Town at the Top of the World

By Suzanne Norquist

Life at the top of the world isn’t easy, but early Colorado miners were a hearty bunch. If a prospector found gold and silver, a settlement soon followed. Such is the case with Animas Forks, which sits deep in the mountains at 11,200 feet (that’s more than two miles) above sea level. Cold temperatures, coupled with a lack of oxygen and moisture discourage life.


On a warm August afternoon, I stood among the ghost town’s preserved buildings and tried to imagine the bustling community. A few buildings remain standing, thanks to the preservation efforts of The San Juan County Historical Society, the Ghost Town Club of Colorado, and Outward Bound. It is the highlight of the Alpine Loop system of Jeep roads.


The “Three Forks of the Animas” was settled in 1873 by prospectors who wintered there. In 1875, the town changed its name to Animas Forks to accommodate the post office. Apparently, the more descriptive name was too long. By then, a wagon road linked Animas Forks to nearby communities. 

In 1876, Animas Forks boasted 30 cabins, a hotel, a saloon, a post office, and a general store. Before nearby Silverton became an incorporated town, Animas Forks was the San Juan County seat, where court cases were heard. One man who didn't like the outcome of his trial promised, "I'll take this to a higher court!" Responded the wry judge, "There is no higher court in Colorado."

The most photographed structure today is a two-story house built by local merchant William Duncan in 1879. Every time I visit, I stand inside and try to imagine living there.


By 1883, 450 summer residents called Animas Forks home. The Animas Forks Pioneer newspaper operated June 1882 through October 1886.


Most people migrated to nearby Silverton for the winter. Although I’ve been to Silverton in the January, and I wouldn’t call it warm. Harsh winters dominated Animas Forks. In 1884, a 23-day blizzard dropped 25 feet of snow. Locals had to dig tunnels to get from building to building.

The history of most mining towns includes a devastating fire because so many buildings are hastily constructed. Animas Forks is no exception. In 1891, a fire that started in the kitchen of the Kalamazoo Hotel destroyed most of the town. And, like most mining towns, they rebuilt, using better materials.


In 1904, the Silverton Northern Railroad came to Animas Forks. By then, locals enjoyed the use of electricity, telephone, and telegraph. The Gold Prince Mill was the first in Colorado to be built of structural steel. It was the largest mill in the state.


Animas Forks’ prosperity depended on the mines. In 1893, it suffered a recession when silver prices dropped. An upsurge in mining brought the town back to life in the early 1900s. But the high-tech Gold Prince Mill only operated for six years. By 1910, most of the mining had stopped in the area. Animas Forks was a ghost town by the 1920s.

Thankfully, some buildings still stand. A visit to the site brings this writer’s imagination to life. But I only visit in the summer, and even then, thunderstorms roll through most afternoons.

***

Suzanne Norquist is the author of two novellas, “A Song for Rose” in A Bouquet of Brides Collection and “Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection. Everything fascinates her. She has worked as a chemist, professor, financial analyst, and even earned a doctorate in economics. Research feeds her curiosity, and she shares the adventure with her readers. She lives in New Mexico with her mining engineer husband and has two grown children. When not writing, she explores the mountains, hikes, and attends kickboxing class.

She authors a blog entitled, Ponderings of a BBQ Ph.D.

“Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection

Four historical romances celebrating the arts of sewing and quilting.

Mending Sarah’s Heart by Suzanne Norquist

Rockledge, Colorado, 1884

Sarah seeks a quiet life as a seamstress. She doesn’t need anyone, especially her dead husband’s partner. If only the Emporium of Fashion would stop stealing her customers and the local hoodlums would leave her sons alone. When she rejects her husband’s share of the mine, his partner Jack seeks to serve her through other means. But will his efforts only push her further away?

For a Free Preview, click here: http://a.co/1ZtSRkK

Not Your Ordinary Dance Hall Girls

By Suzanne Norquist

Movies and books portray the female population of western mining towns as a few “proper ladies” and a plethora of soiled doves. Modern media ignores another kind of dance hall girl, the Hurdy Gurdy Girls. A fun sounding name if I’ve ever heard one.



They were musicians and dancers who traveled west to earn money for their families. Often a group of four girls came with a chaperone, perhaps a married couple. An agent would make arrangements.

The original Hurdy Gurdy Girls helped to sell wooden brooms in Germany in the 1820s. Like beautiful models in modern car advertisements, pretty girls playing music attracted customers at the local markets. The instrument of choice was the hurdy gurdy. It’s a complicated contraption with a crank on one side and strings.



Click this link to see a modern hurdy gurdy “girl.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyIXR3s8OtY



The Caribou Sentinel in Bakerville, British Columbia described Hurdy Gurdy Girls as unsophisticated, dressed in bell-shaped skirts and speaking little English. While the girls donned colorful costumes, they often wore heavy boots to protect their feet from clumsy dance partners.



In Bakerville, “dancing on the ceiling” was popular. A miner would swing his partner in the air and see how high her feet would get. The man who could hoist his girl the highest was considered the best dancer.



The girls often adhered to a strict set of rules. Here is what the Alhambra Dance Hall in Silverton, Colorado required:



I have to especially wonder about rule number 3. How did they kick at the orchestra?

It is rumored that during one of the wild dances, a Hurdy Gurdy Girl kicked a ceiling lantern, starting a fire that nearly burned down Bakersville.

After a time, dance halls became known as Hurdy Gurdies and entertainers were Hurdy Gurdy Girls, even those not from Germany. Dora Hand was well-known in Dodge City. After training as an opera singer, she moved west from Boston to battle tuberculosis. There she sang at the Lady Gay Saloon and used her influence to help the needy.



The miners considered them to be good women. Governor William McConnell of Idaho wrote, “These girls were pure women, who had kind hearts and wonderful patience. They simply did the work they had bargained to do, and when their contracts expired, most of them returned home.”



Proper ladies snubbed them for their presence in the saloons and their style of dress. In 1867, the Caribou Sentinel reported, “Mrs. Partington says that just because the Hurdies are regarded as stars is no reason they should be regarded as heavenly bodies.”



Over time, the Hurdies were absorbed into the dance hall scene and became indistinguishable from the other women who worked there. And, perhaps as women were allowed into other parts of the workforce, they no longer needed to perform in saloons to earn money.

Regardless, these ladies aren’t your ordinary dance hall girls. 

***


Suzanne Norquist is the author of two novellas, “A Song for Rose” in A Bouquet of Brides Collection and “Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection. Everything fascinates her. She has worked as a chemist, professor, financial analyst, and even earned a doctorate in economics. Research feeds her curiosity, and she shares the adventure with her readers. She lives in New Mexico with her mining engineer husband and has two grown children. When not writing, she explores the mountains, hikes, and attends kickboxing class.

She authors a blog entitled, Ponderings of a BBQ Ph.D.


“Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection

Four historical romances celebrating the arts of sewing and quilting.

Mending Sarah’s Heart by Suzanne Norquist

Rockledge, Colorado, 1884

Sarah seeks a quiet life as a seamstress. She doesn’t need anyone, especially her dead husband’s partner. If only the Emporium of Fashion would stop stealing her customers and the local hoodlums would leave her sons alone. When she rejects her husband’s share of the mine, his partner Jack seeks to serve her through other means. But will his efforts only push her further away?

For a Free Preview, click here: http://a.co/1ZtSRkK

Ghost Towns of Colorado

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I began a short series on ghost towns, and began in the central state of Kansas. If you missed that post, you can read it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2019/05/ghost-towns-of-kansas.html.

Since summer break has just begun, I'm going to stick close to home for this month's post. I've spent a bit of time the past 12 years exploring several areas of Colorado and have become increasingly fascinated with its culture, history, and people who made this state what it is today. Let's take a little jaunt into the history of some well-known towns in the Centennial State.

* * * * *

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Year round you can explore some of the best abandoned, old ghost towns throughout the state of Colorado. They are full of history and among the best-preserved in this region. Some high elevation former mining camps are only accessible in the summer. Two-wheel-drive cars will be fine for most, though, some require a high-clearance 4×4 or a hike to access them. These towns were abandoned for different reasons, some due to mining or economic struggles, others due to natural forces like cold winters.

Wouldn't you love to have seen some of these towns in their heyday?

I have several files with research on these, and at some point in the near future, I'll be using these towns as settings for some of my novels highlighting the stories shaping the history of Colorado. So, stay tuned!

ASHCROFT

Ashcroft is a short 10 miles from Colorado’s skiing mecca Aspen and is one of the state’s most well-intact ghost towns. Simply drive down the paved road known as Castle Creek to view Ashcroft. In the late 1800s, Ashcroft was a booming mining town and home to nearly 20 saloons, 2 newspapers, and over 2,500 residents. However, it didn't take long for that boom to diminish. As the 19th century came to an end, mine closures in Aspen led to a fast decline, and only two residents still lived in the town by 1900. The Aspen Historical Society guides a tour through the town’s jail, hotel, saloons and stable.

ST. ELMO

No, there is no connection to the St. Elmo's Fire movie from 1985 movie or the lightning phenomenon. (grins) An amazing fact about St. Elmo is forty antique buildings still remain in this ghost town. St. Elmo, located west of Buena Vista, sits at 10,000 feet in the Collegiate Peaks. This town was a former gold mining town but it now lives as one of the most well-preserved ghost towns in the Centennial State. The town was founded in 1880 and saw a 3-year boom due to the nearby railroad. However once mine production ceased and the tunnel closed, many residents deserted St. Elmo, and it was all but abandoned by 1922.

INDEPENDENCE

This small town is located high in the mountains near Independence Pass. Gold miners were drawn to Independence in the late 1800s because of its location and the rich veins that were found in nearby areas. In its heyday, more than 1,500 residents lived in Independence. Due to harsh winters, a rough route for stagecoach riders, and the proximity to the commercial hub of Aspen, Independence saw a huge decline. Only one resident was found still living in Independence in 1899. Now, the Aspen Historical Society gives tours of this ghost town where several log cabins are still found in the area.

TINCUP

Tincup, near Gunnison, is proof that the Wild West existed. Founded in 1879 with the name Virginia City, Tincup grew among rowdy cowboys and gold miners. Since there were towns in both Nevada and Montana with the same name, Tincup was chosen as the new name because the first person to find gold there panned it out of Willow Creek and carried it in a tin cup. Tincup was a wild city full of gunfights and bar feuds. Still today, a few people actually reside in Tincup. Old buildings have been preserved, and there are even vacation homes for travelers.

ALTA

Located 10 miles from the town of Telluride, Alta was once a booming mining town from 1877 to 1940. Alta is another Colorado ghost town that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors to this ghost town can see many of the original buildings, which look spectacular against the town’s mountain scenery. Alta’s demise was caused by a slowing mining industry, a fire that destroyed Alta’s main mill and vandalism during the 20th century.

DEARFIELD

Approximately 700 African Americans settled in Dearfield in the early 1900s. This ghost town is known as Colorado’s only all-black settlement. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl caused residents to vacate this eastern Colorado town, which is located 25 miles east of Greeley. However, three structures still stand in Dearfield, a gas station, diner and a home. Efforts are now being undertaken to preserve this unique Colorado ghost town.

* * * * *

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* Have you read any books with a former real-life setting that is now a ghost town?

* Which of the towns featured in today's post would you put on your "must-see" if you were traveling through Colorado?

* What was your favorite part about today's post?

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BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an award-winning and best-selling author and speaker who is also an advocate for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books. On the side, she dabbles in the health & wellness and personal development industries, helping others become their best from the inside out.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children and two dogs in Colorado. She has sold twenty (21) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, and LinkedIn

A Virtual Paradise

CFHS blog's new name...September 8th

 "As soon as a peep of light shined, I climbed on my horse and led the burros to the trail that veered up the mountain past some old buildings and a stone oven and prospectors who weren't the friendly sort. All day I watched for signs. A shaggy head shaped boulder. Stubby pines like a miniature forest. The ground turning red. A triple crown from the Silver Peak mountain range. I knew I was close.”

(quote by Seth Stroud, an excerpt from Wind in the Wires, Book 1, A Trails of Reba Cahill Novel, by Janet Chester Bly)

The very first novel research trip I took alone was to the remote, high desert location of Silver Peak, one of the oldest mining communities in Nevada. Several of the characters in the novel I'm working on, Wind in the Wires, take a fateful journey there. A climax of discovery in the story happens in that area.

Cinder Cone

From Tonopah, I saw a panorama of multiple layered mountain ranges like washboard. Clouds of dust could be seen thirty miles away. Black cows roamed around small, scruffy sage.

Out of Goldfield off Highway 95 on Road 265, I traveled on a road across marsh flats. The route littered with miles of bottles, whole and broken, and beer cans. And water mirages. And open range cattle. I spotted a small herd of camels next to burros. Tiny sage grew barely high enough for a desert rat.

Just outside of town, Alcatraz Island, a marshy area with huge tailings mounded against the base of the mountains. A city sign announced, "Welcome to Silver Peak...A Virtual Paradise.” At least one resident had a sense of humor in the population of 107.

Another on the road warned, “Caution: Minimum Maintenance Only.” Very few side roads exist because a) terrain too rough, and b) no place to go.

A man on a horse with bedroll in back, tarp in front, entered the village ahead of me. Out in the dirt, young men raced pickups like hot rods. Wild horses roam all over. Hearing tales of a "Wild Horse Johnson” in the 1940s and 50s gave me an idea for a character.

From a hill north of town I could see all of the town and the marshy surroundings.

Silver Peak, Nevada

Like most modern mining camps, trailers and single-wide mobile homes in varying degrees of quality and repair replace tents. Residents can still pick up and leave in a hurry. Also, small adobe shacks with sheet metal patched roofs. The desert harshness draws them, them repels them, and sometimes destroys them.

A local told me, “When this place was humming the whole mountain range vibrated.”

Silver Peak has been a mining town off and on since 1863. Remains of at least five mills still are visible among the more recent structures. Olympic Games organizer Avery Brundage once operated one of the mills.

The town boasts an elementary school - Grades K-8 - and several children's parks and play areas. There’s an Esmeralda County school bus. A power company substation. A fire department and phone booths. A saloon is a former schoolhouse. There’s also a church.

Silver Peak has a resident deputy and volunteer EMTs. The nearest hospital is in Bishop, California, more than a hundred miles away.

The oldest structure was a store and stage stop in 1864. The original one-room post office still stands next to a modern replacement, a single-wide mobile home. When I was there, I saw four mules lounged in front, tied, tethered, and loaded with bundles. When I first visited in 1991, the postmaster had served since 1939. A wealth of local history.

Out on the marsh they mine for lithium, a soft silver white metal, by extracting it from the brine evaporating in

Lithium operation

the pond system. This is the only lithium recovery process of this type in the U.S. Lime deposits nearby found in 1868. At first, processing difficulties discouraged major silver mining, but high grade horn silver was discovered in 1908. The last silver mine closed down about 1992.
There used to be mineral hot springs and bathtub sized ponds. Springs even ran into houses. But drilling dried it all up. Wood litter at old houses exposes former wooden tubs.

A dark brown-black cinder cone grows sagebrush along the sides. It looks like a huge decaying beast and

Lithium sample

could be mistaken for a gorilla's head. A memorable climb to the top with quite impressive view. I almost got stuck in the sinking cinders.

Ten miles south a large sand dune area visible. Can hike over it but driving on the soft blow sand not advised. I declined the hike after the cinder cone adventure.

Flash floods can be an extreme problem for the alkali ground. Water stands even a week after rain, leaving a sticky, slimy gumbo. So, of course, a flash flood occurs in Wind in the Wires.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Janet Chester Bly

Janet Chester Bly is the widow of award-winning western author Stephen Bly. Together they published and co-wrote over 120 fiction and nonfiction books. Wind in the Wires will be her first solo adult fiction. For news of its soon release, sign up for the Bly Books Almost Monthly Newsletter: http://www.blybooks.com/contact/stephen-bly-books-newsletter/
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