IDAHO SPRINGS
 
                                                                                    by Pam North

Idaho Springs, our small-town neighbor to the south, is often the destination for Gilpin County residents to take advantage of its major grocery store and other small businesses for the shopping opportunities our own small county lacks.  There's lots more there beyond being a place to stock up on supplies, yet most Gilpinites have never explored these other opportunities, so consider Idaho Springs for your next day trip.

Getting there is half the fun, especially by way of the Virginia Canyon Road, affectionately known to locals as the "Oh, My God!" Road.  Winding down from the south side of Central City to Idaho Springs, this switchback-special offers commanding views of the surrounding mountains and deep valleys.  Traveled leisurely by automobile instead of by lurching wagon/galloping horse team, the thrill of the trip will be attributed to the scenery rather than rigors of the ride.

If historic monuments intrigue you, exploring Idaho Springs can begin by a brief visit to the Steve Canyon statue at the intersection of Main Street and Colorado Boulevard.  Commissioned by Milt Caniff, creator of the "Steve Canyon" comic strip, it immortalizes his famous cartoon character.  Resting at City Hall , 1711 Miner Street, is Old Number 60, the antique steam locomotive that ran the rails from 1886 to 1950.  The Jackson Monument, at 320 Highway 103, ,arks the site of the first major gold discovery in Colorado, made by George Jackson, who found gold at the bank of Chicago Creek in 1859.

The Phoenix Gold Mine, Colorado's only working gold mine, is open to the public for tours, which delve into the history and geology of the 1879 site, and explain the gold panning process.  It is located at 834 County Road 36; call (303) 567-0422
for more information.

The Argo Gold Mine, Mill and Museum (2350 Riverside Drive, (303) 567-2421) also offers tours and gold panning.  This historic gold and silver processing site dates from the late 1800s.  Tours begin at the hand-dug Double Eagle Mine, and terminate at the Clear Creek Mining Museum, where exhibits of old photos, ore samples and mining equipment are featured.

The Underhill Museum, housed in the former office of county assayer James Underhill, is a project of the Historical Society of Idaho Springs.  Located at 1416 Miner Street, it displays old photographs and assaying utensils, and is open seasonally.
(303) 567-4709.  Underhill, a half-brother to the well-known author Frances Parkinson Keyes, came to Idaho Springs in 1897