Marijuana: Annie’s in Central City gets first recreational pot sales license anywhere
By Patricia Calhoun Tue., Nov. 19 2013 at 4:20 PM

Central City is used to making history. The Rush to the Rockies got its start in May 1859, when John Gregory made the first lode discovery on Clear Creek. The town sprang up right above that find and grew so fast that it almost became the state capitol; today it’s home to the historic Teller Opera House, Victorian buildings and casinos made possible by Colorado voters. And now Central City has made more history, as home to the first business granted a recreational marijuana retail sales license not just in Colorado, but the world.

Annie’s, the recipient of the license, is housed in a historic building at 135 Nevada Street that dates back to 1864, was gutted by the fire of 1874, then was rebuilt. Over the years, it’s been everything from a saloon to a garage to a tourist-trap jail exhibit. In 1992, it became the first place to be granted a casino license in Colorado: for Annie Oakley’s Casino. (There’s no evidence that the famous sharpshooter ever set foot in the structure, although her mentor, Buffalo Bill, did put on a show in the Teller Opera House — so it’s possible that Annie Oakley at least saw Central City.)