Ashcroft, Colorado
Ashcroft, Colorado | |
Location | Pitkin County, Colorado, United States |
---|---|
Nearest city | Aspen |
Coordinates | 39°03′13″N 106°47′59″W / 39.0536°N 106.7997°W |
Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha)[2] |
Built | 1879 |
NRHP reference No. | 75000533[1] |
Added to NRHP | May 12, 1975 |
Ashcroft is an
On May 12, 1975, Ashcroft was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The townsite is located 10 miles (16 km) south of Aspen, Colorado, at an elevation of 9,521 feet (2,902 m). A few buildings remain standing as a testament to the town's past.
History
Early years
In the spring of 1880 two prospectors,
The town was renamed Ashcroft in 1882, after a rich ore strike was uncovered in Montezuma and Tam O'Shanter Mines. The mines were partially owned by
The same year that Tabor visited Ashcroft the town population had risen to around 2,000. Ashcroft was also home to two newspapers, a school,
By 1885 the town was home to between 2,000 and 3,500 people, had six hotels and 20 saloons.[6][5] As quickly as the town went boom it went bust.
Decline
The silver deposits that Culver and Coxhead initially discovered produced 14,000 ounces (396.9 kg) of silver to the ton at their onset. This production, however, was short-lived as the deposits were shallow. Though there were promises of a rail line to Crested Butte the promises never materialized and investors and workers were lured away to places such as Aspen. In 1884 another rich strike was discovered; this one, however, was in Aspen. This led to the end of the prosperity in Ashcroft, as people began moving to Aspen.[4]
By 1885 there were only 100 summer residents and $5.6 in the town coffers.[6] By the turn of the 20th century, only a handful of aging, single men lived in Ashcroft. Though they all owned mining claims they spent most of their time fishing and hunting or reading and drinking in a local bar. The men traded stories for drinks and served as an informal employment agency, matching up men with the sporadic remaining work at the mines. Every four years the remaining citizens would hold municipal elections and choose officers from amongst themselves.[4]
The town's last resident, Jack Leahy, died in 1939, making Ashcroft an official ghost town.[5]
Renewed interest
The 1930s saw a new flurry of interest in the village, with the burgeoning winter Olympics and winter sports that drew attention to Ashcroft. International sportsman Ted Ryan and his partner
During
In 1948, World War II veteran
See also
- Bibliography of Colorado
- Geography of Colorado
- History of Colorado
- Index of Colorado-related articles
- List of Colorado-related lists
- Outline of Colorado
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Markalunas, Ramona (August 27, 1974). "National Register of Historic Places nomination, Ashcroft, Colorado". National Park Service. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
- ISBN 0-918654-42-4.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ashcroft Ghost Town Archived March 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Aspen Historical Society.
- ^ a b c American Memory Collection, Ashcroft, Colorado. Library of Congress
- ^ a b Walter, Claire. "Escape to Ashcroft". Sunset.
External links
- State of Colorado
- Ashcroft Ghost Town - Aspen Historical Society
- Photos of Ashcroft Colorado Ghost Town Site provided by Rocky Mountain Profiles
- Full Resolution Ghost Town and Historic Photos by Coloradopast.com
- Ashcroft, Colorado, on ghosttowns.com.
- Photo Collection of Ashcroft, Declan McCullagh Photography.