Saint Elmo, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Saint Elmo Historic District
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Buildings along Main Street
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 Location in Colorado
Location in the United States
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| Location | Pitkin, Gunnison, 1st., Main and Poplar Sts., Saint Elmo, Colorado |
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| Area | 70 acres (28 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000577 |
| Added to NRHP | September 17, 1979 |
Saint Elmo is a famous ghost town located in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. It was founded in 1880. This old town sits high up in the mountains, about 20 miles southwest of Buena Vista. It's nearly 10,000 feet above sea level!
Almost 2,000 people moved to Saint Elmo when they started finding gold and silver there. But the mining business slowed down in the early 1920s. By 1922, the train service stopped coming to the town. Today, Saint Elmo is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is known as the Saint Elmo Historic District. It's one of the best-kept ghost towns in Colorado.
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The Story of Saint Elmo
Saint Elmo was first called Forest City. But there were many other towns with that same name. So, one of the founders, Griffith Evans, chose a new name. He was reading a book called Saint Elmo and liked the title.
Life in the 1890s
The town was busiest in the 1890s. Back then, Saint Elmo had a telegraph office, a general store, and a town hall. There were also five hotels, many saloons, and places for dancing. The town even had its own newspaper. It was called the St. Elmo Mountaineer. This newspaper started in August 1880 and reported on mining news until 1895.
The Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad train line went right through Saint Elmo. There were 150 official mine claims in the area. Most people in Saint Elmo worked in mines like the Mary Murphy, Teresa C., The Molly, or Pioneer Mines.
The Mary Murphy Mine
The Mary Murphy Mine was the biggest and most successful mine nearby. It found over $60 million worth of gold while it was open! While other mines eventually closed, the Mary Murphy Mine kept going. It only stopped when the train service was removed in 1922.
Why the Town Became a Ghost Town
When the mining business ended, Saint Elmo's population dropped a lot. Miners left to find gold and silver in other places. The shops and businesses in Saint Elmo also closed down. Only a few people stayed in the town. Mail service stopped completely in 1952. This happened after the last postmaster of Saint Elmo passed away.
Saint Elmo Today
Even though Saint Elmo is called a ghost town, some people still live there. Many tourists visit Saint Elmo every year. The old roads that miners used are now popular trails for off-road vehicles.
You can also go fishing along Chalk Creek, which flows through Saint Elmo. The general store is open during the summer months. Visitors can rent off-road vehicles or buy souvenirs there. Many of the original buildings are still standing. Sadly, the town hall and a few other buildings were destroyed by a fire in 2002. But a group called Buena Vista Heritage is working to rebuild the town hall to look just like it used to.
Gallery
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Saint Elmo
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The town hall and jail
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Gasoline filling station
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General store
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House with bay window
See also
In Spanish: St. Elmo para niños
