The now-abandoned town was initially founded in 1886 by miners searching for silver but later became a center of lead and zinc mining. Of note is how these cities survived after the rush, avoiding the fate of so many towns that disappeared once the boom passed. The town site has been consumed by modern open-pit mining. Some high-elevation former mining camps are only accessible in the summer. Silver Cliff remains an active town with over 600 residents. Northeast of the Gunnison/Crested Butte area is one of the largest collections of remaining buildings of any ghost town in the state. Winfield Stratton fittingly named the site after the day he claimed it, July 4th. Please click the link in that email to complete your subscription. Almost overnight Leadville took the title of Colorados mining capital from Central City. Initial discoveries were made in 1858, but the onset of winter forced the prospectors out of the mountains, and many of them formed camps and waited until spring to resume the search for gold. A railroad depot built in 1877 now houses a museum, and there's also a chapel, tavern, quilt museum and dance hall to tell the stories of this Sangre de Cristo mountain hideaway. Nevadaville and Black Hawk were also important towns in the Central City district. Get your picture taken with a burro, slide down a 55-foot-long ore chute, pan for glittering gold and tour a 100-plus-year-old mineshaft cut 1,000 feet into the earth below Breckenridge. Dearfield represents the national Black American colonization movement established for promoting self-sufficiency and land ownership. The route over the pass was used sporadically over the next couple of years, but was abandoned. Aspen is now one of the worlds premier resort areas. Since many have not seen this side of history, we created a scenic mining route of sorts that passes through old mining towns in Colorado and includes stops at old-time businesses and mines! mso-para-margin:0in; A second excitement in 1913 brought Platoro back to life, but was short-lived and the town was abandoned by the end of the decade. Crystal was established during a small boom in 1880 when word got out that silver, zinc, and copper had been located in the Elk Mountains by the Crystal River. 61 Visitors can access Dearfield by driving along CO 34 east from Greeley for about 25 miles and will be directed via a marked sign. Peek into the Past: Authentic Old West Towns of Colorado In fact, early gold discoveries were relatively meager, but to Americans on the East Coast eyeing the frontier, each report added impetus to head west. Be respectful and dont disturb any artifacts or structures. Just three Colorado "ghost towns" still have active mining activities Victor, Lake City, and Gold Hill. The Sunnyside was one of Colorados richest mines, and it was in production for nearly five decades, which brought stability to the town of Eureka much longer than some of the nearby mining camps. Virginia City was incorporated in August 1880, but confusion with Virginia City, Nevada, and Virginia City, Montana, caused the residents to change the name. Smuggler was hit with more fatal accidents and strike-related violence than any other mine in this part of the state. The Aspen Historical Society offers tours of the boom and bust town that miners abandoned on wooden skis made from the log cabins in 1899. Goldfield was the third largest town in the Cripple Creek District with around 3,500 citizens at its peak in 1900. Homes and buildings were simply built near the mines they served, and a scattered and disorganized community grew as a result. Interactive map of mines in Colorado | American Geosciences Institute The sites of Carson and Old Carson are two seemingly undiscovered former mining towns. Annie is a freelance writer, content editor, and marketing whiz with a background in broadcasting and a passion for chicken nachos. Best Historical Photos: Colorado Mining Scenes Within just 20 years, the silver-mining camp boomed with hundreds of log cabins and almost 30 saloons that were later deserted entirely. St. Elmo and Tin Cup. By the late 1860s, the original town was abandoned. Located in the northwest corner of Colorado, Teller City is a true ghost town that has been completely abandoned. Media are invited to visit the ColoradoMedia Roomfor story ideas, news releases, image gallery, and other resources. This important early mining city was located at an elevation of almost 10,000 feet above sea level. While not a mining town, Corona was a vital part of the network of railroads that allowed mining to flourish in Colorado. Unlike other mining towns in the area, Guston had no planned layout or official business district. The area around Nederland was occupied by homesteaders in the 1860s. Ghost towns are often located in remote, high-elevation areas, and the terrain can be rough and uneven. 9 Mining Tours in Colorado You Need to Experience - Trips To Discover Not until the mid-1870s did prospectors enter the area in numbers that allowed for permanent settlements. Also Read: Gems in Colorado - Where to Find Topaz and Rhodochrosite Ashcroft, Colorado (Castle Creek Valley) The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. This was the site of the Virginius mine and Revenue Tunnel, two of Colorados most successful mining operations. A harsh winter drove residents away, but miners returned in droves the following spring, ballooning to an estimated population of 4,000. Gold ore was discovered in 1865, and sometime between 1876 and 1881 the settlement of Jamestown was founded. Ohio City was served by a post office from 1880 to 1972. The town population declined when the mines were exhausted. Animas Forks. Many of these fortune seekers turned around once they saw what they were up against in Colorado expansive prairie followed by high mountains and the rugged wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. Victor was known as the Cripple Creek districts City of Mines. Updated: May 19, 2023 Colorado's mining boom put the state on the map as one of the most lucrative places to be in the late 1800s. Settlements grew up on rocky hillsides, in grassy meadows, and along creeks and rivers where ever gold or silver was thought to be found. Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, John C. McCoy Founder of Westport, Missouri. The discovery of silver in 1880 lurched Ashcroft into its peak as a bustling mining camp. Settled in 1870, Caribou was the states first great silver camp. Mining was not always the cause of towns becoming ghosts. Some are farming towns, especially on the eastern plains of Colorado, where some towns have been deserted due to rural depopulation; other towns died when stage stops were abandoned; settlements that were established to support railroad lines that no longer exist or no longer stop are gone or dwindled; a few were built as resort towns that didnt work, and a couple were buried underwater when reservoirs were created. East of Greeley in northeast Colorado, the only all-black settlement was home to more than 700 African Americans in the early 1900s. In 1894 the town experienced a devastating fire in Februrary, was completely destroyed by a flood in June, and destroyed again by wildfire in November. A handful of buildings are still standing at Animas Forks, and the town is a popular tourist destination that is visited by thousands of people every year. It has around 250 year round residents. The town was prosperous in the 1880s. Sitting at an elevation of more than 12,000 feet near the top of the Continental Divide, Carson was one of the most inaccessible mining camps in Colorado.The old mining town is located about 16 miles southwest of Lake City, on a side spur south of the Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway.A sign that reads "Wager Gulch/Carson" marks the turnoff. A post office operated here from 1898 to 1918. Development of the nearby mines was slow until Eastern investors bought the Emma Mine in 1897, and proceeded with rapid development of the mine. mso-pagination:widow-orphan; Tours of the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Co. operations are held on select days starting Memorial Day weekend and running through September or October. 1 Within just 20 years, the silver-mining camp boomed with hundreds of log cabins and almost 30 saloons that were later deserted entirely. Mining is a vital part of Colorado's history. Turret was settled in 1897 following ore discoveries in the area. Details of the town of Tungsten are difficult to find. Thank you! By the peak of the Colorado Silver Boom, the town reportedly had a population of around 10,000 people. This became the largest railroad repair facility between Denver and Salt Lake City, employing hundreds of men. The sites of Carson and Old Carson are two seemingly undiscovered former mining towns. Cripple Creek was settled after gold discoveries in 1890. In 1880 the growing town was renamed Aspen. After valuable minerals were discovered here in 1880, prospectors swarmed into the area, and the town of Bonanza was founded. In 1878, lode deposits were discovered in the area, and the town of Virginia City was laid out in March 1879. Road Trip: Ghost Towns of Colorado -- National Geographic 2WD cars will be fine for most, though, some require a high-clearance 44 or a hike-to-access. Today, Red Cliff still has around 270 residents, about the same number that was counted during census reports in the late 1800s. It remained largely empty until the 1980s, when a developer reopened the Redstone Inn as a tourist resort. A Tour of Colorado Mining Towns There are several which continue to display remains or reconstructions. Research the area beforehand: Before visiting a ghost town, its important to do some research about the towns history and what to expect when you arrive. mills and old mining camps. In the spirit of healing and education, we acknowledge the 48 contemporary tribes with historic ties to the state of Colorado. Photo by Jane Nearing via Flickr. - Capital Prize Gold Mine Tours, Georgetown - Gilpin County Historical Society Museum, Central City, Strike it rich at casinos throughout Colorado >>, Check out our Colorado mine-tours listings >>. Named after the first woman to strike gold in Colorado, this 1,000-foot-deep tunnel in Cripple Creek is Americas only vertical mineshaft. Silverton is the center of San Juan Countys rich mining districts. That year, the entire town was purchased and converted to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory which still operates today. Some 400 to 1,000 people called Animas Forks home, but the towns extremely harsh conditions and location at 11,160 feet elevation meant residents didnt stay for very long. Just three Colorado ghost towns still have active mining activities Victor, Lake City, and Gold Hill. A few, however, never really died, as they turned their focus to other economic ventures, were located on major roads, and took advantage of tourist opportunities. Sneffels was an important mining camp situated at above 10,600 feet in Ouray County, Colorado. As mining waned, Telluride redefined itself as a ski town. In 1878 Telluride was established and would become one of the state's most important mining centers. In particular, the Denver and Rio Grande Railway is famous for its narrow-gauge Do you have a favorite place that you would like to see featured here on Only in Colorado? Everything changed in the late 1870s as rich silver discoveries were made. Initially settled in the late 1860s, the town peaked between 1876 and 1881. The town was established in 1883 and grew quickly, with over 100 buildings constructed that first year. Located in one of the Wests most rugged and isolated locations, the town grew to be one of Colorados premier mining centers. The subsequent silver boom was one of the Wests most dramatic and important historical events. Summitville is now the location of an E.P.A. Mapped Guide to Colorado's Must-See Ghost Towns - 303 Magazine Saints John was mostly a company town built around the Saints John mine by Boston capitalists. Congress had a post office 1883-1884. Highland Mary was a thriving mining camp that had a post office for five years starting in 1878. Gilman was initially settled at the site of rich gold and silver mines, but by the early 1900s had become a major zinc producer. Platoro had an initial boom starting in 1888 which only lasted a few years and resulted in a town of around 300 people. Fairplay never had a big mining excitement like other camps in the area, but its position in the center of district allowed it to prosper as a supply and transportation hub. A railroad depot built in 1877 now houses a museum, and there's also a chapel, tavern, quilt museum and dance hall to tell the stories of this Sangre de Cristo mountain hideaway. Today, Georgetown is one of the best preserved Victorian-era mining towns in the West. . Today the marble quarry is back in production, and the town of Marble has become a popular tourist destination. Nominate it here! A few years later, lode gold mining was attempted and the district limped along for years in obscurity. By the end of 1900 the mine consisted of 103 mining claims on 941 acres, and had twelve mills in operation. Mining began at Graysill Mines, Colorado in 1945 with miners looking for uranium. In contrast to Cripple Creek, which was the social and financial center of the district, Victor was the working class city where many of the miners lived. Cokedale was established as a company town in 1906 by the American Smelting And Refining Company (ASARCO). It wasn't until 1945 after scientists had harnessed uranium to make atomic power that the uranium rush was on. At over 11,000 feet, Animas Forks in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado is one of the highest mining camps in the West. Some settlements were dedicated purely to milling or smelting the ore. It's relatively easy to west of Clear Creek Reservoir on County Road 390 in Chaffee County. - Old Hundred Gold Mine, Silverton Today the town has been almost completely transformed by the gambling industry, and while it has become a popular tourist area, many lament the loss of authentic mining town that was Black Hawk. Ironton was a major transportation junction and mining camp between Red Mountain Town and Ouray. The settlement was mostly abandoned by 1865 as the placer gold ran out. Visitors are invited to chip away at a gold vein and keep what they find, giving them a hands-on understanding of the grueling work undertaken by the hard-rock miners who toiled underground in Central City. Photo by Kathy Alexander. Boggsville was also made famous as the last home to famed frontiersman Kit Carson. Old Mining Towns Of Colorado | Nature Photography Naturally Ouray was settled in 1876 and competed with Silverton as the main supply hub for the rich Red Mountain district. Status: The Eldora ski resort and summer cabins support a small number of residents. Small placers were sometimes worked but the district never took off until 1891 when the Happy Valley placer mine was located. It was also a minor mining town with several gold mines nearby. Crested Butte was laid out in 1878 by Howard Smith, and was incorporated in 1880. Irwin was settled after rich silver ore was discovered in the fall of 1879. Posted on January 25, 2011 by jegbert1963. A newspaper article from 1904 described the town: This little hamlet is beautifully situated about seven miles from Silverton, up Mineral Creek. The town never grew to the size of some of its famous neighboring communities, but mining sustained a population in the hundreds for several decades. To understand how WMH classifies ghost towns, see the following article: What is a Ghost Town? The area around Eldora was prospected intermittently since the 1860s. Montezuma. The marble for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was quarried from the Yule quarry at Marble. Today Silverton remains as one of the most historic and authentic mining towns in the United States. The area in which it occupied is now taken over by urban sprawl from Colorado Springs. Along with the periodic fires that resulted, a miner from the time stated The water of the mine is charged with sulphuric acid and eats of the machinery so that it has to be frequently replaced.. Nevadaville was the working class town in the Central District. At its peak in 1875, the towns population was estimated to be about 3,000 people. For more information, visit http://www.colorado.com/articles/colorado-ghost-towns. Its position at the base of Rollins Pass kept the town alive when many other camps faded away. mso-style-parent:""; A post office was established in 1875. mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; south to Durango, CO, and continuing to Farmington, NM. This important early mining city was located at an elevation of almost 10,000 feet above sea level. The tours start at the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum and include a historical overview of the Gold Rush, as well as a guided bus tour. Like many mines out west, Independence Mine opened in 1891 during the gold in the midst of the great gold rush in the United States. Gilman, Colorado - Wikipedia Situated above Keystone Resort in Summit County, Montezuma was founded in 1865 after the discovery of silver. for story ideas, news releases, image gallery, and other resources. The Old Homestead Parlor House became a boarding house in 1917 and was turned into a brothel museum in 1958. . Howardsville, established in 1874, was the first seat of government in the area. Accessible during the summer months, visitors will pass through the Social Tunnel, where single women and Tomboy Mine men would meet each other for social time. Despite early optimism, the mines of the area never became significant producers. Severe flooding again damaged the town in the Fall of 2013, and as a result 90 percent of the town was relocated. The beginnings of the town were first constructed in 1878, and St. Elmos economy relied on both freighting and mining. After the silver crash of 1893, when many mining communities were destined to become ghost towns, C.L. Thomas O. Boggs founded Boggsville in 1862 in southeast Colorado, He set his sights on a booming town with the addition of a railroad, but the population never grew past a few dozen and Boggsville was bypassed by the railroad. The town stretched over half a mile in Squaw Gulch. Also included here are Colorado Forts. Please click the link in that email to complete your subscription. Several cabins and artifacts remain along a three-quarter-mile trail for visitors, and panning for gold in the nearby streams may yield a few golden flakes. The town didnt survive the Great Depression and Dust Bowl years, though three buildings remain today: a gas station, diner and the founders house. Today it is a ghost town. Status: Near Ghost Town (staff of a research station live here seasonally). Sneffels fame was somewhat diluted by the enormous success of the nearby Camp Bird mine, but it was nonetheless a prominent mining center for decades. Most of this town site has been buried by tailings from a modern open-pit mine. Silver Lake Basin: A Mining Chronicle Although Rosita declined almost as fast as it rose to prominence, it nonetheless remained a viable town for many decades. Year-round you can explore the best abandoned, old ghost towns in Colorado's Rocky Mountains and beyond. Walk these eerily quiet main streets and imagine the former hustle and bustle of these towns in their heyday during Colorados mining boom frenzy in the late 1800s. Wooden storefronts and a dusty main street comprise what remains today as a quintessential ghost town. Today, nothing is left of the town other than a historical marker. Today, Redstone is a small but vibrant community on the beautiful Crystal River. Ashcroft, originally known as Castle Forks City and then Chloride until 1882, was a mining town located ten miles south of Aspen. By 1882 the town had dozens of businesses, hundreds of homes, and a population of over 1,000. WMH Town Classifications Explained, Best Historical Photos: Incredible Colorado Mining Scenes, Best Historical Photos: 1900s Nevada Boom Towns, Where To Find Gold: The Top Ten US Counties, Home Sweet Home Miners Cabins of the Frontier West. By 1935 the tracks were removed and Corona was no more. During the post World War 2 Uranium boom Durango was the site of a uranium mill that operated from 1942 until 1963. As the mines and smelters of Colorado grew into a major industry, Trinidad prospered and became a wealthy commercial center full of stunning Victorian homes and buildings. Tungsten was one of the many towns that came to prominence during the World War I tungsten boom in Boulder County. Carson and Old Carson. At least three stamp mills were built here. Be cautious and aware of your surroundings at all times. There are many places I've been blessed to be able to visit and photograph. Breckenridge has been an active town for more than 160 years, and is now a major resort and tourist area. The Turret post office closed in 1939. In 1884, a 23 day blizzard inundated the town with 25 feet of snow, forcing the residents to dig tunnels to get from building to building. Today it is a ghost town. 23 Abandoned Places In Colorado [MAP] - Urbex Underground
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