Last week I mentioned finding a story while looking for something else. This week I wasattempting to identify what coin club had their own building. The Tidewater (VA) Coin Clubestablished a building fund in 1965. I don't know what became of that. Currently the club meetsat the Norfolk VFW Post.

The Gold Coin Club Building in Victor, Colorado, was not built for a numismatic club. It relatesmore to the related field of gold mining history. The building was constructed for workers at theGold Coin Mine. The club was incorporated on January 17, 1899, and built at a cost of $10,000.

The city of Victor, Colorado, was founded in 1891 after gold was found nearby. In 1894, theWoods brothers discovered a vein of gold ore while digging the foundation for their hotel. Thisbecame the Gold Coin Mine.

The Woods brothers were devout Baptists and wanted to create a place where workers couldgather in a temperate environment away from the local saloons. Membership was offered toworkers who had been on the job for sixty days. About half of the workforce took advantage ofmembership in the club.

There is a story within the story. On August 21, 1899, a Victor, Colorado, professional woman(prostitute) was washing her gown in kerosene in the entertainment (red light) district when sheaccidentally dropped a cigarette into the wash pan. A fire began in a shack on Paradise Alley onSouth Third Street. High winds quickly spread the fire uphill into the business district. By theend of the day, twelve square blocks with 200 buildings were destroyed, including the originalGold Coin Club Building across the street from the mine.

Around the turn of the century, the population of Victor swelled to 18,000. After the fire, a newbuilding was constructed of fire-proof brick at 413 West Diamond Avenue. It was dedicated onWashington's birthdate in February 1900, about six months after the fire. It was built at a cost of$50,000, and patterned after the New York City Athletic Club.

The club had a large ballroom on the first floor. An oval balcony on the second floor overlookedthe ballroom. The building included a bowling alley, pool and game room, steam room and gymand a 700-volume library. There were several dining rooms and eight sleeping rooms. The clubhad a 25-piece band that entertained at the club and marched in local parades.

How large was the building? An article in the February 22, 1900, issue of The Gilpin Observerdescribed the size as 50 x 125 feet. After the building was occupied by the Elks, the WeeklyGazette for February 5, 1903, described the size as 75 x 125 feet. When the building was beingrenovated in 1971, an article in the Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph described the ballroomas 60 x 150 feet.

This was unusual for mine owners to provide a facility for the social and recreational benefits ofthe employees. This was a way to retain good workers and keep them happy with their company.It also supported a sense of community within the workforce.

Vice President Theodore Roosevelt visited Victor on August 4, 1901. He had lunch at the GoldCoin Club and spoke to workers from the second-floor balcony. During a tour of the Gold CoinMine, he was given a golden pick and fifteen minutes to dig for ore. The $500 worth of ore thathe dug was sacked and given to him as a gift.

The club was in operation for less than three years. In January 1903, the Victor Elks Club wasincorporated with the purpose of taking over the recently vacated Gold Coin Club. Their buildingwas dedicated by the B. P. O. E. on February 2, 1903. The building was sold to a doctor in 1904and used as the Red Cross hospital for ten years.

There was a labor dispute with the miners in 1903-4. Frank Woods announced to miners that theymust quit the union by the end of their shift on September 30, 1903. Instead, the workers wentout on a violent strike. Non-union workers at another mine were killed in a bomb blast in 1904.

As labor costs increased and ore sources were worked out, it became less profitable to mine gold.The Skaguay Power Dam that provided electricity to Victor did not produce enough revenue topay for its construction. The Woods brothers were broke by 1910 and left town.

Doctor A. C. Denman, Teller County Coroner, had his office and residence in the building. AHouston investor purchased the property in 1964. The building was restored in the early 1970'sand reopened, however briefly. Later it was converted to apartments.

On July 8, 1986, Q, David Bowers took an ANA Summer Seminar class to Cripple Creek andVictor, Colorado. They reported there was a "for sale" sign on the building. A photo of theabandoned building was included in Rare Coin Review, No 62, for Autumn 1986.

Colorado has more than 1500 ghost towns. Fewer than 400 current residents keep Victor fromjoining that list. The brick buildings constructed after the 1899 fire give the city its charm. Goldmining tourism is one thing that keeps businesses open. The Gold Coin Club Building continuesto be a tourist attraction.