Telluride Elks Lodge #692 was established in 1901. The Telluride community was at one of its most optimistic points in history. Mining and commerce were booming. The Western Federation of Miner’s (WFM) Union was working on a new hospital for the whole community. Cooperation and tolerance marked the community. When the union was run out of town by 1906, the Elks Lodge became one of the surviving organizations. By the 1950s the Elks and the Volunteer Fire Department were the base of the community, sponsoring the July 4th celebration. Support and promotion for a ski area began in the 1960’s. The announcement of the U.S. Forest Service issuance of a permit for the Telluride Ski Area was made to the Community in our lodge room in September 1971.

The Elks had been in the Miner’s Union building in the early years. Moving to the east bay of L.L. Nunn’s 1st National Bank building in the 1940’s, then to a new building we built across from the court house in the 1980’s and finally to our present home in the historic Swede-Finn Hall on Pacific Street as the 21st century began.

The Telluride Elks have the distinction of electing the first female Exalted Ruler in Colorado. We have always been a benevolent community organization open to all American citizens of good character that wish to serve and support their community.