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Silverthorne, Colorado was named after Hangin' Judge Silverthorne, a judge and Summit County pioneer in the late 1800's who was famous for his strict demeanor (no doubt the "Hangin'" nickname was no accident). The town itself began because it was a convenient site to relocate buildings from the old town of Dillon when that community's original site was flooded by the completion of the Dillon Reservoir in 1963. Silverthorne's first post office and general store were a few of these transplanted structures, as is the Old Dillon Inn, famous for its "BA" sign with an "R" that's never been illuminated. Unbeknownst to its owners, original works by western artists Frederick Remington and Charles Russell adorned the walls of the Old DI (as the Inn is known) until the early 70's, at which time the Inn was sold to a man who recognized the paintings, promptly removed them, and defaulted on the mortgage. Silverthorne was incorporated as a town in the late 60's, and with the recreational skiing boom at that time, Silverthorne became a winter bedroom community for those working at Summit County's ski resorts. Sources: Wikipedia.org, Town of Dillon Website |