Tomboy, Colorado Explained

Official Name:Tomboy, Colorado
Settlement Type:Ghost town
Pushpin Map:Colorado
Pushpin Label:Tomboy, Colorado
Pushpin Label Position:right
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Colorado
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:San Miguel
Timezone:MST
Utc Offset:-7
Timezone Dst:MDT
Utc Offset Dst:-6
Elevation Ft:11509
Coordinates:37.9367°N -107.7544°W
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:187139

Tomboy is a ghost town in San Miguel County, Colorado, United States.

Tomboy was a mining town located 2miles east of Telluride.

At an elevation of 11509feet, Tomboy is one of the highest ghost towns in the United States.[1]

History

Located in a mountainous region known as the Savage Basin, the settlement was originally named "Savage Basin Camp". The Tomboy Mine was located nearby and began producing gold ore in 1894. Eventually the settlement became known as Tomboy.[1]

A stagecoach carrying passengers and mail would pass daily through Tomboy. Tomboy had a store, school, stable, and cabins for the miners. Unusual for an 1800s mining town, Tomboy had a YMCA and tennis courts.

The mine was sold for $2 million to the Rothschilds of London in 1897.[2]

Between 1908 and 1914, zinc was milled in Tomboy.[3]

The mine operated until 1928, though work in the mine tunnel continued until 1978.[1]

Remnants of Tomboy can be accessed by hikers or by four-wheel drive vehicles, though the settlement is now located on privately owned land.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Colorado Ghost Town Photography - Tomboy, Colorado . Colorado Post . March 14, 2016.
  2. Web site: Ghost Towns - Links to the Past . Ouray, Colorado . March 14, 2016.
  3. Book: Berry, Edward Wilber . The Flora of the Ripley Formation . U.S. Government Printing Office . 1925 . 54.
  4. Web site: Tomboy Road - Imogene Road #869 . United States Department of Agriculture . February 24, 2021.