Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-06-29
Dead Colorado Towns.

The other day a representative Of the
Denver Republican was on a Rio Grande
train when the brakeman yelled out in
stentorian tones 'Cleora." On looking
| Out Of the window only two houses
could be seen.
What a change time had wrought In
June Of 1879 this same own WAS by far
the largest place between Canon City and
Leadviile. Almost every conceivable
branch Of business was represented, and
in most of them there was active compe-
tiiion. Houses were going up as If by
magic, and lumber commanded almost a
fabulous price. Saloons we're found in
almost every block, and dance halls were
scattered about ia profusion. But a
wonth later the town concluded TO move,
and q few weeks later the majority of its
residents had taken up their permanent
a3Gde IA what ~ now TIE hourisAluG town
OF SdliCa.
Colorado has many places with a his
tory something similar 10 that Of Cleora,
which, by the way, was named IL honor
Of the belle OF Inc Arkansas valley, Miss
Cleora BOyles.
RoLiusville, near Caribou, was a
booming place in 1871, and town lots
we're a. a premium. Hundreds OF people
we're proud to call IL tleir home, and it
was thought to be founded upon a rock.
Today tho rock il still there, but the
population has fed 30 the four winds.
How is that town of Iona on the Rio
Grande river, getting on?' said 3 gentle
man yesterday VINO left the state in 1874.
II visited ii just before / left the terri.
tory, and ! thought IL would likely make
a good place" Jack rabbits have been
running through the few remaining
adoee buildings Tor years.
XII Carson had a population Of almost
1900 people III 1862. and the peculiar
ity about taetu wa that the great major
lty Of them resided in dugouts. When
the railroad pushed on 10 Denver the
following year the residents OF Kit Car.
son headed the procession.
sunshine in 1875 aad a population OF
several thousand, while today there 10
only g handful Of people there.
Buckskin Joe and Hall Valley in Park
county, were once tiourishing places, but
ABOUT all that is left of them 10 their
name. Weston tried TO put on airs in
1879, at which time there were ABOUT
3, 600 people there. The postoffice still
remains, as do one or two stores.
Along the old stage road between
Leadville and Aspen, ut what WAS
known as Independence in 1870 and for a
few years thereafter. not a single eoui is
now living. Hundreds of deserted
houses are standing tenantless, and some
OF them are quite pretentiOus. A news
paper was once published in the corpor-
ate limits of the city, and the arm of the
Washington hand press on which il was
printed is now sticking cut of the office
window. The proprietor was too much
disgusted to take 1t away.
There was great excitement at Bo-
nanza, in ~Ssguache county, in 1882. a
daily paper was published there by w.
b, Mckinney, now Of the Pueblo Press,
and it was a good one, too. Everything
doomed except the mines, and the ten
derfeet pronounced it another Leadville.
Four thousand people almost broke their
n2cks TO get there, and of all that number
not q hundred now remain.
There are many other places in Colo.
RADIO with history similar to the towns
mentioned. Some Of them were killed
by the onward march of railroads and
others because the mines round about
did not have the value with which they
were credited.