Independence and Independence Mill Site
About this property
Independence is an extinct town located in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. It is located at an elevation of 10,913 feet (3,326 m) 2.2 miles (3.6 km) directly west of Independence Pass. It was the first settlement established in the Roaring Fork Valley, after gold was struck in the vicinity on Independence Day, July 4, 1879, hence its name. It has also been known historically as Mammoth City, Mount Hope, and Hunter's Pass. In 1973, it was recognized as a historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Independence and Independence Mill Site. Like other early settlements in the upper Roaring Fork Valley, it lost population over the course of the decade as Aspen emerged as the ideal location for commerce in the region, and then became the county seat. It was never able to overcome the severe winters that resulted from its location at a high elevation in the mountains, and at the end of the 19th century all but one of the remaining residents abandoned Independence en masse after a particularly heavy snowstorm to settle in Aspen. It has been a ghost town since at least 1912. The remaining structures, all log cabins of various sizes, are now on land partially in White River National Forest. It is one of the few abandoned mining camps in the state where any buildings are left. In the late 20th century they were restored and interpretive materials added.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Independence and Independence Mill Site
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Questions about this property
When was Independence and Independence Mill Site listed on the National Register?
Independence and Independence Mill Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 10, 1973.
What type of historic resource is Independence and Independence Mill Site?
Independence and Independence Mill Site is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Independence and Independence Mill Site?
The period of significance for Independence and Independence Mill Site is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Independence and Independence Mill Site?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Independence and Independence Mill Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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