 A Publication of Historic Georgetown, Inc. Volume XXXVI, No. 1 Summer 2006 |
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A Publication of Historic Georgetown, Inc. Volume XXXVI, No. 1 Summer 2006 |
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Hangover
Mine legacy passes from Merrill/Primus family to HGI
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By Cynthia Skeen The donation of the "Hangover Mine" to Historic Georgetown, Inc., by David and Christopher Primus mirrors their grandfather's great regard for the people and history of Georgetown. The property consists of three claims: the Amazon 99 (1871), the Peru 433 (1875), and the Charles H. Moore 817A (1878), all located high above the interstate on Democrat Mountain, west of Georgetown. The Primus' grandfather, Marcellus Merrill, purchased the claims for back taxes in 1963; their grandmother, Geraldine Merrill, gave the claims to the brothers prior to her death in 2000. Constance Primus, in her article entitled "Tales of Clear Creek County from Marcellus Merrill's Notebooks" (The Georgetown/Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District Journal, February 1999, No. 6), describes her father's "discovery" of the property: "One day in the 50's, while watching bighorn sheep with his binoculars, he noticed the reflection of a window in a small cabin "hanging over" the cliff high above the Georgetown Valley, so he named it 'the Hangover Mine.' Intrigued, he found his way up there, partly by jeep to the Kelly Tunnel, then by foot on the old Moline Trail past the New Boston Mine, turning off on 'Jackass Trail,' which led to the Hangover Mine." He found a cabin, "anchored … to the cliff with steel rods hand drilled into the hard rock." The cabin is still pretty easy to spot from the old Merrill cottage at 11th and Main streets. According to some old-timers of Merrill's acquaintance, a man named "Dutch Joe" had tried to mine the claim. However, David Primus, who has extensively researched the history of the claims, says he could never substantiate the existence of a Dutch Joe. According to David, his grandfather wanted to buy the cabin, but he couldn't figure out exactly on which claim the cabin was situated. The three claims that he purchased seemed to be the closest, but David says he "still doesn't know for sure if the cabin is included."
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Marcellus Merrill achieved maximum enjoyment from ownership of the mining claims by issuing "uncommon stock" certificates to friends and business associates, and by holding annual "disgruntled shareholder" meetings, "first at Georgetown's Alpine Inn, then at Irv Nielsen's cabin on Chicago Creek, and finally in the Georgetown City Park where there were over eighty in attendance in 1982" (Journal). David remembers his first trip to the mine at age eight. He had heard about the excursions all his life, and this time he demanded to come along with his grandfather and his friends. When they refused, "I threw a fit," David recounted, and the oldsters relented. David remembers that in the 60's and 70's parts of the Moline Trail were wide enough for a wagon, though the trail has since deteriorated significantly. Years later, one New Year's Eve, David and a friend hiked up to camp at the cabin, smuggling beer bottles in their backpacks. The weather was so cold that even the beer froze. The campers weren't able to toast the New Year in, but they did exchange messages with Marcellus, who pointed his jeep toward the mountain and flashed his headlights in Morse Code. The boys responded with flashlights, and pack rats provided company throughout the night. Historic Georgetown, Inc., has presented Lifetime Memberships to Christopher and David Primus in recognition of their generous donation to the organization. |
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