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Fairplay Colorado Townsite - Ghost town Also includes South Park City

Photos courtesy of Mike Sinnwell 2006

Fairplay and South Park City are located at the same place. South Park City is the reconstructed ghost town on the north end of Fairplay.

Fairplay is one of those towns that had gold as a start and later as a center for travel and trade in the area. Supplying both the mines and agriculture. Legend has it that "Fair Play" got it's name because the founding fathers moved from  "Grab All" where fair play was not practiced. They wanted to make sure their town treated people fairly.

Fairplay also had a vigilante hanging in 1879. A man shot someone twice killing him. A liberal judge sentenced him to 8 years. Apparently the vigilantes did not think that was "Fair Play" so they took care of the matter.  Shortly after the hanging the Judge left town as well.

Other famous characters lived, worked or helped the town grow like Father Dryer and Prunes the famous burro and dog.

South Park City Colorado Townsite - "Reconstructed" Ghost town

I really struggled with this one. My mixed feelings kept me from posting anything to do with South Park City. My sense of fairness to people that have little time but want to see a good concentration of buildings and artifacts from 140 years ago got the best of me. If that is you, little time but much interest, this is the place to go. Wander through the buildings and see what they would have in stock.

So why the struggle? Well because South Park City never really was a city, town or ghost town. Located at the north end of Fairplay this "reconstructed" ghost town consists of buildings collected from the mining camps in the area. Many of the buildings were brought here and arranged as a display to resemble an old west town in the mid 1800's. So it is a real stretch to call this a Ghost Town. The history it represents is on display and is real.