Colorado and Gemstone Mining

Post by Doris McCraw/Angela Raines-author

In my current Christmas short story I've one of the young characters finding a gemstone. Now you may be saying, gemstones in Colorado. Well, if you'd been watching 'Prospectors' you would know it is a reality. But was it so in the 1870-80s? Turns out it wasn't too far fetched to have such a thing happen.

In the late 1800s, Aquamarine, the official gemstone of Colorado, was mined on Mt. Antero. At 14, 275', Mt. Antero is one of the most prominent peaks in the Sawatch range and is the 40th tallest in North America. Most of the mining is done about 12,000' and above. As a side note, Mt. Antero was surveyed by the Pike Expedition of 1806.

en.wikipedia.org

Mount Antero, taken from along U.S. 285, near the town of Nathrop

Amazonite and Smokey Quartz are mined in the Pikes Peak region. The Native Americans used amazonite to make beads to wear and trade. By the late 1800s, commercial mining began and the crystals were transported east to be prepared for sale. Most of Amazonite and Smokey Quartz gemstones can be found within a four mile radius of the summit of Pikes Peak. 

en.wikipedia.org 
Amazonite from the well-known locality on Pikes Peak, Colorado. Size: 5.5 x 3.1 x 2.5 cm.

Topaz crystal is found near the Tarryall Area north and west of Pikes Peak. Indications are this occurred in the1880s.People in Florissant, closer to Pikes Pike, have said they found topaz in their region much earlier.

csmsgeologypost.blogspot.com

A bi-color sherry and blue topaz crystal collected from rocks of the Pikes Peak Batholith, Tarryall Mountains, Park County Colorado.

Colorado also had the first commercial producer diamond mine in North America. Located on the Colorado-Wyoming border, it was in production from around 1976 to 2000. For more information:http://bit.ly/2b0KDVY

Most of these gemstones are now mined for collectors and a lot of rock hounds can be found up and down the Pikes Peak region. For more information on this subject here are some links you may enjoy. http://bit.ly/2aPkPdF  ; http://bit.ly/2aBBPo5 ; http://wxch.nl/2aoVbOI

So the next time you're in the Pikes Peak region, let's go gemstone hunting!

Angela Raines is the pen name for Doris McCraw. Doris also writes haiku posted five days a week at – http://fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com and has now passed one thousand haiku and photos posted on this blog. Check out her other work or like her Amazon author page:  http://amzn.to/1I0YoeL

http://amzn.to/2aoVSaQ

PUDDLE JUMPING

According to the current on-line dictionary the definition of puddle jumping is: the action of flying an airplane for only short distances or making many stops. Now I don't fly an airplane, at least not yet ( in fact probably never since I don't like flying...but you never know), so what in the name of Paul Bunyon am I talking about it?

Actually, when talking about puddle jumping, the second half of that definition, making many stops, is the focus. At tea with a friend the other day we were discussing dreams, plans, the usual. The more we talked the realization that she wanted everything to be perfect before she jumped in materialized. Also she hoped I would convince her it was perfect, so she could go ahead. In contrast, jumping in and figuring out how to make it work is a better scenario for myself. Because of that philosophy, life has been so much fun and I have learned so much, made so many friends, and rediscovered my love of history.

Colorado Blue Columbine, first written of in the
journal of Edwin James, botanist on the
 Long Expedition in 1820

A few years ago I mentioned to a producer friend I would like to do a one woman show. After about a month she told me she had a venue and a time, and asked "was I going to do it?" What do you think? Six weeks later with a bit of research the show had a great weekend run. That led to researching the Pikes Peak Region and onto storytelling gigs. It led to Helen (Hunt) Jackson and Katharine Lee Bates, who have led me a merry chase that's been a great joy along with a nice bit of payment. (On Saturday, Sept 6, I sang 'America the Beautiful' as KLB for the rededication of the Municipal Building built in 1904)

You see where this is going? When asked to submit a proposal for the Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium, the story of Karol W. Smith was published along with the talk on cable. Of course, the next year the story of the Cripple Creek volcano had to be told. That area around Cripple Creek/Victor is the setting for more than one story in the works. The town of Florissant just north of those towns, joined the others to play a part in the story "Home For His Heart" published by Prairie Rose Publications. 

As a child, how many have been told they couldn't do that, follow your dream but have something to fall back on. Don't jump in the puddles, you'll get wet. Sorry, life's too short, getting wet is fun, and oh the joy of jumping in and learning so many things that lead to other things. What a joy! So the next time someone says, "can you do..." guess what the answer could be. In the meantime 'Dirty Woman', her sawmill and ranch are calling for more research. Andrew needs to be saved, a former Pinkerton wants to fall in love and the wife of a murderer wants to tell her story. The people in my head are clamoring to get out, so until next time, enjoy those puddles.

For fun I leave you with some quotes:

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." Lao Tzu

"Only those who will risk going to far can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Eliot

"It is never to late to be what you might have been." George Eliot

and lastly from one of my favorites:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream,Discover." Mark Twain

To follow my haiku: http://fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com 

“Film and Photography on the Front Range” (Regional History Series): Colorado Springs, CO. Pikes Peak Library District 2012

available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords

Post and photos copyright by Doris McCraw