Nestled high in Colorado’s Sawatch Range, St. Elmo, Colorado stands as one of the state’s most remarkably preserved ghost towns. This former gold and silver mining camp, situated 1,000 feet below the timberline in Chaffee County, offers a compelling glimpse into the rugged frontier life of the Old West. Recognized for its historical significance, the entire district of St. Elmo, Colorado was rightfully placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, drawing visitors from around the world to its silent streets and weathered buildings.
The Genesis of a Mining Boomtown
The area that would become St. Elmo was first settled in 1878, rapidly expanding as the allure of gold and silver drew prospectors to the region. Officially established in 1880, the settlement was initially known as Forest City. However, postal authorities requested a name change due to a proliferation of towns sharing the same moniker. Griffith Evans, one of the town’s founders, found inspiration in a popular 19th-century romantic novel, thus giving birth to the distinctive name St. Elmo.
Life in the nascent town, laid out amidst six feet of snow, was primarily geared towards supporting the influx of miners. While starting with a relatively high moral character, St. Elmo soon followed the trajectory of many booming mining towns. Its population swelled to over 2,000, attracting a predominantly male populace and leading to the establishment of numerous saloons, dance halls, and bawdy houses. During the construction of the formidable Alpine Tunnel, St. Elmo became notorious for lively, often raunchy, Saturday night festivities.
The Railroad Era and Peak Prosperity
The arrival of the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad in 1881 was a pivotal moment for St. Elmo. A crucial station was built in the town, serving as a primary supply hub for settlers and miners throughout the area. From St. Elmo, the tracks extended to Romley, Hancock, and through the engineering marvel that was the Alpine Tunnel. During its heyday, St. Elmo boasted a comprehensive array of services and establishments:
- Smelting works
- Multiple merchandise stores
- Five hotels, including the renowned Home Comfort Hotel
- A telegraph office and town hall
- Five restaurants
- Two sawmills
- A schoolhouse
- A weekly newspaper, The Mountaineer
- Numerous saloons and dance halls
The prosperity of St. Elmo was intrinsically linked to its rich mineral deposits. Miners toiled in several local mines, extracting silver, gold, copper, and iron. Among the most prominent were the Mary Murphy, Theresse C, Molly, and Pioneer mines. The Mary Murphy Mine, perched high on the mountain approximately 2,000 feet above the railroad, proved to be the largest and most successful, shipping an astounding 50-75 tons of ore daily to the Alpine smelters. Both the Murphy and Theresse C mines were particularly rich in gold, with over 150 patented mine claims dotting the immediate vicinity.
The Stark Family: Pillars of the Community
In 1881, Anton Stark, a cattleman, brought his herd to the railroad and was so captivated by St. Elmo that he and his family chose to settle there. Anton became a section boss for a local mine, while his wife, Anna, managed a general store and the Home Comfort Hotel, which later housed the town’s post office and telegraph office. The Starks raised three children – Tony, Roy, and Annabelle – all of whom assisted in the hotel and store. The Home Comfort Hotel earned a reputation for being the cleanest in town, offering the best meals, and its store was celebrated for its plentiful supplies.
The Stark family occupied a unique position within St. Elmo’s society, considered part of its elite and regularly attending church. Anna Stark was known for her humorless demeanor and strict control over her children, instilling in them a belief of superiority over the town’s working-class population of miners, railroad men, and dance hall women. Consequently, the Stark children were rarely permitted to leave home, forbidden from attending local dances or social events, and largely confined to each other’s company.
The Inevitable Decline of a Mining Empire
The peak of St. Elmo’s population, around 2,000 residents, coincided with a devastating fire in 1890 that ravaged the town’s business section. The town never fully recovered from this setback. In the following years, many of the mines became depleted, prompting an exodus of miners from the area. The closure of the Alpine Tunnel in 1910 signaled the beginning of a significant, irreversible decline for St. Elmo.
The railroad continued its operations until 1922, a year often cited as the symbolic end for the town, with local lore suggesting that the remaining inhabitants rode the last train out, never to return. In 1925, the Mary Murphy Mine, the Chalk Creek Mining District’s most prolific gold producer, also ceased operations. From 1870 to 1925, it yielded an impressive 220,000 ounces of gold, valued at $4.4 million at the time, in addition to significant quantities of silver, lead, and zinc.
By 1926, the railroad tracks were dismantled, and the grade was repurposed into a road connecting Nathrop to St. Elmo. Despite the town’s decline, the Stark family steadfastly remained, buying up properties at tax sales and holding onto the belief that St. Elmo would eventually thrive once more.
The Enduring Legacy of the Stark Siblings
Roy and Tony Stark initially attempted to persuade developers to reopen the mines, but their efforts proved futile. They then pivoted to tourism, leasing empty cabins to vacationers and continuing to operate the general store. Following Anton Stark’s passing, Anna, recognizing the insufficiency of the tourism trade, sent Annabelle to work at the telegraph office in Salida, 20 miles south.
Annabelle, described as lonely yet attractive, finally found a temporary escape from the confines her mother had imposed. She married a young man named Ward in 1922 and moved to Trinidad. However, the marriage was short-lived, and Annabelle returned to St. Elmo just two years later, where she would spend the remainder of her life. By 1930, the once-bustling town’s population had dwindled to a mere seven residents, consisting primarily of the eccentric Stark children and their mother.
Roy Stark died in 1934, followed shortly by his mother, Anna. This left Annabelle and Tony as the sole inhabitants of the decaying town. They lived without indoor plumbing or electricity, neglecting the old hotel, which became filled with trash and discarded items. Despite the squalor, they continued to run the Home Comfort Store, which was reportedly
