View of Salina, Colorado. A carpenter named Henry Von Myrinck discovered the Melvina mine (named after his mother)In 1873 the town of Salina had thirty families and in 1875, over one hundred residents. There was a general store, saloon,and assay office. In 1881, there was a hotel, the Salina House & several more stores and three mills. The town was named after the Kansas town of the same name probably because some of the early settlers were from Salina Kansas.