The map below is an overview of our online tour of fifteen of colorado s historic ghost towns and mining camps. Ghost towns season 5 episode 4 colorado experience pbs. The mill itself was sold to a canadian company, mongolian gold, in 1995. According to the colorado springs gazette, colorado has more than 1,000 ghost towns, over 600 of which have some sort of remains. Follow co rd 578 just over 3 miles to the mine site. Longtime ghost town hunter philip varney is the author of six ghost town guides, including ghost towns of colorado, ghost towns of northern california, and ghost towns of the pacific northwest. Books on agricultural ghost towns of the plains are much rarer.
Elmo, animas forks, and ashcroft, three of the best. There are over 1,500 registered sites with over 600 still having some remains from their previous occupants. He has published a number of guide books focusing on colorado history including colorado on foot 1991 and ghost towns of the colorado rockies 1968, both published. These towns were abandoned for different reasons, some due to mining or economic struggles, others due to natural forces like cold winters. Alta apex bugtown caribou eureka freeland fulford goldfield guston henson ironton keota lincoln city pearl smuggler summitville sunset. As often was the case with the gold boom towns of colorado, the gold diminished and the town slowly died. Dozens of books have been written about colorados mining camps and can be found in libraries and book stores. Colorado is home to numerous ghost towns that are filled with rich history. Ironton ghost town is an interesting place to visit. Get stopbystop directions for a driving tour of the ghost towns of colorado from national geographics ultimate road trips. Pages in category ghost towns in colorado the following 110 pages are in this category, out of 110 total. Media in category ghost towns in colorado the following 25 files are in this category, out of 25 total. The road continues to highway 145 and connects with telluride.
Dozens of books have been written about colorado s mining camps and can be found in libraries and book stores. Download 758 colorado ghost town stock photos for free or amazingly low rates. But feel free to snap photos of the church and store. Sandra and her photographerdaughter, povy kendal atchison, include 147 ghost towns in the book, colorado ghost towns and mining camps. Nine mills operated 155 stamps, it had its own newspaper, 14 saloon and about 600 people. Rather it is a directory of towns, and compilation of known information about those towns. Ghost towns of colorado provides comprehensive information on more than 90 towns and sites from cripple creek to leadville. Oct, 2017 the state of colorado is littered with ghost towns. Jeep trails to colorado ghost towns isbn 0870040219 is a 1963 nonfiction travel guide by robert l.
Ghost towns in colorado, abandoned cities, unknown soldier, lincoln memorial, san fransisco, old west, yule, denver, buildings. There are more than 1,500 ghost towns in colorado, some that history. Colorados mining history runs deep, and the landscape is dotted with the remains of that history. As with the other four corners states new mexico, utah, and arizona, there are operators who offer vacation packages to explore many of these. Dearfield in its heyday during the early 1900s, about 700 african americans lived there it was the only allblack community in the state. A few months ago on a sunny spring day i headed for a little known colorado ghost town. Elmo this is what you expect when you think ghost town. Arapahoe also spelled arrapahoe was one of the first settlements in what is now the u. Ashcroft once home to two newspapers, 20 saloons, and a school, only nine buildings still stand and one is an outhouse.
Guide to the colorado ghost towns and mining camps ohio. Find information on ghost towns in colorado as well as 125 ghost towns in united states, 126 ghost towns in north america, 144 ghost towns in the world. All denver public library locations and book drops are temporarily closed until further notice. Colorado ghost towns and mining camps by sandra dallas book cover, description, publication history. Guide to the colorado ghost towns and mining camps, swallow press, perry eberhart. Illustrated with 59 sheetfed gravures of photos and prints. By 1883 summitville was one of the largest gold producers in the state of colorado. Write the towns in alphabetical order on the back of this paper. It is a landmark of keota, one of the prairie ghost towns. Mining towns popped up by the dozen, but just as quickly found themselves abandoned as the politics of man and nature shifted. See more ideas about ghost towns, colorado and old west. Where can i read more about colorados prairie ghost towns. Located south of lake city, carson is one of the bestpreserved ghost towns in colorado.
As often was the case with the gold boomtowns of colorado, the gold diminished and the town slowly died. It is the story of the towns created during the gold and silver booms in colorado beginning in 1859. Ghost towns and mining camps of the rockies takes the reader on a visual voyage through the ghost towns and mining camps of the rocky mountains of western colorado as seen through the eyes of author, historian and photographer, jeff eberle. Elmo, and in the afternoon we drove all the way to tin cup.
The map below is an overview of our online tour of fifteen of colorados historic ghost towns and mining camps. Colorados scenic ghost towns colorado littlebooks, westcliffe pub, bill bonebrake, lorraine s. The area is managed by the bureau of land management. Prairie ghost towns of northern colorado in polaroid transfer art. It was founded in the 1880s as a stage stopping point for trains coming from silverton. This is an incomplete list of ghost towns in colorado, a state of the united states. Visitors can also book jeep tours of the area, if so inclined. Nov 10, 2017 according to the colorado springs gazette, colorado has more than 1,000 ghost towns, over 600 of which have some sort of remains. He is a regular contributor to arizona highways magazine and frequently leads travel groups on ghost town tours. Ghost towns of the colorado prairies for recent information on prairie ghost. Longtime ghosttown hunter philip varney is the author of six ghosttown guides, including ghost towns of colorado, ghost towns of northern california, and ghost towns of the pacific northwest. The tours are broken into five regions click on each region of the map to zoom in, or select a specific tour from the menu to the left.
While most colorado ghost towns are associated with the mountains and the gold rush, the barren expanse of colorados eastern plains is home to many ghost towns and almost ghosts faded agricultural and railroad towns rapidly vanishing. Writers program of the work projects administration in the state of colorado 1947. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. Sep 18, 20 a few months ago on a sunny spring day i headed for a little known colorado ghost town. Many of the buildings are privately owned and some are summer cabins. Nothing remains of the now deserted ghost town in jefferson county, except a historical marker on the south side of 44th avenue, between the towns of golden and wheat ridge. He works for the loveland reporterherald and has two weekly columns. He is a regular contributor to arizona highways magazine and frequently leads travel groups on ghosttown tours. Best colorado ghost towns things to do in colorado. Brown personally visited each of the towns or town sites described and includes in his work detailed information for the reader wishing to do. The official site of colorado tourism 2020 colorado tourism office.
The author has included a presentday picture taken from the same angle. Elmo, rosita and alpine as the top ghost towns in colorado. Mostly summer homes in the area today but several buildings from the past have managed to. Writers program of the work projects administration in the state of colorado. If youre not careful wandering through colorado s ghost towns you. Colorado ghost towns and mining camps by sandra dallas.
The site is littered with old machinery, mining equipment and structures. Remnants of the mining days colorado traveler guidebooks american traveler s by carolyn bauer jun 30, 1987 perfect paperback. Over the labor day weekend, we journeyed up into the mountains west of buena vista, colorado to find two famous colorado ghost towns. Colorado is home to 150 recorded town sites and many more abandoned or ghost towns with storied pasts of mining riches, rowdy saloons and outlaw showdowns. Where can i read more about colorado s prairie ghost towns. Camp bird mine established in 1896 by thomas walsh. Get ready for adventure as philip varney and john drew take. Sep 14, 2010 get stopbystop directions for a driving tour of the ghost towns of colorado from national geographics ultimate road trips.
Due to incomplete records and legends that are now accepted as fact, no list will ever be complete. In todays post, ill feature pics from our stop in st. The name came from a town meeting where a mosquito was crushed between pages of a book during the meeting. Jul 18, 2016 colorado is home to numerous ghost towns that are filled with rich history. Ghost towns of the colorado rockies by brown, robert leaman, 1921publication date 1968 topics ghost towns. Gold rush fever marked many of colorados mountain towns in the late 19th. Animas forks is a ghost town located twelve miles 19 km northeast of silverton in san juan county, colorado, united states. One of the indian meanings of keota is the fire has gone out which was quite prophetic for this town. The state of colorado is littered with ghost towns.
In text and photographs he has captured the sense of the historic as well as the nostalgic of a new selection of ghost towns and mining camps that dot the back country byways and high mountain valleys of colorado. Jun 01, 1972 robert leaman brown was a teacher of western and colorado history in the denver school system for thirtythree years and later at the denver center of the university of colorado. Prairie ghost towns of northern colorado in polaroid. Cripple creek colorado colorado river colorado springs ghost towns in colorado abandoned cities red light district le far west the visitors old west april dance hall girl jennie larue and her boyfriend otto floto get into a fightin cripple creek, colorado s redlight district. Colorado ghost towns and historic towns home facebook. Colorado ghost town stock photos download 758 royalty. Distributed by the university of nebraska press for caxton press this is the third in robert browns series of picturesque guidebooks to another era. Founded during the 1870s, pitkin is one of the bestpreserved ghost towns in colorado.
He also travels around the state lecturing on colorado history and. Season 5 episode 4 26m 40s according to the colorado springs gazette, colorado has more than 1,000 ghost towns, over 600 of which have some sort of remains. Ghost town of dearfield negro colony, colorado life. Colorado is full of fascinating ghost towns located throughout the state, some of the best preserved around. Ghost towns of the colorado rockies internet archive. There are a lot of ghost towns in the area to explore. Many are tucked away in the mountains or deep in forests. Colorado ghost towns are equally as famous as the ones found in arizona, and the majority of them have similar histories.
The 5 best colorado ghost towns with photos tripadvisor. This book was prepared by the writers program of the work projects administration in colorado. Colorado ghost towns, mining camps, four wheel drive trips. Robert leaman brown was a teacher of western and colorado history in the denver school system for thirtythree years and later at the denver center of the university of colorado. Get off road, and explore the ultimate ghost towns of colorado on foot, by jeep, or atv to immerse yourself in the history of mining in the west. Ghost towns of colorado writers program of the work. At over 11,000 feet, animas forks is one of the highest mining camps in the western us.
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