Hungarian Milling & Elevator Co. letterhead

Colorado Milling and Elevator Company

Colorado has a rich history in mining, but Colorado's other major industry is largely overlooked: Agriculture!

This wonderfully vignetted certificate is issued to and signed by John K. Mullen.

John K. Mullen, born in Ireland in 1846, came to Denver in 1871 after working at various flour and grain mills in the east. He was manager of the Shackelton & Davis flour mill at 8th St. and Curtis, and opened his own mill 4 years later. In 1880 he built the Hungarian Elevator, the first grain elevator in Colorado, at 8th St. and Wazee. In conjunction with this he opened the Hungarian Flour Mills, a Denver institution for generations. It was one of the largest such operations in the West. Mullens also became a philanthropist, donating to the Denver Public Library, the Mullen Home for Boys, and numerous other charities. He was made a Knight of the Order of Malta by Pope Pius, and was knighted in 1921 by Pope Benedict XV.  Mullen died in 1929.

This is a fabulous certificate from another short-lived Colorado industry....the automobile!  These cars were built in Longmont, Colorado.

Warrior's Mark Mining Company

An outstanding certificate from Breckenridge!  Stated on certificate: "Mines near & Principal Office at Breckenridge Colorado".   Colorado pioneer Father John Lewis Dyer located this rich silver mine in 1879 at an elevation of 11,095 feet near Dyersville.  By 1883, the mine had a gross production of $100,000.  The mine was operated until 1900 and then reopened in 1920 producing another $96,000 in silver.

This is a beautiful certificate named after and depicting the official Colorado State flower; The Columbine.  This company was owned by the Woods Brothers of Cripple Creek with properties near Requa Gulch and on Squaw Mountain.   The Woods were very adept at promoting their mining properties and owned or controlled a great deal of property in the Cripple Creek District, including the town of Victor and much of it around the town.  This company was eventually brought under the control of The Columbine-Victor Deep Mining & Tunnel Co.

Only two of this certificate are known to exist. 

La Plata Mountain Mining & Milling Company

Located in the La Plata Mining District, San Juan's.  A small district located in the La Plata Mountains just west of Durango. 

This company's properties were located in the Sangre de Cristo mountains near  the town of Rito Alto. There are several variations on the spelling of this district, lending to much confusion when researching its history!  Very little is ever seen from the mining camps of this mountain range.   This is a fine & rare example!

Company operated mines in Cloverdale Basin west of Hillside, Colorado -  Sangre de Cristo Range.  This is the only certificate known to exist for this company.  This basin is still mined today!