Ashcroft, Colorado Mining Ghost Town Poster

"Ashcroft, Colorado Mining Ghost Town" by Catherine Sherman. The mining ghost town of Ashcroft stands against the beautiful Autumn background of evergreens and golden aspens in the Rocky Mountains near Aspen, Colorado. Ashcroft, originally known as Castle Forks City then Chloride until 1882, was a mining town located ten miles (16 km) south of Aspen, Colorado. The remaining buildings are preserved as a an open air museum. The town was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Located on Castle Creek Road, the silver mining ghost town features the restored remains of several historic buildings, including the Blue Mirror Saloon, a post office, and the View Hotel. Guided tours and interpretive signage tell the stories of the former boom town in this mountain meadow at the headwaters of Castle Creek. The town was established in 1880 with the discovery of silver. By 1885 the town was home to about 3,500 people and had six hotels and 20 saloons. In 1883, one of the mine owners reportedly bought rounds of drinks for everyone in each of the town's then 13 saloons. However, the mines, which initially produced an impressive amount -- 14,000 ounces of silver to the ton -- were just shallow deposits. Promised rail links to Crested Butte never materialized. Major mineral strikes in Aspen, already the county seat, lured away investors and workers. Boom quickly lead to bust and after its peak of 1885, there soon were just 100 summer residents and $5.60 in the town’s coffers. The town's last resident, Jack Leahy, died in 1939, making Ashcroft an official ghost town. The town has attracted interest throughout the years, despite having no official residents.