Saints John, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Saints John
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Mining ghost town
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View of Saints John around 1880
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 Saints John
Location in Colorado
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| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | Summit |
| Elevation | 10,764 ft (3,281 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 182364 |
Saints John, once known as Coleyville, is a fascinating former silver-mining town in Summit County, Colorado. It's often called a 'ghost town' because most people have moved away. Saints John is famous for being one of the first places where silver was found in Colorado. Even though it's not a busy town anymore, a few people still live there today, not far from the town of Montezuma.
Contents
Exploring the History of Saints John
Saints John has a rich past tied to the exciting search for silver. It started with a big discovery that changed the area.
The First Silver Discovery
Around 1863 or 1864, a prospector named Coley found silver. He found it on the side of Glacier Mountain. Coley even built a simple furnace to get the silver out of the rocks.
Soon, other prospectors came to the area. One of them was John Cullom. He found a very rich silver deposit called the Saints John Lode.
How the Town Grew
In 1867, John Cullom sold his silver discovery. He sold it to the Boston Silver Mining Company. This company built a large mill to process the silver ore.
A town quickly grew up next to this mill. It was first called Coleyville, after the first silver finder. Mining silver from Glacier Mountain was often expensive. It was also hard work for the 50 people living there in the early years.
Saints John Becomes a Town
By 1870, the town's name had changed to Saints John. Local Masons helped give it this new name. At that time, 71 people lived there. This made it the largest official town in Summit County.
The End of Mining
The town's success depended on the Saints John mine. When the mine stopped working in 1928, most people left. Many moved to the nearby town of Montezuma.
Today, you can still see some buildings from the past. These include the home of the mine's manager. You can also see the ruins of old mining structures.
Where is Saints John Located?
Saints John is located at 39°34′18″N 105°52′54″W / 39.57167°N 105.88167°W. It sits very high up, at 10,764 feet (3,281 meters) above sea level.
You can reach the site by taking a dirt road. This road starts from the town of Montezuma. Saints John Creek flows through both the old ghost town and present-day Montezuma.
