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Ophir Colorado Townsite - Ghost town

Photos courtesy of Mike Sinnwell July 2010

I have combined photos of Ophir and Ophir loop in this page. Beautiful setting for a town.  The Post Office was established in 1878 and was open until 1918. The post office has since open and closed several times. Today the flag waves high on the post office.At one time there were only two full time residents. The  concern was that all elections would end up in a tie. One was a democrat and the other was a republican.  

Ophir also had a house of many doors. Ten in all with no windows. I wonder if that was in the red light district? By 1900 the town had grown to 400. Then in 1904 electric lights and in 1908 telephones came to town.  Today many residents live here. Up from the one that was listed in the 1970s census.

A viewer writes - Wednesday, May 27, 2015 - My grandfather bought stock in Colorado mines starting in 1915. I have many of the stock certificates... the Ophir Mine, Silver Bell, and Butterfly Consolidated. We're going to Ophir this coming Sept. so it will be exciting to see the area again. I was there about 30 years ago. I have all my life been interested in the mountains, esp. Colorado. My grandfather came from Norway... so we are mtn, people, I think.        Mary Jackson Hawver