Carson Colorado Townsite - Ghost town
Photos Courtesy of Joan and Mike Sinnwell September 2007
Founded in 1889 at 11,600 feet this is a beautiful setting in a nice mountain meadow. Christopher Carson came to this area and staked out the Bonanza King in 1881. He was after the silver ore. This town sits close to the continental divide and is sometimes confused with old Carson which is on the Pacific side of the divide. The town was sometimes called Bachelor Cabins because many of the miners living here worked in the Bachelor mine. Many buildings are still standing and plenty to explore in and around the woods behind the town.
Lots of pictures
A reader writes - Saturday, January 24, 2009
My Dad and two other men spent several summers in the late 1940's and early 1950's around Carson trying to rework some of the old mines. They abandoned a WW-II era bulldozer there that they actually drove in there from Slumgullon Pass. If you happen to have pictures of the dozer please email to Chuck in Hurst, Texas at cmiller4@swbell.net
My dad and one of the other men I mentioned are gone now. The other is in his nineties now if still alive and living in Florida. They used the dozer to make or clear the road from Carson down the mountain to the road coming out from lake san christabol. When I last asked about it Dick said they walked off and left it on the mountain. Henry used to have lots of pictures but no telling where they are since he died in 2006.
I'm attaching some photos. One from one of their trips with a WW-II truck they bought here in ft worth. The back ground hasn't changed much. Note the old mine in the background. Don't know what mines they worked but they were using claims owned by a local businessman who I only know as "old man Robinson" I only have a few photos from a trip up there by my mom and uncle.
Information and photos courtesy of Charles E. Miller
A viewer writes - Monday, January 24, 2011 --- My great great grandfather was working the mines at Carson City in 1900, according to the US census. He was living with his wife ,Irma, and three children, all girls, including my great grandmother Cornelia (Nellie).
A viewer writes - Thursday, February 17, 2011-- The road into Carson was, at one time, quite difficult especially the stream crossing where the original bridge had collapsed. Above the crossing was a section of large river rocks - slow going. In recent years and with renewed mining on the divide at "old" Carson, the road has been greatly improved. Ken Jessen, Loveland, Colorado