|
  |
|
|
Animas Forks, A Ghost Town Worth Exploring
By Eliza Bicknell of Lotus Petal Yoga
Nestled just outside the charming mountain town of Silverton, Colorado, lies a ghost town worthy of a family adventure. In fact, just to get there is an adventure in and of itself. Rustic county road 2 from Silverton winds its way up though majestic alpine scenery lined with snow capped peaks, lush waterfalls and crisp mountain air. At 11,200 feet, Animas Forks sits amongst the trees, lush grasses and colorful flowers. 13 buildings and historic mining artifacts are scattered throughout the town which you can explore on a walking tour. Animas Forks was once a booming high elevation mountain town with a population of 450, many of whom were year round residents. It reached its hey day when the Animas Forks Pioneer was published (From June 1882 – October 1886) making it the highest-elevation newspaper printing press in the United States. The first cabin to be built in Animas Forks was in 1873 and by 1876 the town boasted having a general store, saloon, post office, and 30 cabins. The wagon road that led to Animas Forks over Cinnamon pass was less rugged than the route to the south, therefore, miners, mail and supplies came through this way. Exploratory mines, mills, and speculative ventures led to rapid growth of the small town but declined when profits did not justify the investments. Animas Forks had a short rebound in 1904 when the Gold Prince Mill was developed to process ore from the Gold Prince Mine in Placer Gulch. Ore from the mill was obtained by a 12,600 foot aerial tram that was angled at a station to change direction in route. Ore was sent northeasterly from the mine portal then changed to an easterly direction as it came around the side of Treasure Mountain. The ore then continued in tram buckets in a straight line to the mill. In 1893, the Silverton Northern Railroad, envisioned by Otto Mears, was laid from Silverton to the Silver Lake Mill. It was then extended to Eureka in 1896 when that region showed good ore. In 1904, the route was extended to Animas forks which ended up being the northern terminus for the railroad and also the highest grade attainable (7%) by a narrow gauge railroad. Currently, 13 buildings and historical artifacts can be seen on a walking tour of Animas Forks. The original buildings were constructed from the once forested hillsides. Many of the original buildings were destroyed in a fire of 1891 that spread from the kitchen of the Kalamazoo Hotel but some of the original structures remain. The buildings that remain, many of which are currently privately owned, have been stabilized and repaired by the Bureau of Land Management and the San Juan Historical Society. The Gold Prince Mill was relocated to Eureka while some other buildings have been damaged by heavy snowfall and vandals. . Buildings that can be seen on a walking tour include the Duncan House, This Old House, the Carriage House, Gustavson House, and The Hip Roof House, all thought to be private residences. The Gold Prince Boarding House where 150 men from the Gold Prince Mill were housed can be seen as well as the Gold Prince Mill site. The Log Building is the remains of the general store constructed around 1888. The Animas Forks Jail as well as the Gold Prince Arial Tram, Columbus Mine and Mill can also be seen.
|
Contributor's Note
We just returned from a family vacation in Southwestern Colorado and discovered Animas Forks. We enjoyed a nice picnic and short hike in the area as well as some exploration of the mines and rock hounding. On the drive down we got 2 flat tires at the same time adding to the adventure!
|
|
PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
No reactions yet.
Please login or sign up to rate this intel.
Please login or sign up to add a comment.
Thanks for the tour, Eliza. I've never been to a ghost town, but I pass one on my way to the Superstition Mountains in Arizona just outside Phoenix.
Animas Forks looks like it would be a very harsh environment in the winter. You had to really want to be there...
Thanks for sharing the history and photo of Animas Forks. Looks like beautiful country to enjoy for a family vacation!
The copyright for this content entitled "Animas Forks, A Ghost Town Worth Exploring" has been specified by the contributor as:
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Details 
This content may be copied, distributed, and modified, as long as a) the original author is acknowledged with a link back to the content page, and b) if the work is modified, the result is distributed with this same license.
If you use this content according to the license specified, you must link to the following URL:
http://lotuspetal.qondio.com/
|
 |
May, 2012
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May
|
|
Not a member yet?
Qondio is a powerful network for making it online. If you have a website to
promote, we can help.
Sign up and get in on the action.
|
|
Welcome to Qondio! Discover the awesome power this network can deliver by going to our About page. Or you could skip straight to the Sign Up form.
|
|
