Independence, Pitkin County, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Independence is a ghost town
in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located just off State Highway 82
in the eastern corner of Pitkin County
, below the Continental Divide
. It was the first settlement established in the Roaring Fork Valley
, after gold was struck in the vicinity on Independence Day
, July 4, 1879, hence its name. In 1973 it was recognized as a historic district
and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as Independence and Independence Mill Site, one of two ghost towns in the county so recognized. It has also been known historically by other names—Chipeta, Mammoth City, Mount Hope, Farwell, Sparkill and Hunter's Pass.
Like other early settlements in the upper Roaring Fork Valley
, it lost population over the course of the decade as Aspen
emerged as the ideal location for commerce in the region, and then became the county seat
. It was never able to overcome the severe winters that resulted from its location at a high elevation in the mountains, and at the end of the 19th century all but one of the remaining residents abandoned Independence en masse after a particularly heavy snowstorm to settle in Aspen.
It has been a ghost town since at least 1912. The remaining structures, all log cabin
s of various sizes, are now on land partially in White River National Forest
. In the late 20th century they were restored and interpretive materials added.
along Highway 82, at 10830 feet (3,301 m) above sea level
in the narrow, steep valley of the headwaters of the Roaring Fork River
, a tributary
of the Colorado
. Highway 82 passes by the townsite on the north wall of the valley. Independence Pass
, at the Continental Divide
, is four miles (6.4 km) to the east along the highway. The land is open and cleared, with some wooded portions on the comparatively level ground next to the river.
The land on the upper part of the slope is owned by the United States Forest Service
, and is in the White River National Forest
. The valley walls rise steeply to 12703 feet (3,871.9 m) Independence Mountain to the south in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
and 13301 feet (4,054.1 m) Geissler Mountain in the Hunter–Fryingpan Wilderness to the north. The portion of Independence closer to the river is on private land owned by the Loughren Trust.
The remaining buildings are located in a 40 acres (16.2 ha) area along the north slope down to the river, on land owned by the Loughren Trust. A total of 26 remain in some form; of those, eight are intact and standing. All are log cabin
s of varying sizes, some without roofs. The rest have just left foundations
. A network of dirt paths allows visitors to walk around the site.
One cabin, towards the west end of the site, has been fully restored
into a modern residence. It is called the Intern Cabin, since it housed one who lived at the site during the summers to maintain it and offer interpretive tours to visitors. Another large surviving cabin is believed to have served as one of the settlement's general store
s. Further west, just below Highway 82, is the large site of the former Farwell Mill, with some supporting timbers still visible.
over the Divide and into the Roaring Fork Valley
, drawn by reports of vast mineral deposits there. On July 4 of that year, miners at a small camp just below the Divide struck gold. They named it the Independence claim after the holiday
, and soon a small tent city
developed on the site. Reports reached Leadville, where some earlier prospectors had retreated following hostility from the Ute Native American
tribe that had led Colorado governor Frederick Pitkin to issue an order barring any European settlers from crossing the Divide. Despite that edict, more settlers came to the growing community, the first European settlement in the valley. The miners worked out a primitive government called a mining district to protect not only their claims but those of others who had retreated to Leadville.
By the next year Independence had reached a population of 150, with some permanent buildings beginning to replace the original tents. Two other camps had been established further down the valley—Ute City just above the junction of the Roaring Fork and Castle Creek, and Ashcroft
(originally Chloride), 10 miles (16 km) up Castle Creek from the junction. In 1881 a group of investors from Leadville called the Farwell Consolidated Mining Company bought up all the mining claims around the settlement, and established a stamping mill and sawmill
. A stage
road, the predecessor of Highway 82, was built from Leadville over the Divide. With the trip from that city to the other mining towns further down the valley taking 2–5 days, Independence also did business as an overnight stage stop.
Two years after the first gold was struck, Independence was a prosperous mining town of 500. It had seven restaurants, 24 retail establishments, three saloon
s and the Miner, a local newspaper. Over the next two years Farwell's mines produced $190,000 ($ in modern dollars) worth of gold.
Despite this economic supremacy, Independence lost its bid to be the seat
of the newly created Pitkin County
to the last of the original mining settlements in the valley, Ute City, now renamed Aspen
after the abundance of that tree
in the area. Independence's growth continued apace. In 1882 it had 1,500 residents, 47 businesses, three post offices, five saloons and two boarding house
s.
That year would prove to be the peak of Independence's boom
times. Gold production dropped to just $2,000 ($ in modern dollars) in 1883 as most of the early veins were worked out. Miners and other residents began leaving Independence for Aspen. The county seat had more economic opportunities, since several mining companies supported by wealthy Eastern
investors were in town and its mines produced silver, which the federal government was required to buy under the Sherman Silver Purchase Act
to support the dollar. Aspen also had a milder climate—at Independence's high elevation, the town was under heavy snow cover from late October to mid-May every year. (Even today, Highway 82 is closed during that time period, rendering Independence inaccessible by automobile for those months.)
By 1888 the town's population had declined to 150 inhabitants. Later that year the first railroads reached Aspen, greatly reducing the stage traffic over the Divide, another pillar of the local economy. Five years later, the end of Aspen's boom, with the Sherman Act's repeal in response to the Panic of 1893
, made it even more difficult for Independence to endure. Finally, in winter of 1899, seven severe snowstorms cut the town off from the outside world for long periods of time. Residents ran out of food and other supplies, and when another storm hit, one of the worst in the state's history, all but one decided to evacuate. Tearing the 10 – siding planks off their houses, they used them as cross-country skis for the trip down the valley to Aspen. They humorously billed their escape as the "Hunter Pass Tenderfoot Snowshoe
Club Race", with an entry fee of one ham sandwich each.
They never returned to Independence. By 1912 it was completely abandoned. That year the Farwell Stamp Mill caught fire. Most of what remained was taken for use as building materials elsewhere. It and the other buildings were left to deteriorate.
In its heavy winters, the site was still vulnerable to avalanche
s, particularly down the south side of the valley, which had been deforested to open up mines. In the 1930s the Colorado Women's Club organized a program which used Civilian Conservation Corps
labor to replant the slopes and end the avalanche danger. It was the first preservation
effort at Independence. Later in the century, after its listing on the Register, the Aspen Historical Society and other groups worked with the U.S. Forest Service to restore
the log cabins, build the path network, add interpretive plaques and pay for an intern to live there during the summer months.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located just off State Highway 82
Colorado State Highway 82
State Highway 82 is an 85.29 mile long state highway in the U.S. state of Colorado.-Route description:SH 82 provides the principal transportation artery of the Roaring Fork Valley on the Colorado Western Slope, running from Interstate 70 at Glenwood Springs southeast past Carbondale, Basalt...
in the eastern corner of Pitkin County
Pitkin County, Colorado
Pitkin County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is named in honor of the late Colorado Governor Frederick Walker Pitkin. The county population was 14,872 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Aspen...
, below the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
. It was the first settlement established in the Roaring Fork Valley
Roaring Fork Valley
The Roaring Fork Valley is a geographical region in western Colorado in the United States. The Roaring Fork Valley is one of the most affluent regions in Colorado as well as one of the most populous and economically vital areas of the Colorado Western Slope. The Valley is defined by the valley of...
, after gold was struck in the vicinity on Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
, July 4, 1879, hence its name. In 1973 it was recognized as a historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as Independence and Independence Mill Site, one of two ghost towns in the county so recognized. It has also been known historically by other names—Chipeta, Mammoth City, Mount Hope, Farwell, Sparkill and Hunter's Pass.
Like other early settlements in the upper Roaring Fork Valley
Roaring Fork Valley
The Roaring Fork Valley is a geographical region in western Colorado in the United States. The Roaring Fork Valley is one of the most affluent regions in Colorado as well as one of the most populous and economically vital areas of the Colorado Western Slope. The Valley is defined by the valley of...
, it lost population over the course of the decade as Aspen
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
emerged as the ideal location for commerce in the region, and then became the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
. It was never able to overcome the severe winters that resulted from its location at a high elevation in the mountains, and at the end of the 19th century all but one of the remaining residents abandoned Independence en masse after a particularly heavy snowstorm to settle in Aspen.
It has been a ghost town since at least 1912. The remaining structures, all log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
s of various sizes, are now on land partially in White River National Forest
White River National Forest
White River National Forest is a National Forest in northwest Colorado. It is named after the White River that passes through it. It also contains the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, largely considered the birthplace of the U.S...
. In the late 20th century they were restored and interpretive materials added.
Geography
Independence is located 13.5 miles (21.7 km) east of AspenAspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
along Highway 82, at 10830 feet (3,301 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
in the narrow, steep valley of the headwaters of the Roaring Fork River
Roaring Fork River
Roaring Fork River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in west central Colorado in the United States. The river drains a populated and economically vital area of the Colorado Western Slope called the Roaring Fork Valley or Roaring Fork Watershed, which includes the resort...
, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Colorado
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
. Highway 82 passes by the townsite on the north wall of the valley. Independence Pass
Independence Pass (Colorado)
Independence Pass, elevation , is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States.The pass crosses the ridge of the Sawatch Range between Aspen and Leadville, on the border between Pitkin and Lake counties, and is within the White River National Forest...
, at the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
, is four miles (6.4 km) to the east along the highway. The land is open and cleared, with some wooded portions on the comparatively level ground next to the river.
The land on the upper part of the slope is owned by the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
, and is in the White River National Forest
White River National Forest
White River National Forest is a National Forest in northwest Colorado. It is named after the White River that passes through it. It also contains the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, largely considered the birthplace of the U.S...
. The valley walls rise steeply to 12703 feet (3,871.9 m) Independence Mountain to the south in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
The Collegiate Peaks Wilderness is a area located in central Colorado between Leadville and Buena Vista to the east and Aspen to the west and Crested Butte to the southwest. Most of the area is in the San Isabel and Gunnison National Forests, with a smaller area in the White River National Forest...
and 13301 feet (4,054.1 m) Geissler Mountain in the Hunter–Fryingpan Wilderness to the north. The portion of Independence closer to the river is on private land owned by the Loughren Trust.
The remaining buildings are located in a 40 acres (16.2 ha) area along the north slope down to the river, on land owned by the Loughren Trust. A total of 26 remain in some form; of those, eight are intact and standing. All are log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
s of varying sizes, some without roofs. The rest have just left foundations
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
. A network of dirt paths allows visitors to walk around the site.
One cabin, towards the west end of the site, has been fully restored
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
into a modern residence. It is called the Intern Cabin, since it housed one who lived at the site during the summers to maintain it and offer interpretive tours to visitors. Another large surviving cabin is believed to have served as one of the settlement's general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
s. Further west, just below Highway 82, is the large site of the former Farwell Mill, with some supporting timbers still visible.
History
In 1879 prospectors began heading west from LeadvilleLeadville, Colorado
Leadville is a Statutory City that is the county seat of, and the only municipality in, Lake County, Colorado, United States. Situated at an elevation of , Leadville is the highest incorporated city and the second highest incorporated municipality in the United States...
over the Divide and into the Roaring Fork Valley
Roaring Fork Valley
The Roaring Fork Valley is a geographical region in western Colorado in the United States. The Roaring Fork Valley is one of the most affluent regions in Colorado as well as one of the most populous and economically vital areas of the Colorado Western Slope. The Valley is defined by the valley of...
, drawn by reports of vast mineral deposits there. On July 4 of that year, miners at a small camp just below the Divide struck gold. They named it the Independence claim after the holiday
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
, and soon a small tent city
Tent City
A tent city is a temporary housing facility made using tents. Informal tent cities may be set up without authorization by homeless people or protesters. As well, state governments or military organizations set up tent cities to house refugees, evacuees, or soldiers...
developed on the site. Reports reached Leadville, where some earlier prospectors had retreated following hostility from the Ute Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe that had led Colorado governor Frederick Pitkin to issue an order barring any European settlers from crossing the Divide. Despite that edict, more settlers came to the growing community, the first European settlement in the valley. The miners worked out a primitive government called a mining district to protect not only their claims but those of others who had retreated to Leadville.
By the next year Independence had reached a population of 150, with some permanent buildings beginning to replace the original tents. Two other camps had been established further down the valley—Ute City just above the junction of the Roaring Fork and Castle Creek, and Ashcroft
Ashcroft, Colorado
Ashcroft originally known as Castle Forks City and then Chloride until 1882, was a mining town located ten miles south of Aspen near Castle Creek, in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. A few buildings remain standing as a testament to the town's past.-The early years:In the spring of 1880 two...
(originally Chloride), 10 miles (16 km) up Castle Creek from the junction. In 1881 a group of investors from Leadville called the Farwell Consolidated Mining Company bought up all the mining claims around the settlement, and established a stamping mill and sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
. A stage
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
road, the predecessor of Highway 82, was built from Leadville over the Divide. With the trip from that city to the other mining towns further down the valley taking 2–5 days, Independence also did business as an overnight stage stop.
Two years after the first gold was struck, Independence was a prosperous mining town of 500. It had seven restaurants, 24 retail establishments, three saloon
Saloon
Saloon may refer to:* Saloon , a style of car body.* Saloon , a musical group.* Western saloon, a historical style of American bar.* Bar , a venue for alcoholic beverage consumption....
s and the Miner, a local newspaper. Over the next two years Farwell's mines produced $190,000 ($ in modern dollars) worth of gold.
Despite this economic supremacy, Independence lost its bid to be the seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of the newly created Pitkin County
Pitkin County, Colorado
Pitkin County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is named in honor of the late Colorado Governor Frederick Walker Pitkin. The county population was 14,872 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Aspen...
to the last of the original mining settlements in the valley, Ute City, now renamed Aspen
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
after the abundance of that tree
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
in the area. Independence's growth continued apace. In 1882 it had 1,500 residents, 47 businesses, three post offices, five saloons and two boarding house
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
s.
That year would prove to be the peak of Independence's boom
Boomtown
A boomtown is a community that experiences sudden and rapid population and economic growth. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although the term can also be applied to communities growing very rapidly for different reasons,...
times. Gold production dropped to just $2,000 ($ in modern dollars) in 1883 as most of the early veins were worked out. Miners and other residents began leaving Independence for Aspen. The county seat had more economic opportunities, since several mining companies supported by wealthy Eastern
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
investors were in town and its mines produced silver, which the federal government was required to buy under the Sherman Silver Purchase Act
Sherman Silver Purchase Act
The Sherman Silver Purchase Act was enacted on July 14, 1890 as a United States federal law. It was named after its author, Senator John Sherman, an Ohio Republican, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee...
to support the dollar. Aspen also had a milder climate—at Independence's high elevation, the town was under heavy snow cover from late October to mid-May every year. (Even today, Highway 82 is closed during that time period, rendering Independence inaccessible by automobile for those months.)
By 1888 the town's population had declined to 150 inhabitants. Later that year the first railroads reached Aspen, greatly reducing the stage traffic over the Divide, another pillar of the local economy. Five years later, the end of Aspen's boom, with the Sherman Act's repeal in response to the Panic of 1893
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
, made it even more difficult for Independence to endure. Finally, in winter of 1899, seven severe snowstorms cut the town off from the outside world for long periods of time. Residents ran out of food and other supplies, and when another storm hit, one of the worst in the state's history, all but one decided to evacuate. Tearing the 10 – siding planks off their houses, they used them as cross-country skis for the trip down the valley to Aspen. They humorously billed their escape as the "Hunter Pass Tenderfoot Snowshoe
Snowshoe
A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....
Club Race", with an entry fee of one ham sandwich each.
They never returned to Independence. By 1912 it was completely abandoned. That year the Farwell Stamp Mill caught fire. Most of what remained was taken for use as building materials elsewhere. It and the other buildings were left to deteriorate.
In its heavy winters, the site was still vulnerable to avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
s, particularly down the south side of the valley, which had been deforested to open up mines. In the 1930s the Colorado Women's Club organized a program which used Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
labor to replant the slopes and end the avalanche danger. It was the first preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
effort at Independence. Later in the century, after its listing on the Register, the Aspen Historical Society and other groups worked with the U.S. Forest Service to restore
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
the log cabins, build the path network, add interpretive plaques and pay for an intern to live there during the summer months.
See also
- List of ghost towns in Colorado
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Pitkin County, ColoradoNational Register of Historic Places listings in Pitkin County, ColoradoThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Pitkin County, Colorado.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States...