ball and banquet there. Tabor also reportedly bought rounds of drinks for everyone in each of the town's 13 saloons. At the time, Ashcroft was growing much faster than nearby Aspen. By 1885, it had about 3,500 residents with six hotels and 20 saloons. A rich strike in Aspen in 1884, however, marked the end of the prosperity of Ashcroft, as people began moving to Aspen. By 1890, most of the businesses had left Ashcroft, and, in 1939, the town's last resident, Jack Leahy, ; died, officially making it a ghost town. A ridge of mountains is in the background. A line of grass grows in between the vehicle tracks on the road.; Several log buildings stand along a dirt road in Ashcroft, a mining town near Castle Creek, south of Aspen in Pitkin County, Colorado. The buildings are abandoned. The town was originally named Chloride but its residents renamed it Ashcroft in 1882, when rich ore was discovered in the Montezuma and Tam O'Shanter mines, partially owned by H.A.W. Tabor of Leadville mining fame. Tabor and his second wife, Baby Doe, reportedly visited Ashcroft in 1883 and hosted a grand
Description
1 photoprint ; 12 x 17 cm. (4 1/2 x 6 3/4 in.); 3 photonegatives ; 8 x 11 cm. (3 x 4 in.)
Subject
Ashcroft (Colo.)--1940-1950; Pitkin County (Colo.)--1940-1950; Abandoned buildings--Colorado--Ashcroft--1940-1950; Ghost towns--Colorado--Ashcroft--1940-1950; Mining--Colorado--Ashcroft--1940-1950.
Format-Medium
Photograph
Rights Contact Information
Copyright restrictions applying to use or reproduction of this image available from the Western History and Genealogy Dept., Denver Public Library, at photosales@denverlibrary.org.
Reproduction Available for Purchase
Yes (digital reproduction)
Related Material
Image File: ZZR700125008
Notes
Title from inventory prepared by Western History Department, Denver Public Library; words "Ashcroft West of Aspen" written on sticker on back of print; print also identified as "F38189."; R7001250080
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