Howardsville is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
San Juan County,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
, United States,
along the
Animas River
Animas River (''On-e-mas''; es, Río de las Ánimas) is a river in the western United States, a tributary of the San Juan River, part of the Colorado River System.
The Animas-La Plata Water Project was completed in 2015. The project pumps w ...
at the mouth of
Cunningham Creek Cunningham Creek is a creek located in the Cariboo region of British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geogr ...
. Its elevation is .
Description
Established and laid out by the Bullion City Company as Bullion City in 1874, it was renamed later in the year, either for Lieutenant Howard, a once-prominent local figure, or for George Howard, who once had a cabin in the area. It was the first
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of San Juan County, holding that title until 1875.
The
Silverton Northern Railroad
The Silverton Northern Railroad, now defunct, was an American Narrow Gauge Railroad constructed to reach the mining area north of Silverton, Colorado along the upper Animas River. This line was the third railroad project built by known Colorado ...
laid tracks to reach Howardsville in 1896, with an extension getting built from Howardsville into Cunningham Gulch to reach the Old Hundred Mine, along with the Green Mountain Mine, in 1905. The town would be sustained for the remainder of its life by the Pride Of The West Mill and the Little Nation Tram House & Mill, among other mines & mills. The town effectively died in 1939 when its post office shut down, and the Silverton Northern Railroad tracks would get torn up in 1942.
See also
References
External links
Full Resolution Ghost Town and Historic Site Photos by Coloradopast.com
Unincorporated communities in San Juan County, Colorado
Unincorporated communities in Colorado
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