Kokomo, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kokomo
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Mining ghost town
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The Kokomo historical marker along State Highway 91
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 Kokomo
Location in Colorado
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| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | Summit |
| Elevation | 10,695 ft (3,260 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP codes |
80424
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| GNIS feature ID | 179601 |
Kokomo is a ghost town in Summit County, Colorado. It was once a busy mining town where people searched for silver and gold. Before the 1960s, when most people moved away, Kokomo was home to over 10,000 residents.
History of Kokomo
The town of Kokomo got its name from a nearby place called Kokomo Gulch. This gulch was named after the city of Kokomo, Indiana.
Early Mining Days
People first found small amounts of gold here in the 1860s. However, serious mining did not really start until 1877. This was after a big increase in mining activity in Leadville, another mining town.
A post office opened in Kokomo in 1879. It stayed open for a long time, finally closing in 1965. A nearby community called Recen was very closely connected to Kokomo.
Fires and Changes
The original town of Kokomo was built mostly from wood. Sadly, it burned down in 1879. The town burned again in 1881. These fires led to a decline in Kokomo and caused it to merge with the community of Recen.
Also in 1881, the first meeting of the Free Mason group took place in Kokomo. A special building for their meetings, called a lodge, opened in 1882. Today, a historical marker near the old town site remembers this lodge, which was active until 1966.
Highest Town and Final Days
In the 1890s, Kokomo was known for being the highest incorporated town in Colorado. It was located at an elevation of 10,618 feet (about 3,236 meters).
By the 1960s, no one lived in Kokomo anymore. The land was bought by the Climax Molybdenum Company. They used the area as a place to dump tailings, which are the waste materials left over after mining.
