Henderson Fossett logged the first football injury in town with a dislocated shoulder in 1890. Horse-racing was popular…roller skating was the embraced sport of the younger set.
Skiing took hold in Crested Butte from the beginning. It was called Snowshoeing back in 1880-81, when the boys were making “snow shoe runs” down mountainsides for twenty five dollar purses. There were injuries and the occasional broken leg, at the meets, which attracted skiers from Gunnison, Irwin, Gothic and beyond. There was even a baseball game played on skis in Irwin in November of 1883.
And baseball was the sport…the town’s very reputation rested on its team. In June 1886, when Gunnison defeated Crested Butte 24-18, each towns newspaper threw a slew of insults. Gunnison accused Crested Butte of “indecent abuse” of the umpire and of delaying the game for 20 minutes to watch a dog fight on the diamond. Crested Butte accused the victors of paying a Grand Junction “ringer” twenty five dollars to pitch the game. A rematch was arranged…our local boys lost 29-4.
Source: “When Coal Was King” by Duane A. Smith
Rob Quint