Ouray, Colorado
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| Ouray, Colorado | |
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| Motto: Switzerland of America | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| County | Ouray County |
| Incorporated | 2 October 1876 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Pam Larson |
| Area | |
| - Town | 2.1 km² (0.8 sq mi) |
| - Land | 2.1 km² (0.8 sq mi) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Town | 813 |
| Website: www.ci.ouray.co.us | |
Ouray is the county seat in Ouray County, Colorado, USA. The population was 813 at the 2000 censusGR6.
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[edit] Geography
Ouray is located at (38.023217, −107.672178)GR1.
Ouray is located in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. It is about 40 miles south of Montrose. It is only 10 miles northeast of Telluride, but due to the severity of the landscape, the drive is about 50 miles. Ouray is connected to Silverton and then Durango to the south by Red Mountain Pass which crests at just over 11,000 feet. The scenic drive along the Uncompahgre River and over the pass is nicknamed the Million Dollar Highway, although the exact origin of the name is disputed.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.2 km² (0.8 mi²), all land.
[edit] History
Originally established by miners chasing silver and gold in the surrounding mountains, the town at one time boasted more horses and mules than people. Prospectors arrived in the area in 1875 searching for silver and gold. At the height of the mining, Ouray had more than 30 active mines. Yankee Boy Basin, located a few miles from town, boasts a beautiful spectacle called Twin Falls. Coors and Chevrolet have both used this beautiful location to shoot commercials. The town was incorporated in 2 October 1876, Ouray was named after Chief Ouray of the Utes, a Native American tribe. By 1877 Ouray had grown to over 1,000 in population and was named county seat of the newly formed Ouray County on 8 March 1877.
The Denver & Rio Grande Railway arrived in Ouray on 21 December 1887, it would stay until the automobile and trucks caused a decline in traffic, the last regularly scheduled passenger train was 14 September 1930. The line between Ouray and Ridgway was abandoned on 21 March 1953.
The entire town is registered as a National Historic District with most of the building dating back to the late 1800s. The Beaumont Hotel, Ouray City Hall, Ouray County Courthouse, St. Elmo Hotel, St. Joseph's Miners' Hospital (currently housing the Ouray County Historical Society and Museum), Western Hotel, and Wright's Opera House are all on the National Register of Historic Places.
In the fall of 1968 the film True Grit was filmed in Ouray County, including some scenes in the town of Ouray, most notably the Ouray County Court House.
In Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged, the protagonist's secret headquarters were in a beautiful valley in the Rocky Mountains called "Galt's Gulch". Galt's Gulch was inspired by Ouray, where Rand found inspiration to complete the novel, though she greatly expanded the small valley to include her many ideas for the story. Ouray still celebrates her novel every year.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 813 people, 374 households, and 225 families residing in the city. The population density was 373.7/km² (965.3/mi²). There were 583 housing units at an average density of 268.0/km² (692.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.54% White, 0.37% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.40% of the population.
There were 374 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 103.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,094, and the median income for a family was $45,313. Males had a median income of $35,217 versus $27,083 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,127. About 9.3% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Industry
The entire present-day economy of Ouray is based on tourism. Ouray bills itself as the "Switzerland of America" because of its setting at the narrow head of a valley, enclosed on two sides by steep mountains. A visitor can float on the Ouray Hot Springs swimming pool (open all year) and gaze at the slopes above, drive or tour over a 4wd road to Telluride or to Yankee Boy Basin with its wildflower display, visit Box Canyon Falls (similar to a European klamm, unusual in America), or just drive the highway up the gorge toward Durango. The main street is lined with trendy shops. Probably because of repeat visitors and no local ski area, it has remarkably little kitsch compared to many tourist towns.
Like most towns in the Colorado mountains, Ouray was originally a mining town. However the evidence does not dominate the town. The largest and most famous mine is the Camp Bird Mine, the second largest gold mine in Colorado and still in operation. It can be seen on the steep 2wd road leading to the 4wd roads to Yankee Boy Basin and Imogene Pass.
In the summer, much of the tourism is focused on hiking and four wheel drive (4WD) expeditions into the San Juan Mountains. 4WD vehicles, often called 'jeeps' regardless of make, can be rented from a number of outfitters downtown. Popular destinations include Yankee Boy Basin, Engineer Mountain, and Black Bear Road. The latter, connecting Ouray to nearby Telluride, is all but impassable. Recording artist (and two-term mayor) C.W. McCall helped make the road famous in the area. His song 'Black Bear Road' borrowed the phrase 'You don't have to be crazy to drive this road, but it helps' from a sign once posted on nearby Engineer Mountain Road.
Ouray has recently become renowned among climbers and mountaineers as host to the world's first artificial ice climbing park. Expanding on a few popular natural falls, the park consists of dozens of frozen waterfalls from 80 to 200 feet high farmed along more than a mile of Box Canyon. The water is supplied by a sprinkler system developed and maintained by a volunteer organization and supported by donations from local businesses, gear manufacturers and climbers. The Ouray Ice Park is free and attracts climbers from around the world. The annual Ice Festival is a weekend-long extravaganza of contests, exhibitions and instruction with many of the world's top ice climbers. Ice climbing has been a boon to the local economy as well, with hotels and restaurants that previously closed through the winter months now staying open to accommodate climbers.
[edit] External links
- Official City of Ouray website
- History of Ouray @ the City site (nice photos!)
- Ouray photos and information at Western Mining History
- OurayLovers.com - Ouray Photos, Upcoming Events and Forum
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
| The Million Dollar Highway (Route 550) |
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| Passes: Coal Bank Pass | Molas Pass | Red Mountain Pass Towns: Durango | Silverton | Ouray |
