The discovery of gold at Hahn’s Peak in 1861, the area’s great coal reserves and the fertile valleys sheltered on three sides by high mountain ranges all led the way to the development of Routt County. Once the county seat, Hahns Peak was later replaced by Steamboat Springs when the introduction of the the railroad created more than just a stage stop. Hahn’s Peak now quietly sits in the distance as an extinct volcano, and the mining operations remain almost frozen in time. The history of Hahn’s Peak Village is one of deep rooted history and legend; once capturing Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch, the bear cage jail failed to hold the crooks long as they escaped back to Steamboat Springs using a gun carved from wood to hold the jailer at bay.