Ouray County, Colorado: History
Ouray County was formed out of San Juan County on January 18, 1877, making Ouray County the first county designated by the newly formed Colorado General Assembly. It was named for Chief Ouray, a distinguished leader of the Ute tribe, as was the municipality of Ouray, which was designated its county seat on March 8, 1877. On February 19, 1881, Dolores County was formed out of parts of Ouray County.
On February 27, 1883, Ouray County was split into San Miguel County and what is currently Ouray County. The portion that became San Miguel County almost retained the name Ouray County when the Colorado General Assembly initially renamed today's Ouray County as Uncompahgre County, but four days later, on March 2, 1883, the General Assembly changed its mind and reverted the name of Uncompahgre County back to Ouray County.
The Ouray County Courthouse was constructed in Ouray in 1888 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mining operators in the San Juan Mountains area of Colorado formed the San Juan District Mining Association (SJDMA) in 1903, as a direct result of a Western Federation of Miners proposal to the Telluride Mining Association for the eight-hour day, which had been approved in a referendum by 72 percent of Colorado voters. The new association consolidated the power of 36 mining properties in San Miguel, Ouray, and San Juan counties. The SJDMA refused to consider any reduction in hours or increase in wages, helping to provoke a bitter strike.