Silver Cliff, Colorado

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Town of Silver Cliff, Colorado
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settlement_type = Town
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map_caption = Location in Custer County and the state of Colorado


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = USA
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = flag|Colorado
subdivision_type2 = Countycite web | url = http://www.dola.state.co.us/dlg/local_governments/municipalities.html | title = Active Colorado Municipalities | format = HTML | publisher = State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs | accessdate = 2007-09-01]
subdivision_name2 = Custer County
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government_type = Statutory Town
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established_title2 = Incorporated
established_date2 = February 10, 1879cite web | url = http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html | title = Colorado Municipal Incorporations | format = HTML | publisher = State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives | date = 2004-12-01 | accessdate = 2007-09-02]
established_title3 =
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unit_pref = Imperial
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area_total_km2 = 40.5
area_land_km2 = 40.5
area_water_km2 = 0
area_total_sq_mi = 15.6
area_land_sq_mi = 15.6
area_water_sq_mi = 0
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population_as_of = 2000
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population_total = 512
population_density_km2 = 12.6
population_density_sq_mi = 32.8
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timezone = Mountain (MST)
utc_offset = -7
timezone_DST = MDT
utc_offset_DST = -6
latd = 38 |latm = 8 |lats = 11 |latNS = N
longd = 105 |longm = 26 |longs = 22 |longEW = W
elevation_footnotes = GR|3
elevation_m = 2434
elevation_ft = 7986
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 81252
area_code = 719
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 08-70250
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = [http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:0192157 0192157]
website = [http://silvercliffco.com/ Town of Silver Cliff]
footnotes =

Silver Cliff is a Statutory Town that is the most populous town in Custer County, Colorado, United States. The population was 512 at the 2000 census.

History

Silver Cliff was formed in the 1880s to house the miners of its namesake, the Silver Cliff mine, and other silver mines in the neighborhood, such as the Bull-Domingo. The town was, for a few years in the early 1880s, the third most populous town in Colorado, after Denver and Leadville.

Silver Cliff was the county seat from 1886 (when the town won the seat from Rosita) to 1928 (when the seat moved to nearby Westcliffe).

The Silver Cliff mine, also known as the Geyser mine, is on the hill immediately south of the town. Although a large operation that employed many residents of Silver Cliff, the mine was the unfortunate object of eastern stock manipulators. Shares in the Silver Cliff mine were promoted in 1879 by James R. Keene, a famous New York stock operator. The company went bankrupt within a few years, and was sold to the Julianna Mining Company, which was run by an even more unscrupulous stock promoter, Dr. Richard C. Flower of Boston. The Julianna company went bankrupt in 1888. The shareholders rescued the company, and renamed it the Geyser Mining Company. Although Flower withdrew from the management, the Geyser Mining Company continued to be run by some of Flower’s cronies, so it should not be a surprise that the mine never made a profit. At one time the Geyser mine was the deepest mine in Colorado. [Dan Plazak (2006) "A Hole in the Ground with a Liar at the Top" ISBN 978-0-87480-840-7]

Geography

Silver Cliff is located at coor dms|38|8|11|N|105|26|22|W|city (38.136432, -105.439492)GR|1. The town of Westcliffe is immediately adjacent to its west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.6 square miles (40.5 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 512 people, 217 households, and 141 families residing in the town. The population density was 32.8 people per square mile (12.7/km²). There were 284 housing units at an average density of 18.2/sq mi (7.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.51% White, 0.20% African American, 2.73% Native American, 0.59% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.95% of the population.USCensusPop
1880=5040
1890=546
1900=576
1910=250
1920=241
1930=201
1940=309
1950=217
1960=153
1970=126
1980=280There were 217 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the town the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,000, and the median income for a family was $32,917. Males had a median income of $26,389 versus $17,109 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,899. About 16.7% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.

The Ghost Lights of Silver Cliff

The Silver Cliff cemetery was established in the late 1800's and is located outside the town of Silver Cliff. There are numerous local reports of ghost lights appearing around the cemetery at night. The lights, which according to reports look like blue lantern lights or white spheres, float through the cemetery and bounce on the headstones. The lights have been investigated and no cause for the lights has yet to be established.

References

External links

* [http://silvercliffco.com/ Town of Silver Cliff website]
** [http://silvercliffco.com/silvercliffcemetery.htm
*** [http://www.dot.state.co.us/App_DTD_DataAccess/Downloads/CityMaps/Silver%20Cliff.pdf CDOT map of the Town of Silver Cliff]