Step Into The Past At Independence Ghost Town

On Independence Day in the year 1879, gold was discovered near the Roaring Fork River below the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.  A tent city of hopeful prospectors quickly sprang up at a lofty elevation of 10,920 feet. The town and gold lode were named Independence in celebration of the prized discovery on the holiday.

Willing to brave the harsh weather conditions in order to pursue their dreams of striking it rich, the population of Independence quickly boomed from 300 people in 1880 to over 500 in 1881. Enterprising businesses erected buildings to serve the growing community in the form of four general stores, four boarding houses, seven restaurants, and three saloons. Independence even had its very own newspaper entitled the “Independence Miner.”

Between 1881 and 1882, nearly $190,000 of gold ore was produced. Independence swelled to a population of 1500 people with over forty businesses including three post offices, a stamp mill, and a sawmill. Independence even operated as an overnight stage stop between Leadville and other flourishing mining camps located down the Roaring Fork Valley near Aspen. However, the prosperity of Independence’s gold mines was short-lived. The gold veins played out and production fell to $2000 in 1883.

Life was difficult at high elevation. Snow blanketed the community from October to late May. Howling winds and avalanches were a common occurrence. The harsh winters, isolation from the outside world, steep terrain, and declining lodes proved challenging for the residents of Independence. Drawn by the milder climate and silver boom in Aspen, the population of Independence quickly began to decline. Only 100 hardy residents remained in the once flourishing town of Independence by 1888.

The remaining prospectors clung to their dreams of hitting another prosperous lode braving the severe winters until 1899. A series of seven harsh snowstorms isolated Independence from the outside world as the residents ran out of food and supplies. Fearing starvation, all but one of the miners tore wood planks off of their cabins and used them as skis to escape down the valley to Aspen. The once-booming gold town went completely bust abandoned to the harsh elements of nature.

Independence became a ghost town by the turn of the century as its abandoned buildings slowly deteriorated. Considered to be of importance because Independence was the first mining site in the Roaring Fork Valley and the start of Aspen’s mining boom, Independence found itself on the National Register of Historical Places in 1973. The Aspen Historical Society restored some of the cabins and added interpretive signs to inform visitors of the importance of this historical site that lies just below the Continental Divide.

Visiting Independence Ghost Town:

Visitors step back into time as they explore and experience Independence Ghost Town. A restored general store acts as a small museum with artifact exhibits and historical photographs of this high elevation mining camp. Interpretive signs offer a glimpse into the past as visitors stroll through the well laid out streets of Independence and visit the many remaining cabins and decaying structures.

Directions:

Located four miles west of Independence Pass along Highway 82, the preserved ghost town of Independence may be visited seasonally for a small donation. Blanketed in snow in winter, Independence Pass is generally closed from mid-October through Memorial Day.