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Lulu City, Colorado
The gold rush of 1859 brought a new influx of miners into Colorado. One was Joe Shipler. He went to many mining districts and staked many claims west of the Never Summer Mountains. In June, 1879, he and three others outfitted themselves in Fort Collins and entered the headwaters of the Grand River, later called the Colorado. They staked two promising silver claims on the slope of Shipler Mountain and the word spread that another rush was on. He settled along the Grand River near his claims and built several sod roofed log cabins. He started developing his mines. He blasted and dug his way into Shipler Mountain.
Others that came where William Baker and Benjamin Burnett. They were from Fort Collins and became charter members of the Middle Park and Grand River Mining and Land Improvement Company. The company was created to establish a town and to promote it. By June of 1880 the town was platted. East to West streets were named 1st to 9th. North to South streets were named Lead Mountain, Trout, Riverside, and Howard. The town was named Lulu, most likely after Benjamin Burnett's daughter. The word City was added to give it a sense of importance. With rumors of gold strikes, lots sold quickly for $20 to $50 apiece. Hundreds of miners were prospecting in the hills. By August the mailw as coming twice a week from Fort Collins over Thunder Pass via the Stewart Toll Road. The stage also arrived that month. A month later there was another stage opened between Grand Lake and Lulu City. In 1881 many more mining claims were developed. An old veteran prospector named Ben Dunshee struck gold that winter. Businesses came in, including Burnett's clothing store, a barber shop, an assay office, a hardware store, several grocery stores, and liquor stores. Two sawmills went up. And a 20 dairy cows were driven in from Denver. Soon there were 500 people in the town. There was even a redlight district north of town.
More mining companies were formed in 1881 but few big discoveries were made. The Godsmark and Parker Hotel was built that year and had fine linen, silverware, and crystal. Things continued to boom in 1882. But most ore being found was low grade. There was only about $10,000 made in gold the entire year. Many started to leave. A smelter for the Wolvermine Mine was psotponed, then never built as it saw the hand writing on the wall. Without the smelter or a nearby railroad it was too expensive to ship the unrefined ore. By the summer of 1883, everybody was leaving town and postal service was stopped in November.
Judge Godsmark and other oldtimers began to leave. Bears and mountain lions moved into the miners cabins. Joe Shipler got a little silver ore, but never in the amount he dreamed of. About 1914, the mine was abandoned. It was less than 100 yards long. Shipler had developed rheumatism and left the area. His cabins began to crumble back to dust. Other nearby boom towns Gaskill, Teller City, and Dutchtown also became ghost towns. By 1885 the county had turned to ranching. Settlers cannibalized the surviving buildings for building elsewhere. Only the rock foundations and fireplaces of the old buildings still remain. Some Some rusting mining equipment lays around. And the Stewart Toll Road still bears wagon ruts in places.
Last updated: 5/15/98