Silverthorne

Silverthorne is a town in Summit County, Colorado, United States.

According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,610. ^[1]

History

Silverthorne Colorado is named after Hangin' Judge Silverthorn. A Summit County pioneer and judge from the late 1800s famous for his strict demeanor. Silverthorne the town was incorporated in the late 1960s. Silverthorne began as a convenient place to move buildings from the site of old Dillon which is now at the very deepest spot in lake Dillon. The first post office and general store were both buildings moved from old Dillon. The Old Dillon Inn, famous for its neon "BA" sign, (The R never having been illuminated,) is another transplant from old Dillon. Recently when the sign was refurbished, the R which was painted on behind the dead neon letter was simply left out. For many years, unbeknownst to the owners, original works of art by famous western artists Frederick Remington and Charles Russell adorned the walls of the Old Dillon Inn. In the early '70's, The Old DI as it is known locally, was sold to a man who recognized the paintings, whereupon the paintings were promptly removed and the mortgage was defaulted on. At least one building in Silverthorne was moved from the town of Kokomo which was bought by the Climax mine in order to construct a slag pond for their molybdenum mining operation. That building, a former hotel, was placed on the site of the current Eddie Bears store at the approximate center of town. Frank and Nellie Flynt converted the old building into Silverthorne's general store, where they did a good amount of business until Frank Died in the early '70's. The town's identity was originally envisioned as a year round sports destination when the Dillon Dam, A key source of water for Denver, Colorado, began construction in 1960. Later when the Eisenhower Tunnel was finished in 1973, and with the boom in recreational skiing during the late 60's, Silverthorne became a bedroom community for the seasonal workers who supported Summit County's ski industry. The Eisenhower Tunnel goes through the Continental Divide near Loveland Pass. The new tunnel linked Silverthorne with Denver via Interstate 70 as well as many major Colorado ski resorts. These ski areas include Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Arapahoe Basin, Vail and Beaver Creek. The new interstate also opened the way for many commercial businesses including City Market, Summit County Factory Stores, Target, Virgin Islands Ski Rental and many others. Silverthorne enjoys a high quality of life due to the unique alpine environment, restricted growth, and ample outdoor activities.

Geography

Silverthorne is located at 39°38′18″N, 106°4′35″W (39.638391, -106.076505) ^GR1 at 8,730 feet above sea level (over about 3000 meters). The town is situated between the Gore Range to the west, and the Continental Divide to the east. The two most visible mountains are Buffalo and Red Mountains. Also surrounding the valley are Ptarmigan, Tenderfoot, and Ten Mile Peaks.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.3 km² (3.2 mi²). 8.2 km² (3.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.94%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census ^GR2 of 2000, there were 3,196 people, 1,103 households, and 736 families residing in the town. The population density was 389.3/km² (1,009.1/mi²). There were 1,582 housing units at an average density of 192.7/km² (499.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 82.17% White, 1.00% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 0.28% Pacific Islander, 11.17% from other races, and 3.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.50% of the population.

There were 1,103 households out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 13.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 0.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 14.8% from 18 to 24, 42.3% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 2.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 130.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 140.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $58,839, and the median income for a family was $61,715. Males had a median income of $31,983 versus $27,172 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,271. About 2.9% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

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