Telluride, town in southwestern Colorado, about 145 km (about 90 mi) southeast of Grand Junction. The seat of San Miguel County, Telluride is a popular tourist destination. Surrounded by high mountains and the Uncompahgre National Forest, it offers opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and other outdoor activities. The town is also famous for its festivals, such as those featuring bluegrass, jazz, and film.
Miners arrived in the valley in the 1870s and started several small camps, including Columbia, in 1878. Columbia later changed its name to Telluride, after tellurium, a metallic element often found in combination with gold and silver. Telluride was incorporated in 1887 and emerged as the most prosperous of the early settlements. The Rio Grande Southern Railroad arrived in 1890 and facilitated a mining boom. By the turn of the century, the Telluride mining region was one of the most important gold and silver districts in the United States. Telluride was the scene of vicious labor disputes between union and nonunion miners in 1903 and 1904. The Colorado National Guard imposed martial law to restore order, and the miners' union was defeated. Population 1,047 (1980); 1,309 (1990); 2,221 (2000).
