Back in Time | Aspen

“Aspen Booms in 1889 style,” announced the Aspen Daily Times on May 2, 1946. 

“Yes, Aspen was busy building houses, barns, business buildings, etc., even installing a street railway. Aspen was one of the first cities to install the new and modern arc lights on street corners and for domestic lighting. What a city! A jewel of a mining camp set high in the Rockies. Nothing was too good for a city that was busy digging millions in rich silver ore from Aspen and Smuggler Mountains. Then came 1893. Many call it the Crime of 1893 when silver lost its value as a basic money metal and took its place on the auction block along with the base. For 50 years, she has been decaying and falling down. Once a city where the finest opera companies stopped over when going from Denver to Salt Lake City, the 1940 census listed only 777 souls who could call Aspen home. But have you heard the pounding of hammers, the rasping of saws, and the slap of paint brushes? Mr. Walter P. Paepcke, through the Aspen Company, is leading the way in helping to restore and repair what is left of the once proud little city. Besides hiring a small army of workers, Mr. Paepcke has persuaded Mr. Herbert Bayer (pronounced Byer), an artist and designer of international fame, to come to Aspen to supervise the decoration of company property. Mr. Bayer will be in charge of all color schemes used in the Hotel Jerome, Aspen Block, and the several guest houses operated in connection with the hotel.” 

The image above shows Aspen from Roch Run on Aspen Mountain, 1946. (Aspen Historical Society Collection)

“Back in Time” is contributed by the Aspen Historical Society and features excerpted articles and images from past Snowmass Sun/Aspen Times issues. We can’t rewrite history, but we can learn from it! Visit archiveaspen.org to view the vast Aspen Times photographic collection in the AHS Archives.

Aspen Historical Society actively preserves and passionately presents local history in an inspired and provocative manner that will continue to anchor the local community and its evolving character. For more, visit aspenhistory.org.