Saint Elmo, Colorado
Saint Elmo Historic District | |
![]() Buildings along Main Street | |
Location | Pitkin, Gunnison, 1st., Main and Poplar Sts., Saint Elmo, Colorado |
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Coordinates | 38°42′17″N 106°20′42″W / 38.70472°N 106.34500°W |
Area | 70 acres (28 ha) |
NRHP reference No. | 79000577[1] |
CSRHP No. | 5CF.139 |
Added to NRHP | September 17, 1979 |
Saint Elmo is a
History
Saint Elmo was originally named Forest City but was later changed because of the multitude of towns with the same name. The name Saint Elmo was chosen by Griffith Evans, one of the founding fathers, who was reading a novel with the same title.[3]
The town was at its peak in the 1890s, when it included a
Once the mining industry shut down, Saint Elmo drastically declined in population. Miners searched elsewhere for gold and silver and the business district in Saint Elmo closed down as well. Few people continued to live in the town. Postal service was discontinued in 1952 after the death of Saint Elmo's postmaster.
Saint Elmo today
Saint Elmo is considered a ghost town, though it is still inhabited. Many tourists visit Saint Elmo, and the former mining roads are now used as off-road vehicle trails. There are places to fish along Chalk Creek, which runs through Saint Elmo. The general store is open during the summer, when tourists can rent off-road vehicles or buy items. Many buildings are extant, though the town hall and a few other buildings were destroyed by fire in 2002. Buena Vista Heritage is rebuilding the town hall to its original state.
Gallery
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The town hall and jail
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Gasoline filling station
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General store
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House with bay window
See also
References
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Saint Elmo (historical)
- ^ Legends of America - A Travel Site for the Nostalgic and Historic Minded
- OCLC 903599083.
- ^ Saint Elmo, Colorado - A Photo Gallery