Breckenridge (Colorado)
| Breckenridge | |
|---|---|
 Summit County Courthouse |
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| Location in Colorado | |
 |
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| Basic data | |
| Foundation : | November 1859 (incorp. March 3, 1880) |
| State : | United States |
| State : | Colorado |
| County : | Summit County |
| Coordinates : | 39 ° 29 ′ N , 106 ° 3 ′ W |
| Time zone : | Mountain ( UTC − 7 / −6 ) |
| Residents : | 3,406 (as of 2012) |
| Population density : | 266.1 inhabitants per km 2 |
| Area : | 12.8 km 2 (approx. 5 mi 2 ) of which 12.8 km 2 (approx. 5 mi 2 ) are land |
| Height : | 2926 m |
| Postal code : | 80424 |
| Area code : | +1 970 |
| FIPS : | 08-08400 |
| GNIS ID : | 0204681 |
| Website : | www.townofbreckenridge.com |
| Mayor : | Ernie Blake |
Breckenridge is the county seat of Summit County in Colorado , United States and is about an hour and a half drive from Denver in the Rocky Mountains . In 2012 the place had 3,406 inhabitants. It is run in the form of a Home Rule Municipality .
The original mine workers' settlement Breckenridge is next to Aspen and Vail as the most famous ski and holiday resort of Colorado and is visited on the winter weekends by short-term tourists mainly from Denver. The ski area with around 150 designated ski slopes often has powder snow ( Champaign Powder ) due to the weather . In the Breckenridge ski area, the highest ski lift in North America leads to the almost 4,000 m high Peak Eight .
During the summer months, Breckenridge attracts hikers, anglers and mountain bike enthusiasts. The main destinations are the Blue River and the nearby Lake Dillon . An annual film festival has been held in Breckenridge since 1981. There is also a 27-hole golf course, which was built by the former professional golfer and today's golf architect Jack Nicklaus .
history
The first prospectors came to what is now Summit County during the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859, shortly after gold was discovered a little further east in Idaho Springs . Breckinridge was founded to meet the daily needs of the gold panners along the Georgia Gulch discovery sites . Soon a mine was built, with which the miners followed the gold veins in the hills. Gold mining declined at the end of the 19th century, but revived in 1908 along the Blue Rivers and the Swan Rivers . About one million troy ounces of gold (about 31 tons) have been discovered in the Breckenridge mining district over the years .
The Breckenridge gold mines have all been out of service since 1972. However, some can be visited. The characteristic scree slopes left by the gold washers are still visible along the Blue River and the Snake River . In the nearby Country Boy gold mine you can get an impression of the working conditions of the miners who used to mine gold, silver, lead and zinc here.
Breckenridge was incorporated as a city on March 3, 1880.
History of the place name
The city was formally founded in November 1859 by General George E. Spencer . Spencer chose the name of then Vice President John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky . He hoped to impress the government and get them to assign a post office to the young city. This tactic was successful and Breckinridge is now the proud location of the US Post Office. The post office was the first to be between the continental divide and Salt Lake City .
When the American Civil War broke out in 1861 , the namesake took a stand and took part in the war as Brigadier General of the Army of the Confederate States , which is why local supporters of the Union called for a name change. A compromise was reached and the 'i' was changed to an 'e'. Since then, Breckinridge has been called Breckenridge.
geography
Breckenridge geographical coordinates are 39 ° 29 ' N , 106 ° 3' W . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 12.8 km² , all of which is land. Breckenridge is 2926 m above sea level.
climate
Breckenridge's climate is alpine, the tree line is around 3500 m. The accumulated snow depth that falls annually is more than 750 cm. The average July temperatures are between 3.9 ° C and 22.8 ° C. In January, the average highs are -0.5 ° C, the average lows are -17.8 ° C. The highest temperature was measured in July 1939 with 31.7 ° C, the lowest observed temperature value was set in December 1924 with -43.3 ° C. Most precipitation falls in July, the driest is October.
Demographics
At the time of the 2000 United States Census, Breckenridge was inhabited by 2408 people. The population density was 187.8 people per km ². There were 4270 housing units at an average of 333.1 per km². The Breckenridge population was 95.56% White , 0.37% Black or African American , 0.33% Native American , 1.04% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , and 1.12% of other races belong to and 1.54% named two or more races. 5.44% of the population declared to be Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The residents of Breckenridge distributed to 1081 households out of which 13.4% were living in children under 18 years. 27.9% of households were married, 4.3% had a female head of the household without a husband and 64.8% were not families. 28.7% of households were made up of individuals and someone lived in 0.8% of all households aged 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.61.
The urban population was divided into 11.1% minors, 22.8% 18–24 year olds, 45.3% 25–44 year olds, 18.7% 45–64 year olds and 2.1% aged 65 and over or more. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 women there were 160.9 men. For every 100 women over 18, there were 164.2 men.
The median household income in Breckenridge was 43,938 US dollars and the median family income reached the amount of 52,212 US dollars. The median income for men was $ 29,571, compared with $ 27,917 for women. The per capita income in Breckenridge was $ 29,675. 8.8% of the population and 5.2% of families had an income below the poverty line , of which 1.7% of minors and no one aged 65 and over were affected.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Active Colorado Municipalities . State of Colorado , Department of Local Affairs. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
- ↑ http://www.townofbreckenridge.com/index.aspx?page=368
- ↑ a b In the Wild West of Ski Fans , contribution by Andreas Burmann in the Sunday walk on February 6, 2011 on Deutschlandradio , on dradio.de, seen on February 7, 2011
- ^ Breckenridge Festival of Films . Archived from the original on October 29, 2007. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
- ^ AH Koschman and MH Bergendahl (1968) Principal Gold-Producing Districts of the United States . US Geological Survey, Professional Paper 610, pp. 116-117.
- ^ Colorado Municipal Incorporations ( English ) State of Colorado , Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. December 1, 2004. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
- ↑ Town History, Gold Dust to White Gold ( English ) In: Special Features . Town of Breckenridge. Archived from the original on February 9, 2007. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
- ↑ Breckenridge Climate ( English ) In: Resident and Visitor Helpful Hints . Town of Breckenridge. Archived from the original on January 2, 2008. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
- ↑ Averages & Records for Breckenridge, CO ( English ) In: Travel Smart: Vacation & Travel Guide . The Weather Channel. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
Web links
- Official site of the City (English)
- CDOT map of the place (PDF; 369 kB)
- Western Mining History (English)