Manhattan, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Manhattan is a ghost town
located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains
in northwestern Larimer County
, Colorado
, United States
. The town was founded in 1886 as a gold mining
camp, during the height of the Colorado Silver Boom
. The town never experienced great prosperity, however, and had largely vanished by the early 20th century. The town was largely dismantled in the 1930s, and virtually nothing remains of it today.
of 1859 had largely bypassed Larimer County, at the northern end of the Front Range
in northern Colorado. However in August 1886 two experienced prospectors of the Fort Collins Mining Company, Isaac R. Blevins and John DuBois, discovered gold in the creeks north of the Poudre. News of the discovery brought a flood of prospectors to the area, and by October of that year, 125 claims had been recorded. The camp had a population of approximately 100, most living in tents. The camp included a hotel, meat market, blacksmith
shop, general store, livery stable, and saloon
. The Fort Collins Courier reported that month that the area had "well-defined veins", with free milling ore
containing gold and silver
. A test sample brought back to Fort Collins tested nearly 800 USD per ton
.
Despite the promise of riches, local businessmen in Fort Collins were largely skeptical and reluctant to back further mining enterprises in the area. Nevertheless, by November, enough capital had been raised to begin mining.
The following year in 1887, the town population stabilized. The early gold mining operations brought modest success, despite the lack of a mother lode
. Based on initial optimism, a town plat
and surveying
were completed, with the expectation that the town would soon grow from several hundred to 5,000 and would rival Fort Collins.
The inability of the miners to find a rich lode, coupled with the increasing costs as the mines were sunk deeper, severely eroded the profitability of the operations. During the next two years capital was difficult to raise, and the population declined. Transportation was a continuing difficulty, as the town was accessible only by steep roads. Optimism swept the town again in 1890 with the discovery of a vein that assayed 420 USD per ton. The town population grew once again, and a schoolhouse was built with an enrollment of 20 students. The years 1890 to 1892 saw the height of the town.
In 1892, with the mines reaching 100 feet in depth, the town suffered its first mining disaster, killing two well-respected miners. In 1893 it was discovered that the gold concentrations were diminishing as the mine shafts deepened. By 1896 many miners were selling their claims, and production and transportation costs were making the remaining operations largely unprofitable. The town population had dwindled to 50 prospectors. An unexpected discovery of gold along a bend in the Poudre River that year again revived the town, and by 1898, the population had risen back to nearly 300. The optimism quickly tapered off, however, and the population declined again, with only small occasional strikes to keep up the hopes of those who remained. After the promise of a gold strike in 1911 faded, the town was largely abandoned. In 1930, the Civilian Conservation Corps
set up a camp near the site (by then within the Roosevelt National Forest
, erecting several new temporary structures. In 1933, the site was completely dismantled by order of United States Forest Service
.
and west of Red Feather Lakes
, about halfway between Elkhorn Creek and Seven Mile Creek, in the valley of a tributary of Elkhorn Creek called Manhattan Creek.
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...
located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
in northwestern Larimer County
Larimer County, Colorado
Larimer County is the seventh most populous and the ninth most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is located at the northern end of the Front Range, at the edge of the Colorado Eastern Plains along the border with Wyoming...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The town was founded in 1886 as a gold mining
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
camp, during the height of the Colorado Silver Boom
Colorado Silver Boom
The Colorado Silver Boom was a dramatic expansionist period of silver mining activity in the U.S. state of Colorado in the late 19th century. The boom started in 1879 with the discovery of silver at Leadville...
. The town never experienced great prosperity, however, and had largely vanished by the early 20th century. The town was largely dismantled in the 1930s, and virtually nothing remains of it today.
History
The early Colorado Gold RushColorado Gold Rush
The Pike's Peak Gold Rush was the boom in gold prospecting and mining in the Pike's Peak Country of western Kansas Territory and southwestern Nebraska Territory of the United States that began in July 1858 and lasted until roughly the creation of the Colorado Territory on February 28, 1861...
of 1859 had largely bypassed Larimer County, at the northern end of the Front Range
Front Range
The Front Range is a mountain range of the Southern Rocky Mountains of North America located in the north-central portion of the U.S. State of Colorado and southeastern portion of the U.S. State of Wyoming. It is the first mountain range encountered moving west along the 40th parallel north across...
in northern Colorado. However in August 1886 two experienced prospectors of the Fort Collins Mining Company, Isaac R. Blevins and John DuBois, discovered gold in the creeks north of the Poudre. News of the discovery brought a flood of prospectors to the area, and by October of that year, 125 claims had been recorded. The camp had a population of approximately 100, most living in tents. The camp included a hotel, meat market, blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop, general store, livery stable, and saloon
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
. The Fort Collins Courier reported that month that the area had "well-defined veins", with free milling ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
containing gold and silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
. A test sample brought back to Fort Collins tested nearly 800 USD per ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
.
Despite the promise of riches, local businessmen in Fort Collins were largely skeptical and reluctant to back further mining enterprises in the area. Nevertheless, by November, enough capital had been raised to begin mining.
The following year in 1887, the town population stabilized. The early gold mining operations brought modest success, despite the lack of a mother lode
Mother Lode
Mother lode is a principal vein or zone of veins of gold or silver ore. The term probably came from a literal translation of the Spanish veta madre, a term common in old Mexican mining...
. Based on initial optimism, a town plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
and surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
were completed, with the expectation that the town would soon grow from several hundred to 5,000 and would rival Fort Collins.
The inability of the miners to find a rich lode, coupled with the increasing costs as the mines were sunk deeper, severely eroded the profitability of the operations. During the next two years capital was difficult to raise, and the population declined. Transportation was a continuing difficulty, as the town was accessible only by steep roads. Optimism swept the town again in 1890 with the discovery of a vein that assayed 420 USD per ton. The town population grew once again, and a schoolhouse was built with an enrollment of 20 students. The years 1890 to 1892 saw the height of the town.
In 1892, with the mines reaching 100 feet in depth, the town suffered its first mining disaster, killing two well-respected miners. In 1893 it was discovered that the gold concentrations were diminishing as the mine shafts deepened. By 1896 many miners were selling their claims, and production and transportation costs were making the remaining operations largely unprofitable. The town population had dwindled to 50 prospectors. An unexpected discovery of gold along a bend in the Poudre River that year again revived the town, and by 1898, the population had risen back to nearly 300. The optimism quickly tapered off, however, and the population declined again, with only small occasional strikes to keep up the hopes of those who remained. After the promise of a gold strike in 1911 faded, the town was largely abandoned. In 1930, the 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...
set up a camp near the site (by then within the Roosevelt National Forest
Roosevelt National Forest
The Roosevelt National Forest is a National Forest located in north central Colorado. It is contiguous with the Colorado State Forest as well as the Arapaho National Forest...
, erecting several new temporary structures. In 1933, the site was completely dismantled by order of 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...
.
Geography
The town is at an elevation of 8474 feet (2583m), at 40°43′56"N 105°36′00"W. It was four miles north of Rustic, Colorado, north of the Poudre CanyonPoudre Canyon
The Poudre Canyon is a narrow verdant canyon, approximately 40 mi long, on the upper Cache la Poudre River in Larimer County, Colorado in the United States...
and west of Red Feather Lakes
Red Feather Lakes, Colorado
Red Feather Lakes is a census-designated place in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The population was 525 at the 2000 census. The Red Feather Lakes Post Office has the ZIP Code 80545.-Geography:...
, about halfway between Elkhorn Creek and Seven Mile Creek, in the valley of a tributary of Elkhorn Creek called Manhattan Creek.