History
As most mountain towns in Colorado, Vail and Beaver Creek have a rich
history of gold and silver mining dating back in the late 19th
century. Vail at that time was known as Gore Creek Valley and
Beaver Creek was known as the Eagle River Valley.
Originally inhabited by Ute Native Americans, the Eagle River Valley
was a summer hunting and fishing haven for the Indians. By 1874,
the first settlers arrived to the valley. Fortune hunters and
settlers scoured the state, striking lead carbonate ore in
Leadville. Ranchers and farmers produced cattle, sheep, potatoes,
peas, lettuce and cream. Gore Creek Valley and Eagle River Valley
remained settled by rugged ranchers and farmers who lived off the land
until the early 1950s.
Then, in 1957, World War II veteran Pete Seibert, along with Earl
Eaton, a local rancher and ski enthusiast who helped build Colorado's
Camp Hale for wartime ski troopers, hiked up from that valley to the
top of what is now Vail Mountain. They recognized a unique
opportunity to create a very special place, and thus, Vail was
born. The resort opened for skiing on December 15, 1962, and the
first lift tickets were sold for $5 each.
By 1969, Vail was the most popular resort in Colorado and by 1970, Vail
was becoming the best mountain to ski in United States. The
history of Vail and the development of this unique community have made
it one of the world's premier mountain resorts.
The vision of a ski resort in the Beaver Creek and McCoy Creek areas
came about in 1956, when Earl Eaton and John Burke discussed future
possibilities. Vail at this time, was about five years from its
grand opening, so Beaver Creek ski resort would have to wait for nearly
two decades before the founder of Vail, Pete Siebert, began looking
carefully at the 2,200 acre mix of rolling slopes, gentle meadows and
incredible steep drops, only eight miles west of Vail.
With Siebert's vision, beautiful Beaver Creek Resort was born and was
immediately slated to begin hosting the alpine events for the 1976
Winter Olympics. Although the Winter Olympics did not come to
Denver, Beaver Creek Mountain continued to grow and opened December 15,
1980. Beaver Creek has blossomed into a world-class ski resort
featuring a pedestrian village set against a rugged Rocky Mountain
backdrop.
5FOther pages you might find helpful:
History of Eagle County
A complete history on Eagle County, Colorado.
History of Vail
A complete history of the Town of Vail, Colorado.
