The history of "Ouray -- Gem of the Rockies" is a fascinating tale of the typical boom and bust cycles of all of Colorado's major mining towns. Silver brought the first prospectors, but gold kept Ouray from becoming a ghost town after the Silver Crash of 1893. The town rebounded due to demand for metal prices during World War I and II but it slipped into an economic depression after each war. Although tourism was always important, in the 1970s it became more vital to the economy, and the town has continued to grow and prosper since that time.

The history of "Ouray -- Gem of the Rockies" is a fascinating tale of the typical boom and bust cycles of all of Colorado's major mining towns. Silver brought the first prospectors to the beautiful valley, but gold kept Ouray from becoming a ghost town after the Silver Crash of 1893. The town rebounded due to demand for metal prices during World War I and II but it slipped into an economic depression after each war. Although tourism was always important, in the 1970s it became more vital to the economy, and the town has continued to grow and prosper since that time. The abandoned ghost towns and mining relics that litter the local hillsides can be seen by anyone traveling the jeep trails interlacing the local mountains, which contain some of the most amazing scenery in the world.

A Brief history of Ouray County, Colorado.

Situated in a spectacular basin surrounded by 13,000-foot peaks, the city of Ouray has captured the eye of adventurers from its beginnings, while the glitter of gold and silver brought prospectors to its mountains. The Uncompahgre Utes hunted and soaked in their sacred hot springs for generations, but about one year after Chief Ouray's death, they were removed from their homelands to a reservation in Utah. Mines and mining camps proliferated in the harsh, remote high country, where rugged terrain hampered the transportation of ore and supplies, even after toll roads and railroads lessened isolation. Ouray (pronounced "Yurr-AY") developed into a Victorian community with families, churches, and schools contrasted with rowdy saloons and so-called "fancy ladies." Ouray further embraced tourism after mining waned, and heritage preservation remains an ongoing concern.

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