Alpine - Colorado Ghost Town

ALPINE

NAME: Alpine
COUNTY: Chafee
ROADS: 2WD
GRID: 5
CLIMATE: Cold winter with snow, cool summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Summer

COMMENTS: Near Saint Elmo.
REMAINS: Current resort and outdoor recreation area.

The story of Alpine is the story of hidden treasure. It is told a party of Spanish gold seekers passed through the area when the land belonged to the Indians. The Spaniards came across an Indian village while the braves were off on a hunt. They looted the village of many precious gold and silver trinkets and departed. But the braves returned shortly thereafter and gave chase. To lighten their load, the Spaniards hid two mule skins of treasure somewhere in the chalk cliffs. The Indians caught up with the Spaniards, killed most of them but never recovered their treasure that remains until this day somewhere among the chalk cliffs on the side of Mt. Princeton. Many years after the origin of the legend, the city of Alpine arose, lived a short but exciting life, and then died. The first cabin was built in 1877 and by 1880 there was a population of five hundred. The town flourished as a supply point for other towns further along Chalk Creek. The city had two hotels, a dance hall, twenty-three saloons, a newspaper and all the other usual businesses. About the time Alpine was beginning to be quite a city, the railroad extended itself to St. Elmo, and St. Elmo became everything Alpine was and hoped to be. The newspaper, the banks and most businesses packed up and moved to St. Elmo taking most of the population with them. Now only one tumbledown cabin remains among others built by outdoorsmen. Submitted by Henry Chenoweth.	Alpine Church - July,1999 Todd Underwood Cabin in Alpine - July,1999 Todd Underwood

The story of Alpine is the story of hidden treasure. It is told a party of Spanish gold seekers passed through the area when the land belonged to the Indians. The Spaniards came across an Indian village while the braves were off on a hunt. They looted the village of many precious gold and silver trinkets and departed. But the braves returned shortly thereafter and gave chase. To lighten their load, the Spaniards hid two mule skins of treasure somewhere in the chalk cliffs. The Indians caught up with the Spaniards, killed most of them but never recovered their treasure that remains until this day somewhere among the chalk cliffs on the side of Mt. Princeton. Many years after the origin of the legend, the city of Alpine arose, lived a short but exciting life, and then died. The first cabin was built in 1877 and by 1880 there was a population of five hundred. The town flourished as a supply point for other towns further along Chalk Creek. The city had two hotels, a dance hall, twenty-three saloons, a newspaper and all the other usual businesses. About the time Alpine was beginning to be quite a city, the railroad extended itself to St. Elmo, and St. Elmo became everything Alpine was and hoped to be. The newspaper, the banks and most businesses packed up and moved to St. Elmo taking most of the population with them. Now only one tumbledown cabin remains among others built by outdoorsmen. Submitted by Henry Chenoweth.

Alpine Church - July,1999
Todd Underwood

Cabin in Alpine - July,1999
Todd Underwood

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