The only public transportation before 1869 was the Stagecoach, and most areas were served by the interconnecting stage lines. Naturally they were an obvious and tempting target for outlaws, especially those who were just breaking into the bandito business. In 1869, when the transcontinental railroad was completed, the stagecoach was the only form of public transportation available. The stagecoach system remained the best way to travel most of the remote areas in the Rocky Mountain west into the early 1900’s. The best travel money could buy until 1869! Since many of the local mining companies transported their payrolls by stagecoach, … Continue reading →

Many Confederate soldiers formed into militia groups during the War for Southern Independence in Colorado. They included the Fairplay Unit, Leadville Unit, Denver Unit, and Mace’s Hole. Col John Heffiner was the highest ranking Confederate to operate in the state. He and his officers were forming a regiment at Mace’s Hole in 1862. They were attacked and driven out of the territory by Union forces from Ft. Garland. Southern sympathizers, the Reynolds Gang operated in South Park in 1864. In July of that year, Jim Reynolds and eight Confederate “soldiers” launched, what would become, the only invasion of the South … Continue reading →