Lake City - Colorado Ghost Town

LAKE CITY

NAME: Lake City
COUNTY: Hinsdale
ROADS: 2WD
GRID: 7
CLIMATE: Cold winter with snow, mild summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Summer

COMMENTS: Many summer cabins. Semi-ghost.
REMAINS: Much of the original town and buildings left.

Lake City owes much for its survival to Indian Chief Ouray's control over the savage Utes. Freemont's group of explorers first discovered gold in1848 in the valley where Lake City is located. Constant fear of being scalped by the Utes kept prospectors and miners from the site until 1874 when the Bunot Treaty opened the valley to whites. Lake City had its most productive years 1876 and 1877. The population had grown to 2,500 and the town had about 500 structures. Around the turn of the century, Lake City began to go down hill and by 1902; the population had decreased to about 500. Today, it offers numerous attractions to the tourist, the vacationer and the fisherman and hunter. Cabins and campgrounds are available. Submitted by Henry Chenoweth. Just outside Lake City is a memorial to the Alfred Packer Massacre. It seems that Alfred was out prospecting in the mountains with five of his friends in the mid 1800's, and when the going got rough, Alfred killed his friends and ate them to stay alive. He was caught with Human "Jerky" in Lake City and put on trial for cannibalism, but never convicted. It seems this was a common occurence but the people wanted to make an example out of Alfred. - Todd Underwood Alfred Packer Massacre Site - July 2000 Todd Underwood Lake City - July 2000 Todd Underwood Lake City - July 2000 Todd Underwood Lake City Cemetery - July 2000 Todd Underwood Lake City Cemetery - July 2000 Todd Underwood Lake City Cemetery - July 2000 Todd Underwood Lake City Cemetery - July 2000 Todd Underwood	Lake City circa 1908 Courtesy U.S. Geological Survey Lake City Courtesy Dolores Steele Lake City Courtesy Dolores Steele Lake City Courtesy Dolores Steele Lake City Courtesy Dolores Steele Lake City Courtesy Dolores Steele Lake City - July 2000 Todd Underwood

Lake City owes much for its survival to Indian Chief Ouray's control over the savage Utes. Freemont's group of explorers first discovered gold in1848 in the valley where Lake City is located. Constant fear of being scalped by the Utes kept prospectors and miners from the site until 1874 when the Bunot Treaty opened the valley to whites. Lake City had its most productive years 1876 and 1877. The population had grown to 2,500 and the town had about 500 structures. Around the turn of the century, Lake City began to go down hill and by 1902; the population had decreased to about 500. Today, it offers numerous attractions to the tourist, the vacationer and the fisherman and hunter. Cabins and campgrounds are available. Submitted by Henry Chenoweth.

Just outside Lake City is a memorial to the Alfred Packer Massacre. It seems that Alfred was out prospecting in the mountains with five of his friends in the mid 1800's, and when the going got rough, Alfred killed his friends and ate them to stay alive. He was caught with Human "Jerky" in Lake City and put on trial for cannibalism, but never convicted. It seems this was a common occurence but the people wanted to make an example out of Alfred. - Todd Underwood

Alfred Packer Massacre Site - July 2000
Todd Underwood