Local Businesses in Aspen, CO - Names and Numbers

Aspen, Colorado Facts:

County: Pitkin

Coverage Area (Total): 3.5 sq. miles

Elevation: 7,660 - 8,460 ft.

Population: 6,642

Cities/Towns covered in local Names and Numbers Phone Book: Aspen, Basalt, Battlement Mesa, Carbondale, El Jebel, Glenwood Springs, Marble, Meredith, Missouri Heights, New Castle, Old Snowmass, Parachute, Redstone, Rifle, Silt, Snowmass, Snowmass Village, Woody Creek

Aspen History

Aspen was founded in 1879 as a mining camp during the Colorado silver boom. The community prospered as a result of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890, which doubled the government's purchase of silver. Aspen soon surpassed Leadville as the most productive silver-mining area in the United States, but economic collapse came when the Sherman Silver Purchase Act was repealed during the Panic of 1893.

After production and population declines continued into the 1930s, Aspen focused its development on becoming a ski resort destination with its excellent snowfall. After plans were interrupted by World War II, industrialist Walter Paepcke redeveloped many local properties to help transform the town into a popular resort destination. The Aspen Skiing Corporation was founded in 1946 and the town became internationally known. The area would continue to grow with the development of three additional ski areas: Buttermilk (1958), Aspen Highlands (1958), and Snowmass (1969).