Seems like Telluride is “first” or “tallest” or some other gold medal defining adjective about so many things. Telluride’s Ames power plant was commissioned in 1891 and was the first AC power plant in the world giving Telluride one of its many “first” titles. This led it to be the first town with electric streetlights. Which is quite ironic as there are no electric stoplights to this day in Telluride. They may have wanted to install these streetlights because two years prior to the Ames power plant illuminating the area Butch Cassidy kicked off his bank robbing career! On June 24th 1889 the infamous robber made off with $24,000 from San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride. In today’s dollars that would be nearly $800,000 – unfortunately still not even close to the amount required to buy a home in this beautiful valley.
Telluride is home to Colorado’s tallest waterfall with Bridal Veil Falls pouring water down a whopping 365’. In the winter the falls freeze over. While it’s private property and ice climbing is banned it is still a tantalizing route. Would a ban stop ice climber Butch Cassidy from conquering the route? (no, no it would not). Telluride is also home to North America’s highest commercial airport at 9.078’. Add it to the list.
Oh, also there’s an amazing ski resort here but you already knew that.
