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

Vicksburg, Silver Dale, Rockdale, Beaver City, and Winfield are  Colorado Ghost Towns located in a beautiful canyon filled with lush green grasses, flowers, and tall Aspen trees.  The road is a bit bumpy but accessible in a 2WD vehicle.  The area is best visited in mid May, after the snows melt.

As you begin your journey into the valley, you will pass the Clear Creek Canyon School.  This small building was constructed in 1912 after the mines started playing out and most of the people had left the canyon.  The school was built for the remaining children within the area.

The first mining activity within the canyon was commissioned by former governor John Evans and William Byers (founder of the Rocky Mountain News, Colorado’s first newspaper). They established the La Plata mining district along the Clear Creek Gulch in 1867 but quickly abandoned their plans.  The creek was prospected again by a few miners in the summer of 1879.  These miners found large fissure veins full of wealth.  By the end of 1879, nearly 90 men were living within the canyon trying their luck in the mines.

Almost overnight, more of these large fissure veins were found in dozens of mines. By the end of the following year, people were flooding the area with high hopes of striking it rich.

Beaver City

As you travel up the canyon, you will find two restored cabins in an area known as Beaver City.  Below these cabins is a small cemetery.  There was also a large lumber mill which supplied all the locals within the canyon with logs to build their cabins and reinforce their mine tunnels.

Vicksburg

The next town is Vicksburg.  There are two stories of how Vicksburg got its name.  First is the story of a few former Confederate soldiers who settled at the site, naming it after the battle between the Northern and Southern troops in 1863 near the town of Vicksburg.  The second story is that the town was named after Mr. Vick Keller, of Keller, Peck and Company, who first platted the site.  The town had humble beginnings at first with only one store, a couple of cabins, and about 40 or so miners living in tents nearby.

Within a short time of the formation of Vicksburg, the larger mines were flourishing.   The Abbot Mining company was working about 20 men on the Yankee Doodle mine, the Tail Halt Lode employed 30 men, and the Silver Dale employed 25 men.  The Abbot Mining Company was running a pack train from the mine to Vicksburg “on which is packed some of the richest ore that has ever had the honor to grace the back of a burro.”  The Yankee Doodle hauled about 60 tons of ore on their pack mules each day.

Opportunity was in abundance not only for the miners, but also for entrepreneurs.  As the winters were harsh and snow fell by the feet, many of the miners left for the winter and returned each summer.  As the miners expressed interest in staying in the area all year, many entrepreneurs recognized a great opportunity to sell supplies to these miners.  Soon there were nearly a dozen new stores selling everything from mining supplies to liquor to groceries.  A 25’ x 75’ two story billiard hall, with the upstairs area reserved for the new city hall was built as well as two hotels, saloons, a boarding house, a school, and most importantly, a post office.  The main street of Vicksburg was named Broadway and was lined with trees bought and paid for by those residents wanting a beautifully shaded street.

Rockdale—Silver Dale

Constructed in 1881, several old cabins still exist and are owned by summer residents.  Most of the old foundations are buried beneath the nearby beaver ponds.  The Rockdale mine and mill was located at the junction of Clear Creek and Lake Fork.

Winfield

By January 1882, the canyon was full of mines.  Hundreds of miners and their families built homes in the area and the sound of drilling and dynamite were abundant.   Winfield or Lucknow, was soon established at the end of the canyon.  There were three saloons, three stores, two hotels, a boarding house, school, post office, and a church. Today, several of these buildings still stand, many being occupied by summer residents.

Hazards of living in the Clear Creek Canyon during the winter months, as noted by the Leadville Daily and Evening Chronicle, Date: Dec 19, 1889:

The Snow King’s Work

Particulars of the Slide by Which John Wagner Lost His Life at Winfield Monday

Death Overtakes Him as He Sleeps—The Disaster Similar to That of the Homestake—Perils of Mountain Work in Winter

In our special dispatches yesterday morning, one from Granite gave an account of a snow slide occurring above Winfield, whereby John Wagner, a miner, lost his life.  A friend of the deceased was seen yesterday by a reporter and a comprehensive account of the accident given.

John Wagner was hired by the owners of the Small Hopes mine to do the annual assessment.  Near the tunnel on the property, is built a cabin, which Wagner occupied.  A little over two weeks ago John brought provisions, sufficient to last him 10 days in Granite, and told his friends that when the assessment was finished he would return, at the same time stating that the work would not take him more than a week to accomplish.  The mine is situated about three miles from Winfield, on the mountain side, to which place John packed his provisions and tools.  A week passed and Wagner’s friends looked for him to return, but he did not.

Another week slipped by and his friends became anxious, and determined to go to the mine and find out what was the matter.  Tuesday morning John Krug, with another friend, started for the Small Hopes, and when they reached the mine were horrified to find the cabin buried in snow.  Looking up the mountain side they saw that a snow slide had taken place.  Fears for the safety of their friend were uppermost, yet they thought it possible hi might have left before the avalanche took place.

They at once went to work to find out if Wagner was inside of the cabin, and when they reached the door, opened it and stepped inside.  They found another obstacle in their way, as the greater part of the roof had caved in.  Removing the timbers they approached the bed and found the lifeless remains of the miner lying there, with two or three pieces of timber on top of him.  The snow slide must have happened at night, as Wagner was undressed.  Death was probably instantaneous, as the features were not distorted in the slightest, and he was lying on his back with his limbs perfectly straight.

Krug surmised that Wagner must have been dead about ten days.  The cabin is a complete wreck, only the walls standing.  The remains were taken to Granite, where they were interred yesterday.

Winfield Cemetery

When entering Winfield, the canyon road forks to the left and to the right.  Follow the road to the right, towards the cemetery.  You can continue following this road for two miles.  There scenery is beautiful and well worth the trip.  The road is rocky in places, but accessible in a high clearance vehicles using 2WD.

Directions: On U.S. 24,  between Leadville and Buena Vista, turn west at the Clear Creek Reservoir just south of Granite