We've created interpretive signs and kiosks that appear in many locations throughout the state of Colorado. You'll find them along roadsides and trails, both near the Front Range and out in the far backcountry. The signs shown here were all produced for the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining & Safety.
This sign near Central City, Colorado features the history of women in mining. The sign includes a narrative about the different roles women played — both in the mining industry and in the rough-and-tumble camps and towns that grew up around it. It is made out of cedar, with inset graphic panels. Letterforms are routered out of the wood surface and painted, much like the classic US Forest Service and National Park Service memorial signs seen at the entrance to public lands throughout the west. The eight foot-wide sign was built to last by a local specialty sign fabricator in central Colorado.
This sign tells the story of a group of mines to the south of Downieville, Colorado, and how they were reclaimed. The sign is positioned to show the viewer the current state of the area, along with the historic views visible in the photographs on the sign. Pre-reclamation photos show how dangerous unstable entries and locations were, and give a narrative of how the site was safeguarded. The sign frame is custom-fabricated out of metal by a Denver-area fabricator, using an ADA-compliant design to ensure accessibility. The sign panel is a composite laminate that resists fading, vandalism, and is waterproof — all functional requirements for interpretive signs that are located in Colorado's harsh environment.
The Peanut Mine site near Crested Butte, Colorado was an award-winning reclamation project undertaken by the Division of Reclamation, Mining & Safety in the mid-2000s. We created a two-sign display to show the pre-reclamation state of the site as seen from the vantage point of the sign installation, and to tell the story of how important the Peanut was to the local economy. This was the first set of signs we created for the Division.
We've created several other signs for reclaimed mine sites over the years, including those seen below. They can be sighted by intrepid hikers and explorers on trails near Steamboat Springs, Cripple Creek, and Idaho Springs.
