The two large plots at the western edge of
the cemetery contain graves removed from the towns of Robinson/Recen and Kokomo; they were moved to make way
for the Climax Molybdenum Mine's settling ponds.
Many of the headstones are handcarved out of local materials such as marble from Marble, Colorado. The historical
fences around the various plots are a unique blend of ornate posts with chains, delicate baby wire, filigreed wrought-iron
gates, arches, early wooden pickets, concrete barriers and stone pillars.
Directions: The Valley View Cemetary is located near the intersection of Airport Road and Valley Brook Road on the
northern side of Breckenridge. From Blue River Plaza in the center of Breckenridge, proceed north on Main Street
(toward Frisco) for one block to the stoplight at Main and Lincoln. Turn left (west) and proceed one block to Park Ave.
Turn right onto Park Ave. and proceed approximately one-half mile to Airport road. Turn left onto Airport Road and
proceed north approximately one-half mile past the Library and Breckenridge Rec Center to Valley Brook Road. The
cemetary is on the left (west) side of the road.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Annual Halloween Haunted House
at the historic 1896 W.H. Briggle House & Museum!
Please call for exact dates and times
Visit former Summit County residents who have “passed to the other side.”
Don't be surprised if you are joined at the festivities by some well-known, local historical characters---
maybe even Mrs. Briggle!!
The William Harrison Briggle House
104 N. Harris Street
Summit Historical Society - (970) 453-9022
Some historical society volunteers claim that this old Victorian mansion is absolutely haunted.
This 1890s Victorian residence was home to a prominent Breckenridge family. The home has been restored to its period
condition and contains furnishings and artifacts that depict early Breckenridge life. The home is adjacent to the Alice G.
Milne Park, which contains an example of an 1880s and an 1870s home.
Open for tea and tours.
Call for directions and hours. (970) 453-9022
The Breckenridge district is listed on the Secretary of Interior National Register of Historic Places and is one of the
largest historic districts in Colorado . It contains many early homes from log cabins to stately Victorian residences. Self-
guided walking tour brochures are available free of charge. (970) 453-9022
www.summithistorical.org
mail@summithistorical.org
Back to home page
