| Cripple Creek, Colorado |
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Cripple Creek, is a city in Teller County , Colorado ; it is the County Seat . Cripple Creek is 24 miles south west of Colorado Springs, Colorado on the southern slopes of Pike's Peak . It was the most fabulous Gold Mining camp of Colorado. HISTORY Cripple Creek got off to a slow start. For many years the area, at an elevation of about 11,000 feet, near the Timberline , was considered no more than cattle pasture. It was even the site of a hoax, the Mount Pisgah Fiasco, a salted location which created a mini gold rush but where no ore was found ("salting" is putting a bit of rich ore in a worthless site). But in 1891 rich ore was found and the last great Colorado Gold Rush was on. Thousands of prospectors flocked to the mountains, including W. S. Stratton , who located the fabulous Independence Mine. The gold-bearing area was the core of an ancient Volcano of six square miles. Cripple Creek is in the Thirtynine Mile Volcanic Field . Free gold was found near the surface but at depth unoxidized Telluride s and sulphides were found. However to keep the ore flowing, Governor James Peabody on November 23 , 1903 sent the state militia into Cripple Creek to break up a miners' strike. But by 1935 half a billion dollars in gold, most figured at the price of $20 an ounce, had been extracted. At the turn of the century Cripple Creek and its sister city, Victor, were substantial towns. There were Serious Labor Problems , perhaps the worst in Colorado history, and eventually the mines played out, although the Cripple Creek District remains a viable location. Almost all the claims have been consolidated and open pit mining is a possiblity. The population dropped to a few hundred, and with their many empty storefronts and picturesque homes, Cripple Creek and Victor were tourist attractions as Ghost Town s. Toward the end of the twentieth century, casino Gambling was authorized in Cripple Creek, and this venture has been successful. Although the name Cripple Creek is mentioned in a Song by The Band , it becomes obvious in the Lyrics and Chorus that it is a Metaphorical statement, e.g. 'When I get off of this mountain/You know where I wanna go/Straight Down the Mississippi River /To the Gulf Of Mexico ', and 'Up On Cripple Creek/She sends me'. GEOGRAPHY Cripple Creek is located at 38°44'50" North, 105°10'45" West (38.747294, -105.179283). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 2.9 Km&2 (1.1 Mi&2 ). 2.9 km&2 (1.1 mi&2) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water. DEMOGRAPHICS As of the Census of 2000, there were 1,115 people, 494 households, and 282 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 381.0/km&2 (988.7/mi&2). There were 737 housing units at an average density of 251.8/km&2 (653.5/mi&2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.29% White , 0.90% African American , 2.15% Native American , 0.81% Asian , 1.43% from Other Races , and 2.42% from two or more races. 6.01% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 494 households out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were Married Couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.82. In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 104.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $39,261, and the median income for a family was $41,685. Males had a median income of $27,600 versus $25,000 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $19,607. 6.4% of the population and 4.7% of families were below the Poverty Line . 3.8% of those under the age of 18 and 6.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. CULTURAL REFERENCES
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