Long before Spanish
conquistadors arrived, the
Folsom people inhabited Del Norte 10,000 years ago. Next
came the Anasazi, the Navajos, Utes and others.
|
|
By the mid-1870s, prospectors had found
the nearby San Juan Mountains rich in gold and silver deposits. Many
mining claims were registered and a fury of mining activity began. Recognized as the "Gateway to the San Juans,"
Del Norte was organized
and incorporated
in 1872.
Never a
mining town itself, Del Norte did become
a supply town to the various
mining camps and
was one of Colorado's first cities. The railroad came
to Del Norte in 1881 to serve the freight being generated in the
Summitville mining district.
In the early days there were several smelters here that processed ore
from around the state. There were also a number of banks here which
combined
to make Del Norte the region’s commercial
center. |
|
