At High Tide

Abstract

Silvertonians could well be tempted to number the years of their town’s existence from the coming of the railroad in 1882. They expected 1883 to become a banner year. The La Plata Miner boasted in its December 30, 1882 issue that in the coming spring there would be in operation two smelters, two sampling works for crushing and sampling ore, and two concentrators. Half a year later it proudly listed as evidence of the town’s success the existence of two hardware houses, 7 general stores, 2 clothing and gent’s furnishing goods, 2 furniture stores, 2 harness shops, 2 boot and shoe shops, 2 flour and feed dealers, 4 millinery and ladies’ furnishing goods, 4 meat markets, 3 drug stores, and 3 jewelry stores…. In addition there are five hotels, 10 restaurants, 34 saloons, 5 blacksmith shops, 8 laundries, 1 auction store, 4 barber shops, 3 bath rooms, 6 tobacco, cigars, fruit and confectionaries; 4 livery stables, 2 bakeries, 1 theater, 3 dance halls, 1 photography gallery, 5 assay offices, 3 newspapers, 1 bank,1 4 doctors, 2 dentists, 3 mining offices, 9 mining engineers, 18 lawyers, and 294 dwellings.