Poudre City, Colorado facts for kids
Poudre City was a ghost town in the Rocky Mountains of northwestern Larimer County, Colorado, United States. It started in 1890 because of a mill that crushed rock to find gold. But the town was wiped out on June 10, 1891, when the Chambers Lake dam broke. The flood rushed down the Poudre Canyon, destroying everything. Today, only the chimney from the old mill is left.
The Story of Poudre City
In the late 1800s, many people believed there was gold hidden in the Larimer County hills and the Poudre Canyon. These gold seekers, called prospectors, moved to the area hoping to strike it rich.
In 1890, a man named John Zimmerman built a special machine called a stamp mill. This mill had five heavy stamps that would crush rocks, called ore, to get the gold out. Around this mill, a small town quickly grew. It had a saloon, a general store, a hotel, and homes for the people who lived and worked there.
Why the Gold Rush Ended
Soon after the mill was built, people realized there wasn't much gold in the rocks after all. John Zimmerman sold the mill and moved on to other projects in the area.
The Dam Disaster
In 1891, John Zimmerman checked the dam at Chambers Lake. He saw that it was too small and looked like it might break. He even warned the company that owned the lake, the Larimer County Ditch Company, and hosted their chief engineer, William Rist. But nothing was done to fix the dam.
On the morning of June 10, 1891, the dam finally burst. Poudre City was right next to the Poudre River, directly downstream from Chambers Lake, making it very vulnerable. John Zimmerman was working about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) upstream that morning when he heard the loud sound of water rushing down the canyon. He quickly rode into town to warn everyone to run to higher ground.
The massive flood waters swept through Poudre City, destroying the entire town. Nothing was left except for the strong chimney of the stamp mill, which you can still see today.
In 1973, the Colorado State Historical Society placed a special plaque at the base of the mill's chimney to remember the town and its history.
