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The county of Dolores was created by the division of Ouray County, and organized March 14th, 1881. A. A. Wagner, chairman; S. H. Burghardt and S. W. McCormick county commissioners; Frank W. Raymond, clerk and recorder; Eugene Cushing, treasurer; J. P. Norton, assessor; Rico, county seat; covering an area of 9~0 square miles. Early in June '81, Fenno, Wakeman and associates from the east appeared on the scene and purchased a number of first prospects. The spring of 1882, the Rico Mining and Smelter in the lower part of the town, and the purchase of the Newman group, by the Newman group, by the Marrs Consolidated Mining Co., for $175,000, was an event of considerable importance. During the fall of '82 and '83 some rich discoveries were made on the west Dolores, in the vicinity of the hot springs, and a boom of considerable magnitude was inaugurated.