Archive for December, 2013

The Forgotten Stagecoach Stop of Harvard City on the Way to Tin Cup, Colorado

Posted: December 19, 2013 in Ghost Towns
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The road over Cottonwood Pass west of Buena Vista, Colorado is traveled by thousands every summer on the way to and from scenic Taylor Park, Cottonwood and Rainbow Lakes, and the numerous campground throughout the valley.  This is one of the more picturesque regions of Colorado, surrounded by the 14,000 foot snow capped summits of the collegiate peaks, and bordered by alternating stands of Aspen and dense pine, broken up by meadows with small trout filled streams and beaver ponds.

One hundred and fifty years ago, during the early days of the Colorado Gold Rush, Cottonwood Pass served as a major artery for prospectors seeking fortune deep in the Colorado mountains. From the Arkansas River valley gold hunters would traverse Cottonwood Pass on their way to the mines in Taylor Park, and the town of Tin Cup that sprang up later in the century. An important stagecoach stop sprang up on the east side of Cottonwood Pass just before the long and steep ascent to the top. The stop was named Harvard City, and for a few years from the 1860’s to 1880’s a small community flourished there, offering supplies and provisions for the hearty souls venturing over the pass.

Today as tourists and campers buzz down the road, few if any, stop to admire a few tumbledown buildings on the side of the road.  What looks to most like a pile of rubbish and an eyesore is actually the remains of the Harvard City stagecoach depot.

Harvard City Stagecoach Depot

Harvard City Stagecoach Depot

Harvard City

Harvard City

Harvard City

Harvard City

Tin Cup, Colorado

Tin Cup, Colorado

Tin Cup

Tin Cup

Tin Cup

Tin Cup

Tin Cup

Tin Cup

Tin Cup, Colorado

Tin Cup, Colorado

My books “Life. Death. Iron.” are available at:

http://www.blurb.com/user/Vicha603

The Misunderstood Structure at Crystal City, Colorado and the Rest of the Town Seldom Photographed

Posted: December 18, 2013 in Ghost Towns, Mines, Mills and Smelters, Mining Camps
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There is a famous old building located along the Crystal River, along a hellish and brutal 4X4 trail seven miles above Marble, Colorado. Nestled in a  remote and remarkably beautiful canyon is the Crystal City turbine house and the accompanying ghost town of the same name.

The turbine house is a favorite target of photographers and tourists in the area and it is truly a fantastic structure dating back to 1893.  The turbine house has graced the pages of many Colorado ghost town books and travel brochures, but few actually know what the odd building sitting on the edge of the cliff overlooking the turquoise waters below is.  Some identify it as a pump house, others say a water wheel used to accompany the structure.

Actually, the photogenic building was a hydroelectric power plant built in 1893.  The “ladder” (as described by many) that leads down to the Crystal River below housed a shaft that was in turn spun by the current of the river. The rotation of the shaft spun a turbine which generated electricity inside the building sitting on the cliff. The electricity produced provided power for the isolated town of Crystal City.

Today, most people stop at the turbine house take a few photos and turn around to brave the harrowing 7-mile 4X4 trek back to Marble, Colorado.  But continuing on past the turbine house you’ll find the remains of Crystal City, and even one or two summer time residents.

Below is a “then” and “now” photo of the turbine house at Crystal City, Colorado as well as photos of the little known ghost town above the turbine house.  All photos were taken by me last fall.

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Skeleton of a Wild West Town: Granite, Colorado

Posted: December 12, 2013 in Cemeteries and Graves
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On the road between Leadville and Buena Vista, Colorado, along the banks of the Arkansas River you’ll find the skeletal remains of Granite.  For a few years in the mid to late 1800’s Granite was a busy town, serving as a both a supply station to and from the mining camps of the Arkansas River valley, and as a mining camp itself.  Granite was a true “Wild West” town, it’s citizens taking the law into their own hands and murdering the town judge after he struck his gavel with an unpopular decision.  Today, Granite is just a wide spot in the road where fly fisherman park and wade the Arkansas.  A handful of original buildings dating to the 1860’s remain, as well some newer ones and a few residents.

Old storefront in Granite

Old storefront in Granite

Cabin in Granite

Cabin in Granite

Cellar door under a barn, Granite, Colorado

Cellar door under a barn, Granite, Colorado

Barn, cellar and outhouse, Granite, Colorado

Barn, cellar and outhouse, Granite, Colorado

gr7gr8http://www.blurb.com/user/Vicha603

The Lonely Last Resident of Malta- Still Standing Tall at 112 Years Old

Posted: December 11, 2013 in Ghost Towns
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Just southwest of Leadville, Colorado, shortly after you drive through  the dingy black slag piles and the tumbledown buildings of Stringtown (Leadville’s smelter community during the mining days) a sharp eye will notice a beautiful red and white schoolhouse standing forlorn on the side of the highway.

This is the last remnant of Malta, Colorado, a once important town in the silver boom years in the region. The schoolhouse was built in 1902, and has stood the test of time. The rest of the town and it’s residents are long gone, but the old schoolhouse still remains to mark the spot of Malta.

Schoolhouse at Malta

Schoolhouse at Malta

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Ghost Buildings of Colorado’s Eastern Plains- A Few Random Images

Posted: December 11, 2013 in Ghost Towns
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I hopped in my Dodge on a bitter cold morning in early November. Being a night shift worker, I was battling another bout of insomnia, and I decided to hit the road for parts unknown instead of tossing and turning in bed until sunrise.  I rolled east down Interstate-76, and headed for the northeast corner of Colorado. Well before dawn the city lights of Denver vanished in the rear view mirror and I hummed down the highway alone.

The school house is all that remains of Buckingham, long abandoned, the rest of the town was lost to a prairie fire.

The school house is all that remains of Buckingham, long abandoned, the rest of the town was lost to a prairie fire.

Abandoned farm house near Grover
Abandoned farm house near Grover

Grover railroad depot built in 1888

Grover railroad depot built in 1888

Dearfield Negro Colony

Dearfield Negro Colony

Main Street Keota

Main Street Keota

Keota

Keota

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My Second Book “Life. Death. Iron. Volume II: DEATH” is Now On Sale!

Posted: December 9, 2013 in Cemeteries and Graves
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The second book of my three part series “Life. Death. Iron.” is now available through the publisher (Volume I: LIFE is also available)

“Volume II: DEATH” showcases the forgotten graveyards of the High Plains, Rocky Mountains and Desert Southwest.  Price is $29.99

http://www.blurb.com/b/4894609-life-death-iron-volume-ii-death

deathpv