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Belden, CO Belden is the name of the site located along the Eagle River, at the bottom of the canyon, next to the railroad siding. The town of Gilman was located over a thousand feet above Belden on the cliffs. Mining operations were in the side of the mountain cliffs between Gilman and Belden. Men that lived in Gilman lowered themselves down the cliffs to work at the mine below using a cable bucket hoist system. Judge Belden discovered the first ores in 1879 and went on to build a mine and smelter. The Empire Zinc Co. mined into the cliffs below Gilman. They operated a concentration mill that was almost entirely inside the mountain with storage bins at the valley bottom. The mine produced zinc, tin, lead and silver carbonate. A nest of tunnels below Battle mountain have been mined over the years. The post office at Gilman was opened in 1886 and saw constant operation until closed in 1986. The Denver and Rio Grande Railway built into Belden in 1881. The railroad was following the Eagle River Valley on its way from Tennessee Pass to Glenwood Springs. Due to the limited space in the canyon, the main line track was on one side of the river and the siding on the other. |
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