Summit Historical Society

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Summit Historical Society

The Summit Historc Park Tour which includes the Old Dillon Schoolhouse, Honeymoon and Myers historic cabins is open 11-1 Tuesday-Thursday.
(1)

June 17-Aug 28

For other times, you can make an appointment. Call 970-468-2207 to schedule your visit. We provide tours of historic buildings, maintain collections of artifacts, photographs, and documents, and conduct public education programs. Whether your interests lie in our gold rush days, skiing history, or our Native American heritage, come visit us at the Summit Historical Society.

09/02/2026

Pre Colorado Statehood: Early Schools

In Summit County’s early days, most miners were single men or had left their families behind. As towns grew, more families arrived—and parents were responsible for their children’s education.
Mothers often taught reading and writing using whatever books were available, including the family Bible. Children also learned the skills needed for daily life: boys often learned mining, lumbering, farming, and ranching, while girls were taught domestic skills.
As communities grew and more children lived nearby, organized public education—and Summit County’s one-room schoolhouses—began to take shape.

Read more at: summithistorical.org/colorado-150/september/

Research compiled by Summit Historical Society Colorado 150 Committee.

Photo Credit: Private Collection

09/01/2026

Todd Kirkendall, principal at Frisco Elementary School inspires students to learn, grow, explore, and innovate. Under his leadership, the school emphasizes STEM, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, using hands-on learning and design thinking to encourage curiosity and problem-solving.

Thank you, Todd, for helping our students build the skills and confidence they need for the future!

Summit Historical Society is proud to offer historical education to all students of Summit County.

Photo Courtesy: Adelaida Galarza

08/30/2026

September Theme: The Evolution of Summit County

In August, we highlighted the evolution of people, economy, technology and the environment of Summit County with the focus on recreation, government, brewing and distilling, and schools.
The richness of Summit County's history is so great that we return to this topic in September. We revisit schools, and this month offer stories about mining, transportation, lifestyle, and incorporation of towns.

Photo, Masonic Ceremony of laying cornerstone for Summit County Courthouse in Breckenridge, 1909. Credit: Summit Historical Society Collection

08/29/2026

Lifetime Colorado resident, Dr. Millie Hamner has made a lasting impact on Summit County and Colorado. A former Superintendent of the Summit School District, she later served four terms in the Colorado House of Representatives, championing education through landmark legislation like the Colorado READ Act and school finance reform. Today, she continues shaping education policy as Senior Policy Director at the Keystone Policy Center..

Read more at: summithistorical.org/colorado-150/august/

Research compiled by Summit Historical Society Colorado 150 Committee.

Photo Credit Millie Hamner

08/28/2026

Breckenridge’s first school was a one room log cabin, followed by a two story building featuring elaborate gingerbread woodwork. In 1909, the town opened a larger two story brick school, which allowed them to expand education to include the 11th and 12th grades.

Halsey Victoria “Vic” Fosedahl, a Kansas native, who after earning her teaching certificate in 1908, came to Breckenridge to teach English literature and poetry to seniors at the new school.

Read more at: summithistorical.org/colorado-150/august/

Research compiled by Summit Historical Society Colorado 150 Committee.

Photo. The 1909 Brick Schoolhouse
Credit: KUNC

08/27/2026

Built in 1883 for the children of Dillon's first families, the one-room Dillon Schoolhouse was made possible in part by the railroad, which had already arrived in town and brought modern building materials , including casement windows and pressed tin ceiling , to this remote mountain community. The schoolhouse served the growing mining community until 1910, when a larger school was constructed. The building then served as a church until the construction of Dillon Dam forced its relocation. It was the Ladies of Dillon who were the driving force in preserving the building and guiding its move when the historic town was cleared to ensure water purity for the new Lake Dillon. The schoolhouse became a museum in 1972, and today its classroom looks much as it did in 1892, complete with McGuffey desks, slate chalkboards, and an 1885 piano. In 2025, it was added to the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties.

Research compiled by Summit Historical Society Colorado 150 Committee.

Photo: Courtesy Summit Historical Society

08/26/2026

Before statehood, the Colorado Territorial government passed the Territorial School Law of 1861. The law provided the framework for a county superintendent, teacher certification, and school inspections. A community needed at least ten school-aged children (ages 6-21) to petition the superintendent to hold an election. If the electorate voted “for”, a legally recognized and tax-supported school district was born. The challenge for mountain mining camps was great. Weather and remote locations were obstacles, but the greatest obstacle was that there were not enough children in many of the locales. Some historians believe that the first school in Summit County was in Lincoln City in 1862. The first schoolhouse in Breckenridge was on Main Street in 1871. Just before statehood, the residents of Montezuma and Saints John constructed the “Halfway School” built between the two mining camps. When Colorado became a state in 1876, the elements of the School Law were almost entirely maintained in the Colorado Constitution.

Read more at: summithistorical.org/colorado-150/august/

Research compiled by Summit Historical Society Colorado 150 Committee.

Photo 1884 Montezuma schoolhouse between 1889 and 1891.
Credit: Summit Historical Society Collection

08/22/2026

Summit County’s pure mountain water has fueled a brewing tradition for more than 150 years, from the breweries on Brewery Hill in Parkville during the 1860s to today’s nationally recognized craft breweries and distilleries.
Today, visitors can sample a wide variety of locally crafted beers and spirits at Angry James Brewery, Breckenridge Brewery, Breckenridge Distillery, Broken Compass Brewing, Dillon Dam Brewery, Highside Brewery, Outer Range Brewery, Syndicate Brewing Company, and Steep Brewing & Coffee Company. From award-winning whiskey at the world’s highest distillery to innovative craft ales, mountain-inspired lagers, and community gathering places, these local businesses showcase the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that continue to define Summit County’s beverage scene.

Read more at: summithistorical.org/colorado-150/august/

Research compiled by Summit Historical Society Colorado 150 Committee.

08/21/2026

The Legend of Chic Weatherby: As told by Alan Rice to Bruce Queen

During the early days of the 20th century, Summit County experienced an economic decline caused by a drop in the price of silver and difficulties with railroad transportation which pressured ranchers trying to move cattle, hay and produce to market. With Prohibition starting in Colorado in 1916, three years before the U.S., some enterprising individuals turned to moonshining to make ends meet. Chic Weatherby was one. Chic would regularly travel from his remote cabin into Dillon carrying backpacks filled with bottles of what the locals called White Mule - a moonshine named for its color and kick. Chic would hangout in local bordellos for a few days, then make his way back to his cabin with sacks of empty bottles and a 100 pound bag of corn. For moonshine, you need good water, corn, wood, and a hideout. Summit County had everything but the corn.

Read more at: summithistorical.org/colorado-150/august/

Research compiled by Summit Historical Society Colorado 150 Committee.

Photo: Courtesy Frisco Historic Park & Museum

08/20/2026

Flash sale - Join or renew your SHS membership at Dillon Farmers Market on Friday and receive a copy of Summit County Journal from 1971. We preserve 100 years of newspapers and these are duplicates for you to start your own collection. 10-1pm. Limited number, come early.

Address

403 LaBonte
Dillon, CO
80435

Telephone

(970) 468-2207

Website

http://www.summithistorical.org/

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