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Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway
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Florence: Smelter City
Florence became a major smelting center during the gold rush, processing ore transported down from the Cripple Creek District via the Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad. The town's smelters operated around the clock, and the glow from their furnaces could be seen for miles at night.
Cañon City's Business Gamble
Cañon City businessmen financed the construction of Shelf Road in 1892 to capture trade from the booming Cripple Creek gold fields. Their gamble paid off initially, but competition from the Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad eventually put the toll road out of business.