| San
Miguel County TOWNS & CITIES |
Description |
| Alta |
Founded
in 1880 to serve as a stamp mill to the Gold King Mine. An aerial
tram connected the mine, at 11,800' to the mill below. The mill was
closed in 1902 due to a flood, but the mine continued operations
until 1910. The town also served the Alta mine located near the Gold
King at an elevation of 12,000'. A larger mill was built in 1918 and
burned in 1929. In 1937 a third mill was built. The mine and mill
continued operations through WWII, but burned in 1948. Alta is
accessible by a graded dirt road. Some houses remain. |
| Ames |
The
town began as a stage stop in 1880 for a toll road connecting Ouray
and Telluride. In 1885 the town had a population of 200 souls. In
order to generate power for the Gold King mine, the first ac power
plant in the world was constructed here.Later power lines were run
to Telluride and the Savage Basin to the Tomboy Mine. |
| Anderson |
renamed
Illium. See below. |
| Basin |
|
| Beard's
Corner |
|
| Brown |
Abandoned
railroad stop for the Rio Grande Southern on Alder Creek. |
| Bullion
Tunnel |
See
Smuggler |
| Columbia |
renamed
Telluride |
| Egnar |
|
| Fall
Creek |
A small
mining community on the San Miguel River. It was renamed Silver Pick
for a short time. It now is a community of modern homes. |
| Folsom |
See
Pandora |
| Ilium |
Originally
named Anderson, the town began as a settlement for homesteaders
along the San Miguel River. The name was changed to Ilium when the
railroad arrived. There was a post office which closed in 1894 and
reopened in 1910. In 1900 a power plant was built. A flood destroyed
much of the town and the power plant in 1909. In 1963 the site
became a boys home when it was purchased by the Episcopalian church. |
| Haskell's
Spur |
See
Leonard. |
| Keystone |
Located
on the San Miguel River just west of Society Turn. It was the site
of hydraulic mining between 1879-1887. The site is now abandoned. |
| Leonard |
Ghost
town. Rail station on Sheep Draw Creek near the town of Brown. The
Post Office operated from 1900 to 1940. Also called Haskell's Spur. |
| Liberty
Bell |
The
Liberty Bell lode as discovered in 1876 by W.L. Cornett. The town
had a mill to serve the mine and the ore was lowered to the town via
an aerial tram. It was the site of a massive avalanche that killed
16 people in 1902. Modern homes are now located there. |
| Lime |
|
| Matterhorn |
Also
called San Bernardo, it served the San Bernardo Mine. The mine was
developed in 188 and operated until 1909, when Trout Lake flooded
it. It continued to operate sporadically and in 1920 a new mill was
built. In 1961 it was renovated and ceased operations in 1969.
Little remains of the town. |
| Mountain
Village |
Established
as a mountain resort village town after Telluride Ski Area was
completed in 1972. |
| Newmire |
See
Vanadium |
| Newport |
See
Pandora |
| Noel |
|
| Norwood |
|
| Ophir
(old) |
Founded
in 1875 as a small mining community in an avalanche prone area in
the Howard Fork valley. In 1881 it was a stopping place for
travelers on their way to Silverton. The Post Office was open
1878-1918. It was abandoned by 1942, but in 1946 the Silver Bell
mine went into opertion again. After 1954 it was seasonally
inhabited. Upon opening the Telluride Ski Area in 1972 the town
became popular and now has about 100 permanent residents. |
| Ophir
Loop (new) |
Created
in 1891 when the Rio Grande Southern reached the site. Named for the
railroad loop that was built for locomotives to gain elevation to
traverse Lizard Head Pass. |
| Pandora |
Formerly
known as Newport and Folsom, it was a founded in 1881. Eventually it
became a mill town, serving the Smuggler-Union, Sheridan and Tomboy
mines. The Rio Grande Southern reached the site in 1890. No
remaining buildings. |
| Placerville |
Began
as a placer mining camp in 1876 when Colonel Baker discovered placer
gold in the San Miguel River. Located at the confluence of Leopard
Creek and the San Miguel River. Still occupied. |
| Sams |
Originally
called Leopard due to its location on Leopard Creek northeast of
Placerville. Post Office open1890-1892 and re-opened 1903-1919 as
the town of Sams. The place had a ski tow at one time. Abandoned. |
| San
Bernardo |
see
Matterhorn |
| San
Miguel City |
Founded
by Thomas Lowthain, FP Brown and JH Mitchell in August 1876 to serve
area mines. Abandoned. |
| Savage
Basin Camp |
See
Tomboy |
| Sawpit |
Originally
named Seymour, it was founded in 1892 as a Rio Grande Southern rail
stop. James Black discovered the Champion Belle lode in 1895. It
contained a ball mill to process ore from the mine. The site now
contains modern homes. |
| Seymour |
See
Sawpit |
| Silver
Pick |
See
Fall Creek |
| Smuggler |
Company
store, boardinghouse and post office to service the Smuggler-Union
Mine. Abandoned in 1928. Some remains, including part of the crusher
house at the Bullion Tunnel. |
| Telluride |
Originally
founded as Columbia in 1878, as a mining community and waystop on
the toll road to Ophir. In 1883 San Miguel County was carved out of
Dolores County and Telluride became the County Seat. In 1972 it
became a ski town with completion of Telluride Ski Area. It is now a
resort and home to the rich and famous. |
| Tomboy |
Also
called Savage Basin Camp. This 11,500' high mining community began
operations in 1894 to serve the Tomboy Mine. The mine operated until
1978. Little remains and the site is undergoing enviromental
remediation. |
| Trout
Lake |
Although
it had a post office as early as 1882, it was really just a group of
cabins on Trout Lake. |
| Vanadium |
Originally
called Newmire, it was located at the confluence of Big Bear Creek
and the San Miguel River. In 1898 a mill was built to process
vanadiuma nd carnotite ores. Later it processed uranium. Abandoned. |
| Vance
Junction |
Named
for Colonel Vance, the town was originally a rail stop for the Rio
Grande Southern railway. |
Telluride,
Colorado Founded 1878, Elev. 8745 
