Boom and Bust Colorado by Thomas J. Noel & William J. Hansen

Author:Thomas J. Noel & William J. Hansen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: TwoDot
Published: 2021-06-08T00:00:00+00:00

Playing somewhat fast and loose with the new law, Black Hawk justified massive new casinos with modern towering structures as akin to the former large mills that dominated the skyline, particularly in the southern area along Clear Creek and Main Street. Contributing historic structures were moved, “accidentally” burned down, expanded with only the facades remaining, or openly demolished to make way for Las Vegas–style hotel-casinos and necessary parking facilities. “Preservation” often consisted of relocating historic structures such as the iconic 1863 “Lace House” to what some describe as a “building zoo” in the newly created hillside Mountain City up the gulch, totally destroying each structure’s historical context.

Some have suggested that more mountainside blasting has taken place in Black Hawk for casino development than ever occurred during Gilpin County’s gold-mining and milling heyday. The September 23, 2019, Denver Post quoted local resident Judy Laratta as saying, “Black Hawk still had dirt roads. There was no parking, and there was a creek that ran along the side of the road. But it’s a booming place now. It’s like a little Las Vegas.”

Black Hawk’s overflowing profits make up over three-quarters of Colorado’s overall gaming revenue, and the slot machines in its thirteen casinos earn twice as much as those in either Central City or Cripple Creek.

When legalized gambling came to Cripple Creek in the 1990s, the town’s more distant, slow, two-lane mountain road connection to Denver and Colorado Springs population centers led to slower rebirth and preservation. Burros, long-gone fixtures in other mining towns, still wander the streets as unofficial garbage collectors. Bennett Avenue’s main street business district remained relatively intact. The Imperial Hotel with its Gold Bar Theater survives, as does the historic Butte Theater. The Teller County Hospital became the Hospitality House, and the old high school was reborn as the upscale Carr Manor. Such overnight accommodations enabled Cripple Creek, as of 2020, to support twelve casinos, with additional hotel space being constructed by the larger casinos. Cripple Creek still garners just under 20 percent of Colorado’s gambling market.

As of 2019, gambling’s annual revenues had continued to climb and totaled $840 million, not including the tribal casinos. Almost $17 billion in revenue had been generated along with $2.5 billion in taxes since gambling was legalized. Thanks to gambling, Colorado has the largest state grant program for historic preservation in the country. The State Historical Fund (SHF), an arm of History Colorado, as the State Historical Society has been renamed, has spent more than $300 million on about 1,500 different projects in all sixty-four counties. Although Black Hawk turned into a preservation-ists’ nightmare, Central City and Cripple Creek remain fairly intact. The rest of Colorado came out a big winner thanks to the preservation funding generated in the three towns.

To be eligible for SHF grants, properties must be listed on the national, state, or local register of historic places. Colorado has more than 1,500 sites and historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places. Many cities, towns, and counties also have their own locally designated landmarks and districts.

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