|
Georgetown's population swelled to more than 10,000 during the silver boom of the 1880s, and rivaled Leadville as Colorado's mining capital (it also briefly challenged Denver as Colorado's capital, period, when local citizenry agitated for such a change). With the collapse of silver in 1893, however (a collapse precipitated by the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act), Georgetown's population dwindled. The town's renaissance didn't begin for another sixty years, when in the 1950s it became an après-ski watering hole for the thousands of skiers returning from Loveland Pass and Guanella Pass. This renaissance continued into the 1960s and 70s, at which time I-70 was completed and helped fuel the growth of the region with greater accessibility. Sources: britannica.com, city-data.com, town.georgetown.co.us, wikipedia.org |