The 'cliffhanger'

This is the first of a three-part series highlighting rare and historic mining properties in the San Juan region that have been preserved through cooperative efforts of various government agencies, historical societies and private citizens, including the State Historical Fund. The Fund was created in 1990 with the passage of a constitutional amendment legalizing gambling in Central City, Black Hawk and Cripple Creek. It is administered by the Colorado Historical Society to foster preservation efforts, one of the most innovative being the Old Hundred Boardinghouse/Tramway near Silverton, which was stabilized in 1999, nearly a century after it closed.

German immigrant Reinhard Neigold dreamed of building a "castle in the clouds." In the late 1800s, Reinhard, along with his brothers, Gustave and Otto, staked claims on the rugged slope of Galena Mountain near Silverton. One of their claims, located in 1898, was named "Old Hundred," after a popular German hymn of the day "Old Hundredth," (referring to the 100th Psalm). Excavation was done on several levels, however, the highest grade of gold ore was found at the highest vein. The Level Seven tunnel was bored into the mountainside at a dizzying elevation of 12,750 feet above sea level and over 2,000 feet above the valley below.

In 1904, workers began the arduous task of constructing a two-story boardinghouse to accommodate the miners and a nearby tramway terminal to transport ore (and miners) back and forth to the valley floor. Mule trains, ladened with building materials, made their way up six miles of treacherous switchbacks to the Level Seven site, where crews literally carved two ledges into solid rock for the building foundations. A narrow boardwalk served as the only connection between the structures. The boardinghouse featured a dining/recreation room, a kitchen and a room for the cook. Miners slept in shifts on 25 bunk-beds upstairs. Surprisingly, the mining operation, which seemed to be suspended in thin air, had a lower death rate than others in the region. Legend has it that the ghosts of deceased miners were responsible for keeping workers out of harm's way by gently calling out their names and luring them away from impending disaster.

Over the years, the structures began to suffer the ravages of time and were in danger of collapsing completely and falling to the bottom of Cunningham Gulch.

In the late 1990s, the San Juan County Historical Society applied for a grant to preserve this unique historic structure. A $5,000 grant was awarded to the society and its partner, the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology, by the State Historical Fund. Other partners in the venture included the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Division of Wildlife, Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway Commission, mining associations and private citizens.

Today, a century after clinging to life on one of the steepest and most remote locations in the San Juans, remnants of the Old Hundred Boardinghouse, Tramway and Mule Barn still hold the public's fascination and utter disbelief.

"The Old Hundred is probably one of the best known (historic mining) boardinghouses in the area and one of the most asked about buildings in Silverton because visitors can see it from town," said Scott Fetchenhier, a 28-year resident of Silverton and author of the book, "Ghosts and Gold."

The Colorado native has had a long time love and appreciation of the Old Hundred mining structure, "It just had to be preserved."

Fetchenhier has hiked the steep, narrow trail to the boardinghouse many times, a trail that takes hikers above the actual structure and challenges them to "side-step" down.

"If you miss a step, you'll roll all the way down Cunningham Gulch (2,000 foot drop) to the bottom," he said.

He recalled that in the 1970s many of the dining room tables were still intact, and upstairs, there were remains of about two dozen bunks, but when the roof collapsed some years later, much of the original wooden furniture was lost. Now, thanks to the combined efforts of many people and the skills of a daring helicopter pilot and contractors, both the boardinghouse and tramway terminal have new roofs, and the buildings have been re-secured to the sheer rock cliffs. The Old Hundred Boardinghouse and accompanying structures are also listed on the State Register of Historic Properties.

Although Reinhard Neigold's dream of building a castle in the clouds didn't materialize quite as he imagined, and the mining operation didn't prove as profitable as the brothers had hoped, the mining legacy left by the Neigolds is still visible today high in the cloud-covered peaks above Silverton.