History

Country Boy Mine was founded in 1887 and is one of the oldest and most famous mines in Summit County, Colorado. In 1991, Tomlinson Brothers, Doug and David, along with their families dreamed of restoring the collapsed mine and mine site into a historical venue. Country Boy Mine was known for its gold and silver production and later earned national fame by producing large quantities of high grade lead and zinc for use in World War I and World War II!

Located in the famous French Gulch area, gold was first discovered here by a miner named French Pete in 1860. French Gulch is home to the Reiling Gold Dredge boat built in 1908. This valley was abundantly rich in minerals such as gold, silver, lead, and zinc, and it played a very meaningful role in the gold rush of Breckenridge, Colorado. Reiling Gold Dredge extracted gold bearing ore and sank in French Gulch where it can be seen by the rock pile landscapes it created.

Mining was and still is an integral part of Colorado and our nation’s history. The valuable ore brought out of Country Boy Mine played a significant role in shaping the west and bringing prosperity to the U.S. With the deterioration and disappearance of historic mines in Colorado, Country Boy Mine serves to share with people the rich mining history. Today, we welcome you to come and enjoy Country Boy Mine for its wealth of history and gold, both past and present!