Ironton, Colorado

{{Infobox settlement

|name = Ironton

|official_name =

|settlement_type = Mining ghost town

|nickname =

|motto =

|image_skyline = File:Ironton Ghost Town COLO.jpg

|imagesize =

|image_caption = Ironton Ghost Town in 2014

|image_flag =

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|pushpin_map = USA Colorado

|pushpin_label_position =

|pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Colorado

|pushpin_mapsize =

|image_map =

|map_caption = Location within Ouray County

|subdivision_type = Country

|subdivision_name = United States

|subdivision_type1 = State

|subdivision_name1 = Colorado

|subdivision_type2 = County

|subdivision_name2 = Ouray

|government_footnotes =

|government_type =

|leader_title =

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|established_title =

|established_date =

|unit_pref = Imperial

|area_footnotes =

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|area_total_km2 =

|area_land_km2 =

|area_water_km2 =

|population_as_of = 2010

|population_footnotes =

|population_total = 0

|population_density_km2 = auto

|timezone = Mountain (MST)

|utc_offset = -7

|timezone_DST = MDT

|utc_offset_DST = -6

|elevation_footnotes = 2987

|elevation_ft = 9800

|coordinates = {{coord|37.9328|-107.6803|type:city_region:US-CO_source:GNIS|name=Ironton|display=inline,title}}

|postal_code_type = ZIP codes

|postal_code = 81432{{cite web|url=https://colorado.hometownlocator.com/maps/feature-map,ftc,3,fid,187238,n,guston.cfm|title=Guston (historical), Ouray County, Colorado|publisher=CO HomeTownLocator|access-date=9 March 2021}}

|area_code =

|blank_name = FIPS code

|blank_info =

|blank1_name = GNIS feature ID

|blank1_info = 187227 {{cite gnis|id= 187238|name=Ironton|date=13 October 1978|accessdate=9 March 2021}}

|website =

|footnotes =

}}

Ironton is an extinct town located in Ouray County, Colorado, United States. It lay south of the present town of Ouray, adjacent to the sites Guston and Red Mountain Town, fellow ghost towns. During the 1880s and 1890s, Ironton formed part of the Red Mountain Pass mining district, the second largest silver mining district in Colorado.{{cite web|url=https://www.uncovercolorado.com/ghost-towns/red-mountain-town/|title=Red Mountain Town, CO Ghost Town – by Silverton|work=Uncover Colorado|access-date=9 March 2021}} The Ironton post office operated from May 2, 1883, until August 2, 1920.{{cite book|title=Colorado Post Offices 1859–1989|first1=William H.|last1=Bauer|first2=James L.|last2=Ozment|first3=John H.|last3=Willard|date=1990|publisher=Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation|location=Golden, Colorado|isbn=0-918654-42-4}}

History

File:Ironton, Colorado (7575397600).jpg

Ironton (also formerly named "Copper Glen") was built on flatter ground than surrounding towns. Settled sporadically through the 1870s and 1880s, a major period of settlement that solidified Ironton as a community saw roughly 300 structures begin construction during a three-week span. It was a staging area for supplies coming from Ouray.{{cite web|title=Colorado Past|url=http://www.coloradopast.com/index.php?category=ghosttowns&subcategory=sanjuans&selection=Red%20Mountain%20District|accessdate=4 May 2011}} Ironton was a major transportation junction between Red Mountain Town and Ouray in addition to having some of its own mines. Ironton had a peak population of over 1000 and had two trains arriving daily from Silverton. There were many chain stores from the nearby cities of Ouray and Silverton on the Silverton Railroad. This narrow gauge railroad backed by noted financier Otto Mears reached Ironton in 1889.{{cite web|url=https://www.legendsofamerica.com/silverton-railroad/|title=Silverton Railroad|work=Legends of America|access-date=9 March 2021}} Mears would later introduce toll roads to the area, resulting in the "Million Dollar Highway." The town lived into the first part of the 20th century but slowly faded as mining operations declined.{{cite web|title=Ghost towns|url=http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/co/ironton.html|accessdate=4 May 2011}} The final resident of the town, Milton Larson, appeared as a contestant on the July 1, 1963, episode of I've Got A Secret, with this as his secret. He died in the mid-1960s.{{cite web|title=Ironton Colorado Townsite - Ghost town|url=http://www.rockymountainprofiles.com/Ironton%20Colorado.htm|accessdate=2 Mar 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420212519/http://www.rockymountainprofiles.com/Ironton%20Colorado.htm|archive-date=20 April 2012|url-status=dead}} The town site is still occasionally visited by tourists.{{cite web|title=The Ghost Town of Ironton, Colorado|url=http://voices.yahoo.com/the-ghost-town-ironton-colorado-9651349.html?cat=16|accessdate=2 Mar 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705083203/http://voices.yahoo.com/the-ghost-town-ironton-colorado-9651349.html?cat=16|archive-date=5 July 2013|url-status=dead}}{{clear left}}

References

External links

[https://www.colorado.gov/ State of Colorado]
[https://www.historycolorado.org/ History Colorado]

Category:1883 establishments in Colorado

Category:Former populated places in Ouray County, Colorado

Category:Geography of Ouray County, Colorado

Category:Ghost towns in Colorado

Category:History of Colorado

Category:Mining communities in Colorado

Category:Populated places established in 1883

Ironton, Colorado

History

See also

References

External links