Coloma, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Coloma, Montana
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 Coloma, Montana
Location in Montana
Coloma, Montana
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Missoula |
| Established | 1893 |
| Abandoned | 1930s |
| Elevation | 5,928 ft (1,807 m) |
Coloma is a fascinating ghost town located in Montana. A ghost town is a place where people once lived and worked, but it is now mostly empty. Coloma is found in the Garnet Range area of Missoula County. It was first settled in 1893. People came here hoping to find gold!
Coloma: A Montana Ghost Town
Coloma was established in 1893. Not much is known about its early days. It quickly became a center for gold mining. The town grew because of the hope of finding riches.
The Hunt for Gold
From 1896 onwards, Coloma was very busy with gold mining. Miners dug for gold in the ground. It is thought that between $200,000 and $250,000 worth of gold was found. This was a huge amount of money back then!
In 1916, more mining activity happened. A special building called a mill was built. A mill helps to process the rock and get the gold out. Workers also looked for new ore veins. Ore veins are cracks in rocks that contain valuable minerals like gold. These new searches were not very successful.
Later, between 1932 and 1950, people continued to search for gold. This search is called prospecting. Even with these efforts, Coloma slowly became a ghost town. By the 1930s, most people had left.
Uncovering History Today
Even though Coloma is a ghost town, its story is not over. In 2009, scientists started studying the site. Dr. Kelly Dixon and her students from the University of Montana led this work. They are archaeologists. Archaeologists study old places and objects to learn about the past. They dig carefully to find clues about how people lived in Coloma. Their work helps us understand more about Montana's mining history.
