A Brief History of Frisco
Frisco incorporated in 1880 as silver mining and railroad construction transformed Summit County. By 1882, two railroads served a community of hotels, saloons and businesses supporting nearby mines. Its fortunes fluctuated with mining, and by 1930 only eighteen permanent residents remained. Rancher Bill Thomas helped encourage a new summer community by offering Denver residents land on which to build cabins. Ski-area development from the 1960s, together with major transportation projects, brought renewed growth. Frisco’s preserved historic buildings recall the mining, railroading and ranching eras that preceded its emergence as a mountain recreation town.