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Winifred Scott Stratton…why Colorado Springs loves him
Winfred Scott Stratton
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With Christmas fast approaching I was thinking about one of the city’s richest people who gave his wealth to the entire city, kind of like Colorado Springs’ own Santa Claus. What a man he was…his name? Winifred Scott Stratton and no one could have foreseen what he would mean to us when he showed up.
Winfield Scott Stratton arrived in Colorado Springs in 1872 and began working as a carpenter, a trade he learned in his father’s shipyards while a child. In 1874, after a brief encounter with silver mining Stratton decided to work as a carpenter during the winter months (some of these are still visible today, check out Grace Episcopal Church or Helen Hunt Jackson’s home now located in The Pioneer Museum ) and he prospected for gold and silver in the summers.
He spent the next 17 years searching for gold and silver in the mountains of Colorado. He even took some mineralogy and other classes at Colorado College and School of Mines. He was quite social at the time and even married, though when he found out soon after his marriage that she was pregnant, he sent her back to her parents as he claimed the child was not his. He was apparently quite hurt by the whole ordeal and thereafter, did not socialize much and actually became rather reclusive.
After having a dream of where he could find gold, he set out to discover the location in his dream. On July 4th, 1891, Stratton discovered a vein of gold on the south slope of Pikes Peak and staked his claim for the Independence Mine, which would become one of Cripple Creek’s richest veins. Much of the ore produced there was carried to Colorado City for processing on Palmer’s railroad.
Stratton bought land from Palmer and donated it for the Post Office, the Courthouse (which is now the Pioneer Museum) and City Hall (which was completed after his death). He also built the Mining Exchange building, donated land for parks and funded the Myron Stratton Home for the elderly and orphaned children (which is now used for the treatment of severely abused and disturbed children). The home actually opened after his death.
In 1893 Winfield Scott Stratton’s income from the Independence Mine and other properties averaged $1 million dollars annually. In 1899 he sold the Independence for $10 million dollars, which was a good thing. As soon thereafter, the new owners had many issues retrieving the gold from the mine. Much of his money was used to better the living conditions of the city, especially for the poor.
He even built Dorchester Park for the poor to play in who’s land was donated by Palmer. On the corner of Nevada and Pikes Peak, stands the main post office built in 1908 on land Stratton sold to the federal government at a fraction of its value with the understanding that it would be used for the post office. In 1995 by an act of Congress the building was renamed the Winfield Scott Stratton Post Office .
Stratton always had strong feelings for the working poor and their families. After the Cripple Creek fire of 1896, Stratton paid for food and shelter for the thousands left homeless by the fire. In his will he left the majority of money and properties in trust to fund the Myron Stratton Home for needy children and the elderly. The Home opened in 1913 (after many court litigations) and has been in continuous operation since. He gave out countless cash donations to the less fortunate, including buying all the washerwomen of Colorado Springs bicycles to make their jobs easier. He donated many funds to children who had no way to go to college or trade schools so they could improve their way of life.
By 1902, his years of alcoholism made him an invalid and on September 13 he died in his home on Weber street at the age of fifty-four. He was in the process of completing his office building, The Mining Exchange Building. Even though it was unfinished, his body lay in state in its lobby so the people of Colorado Springs could pay their final respects for all that he had done for them. He was buried at Evergreen Cemetery and you can visit and pay your respects even today. Today, a statue of Stratton stands in the median in front of the Mining Exchange Building while another one watches over his dream, The Myron Stratton Home. In 1920 a mineral spring was drilled in Manitou Springs at the loop where the trolleys turned around and today, Stratton Springs still bubbles and gurgles in honor of one of Colorado Springs most notable citizens. Even though the trolley no longer runs, it brought much joy and ease in commuting between the two areas.
Winifred Scott Stratton was laid to rest but his works are still evident today. He was a great friend and philanthropist to our beautiful city. He was the richest miner ever to come out of Cripple Creek; but instead of spending lavishly on himself, he chose to give back to all of his adopted city’s working people; to make their lives a little easier. His legacy will live on and we thank him for his generosity and love.
If you enjoyed reading this article, why not Kathy (719-287-1049) KTorline@msn.com
