Behold: The Kingdom of Breckenridge

Filed in archive Offbeat on June 8, 2008

Once upon a time, there was a Colorado town with no name. Because it was nameless, it had no post office. In 1859, a general by the name of George E. Spencer decided that it was time to remedy this situation. He established the Town of Breckinridge, Colorado, naming it after John Cabell Breckinridge, who was the current Vice President to James Buchanan. It is interesting to note that Breckinridge eventually ran against abraham lincoln for the presidency. Had he won, America might have been a very different country. Here's why:

At the outbreak of the Civil War, John Cabell Breckinridge received a commission as Confederate Brigadier General. At the time, Colorado was an independent territory. However, most sympathies were with the North, especially since many of the miners came from the Northeast. Embarrassed by their politically incorrect name, the townspeople voted to substitute the 'i" for an "e." Thus, the town is now called Breckenridge.

Unfortunately, despite its name, it was still the fate of the town to be a non-entity. In 1865, an inept cartographer failed to place Breckenridge on the map of Colorado. The slight was not discovered and corrected until 1935. That said, prior to the correction, Breckenridge was known as Colorado's Kingdom. Every year, the town celebrates Kingdom of Breckenridge Days, which feature free walking tours, living history events and other exciting activities.

This year, Kingdom of Breckenridge Days will take place from June 12 to June 15. Click here for the schedule of events.

PS: With respect to my boss at Breckenridge Heritage Alliance, I should probably tell you that there is another story about how Breckenridge got its name. Apparently, there was a local general by the name of Breckenridge. Perhaps its true, but the other story is so much more interesting!