First National Bank of Ouray (Colorado) circa 1889

Extraordinarily rare banking collectible. Elaborate center vignette of an underground mining scene.  Unissued and not cancelled. Dated 18__ but circa 1889 historical records.

Very nice condition and clean. Measures approximately 11" wide and 8.5" tall. No stub attached. This is the only known unissued version known on the collectors market and much cleaner than the issued examples previously seen.

The Bank of Ouray was established by J. Fogg in 1877, but soon afterward went into voluntary liquidation. The Miners and Merchants Bank of Ouray was founded in 1878 by M. D. and John A. Thatcher of Pueblo, with A. G. Siddons as cashier. The First National Bank of Ouray was opened September 5, 1889, with George Arthur Rice, president; L. L. Bailey, cashier.

Established by miners seeking silver and gold in the surrounding mountains, the town once boasted more horses and mules than people. Prospectors arrived in the area in 1875. In 1877, William Weston and George Barber found the Gertrude and Una gold veins in Imogene Basin, six miles south southwest of Ouray. Thomas Walsh acquired the two veins and all the open ground nearby. In 1897, Walsh opened the Camp Bird Mine, adding a twenty-stamp mill in 1898, and a forty-stamp mill in 1899. The mine produced almost 200,000 ounces of gold by 1902, when Walsh sold out to Camp Bird, Ltd. By 1916, Camp Bird, Ltd., had produced over one million ounces of gold.

Ouray is a municipality that is the county seat of Ouray County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 898 as of the 2020 census. Located at an elevation of 7,792 feet, Ouray's climate, natural alpine environment, and scenery have earned it the nickname "Switzerland of America".

The majority of Ouray's economy is based on tourism. Ouray bills itself as the "Switzerland of America" because of its setting at the narrow head of a valley, enclosed on three and a half sides by steep mountains.

Today, much of the town tourism is focused on ice climbing, mountain biking, hiking, trail running and off-roading in four-wheel drive (4WD) expeditions into the San Juan Mountains. Ouray has also become a popular destination for motorcyclists, as it marks the beginning of the Million Dollar Highway. This stretch of highway connects Ouray to its neighboring cities of Silverton and Durango. The Million Dollar Highway is frequently regarded as one of the most beautiful roads in Colorado, but is also considered one of the most dangerous due to its sharp turns, steep ledges, and lack of guard rails.