16.12.2021 (17:12:29)
The Rio Grande Sampler in Victor
Andrew James Harlan
This panoramic view of the Rio Grande Sampler in Victor, by photographer A.J. Harlan, is quite nice to have access to as it tells a little about the lower railroad side of this structure that over the years had different names and owners, from its start as Victor Public Sampler sometime before the railroad came to town. The structures themselves was reported to have been lost in the 1899 Victor Fire so this view here is how it looked after it got rebuilt.
Direction of this view is in a northwesterly direction, Battle Mountain is in background left, with its transition over to Squaw Mountain at the left-hand side. This Sampler was located just below the Midland Terminal yard in Victor and was served by dual gauge tracks as it served as a switchback entry down to the Strong Ore-house for the M.T. as well as one can see on the foreground dual-track it allowed the F. & C.C. access to the Sampler.
At the left-hand side, about middle top/down, partly seen, is the Ore-House of the Mary Cashen Mine that was also served by the tracks at this location.
I did procure the colored version of the image. Source was gray-toned, or in common speech black & white. Used an online service and tweaked and worked with image to get what looks best to my eyes for the moment.
My Collection; From page 104 in the 1903 New Year issue of Cripple Creek Times. I did procure the colored version of this image.

• The Cripple Creek Times; New Years 1903 (page 104) - Published in 1903.

I-02023
Photograph/Image [#468]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#46821.11.2021 (16:26:21)
View North on 3rd Street in Victor, showing Battle Mountain Mines in the Background
Schedin & Lehman
This is a view up North Third Street in Victor, Colorado. I knew of this view as a postcard before I got hold of this photocopy, the postcard I had dated to be from not newer than some days before July 10, 1903, as on that date there was a Trolley Line running up this view on Third Street and here there are no visible sign of any Trolley tracks. But, this is after then 1899 Fire that took out much of Victor.
* About 1/3 up from bottom and 1/3 in from left-hand side, there is a text on the roof of a sampler known now as 'Rio Grande Sampler' but I've also seen it in earlier days known as the 'Victor Public Sampler', located between the Midland Terminal and the Florence & Cripple Creek Railroad Tracks, served by dual gauge tracks I think.
* Further up the hill – Battle Mountain – there are houses and also the Shaft House of the W.C. Dillon Mine is visible with is special looking Shaft House with its very steep angled roof on the left side, and short steep slope on the right before it goes over to be a low angled roof line, and as the Shaft-house has lot of text, sadly which was unreadable, it is very easy to pick it out in this and other views. Found about center top/down and about 2/5 in from left-hand side.
* Even further up the hill, about sideways center is the large Burns Shaft of the Portland Gold Mining Company, also known as Portland No. 1 Shaft. It replaced the original shaft which was somewhat more to the northeast if I have by bearings right, long gone in this view.
* To the left of the Portland No. 1 there appears to be another smaller Shaft House, one of the older ones that got gulfed up in the Portland group, think it might be the old Shaft-House of the Anna Lee Mine, but I might be wrong.
* Just to the right of the Portland No.1 shaft, up against the sky, is the old Shaft House of the Portland No. 2 Mine, before they made it much larger and the one we all are more used to see in views of Battle Mountain Mines.
My Collection; Photographs.

• My Website; Photolink: ⊞ View North on 3rd Street in Victor, showing Battle Mountain Mines in the Background
• My Website; Cropped Photolink: ⊞ View North on 3rd Street in Victor, Battle Mountain Mines in the Background [Straight & Enhanced]
• My Website; Photolink: ⊞ View North on 3rd Street in Victor, Battle Mountain Mines [1200dpi; Straight & Enhanced]
• My Website; Postcards Overview: ⊞ North Third Street and Battle Mountain, Victor, Colo.

P-03719
Photograph/Image [#327]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#32728.05.2017 (20:44:10)
Scene at the Victor F. & C.C. Depot Area with a Passenger Train and Lot of People
Unknown
Card has a bad curve to it making it a little bit hard to scan as it will not lay flat, also it has a somewhat faded look, but I have enhanced it a little and use that copy here. No info given about the occasion for this people gathering. Some handwriting on the backside but that is done years later as it gave wrong info about what is in this scene in terms of mines seen. Near impossible to scan readable as I need to twist the card against the light to be able to read it by eye on card itself, and some is so faded I can't make it out against the dark card backing.
* Scene is at the F. & C.C. Depot Grounds in Victor, roof of the Depot is seen on left-hand side, and that gives this to be the newer depot, the one from after the 1899 City fire. To the right-hand side of the depot/image part is seen a prospect type of operation, as there is seen one head frame and one structure hiding behind the Denver & Rio Grande Passenger Cars making up the passenger train part of this view, as far as I can tell they are part of the Mary Cashen Mine operation, before they made the huge dump behind a large crib-wall seen in many Victor views. At first I thought this was an early view due to the headframes seen, but have realized it is possible into 1900 or maybe a year or two later into the century.
* The Mine seen with its Head Frame towards the photographer, on the dump near middle top, is one that puzzles me as I can't fully make out if it is on the W.C. Dillon or on the Strong claims. It seems to be a small operation, with a hoist house behind it, seen in many views of this area, and I have started to think it is a smaller shaft of the Dillon mine, but might very well be a totally different mine at all.
* Near upper right-hand corner is the trestle out from the Coalbins House of the Independence No. 1 Shaft structures seen, with the main structures of the mine behind the trestle and dump seen.
My Collection; Stereoviews.

• My Website: ⊞ Cropped Sampler View; Victor Sampler South View
• My Website: ⊞ Cropped Mine View; Early Workings of the Mary Cashen Mine with Prospect Head Frames

S-00243
Photograph/Image [#191]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#19125.02.2017 (12:46:35)
Gold Coin Mine, Victor, Colorado
Unknown
View is said to be about 1896, and to be of the Gold Coin mine headframe in Victor, Colorado. In the background center one can see the large Shaft House and supporting structures of the Independence Mine, and in foreground left-hand part of the image, is the roof tops of the Victor Public Sampler, or the Public Sampling Works or just Victor Sampler, as I also seen it be named as. Check the link to the PPLD site for a zoomable and quite good view at this photo!

• Pikes Peak Library District: ⊞ Image number: 001-265

I-01189
Photograph/Image [#159]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#15923.02.2017 (13:29:46)
Victor and Gold Coin Mine
Unknown
Yet another view of the great Gold Coin Mine from further north and east on Battle Mountain. Sadly, once again the paper quality is of the type that what is dark is dark, and there is some shininess to parts, making it hard to get the image tweaked into giving away more details.
In the foreground is part of the M.T. spur to the Victor Sampler seen, with C.M. Boxcar No. 5047 standing on a dual gauge track as this spur was connected with the F. & C.C, seen on the lower level further into the image.
* The Victor Public Sampler is seen partly on the right-hand side, the foreground structures except the clearly a house with a porch in lower right corner.
* Behind the sampler is the crib-wall and ore-house of the Mary Cashen seen, but not a really useful view of this mine.
* The Gold Coin mine is about in the center of the view, in full operation as seen by the smoke from the large chimney.
* Part of the Golconda head frame and hoist house is seen in the far background at right of the upper part of the Gold Coin shaft house, behind the engine house part of the Gold Coin.
My Collection; Photographs; Enhanced and cropped the gray cardboard frame.
P-01419
Photograph/Image [#144]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#144

---