Metal Mining Association Dinner a Squeal of Delight
By David Josselyn
On Saturday, May 18th, The Clear Creek-Gilpin County Metal Mining Association (CCCMMA) held the 72nd Annual George A. Jackson “Sowbelly” Dinner at the Elks Club in Idaho Springs. Sowbelly is not a reference to what the doctor does after stapling your stomach, but instead the fat and meat portion from the belly of a female pig; or in other words, bacon. Alas, pork belly does not have to be salted and cured into its majestic bacon goodness to be considered appropriate for a sowbelly dinner. Traditionally, miners of yesteryear would huddle on the flatlands during the winter and then gather for a sowbelly meal in the spring before lumbering up to their claims. The meal consisted of foods that would not spoil, or at least took a long time to spoil allowing the miners to stock up on food before heading out. This tradition is memorialized in the George A. Jackson Sowbelly Dinner every year, commemorating both the reason many of our towns exist and Mr. Jackson, who discovered gold on Chicago Creek near Idaho Springs. The 72nd annual event, attended by more than 80 people, started with dinner followed by a sing-a-long, news and awards regarding CCCMMA, and finished with a presentation by The Legendary Ladies.
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