Named after Calvin Ward, this town was one of the richest in the state of Colorado. One mine is said to have produced over 2 million ounces of silver alone. Calvin located the first claim in 1860, and the boom came the next year when the Columbia vein was located. The population varied over the next 40 years from 400 to about a thousand and sometimes more. The first train was built into the area in 1898 and it came from Boulder. As ore became easier to ship out of the town more people came in and soon there were 250 people a day riding the train to and from Ward. In 1901, a devastating fire leveled 50 buildings, but being a sturdy camp, Ward was immediately rebuilt. Today there are still people living in Ward and it is said there is enough gold under the town to warrant razing the buildings and mining it out.

For those who like high altitude ghost towns, Ward is the place to go. Located on highway 160 northwest of Denver at an elevation of over 9,000 feet, you will see a town twice ravaged by fire. The first destroyed the sawmill before it had a chance to produce any lumber. It was re-built immediately and produced lumber with which miners houses and stores were built. By 1867, some two hundred people called Ward home. The town was flourishing in the early '90s and had a population of around 600. In 1897, the railroad was brought into Ward from Boulder. The route was known as the Whiplash and Switzerland Trail as it climbed 4,100 feet over twenty-six miles to the elevation of 9,450 feet. There were a number of high producing mines in Ward, the most prominent being the Columbia Mine which produced $5 million in ore during its prime. At the turn of the century, the second fire nearly destroyed the entire town. Despite the fire and the lapse of time since, Ward is still a ghost town of much interest to visitors. Submitted by Henry Chenoweth.

Ward
Courtesy Kevin Ward

Ward
Courtesy Kevin Ward

Ward
Courtesy Kevin Ward

Ward
Todd Underwood

Ward
Todd Underwood