Tarryall, Colorado (ghost town) facts for kids
Tarryall is a ghost town in Colorado, United States. It is located in the northwest part of Park County, near Tarryall Creek. A ghost town is a place that used to be a busy town but is now completely empty. Tarryall was once an important place, even serving as the main town for Park County for a short time.
The Story of Tarryall
Gold Rush Excitement
Tarryall was founded in 1859. This was during the exciting time of the Colorado Gold Rush. People discovered gold in Tarryall Creek, which is a type of gold called "placer gold." This kind of gold is found in loose bits in riverbeds.
When news of the gold spread, many prospectors (people looking for gold) rushed into an area called South Park. They came through mountain passes like Ute Pass and Kenosha Pass.
"Grab All" and "Fairplay"
Most of the new miners found that all the good land for mining along Tarryall Creek was already taken. The earlier miners had claimed a lot of land. This made the new arrivals upset. They felt the first miners had claimed too much, more than one person could possibly work. Because of this, latecomers started calling Tarryall "Grab All."
Not far away, another mining town was started on the Middle Fork of the South Platte River. This new town was named Fairplay. Its name was a playful jab at Tarryall, suggesting that Fairplay would be a place where everyone got a fair chance.
Town Life and Decline
A United States post office opened in Tarryall on January 4, 1860. For a short time, Tarryall was even the main town, or "county seat," for Park County. This lasted from November 1, 1861, until January 7, 1862. After that, the county seat moved to another town called Laurette, which is also a ghost town now.
Tarryall was located near where the North and Middle Tarryall Creeks meet. At its busiest, Tarryall had thousands of people living there. Today, a marker along U.S. Highway 285 near Como reminds people of the old Tarryall gold diggings and the former town. Many years later, a new town also named Tarryall was founded. This new town is about 29 miles (46.7 km) southeast of the original, now deserted, ghost town.
