Personal History Timelines-

Adventures in Victorian Architecture: Personal History Tiimelines

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Personal History Timelines

Before you can understand Aspen's Victorian architecture, you need to understand a little bit about Aspen’s history in relation to yourself.

1. Look at the two timelines below and note the different scale of years.

2. Aspen’s architecture is over 100 years old. Note the following dates on the timeline below.

a. Queen Victoria’s reign began and ended in England
b. First prospectors arrived in Aspen:
c. Silver boom in Aspen
d. Silver crash
e. The Quiet Years
f. The Great Depression
g. Aspen Skiing Corporation was founded

3. Find out when your parents’, grandparents’, and great-grandparents’ birthdays were and add them to the timeline. Note in what eras your grandparents were alive.

4. Think of as many events that are important to you as possible. Include your birth date, when you have moved, when you started school, etc., and add them to the timeline

5. Note how long ago the Victorian Era was. This was when Aspen was booming, and many of the Victorian houses we find there were originally built during this time.

General Historical Timeline
1837—	Queen Victoria's reign begins in England


1850—


1855—


1860—


1865—


1870—


1875—


1880—	First prospectors come to Aspen to look for silver


1885—


1890—	The Silver Boom is in full swing in Aspen

	The Silver Boom ends with the repeal of the Sherman Sliver Purchase Act in 1893
1895—
	The "Quiet Years" begin. Aspen survives as a rural county seat and ranching center for the next 50 years.

1900—

	Queen Victoria dies, and her reign ends in 1901
1905—


1910—


1915—	World War I begins, and the Victorian Period ends


1920—


1925—


1930—	The Great Depression begins


1935—


1940—	World War II begins


1945—

	The Aspen Skiing Corp. is created
1950—


1955—


1960—


1965—


1970—


1975—


1980—


1985—


1990—


1995—


2000—


2005—

A Brief History of Aspen

Pre-1879—	Ute Indian summer camps are located throughout the Roaring Fork Valley
1879—	First prospectors explore the area for silver and winter over to protect claims on what will become one of the richest silver lodes in history.
1887—	The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad reaches Aspen. The mines can now ship ore to market economically. The Midland arrives one year later.
1890—	Sherman Silver Act is passed, assuring a continuing market for silver. Population of Aspen reaches 8,000.
1891—	Silver ore production exceeds that of Leadville. Aspen is the largest silver producing district in the nation with 1/6th of the Us total and 1/16th of the world total.
1893—	Aspen reaches a peak population of 10 to 16,000. Congress repeals the Sherman Silver Act, demonetizing silver. Aspen begins a long downward slide.
1917—	Mining continues on a limited basis as the town becomes a supply center for local farmers and ranchers. Potatoes become the cash crop in the valley.
1936—	Andre Roch performs a survey of Aspen/Ashcroft for Ted Ryan, Billy Fiske, and Tom Flynn who then build the Highlands Bavarian Lodge on Castle Creek.
1941—	Aspen’s first national downhill and slalom championships are held.
War Years	The 10th Mountain Division uses the Aspen area for training exercises.
1945—	Industrialist Walter Paepcke visits Aspen and begins plans for a new cultural center with his wife Elizabeth. He and Friedl Pfeifer plan for Aspen’s first ski lift.
1946—	Aspen Skiing company is formed, and Lift One unofficially opens. It is dedicated the world’s longest lift the following year.
1949—	Goethe Bicentennial Celebration gives birth to summer cultural institutions including the Aspen Music Festival and School, Aspen Institute, and International Design Conference.
1950—	Aspen hosts the FIS World Championships. World class skiers now recognize Aspen’s skiing potential.
1958—	Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands open.
1967—	Snowmass Ski Area opens.
1978—	ACES is established at Hallam Lake by Elizabeth Paepcke.
1979—	Aspen Art Museum opens in the restored hydroelectric plant.

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^ Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their family
Credit: www.victorianstation.com

^ Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assinated in 1914 in Sarajevo, triggering the First World War.
Credit: www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk

^ Berliners cheer a regiment of Lancers headed for the Front in August of 1914.
Credit: www.eyewitnesstohistory.com

^ In the fall of 1939, Germany invaded Poland and World War II began in Europe,
Credit: www.ushmm.org

^ The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 and the US entered World War II.
Credit: www.history.navy.mil

^ The Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953.
Credit: mcel.pacificu.edu

^ America was involved in war in Vietnam between 1961 and 1975
Credit: www.vietnampix.com

^ The Berlin Wall fell in 1989.
Credit: www.remote.org

^ The second Gulf War began in March of 2003
Credit: www.time.com

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