History has it that gold prospectors coming to the South Park valley were chased out of nearby Tarryall by other miners who had already staked out more claims than they could possibly work.  Undetered, the new prospectors founded their own town and made the guarantee that all other newcomers would get a "fair play" there.  So, in 1859, the town of Fairplay was born!  Now, as mining fades, Fairplay has shifted more towards tourism.  Centrally located between Denver, Breckenridge, and the Arkansas River Valley, it flourished to become the valley's largest town and now serves as a prime stopping point to some of the state's most popular recreational destinations.  As a matter of fact and trivia, the geographic center of Colorado lies in the South Park valley!