Colorado Mountains, Skiing, Ghost Towns, 4×4, and Vacations

The Mary Murphy mine was the main supporter of not only Romley, but also St. Elmo and Hancock.  Millions were pulled out of the Mary Murphy and eventually, in 1881, the Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad laid their track in Romley.  They also built two aerial trams to transfer ore to the railroad cars from the Mary Murphy and Pat Murphy mines.

The Mary and Pat Murphy mines, located on Chrysolite Mountain, west of St. Elmo, were discovered by John Royal and Dr. A.E. Wright in September of 1875.  In 1880, these mines were sold to a St. Louis company and later became the largest producers in the district.

By 1886 the property was leased and the first mill was erected.  The lessees built mills at Romley and St. Elmo.  By January 1889 the Mary Murphy mining company paid $157,000 in dividends and nearby Romley was home to over 1000 people.  Romley was booming and there was a boarding house, smelter, turntable, mill, and a railroad depot.

St. Elmo, first named Forrest City, was a promising mining district during the first years of its existence.  St. Elmo was surrounded by the Mary Murphy and many other productive mines, had the Denver & South Park railway nearby, and was near both the North and South Forks of Chalk Creek.

The mines ran off and on, depending on the price of the ore, until July of 1908.  A fire caused by a locomotive spark destroyed the small town of Romley.   The Colorado & Southern depot, the Mary Murphy shafthouse and equipment, two homes, and several other buildings were consumed.  The loss was estimated at over $12,000.

By May of 1909, the Mary Murphy mine was sold by the St. Louis capitalist who had controlled the mine, to an English syndicate.  The price was $450,000.  The sale included 200 acres and the town site of Romley.

Soon the Mary Murphy was in operation night and day.  After electricity was installed, the mine had many nightly visitors.  People went to see the “fine electrical display.”

The local post office opened and closed at least three times during this period, finally closing permanently in 1926.

The Mary Murphy Mine operated until 1926.  It is said that from it’s opening about 1879, until around 1912, the mine produced ore amounting to over $30,000,000 and was one of the biggest producers in the state of Colorado.  The mine, in its hay day, employed over 400 men.