If you visit Breckenridge, don't be surprised if you hear conflicting stories about how we got our name. In fact, a good deal of our history is subject to interpretation, and often the cause for a lively debate. For example, take the story about General George E. Spencer. It's not clear whether he was part of Spalding's original group of prospectors. However, according to Rick Hague of the Summit Historical Society, Spencer was one of those men who made his fortune by "mining the miners." In other words, rather than getting his hands dirty by actually mining, Spencer was one of the speculators who built towns by selling lots and building homes and storefront upon them. He soon became the proud owner of a 320-acre parcel.  Under the federal legislation, he was able to claim township rights by constructing what is known as a "first improvement."  This was a log cabin that was a mere eight logs high.

Spencer is also the subject of one of the most controversial debates in our town, which involves the origins of our name. There are two stories. The first is that it was simply named after a local prospector, whose last name was Thomas E. Breckenridge. Here's the "juicier" story.

Since the town had no name, it had no post office. George E. Spencer had the perfect solution. He proposed that we name our town after President James Buchanan's Vice President, a man by the name of John Cabell Breckinridge. The flattery seemed to have worked.  On January 18, 1860, our town was given a name and a post office.

All was well until the outbreak of the Civil War. While Colorado was still an independent territory, many of the miners were from the north. Unfortunately, the once revered Mr. Breckinridge was a confirmed Confederate. In fact, he received a commission as a Confederate Brigadier General. Needless to say, many of the townspeople were outraged. What should be done? To rectify the situation, they decided to take out the "i" in Breckinridge and change it to an "e."

So which is the true story? On April 24, 2008, a group of local historians gathered in Town Hall in what turned out to be a futile attempt at discovering the "truth." Robin Theobald, a fifth-generation Breckenridge resident was one of the panelists. Theobald agrees with his grandmother, Ella Foote, who wrote a 1900s newspaper story arguing that the town had actually been named and then renamed three different times. According to Ella, the town was first named after Thomas Breckenridge, and then changed to "Breckinridge" when General George E. Spencer realized that taking the name of the vice president would enhance the possibility of getting a post office. It was renamed yet again when the residents took issue with their town being named after one of those "darn confederates."

This theory led to an important question. Why would we name our town after a person as insignificant as Thomas E. Breckenridge? According to an article in the Summit Daily, Robin Theobald had a rather humorous response:

"The guy coulda bought a round for the house, and they decided to name the town after him," he said. "It doesn't mean he had to be the leader of the pack to have it named after him. Maybe he saved someone's life and they wanted to honor him. Who knows?"

Although the town eventually got its name, it still suffered from "don't get no respect" syndrome. In the 1880s, an inept cartographer created a map of Colorado, and neglected to insert the Town of Breckenridge. As such, people simply referred to it as "Colorado's Kingdom. The mistake was not corrected until 1936.  Since then, every year in mid June, the town celebrates Kingdom of Breckenridge Days. Even if you don't like snow, this is a great reason to visit Breckenridge.

The Cellar Wine Bar and Restaurant, located at 22 South Ridge Street. Back in the 1880s, it was the home of newspaperman Charles Hardy, who owned the Summit County Leader. Hardy's newspaper spread the word about rich ores in the mining area. He also featured columns praising the good people in the town. Additionally, the newspaper featured commentary on things that needed fixing, such as deteriorating bridges, stray dogs and railroads running off schedule. While the Summit County Leader was Republican, the Summit County Journal, which was the competing paper, was Democratic.

There's a bit of irony in the fact that Charles Hardy and Christ Kaiser were neighbors. While Hardy was a staunch Republican, on June 6, 1908, the Summit County Journal announced that Christ Kaiser would be the Breckenridge delegate for the National Convention in Denver. According to the paper, "He is Democrat, all Democrat when it comes to party." Up until the recent closing of The Cellar, the two restaurants were competing for the coveted title of most elegant dining venue in Breckenridge. However, if one could time travel to the late 1800s, it would be interesting to observe the social dynamics of the two neighbors from opposite ends of the political spectrum.

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Eddie Gossling

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