World War II finally silenced the dredge, and the population in Breckenridge declined to approximately 254 individuals. As a result, few historic buildings survived on the west side of the Blue River. The riverbed and bedrock below were dredged up to the surface. Fine soils of the river bottom were either sent to the depths below or deposited downstream as sediment. The riverbed was literally turned upside-down. The dredge removed all vegetation and buildings in its path. The two-story, pontoon boat supported an armature that carried a line of moving buckets that was capable of digging up placer mining ground to depths of 70 feet in the riverbed. Thinking the Tiger Placers Company would provide jobs during the national depression, Breckenridge Town officials allowed the Tiger #1 Gold Dredge to chew its way from the northern town limits through to the south end of Main Street. Dredge boats, which employed relatively few people, began operating in the area in 1898 and worked the valley floor until 1942.
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