The Town of Breckenridge

The town of Breckenridge was founded in November 1859 by General George Spencer and was named after the United State's Vice President at the time, John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky in the hopes of flattering the government and gaining a post office. Spencer succeeded in his plan and a post office was built in Breckinridge, the first post office between the Continental Divide and Salt Lake City, Utah. However, during the Civil War in 1861, the former Vice President sided with the Confederates and the cititzens of Breckinridge decided to change the town's name, changing the first "i" to an "e", thus creating the Breckenridge spelling that we know today [1].

Regardless of it's political naming, the town of Breckenridge has historically been best known as a "gold town". Prospectors entered what is now Summit County during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush of 1859. It was founded first to serve the gold pan miners and later the hard rock miners who found their gold in Summit County's mountainous rock veins. For more information on Breckenridge, please visit the Summit Historical Society.

Breckenridge Today

The Gold of Today - "White Gold"

Today, Breckenridge is best known for it's white gold, fabulous Colorado skiing. The quaint, Victoria style village left over from mining days has taken on a new appearance, focusing on the tourism industry and a tremendous and very popular selection of both summer and winter activities. The current year round population (from the Breckenridge Overview provided by the Chamber of Commerce) for 2006 was 3,335 with a peak population with ski visitors boosting this up to an estimated 35,026 at high season!

Breckenridge is located at 9,603 feet and boasts over 200 shops and restaurants, 2 nordic centers, 4 skating rinks, a golf course, 14 tennis courts, 2 parks, 16 museums and art galleries, 1 library, 5 churches, 3 fitness centers, 1 whitewater kayak park and plenty of biking, skiing and hiking trails! Average temperature ranges from 28 degrees as a high in the winter to a comfortable 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. 300 is the magic number for Breckenridge, with 300 days of sunshine per year and an average of 300 inches of snow.

In 1961, the Breckenridge Ski Resort opened with the Peak 8 ski area. Peak 9 followed in 1971 (2 years before the Eisenhower Tunnel was opened in 1973). Peak 10 opened in 1985, Peak 7 opened in 1993 and the Gondola was added in 2006.

Breckenridge Links

Please visit our Breckenridge Community Report for more information on the Breckenridge community, census statistics, weather, schools and a local business directory.

For recommendations on Vacation Rentals, Ski Resorts and Ski Rentals, please visit My Links page.

Considering purchasing a second home or investment property in Breckenridge, please Contact Me for current property listings, Search our MLS system or sign up for our Vacation Property Finder.

My Favorite Breckenridge Events:

Breckenridge Film Festival: Annual festival takes place in September.

Mainstreet Performances: Free summertime performances including music, art, culture, theatre, art, culture and family activites.

Fourth of July: Annual Independence Day Celebration.

Snow Sculpture Championship: Internationally renowed, annual event in January.

Breckenridge Octoberfest: Breckenridge September tradition.

Breckenridge Ski Resort: Open October - April for world class skiing!

For a full schedule of events, please visit the Chamber Events by Month calendar.

References:

[1] Town History, Gold Dust to White Gold. Special Features. Town of Breckenridge. Retrieved on 2007 February 23.

Material partially retrieved from "http:''en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breckenridge%2C_Colorado". Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation license.

Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce also used as a source of information.