By Jennifer Eblin
The town of Twin Lakes, Colorado, gets its name from the two natural lakes nearby. The history of the town dates back to 1860 and is closely connected to that of its neighbor, Leadville. The town itself grew up around the thriving mining industry.
Early History
Abe Lee discovered gold in the California Gulch near Twin Lakes in 1860. By 1877, settlers from all across the country were arriving, in hopes of finding gold and silver.
The Inter-Laken Hotel
The Inter-Laken Hotel was built on the lake at Mt. Elbert in 1879. This hotel was a summer resort and became very popular with tourists. It was the first building in the town of Twin Lakes, though the area was known simply as Inter-Laken.
Late 1800s
In the late 1800s, the town was given the name Twin Lakes. It established its own pool hall, saloon, horse barn and other public buildings for tourists and locals.
Twin Lakes Dam
The Twin Lakes Dam was built in the early 1900s and cut off the water supply to the resort. This led to the resort's closing.
The Bureau of Reclamation
In 1979, the Bureau of Reclamation purchased the old buildings relating to the resort as well as other buildings in town. The buildings were moved, a new dam was built and the area was flooded.
About the Author:
Jennifer Eblin has been a full-time freelance writer since 2006. Her work has appeared on several websites, including Tool Box Tales and Zonder. Eblin received a master's degree in historic preservation from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
