Pandora, Colorado facts for kids
Pandora is a small, undeveloped place in San Miguel County, Colorado. It is located about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Telluride. An "unincorporated community" means it does not have its own local government.
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Discovering Pandora's Past
Pandora began in the 1880s as a "mill town." This means it was a community built around large mills. These mills processed ore from nearby mines. They helped extract valuable metals like gold and silver.
How Pandora Started
The town was home to mills for important mines. These included the Smuggler-Union, Tomboy, and Sheridan mines. A special train line, the Rio Grande Southern railroad, ended right at these mills. This made it easy to transport the processed metals.
The Pandora Mill
The original Smuggler mill burned down. So, a new one called the Pandora Mill was built in 1920. This mill was very busy for many years. It helped process the valuable ore from the mines.
Why the Mill Stayed Open During WWII
Most precious metal mines closed during World War II. The government ordered them to stop. This was because the country needed to focus on materials for the war. However, the Pandora Mill was special. It was one of the few gold mills allowed to stay open. This was because the ore it processed also contained lead and zinc. These metals were very important for the war effort. They were used to make weapons and other supplies.
Pandora Today
The Pandora Mill stopped working in 1978. Over the years, the area became covered in "mill tailings." These are the waste materials left over after ore is processed.
Recently, a company called Idarado has been cleaning up these tailings. This process is called "reclaiming." It helps make the land safe and usable again. People hope that new homes will be built in Pandora soon. There is also a group, the Telluride Historical Museum, working to save the old mill building. They want to preserve this important piece of history.
