Product Details

Historical Context

The United Rico Mines Company was incorpoated in December of 1901 in Colorado for the purpose of mining, milling and smelting ore. The company controlled the following properties and companies:

• Enterprise
• Rico-Aspen
• Black Hawk
• Rico Townsite
• Grand View
• Atlanta Cable
• Futurity
• Rico Smelting & Refining Company
• Rico Concentrating & Mining Company
• Rico Mining & Milling Company

At the time, this was probably the largest mining property in Colorado, comprising 161 mining claims, and mining rights under adjoining ground equal in area to another 115 mining claims, or a total equal to 276 mining claims; four tunnel sites, coal lands (320 acres) with coke ovens, six miles from big mining property; four mill sites, four sets of water rights, town lots in Rico, 10 hoisting or other plants at different shafts and tunnels; 100-ton smelter, 100-ton concentrating mill, 50-ton zinc plant, etc.

Practically all the mining property was patented, the exceptions being entitled to United States patents. There were about 20 miles of underground workings.

David H. Moffat

David H. Moffat was one of Denver's most important financiers and industrialists in late 19th and early 20th century Colorado, and he was responsible for the development of the Middle Park area. He served as president, treasurer and as a board member of railroads, banks and city government posts. Over the years he had claims to over one hundred Colorado mines and nine railroads. Moffat died on March 18, 1911 in New York City at the age of seventy three.

Some had said that he had vainly spent fourteen million dollars on the dream of a railroad directly west from Denver. The Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway had cost him $75,000 a mile, and Rollins Pass had cost him the rest of his fortune. He was in New York city trying to raise more money, and was stopped by what would later be learned was the doing of E. H. Harriman and George Jay Gould I. He was one of the greatest threats they had faced in years. Although Moffat was looked at the time as a vain dreamer, he would later be viewed by many as ahead of his time. His legacy would leave Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad and later Union Pacific Railroad with a railroad that would outlast most other rail lines in Colorado.

He would have Moffat Tunnel and Moffat County, Colorado named after him.

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