Welcome to the Mineral County Page. Long before Mineral County became famous for its many scurrilous characters and rich mining history, it was home to the Utes, led by Chief Ouray. The removal of the Utes and the attraction of the hot springs at Wagon Wheel Gap caused tourists and homesteaders to frequent the region using horses, mules, and the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad.
Nicholas Creede discovered silver in 1890 and people with visions of immediate wealth flocked into the Willow Creek area. In 1892, Creede Camp consisted of many "subcamps", including Jimtown, Gintown, Sunnyside, Weaver, Upper Creede, and South Creede. Bachelor Town sat in a meadow one thousand feet above Creede Camp. In 1893, Mineral County was formed from Hinsdale County, Saguache County, and Rio Grande County.
Today, Mineral County, with a land area of 876 square miles, boasts one town, Creede, with a substantial economic base. Mining is no longer the mainstay of Creede and the population of the county has dwindled to under 700.
Copyright note: All files on this site are copyrighted by their creator. They may be linked to, but they may not be reproduced on another site without specific permission from Dan and Linda Deslauriers (mineralco@yahoo.com) or their contributor. Although public information is not copyrightable, the format in which it is presented and the notes and comments are. It is, however, permissible to print or save the files to a personal computer for personal use only.
Here you will discover original databases, such as cemetery transcriptions, newspaper extractions, and censuses, which have been researched diligently by the caretakers of this site. We pride ourselves on providing information which has not been previously published and which will help the researcher become more successful. Good luck!
Many of Mineral County's early residents spent time in Rio Grande County and Hinsdale County, two of Mineral's parent counties. Subsequently, you may find names of your Creede ancestors on these pages.
Join the Comineral Mailing List! Here you can post and make contacts with other researchers. This list encompasses the entire San Luis Valley, Mineral County, and Hinsdale County. cominera-l-request@rootsweb.com Type the word "subscribe" in the body of the letter.
This is an ongoing project featuring photos of buildings, people, and the historical landscape of Mineral County.
A "must-visit" site for anyone with
San Luis Valley family ties.
