The Fulford Signal was the newspaper of the small, short-lived mining boomtown of Fulford, Colorado, and was printed for 22 issues dating April to November of 1893. This special one-page “EXTRA!” was released quickly on Monday, July 3, 1893 to spread the news of a gold strike and was printed onto orange paper—the only issue to ever do so. The paper lists names of producing claims and early assay office reports of weight and value, enticing more miners to the area. This exceedingly rare issue was donated by author Richard Perske and is remarkably intact with clear, readable text.
To follow early mining in Colorado is to trace the population, economy, and growth of our state and mountainous regions; mining continues to impact our state (Gilman, Gold King Mine). The date of the paper is also momentous: the Panic of 1893 affected many, including Silver King Horace Tabor, but the gold camp of Fulford would thrive (however briefly). Arthur Fulford and his namesake town are a quintessential mining story: the search for fortune and gold, pioneer entrepreneurship, family tragedy and loss, and ultimately, a bust.
Fulford, like many mining towns, didn’t last: the town was formally established in 1889 and by 1912, the school and post office had been shuttered. Much of its history has been legend and rumors with limited information for reliable historical records. This “EXTRA!” edition displays the hyperbole used to draw miners, as well as key businesses and assayers active in the area. The paper had a turbulent history and an editor, George Irwin, with a flair for enthusiasm and “no story too small” attitude, making it an interesting, if not inflated, record of events of the town and Fulford family.
Eagle Valley Library District & Eagle County Historical Society
600 Broadway St
Eagle, CO 81631
United States