The Blue River runs through the town of Breckenridge, though for most of the 20th century, you might not have known it. Beginning in the late 1800s, the mining industry built and sustained Breckenridge. The last stage of that left the Blue mostly hidden. The river bottom was dredged up, the gold sifted out, and the tailings deposited in piles along the banks. It was lucrative, but destructive. When the last phase of mining ended in the 1940s, Breckenridge had rock piles two stories high and an uncertain future. But a new boom came in the 1960s, with skiing. A couple decades later Breck dedicated itself to bringing back the Blue River Valley. The riverbed was restored, soil brought in to help plants and animals re-establish themselves along the banks. Today, Breckenridge has a running river again, plus green space and the Riverwalk Center, home to arts all year long, and the National Repertory Orchestra in the summers.
About Colorado Postcards
Colorado Postcards
Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado.
