Tomboy, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tomboy, Colorado
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Tomboy, circa 1890-1910
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 Tomboy, Colorado
Location in Colorado
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| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | San Miguel |
| Elevation | 11,509 ft (3,508 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 187139 |
Tomboy is a famous ghost town located in San Miguel County, Colorado, United States. A ghost town is a place where people used to live and work, but now it's mostly empty.
This town was once a busy mining community. It sits about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Telluride. Tomboy is very high up in the mountains, at an elevation of 11,509 feet (3,508 meters). This makes it one of the highest ghost towns in the whole United States!
Tomboy's Mining History
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Tomboy was built in a very mountainous area called the Savage Basin. When it first started, people called the settlement "Savage Basin Camp." The main reason people came here was because of the Tomboy Mine. This mine began digging up valuable gold ore in 1894. Soon, the camp grew bigger and became known simply as Tomboy.
Life in a Mining Town
Life in Tomboy was busy. A stagecoach, which was like an old-fashioned bus, came through every day. It brought people and mail to the town. Tomboy had everything a small town needed. There was a general store where people could buy supplies. Children went to a school, and there was a stable for horses. Miners lived in small cabins.
What was really special about Tomboy for a mining town in the 1800s? It had a YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) and even tennis courts! This shows that people in Tomboy tried to have fun and build a community, even in a tough mining environment.
The Mine's Owners and End
In 1897, the Tomboy Mine was sold for a huge amount of money – $2 million! It was bought by the Rothschild family, a very famous and wealthy family from London.
Later, between 1908 and 1914, workers in Tomboy also started processing zinc. This showed that the town's mining efforts were expanding beyond just gold.
The Tomboy Mine kept operating until 1928. Even after the main mining stopped, some work continued in the mine tunnels until 1978.
Tomboy Today
Today, Tomboy is a ghost town. You can still see parts of the old settlement. People who love to hike or drive four-wheel-drive vehicles can visit the area. However, it's important to remember that the land where Tomboy once stood is now privately owned.
