The next stop was Silverton to visit the San Juan County Historical Society Museum and Mining Heritage Center.  During the 1999 MHA conference, the town was a lunch stop before the tour proceeded to the Mayflower Mill, tramways, and other mining sites north of Silverton. The current Mining Heritage Center was developed in 2005 and enlarged in 2013.

CLICK ON the video for a panorama of Silverton from the Christ of the Mines Shrine.

The historic American Legion Hall is on the main street, Greene Street. On the hillside to the right of the hall, the Christ of the Mines Shrine can be seen.

 The Christ of the Mines Shrine was dedicated in 1958.  The mining industry was in a recession at the time and the community was hoping for a turnaround.  In 1978, the Sunnyside Mine, north of Silverton, was flooded when workings broke into the bottom of Lake Emma. A plaque at the shrine expresses gratitude that the flood occurred when the mine was closed and no lives were lost.

The exterior of the one-time bordello, now a hotel, was a stop on the 1999 MHA tour.  Tall tales were presented by local historians.

Many historic buildings remain along Greene Street from the mining boom days.

 The mule trains that once carried mining supplies have been replaced by FedEx trucks and other delivery services.

The 1908 City Hall is across Greene Street from the San Juan County Court House.

The County Jail, ca1903, was considered state-of-the-art until the late 1920s when population decline caused its closure.  The San Juan County Historical Society Museum occupied the top two floors in 1965.

 (Above) The Caledonia Mine Boarding House building was located in Minnie Gulch, north of Silverton.  In 2005 it was disassembled, moved to the museum property, and reassembled to become the Mining Heritage Center. An addition to the center was built in 2013. (Photo courtesy 4x4Explore.com)