INDEPENDENCE

NAME: Independence
COUNTY: Teller
ROADS: 2WD
GRID: 5
CLIMATE: Snow in winter; cool summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Summer 		COMMENTS: (There is also an "Independence" in Pitkin Co.). This is the largest true ghost town I have ever found (no residents and no restoration). Follow CO-67 south out of Cripple Creek to Victor. At the south end of Victor, a gravel road goes left toward the town of Goldfield. Stay to the left (Goldfield is to the right) and the road goes right to Independence. There are many cabins on both sides of the road, many still relatively intact. There are also some mining structures.
REMAINS: Many cabins . UPDATE:

I regret to inform you that it is, for all intents and purposes, gone. The local mining guys
moved their active property boundary closer to victor and, in the process, apparently razed
and removed all (or perhaps all but one) of Independence's buildings. This came as a real
blow to me, as I'd talked to the mining folks a few years ago and they were disdainful about
the entire idea of preserving ghost towns ("We won't hurt them.").

The tailings from the mines across the street (to the west of Indepence's hill locaiton) have
been removed, leaving the headframes a bit higher than they were. Many (fairly nice) headframes remain, although fences prevent closeup photography.

- Rob Kolstad
Independence (along with several other sites in the area, though none as extensive as Independence) was part of the Colorado gold boom of the late 1800's. There is atill gold mining in the area and the many roads throughout the area are well maintained. Submitted by: Harold Frodge

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