By Steve Plutt

In celebration of Colorado’s 150th birthday and the United States’ 250th, local historian Steve Plutt and the Ute Pass Historical Society have written a series of stories to bring the area’s colorful history to life.

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A few years after Bob Womack’s gold discovery, friction and high tensions developed between wealthy mine owners who lived in Colorado Springs and the working class that lived in the Cripple Creek-Victor District. The locals were angry that tax revenue from the mines went straight to Colorado Springs; what developed from this was a coalition for change.

District miners and mine owners who actually lived in the CC-V area united with local business owners and residents, and pressed to break away from El Paso County and form a new county. Throughout the area, everyone was for secession except for the town of Woodland Park, who wanted to stay in El Paso County.

By 1898, the Cripple Creek District’s gold production was booming, bringing in enough revenue to allow it to have its own municipal government, allowing the secession movement to succeed. That triumph culminated in the formation of Teller County on March 23, 1899.

Once the new county was established, it wasn’t long before they understood that a modern, much larger courthouse was an absolute necessity. But until that day, Teller would have to lease office space in various buildings in town.

It was a full five years later, in January 1904, that well-known Colorado Springs architect August J. Smith submitted his new drawings for the building. It was to have two stories and also a basement.  Smith was already famous for the many designs of grandiose buildings in Colorado Springs, including the El Paso County courthouse.

These plans called for a simple design, but one impressive in appearance. Its basement walls would be of granite, while the first and second stories would be a Flemish bond brick work.

The width was planned for 90 feet on Bennett Avenue and along First Street, 124 feet in depth. The basement would contain the justice court and a few offices along with the clerk. On the first level was planned the county officers and their clerks.  The second story was planned for the courts and judges chambers.

The contractor for building the “new” courthouse was a man by the name of James E. Devy. Devy was the general contractor for the Victor Opera House, the Rio Grande sampler at Victor, and a multitude of other projects in the district.

The heating system for this building was produced by steam and was installed by N.W. Hass plumbing of Colorado Springs at a cost of $4,730. The Central Electric Co., also of Colorado Springs, installed a 700-horsepower lighting plant inside the new building, which provided all electricity needs.

The cornerstone for the building was set in place on Sept. 23, 1905, without any official ceremony. On Dec. 30, 1905, contractor James Devy laid the very last brick for the building, but it would still be at least 90 days before it was ready for occupancy as the interior wasn’t entirely ready yet. The estimated cost of $50,000 was expected to be perhaps as much as $70,000.

In the meantime, it was decided that the Union Civil War Veterans of Teller County would dedicate the new building on July 4, 1905. The festivities that day were unmatched by any other in Cripple Creek at any time. Newspaper accounts said the town really outdid itself. Excursions from every direction came into the town that morning and at 10:30, the big parade took off, taking over 20 minutes to get past a given point. Cripple Creek Mayor Thomas Connor sat upon a big elephant and rode it through the entire parade route, followed by Chief of Police John Sharp on a camel!

Numerous bands and drum corps marched along with the hook and ladder wagon that was decorated and trimmed with bunting and flags. A little girl was dressed as “Lady Liberty” and was accompanied by two soldiers. After the parade, the large crowd went to the new courthouse for its dedication. Speeches were made by several different people, including Mayor of Woodland Park Moses Baldwin. Baseball games made up the afternoon celebration.

The county offices, which were previously scattered across four different buildings in the city, were consolidated into a single large building that was expected to stand the test of time and remain a prominent fixture for generations to come.  

On the day of that dedication, a little legal business was conducted and it was announced that the first cases in this building would be civil and criminal cases beginning on July 11, 1905 by Judge Thomas.

In writing this story, I can’t help but remember the very first time I was ever in this courthouse. It was when I turned 18; I had to register for the draft with Mrs. Grace Godfrey.