The Ashcroft Mercantile
Ashcroft:
voices from a Colorado Ghost Town
by Tracy Houston
Ghosts… are they the disembodied spirits of the dead or an emotional imprint on a location? This is a question that might arise after a visit to one of the many Colorado ghost towns. Some believe spirits of the nineteenth century miners can still be felt and possibly heard in the Colorado ghost town called Ashcroft. Formed in 1880 by the lure and promise of silver, the faint tinkling of Ashcroft’s saloon pianos still resonates in the street today. Originally, the town was named Castle Forks City; it was renamed Chloride and finally Ashcroft. First, the town’s founding fathers developed a Miner’s Protective Association. Then, within two weeks, they had built a courthouse and laid out the town plan that included a saloon, jail, hotel, store, post office, and cabins. By 1883, 2,500 people had come to the headwaters of Castle Creek seeking their fortune. The hopeful residents built log and clapboard buildings, and for a short time the town boasted a larger population than the neighboring town of Aspen.
The center of activity in the town was the saloon. Miners went there to relax, play cards, and gossip. In its heyday, Paddy’s, a two story gambling and dance hall, hosted more than card games. Legend describes the prostitutes of the town as “Spanish Ladies.” This sometimes shady but bustling industry quickly grew to almost twenty saloons. The burgeoning industry was probably also a boon to the local mattress manufacturer.
News of Ashcroft’s wealth and prosperity spread quickly. Claim names such as the Captain Kid, the Unicorn, the Vulture, the Marvel, the Columbia, the Rattler, and the Iconoclast Group reflect the independent and optimistic spirit of the miners. As time passed and reality manifested itself, most of these mines produced little more than the yellow-orange tailing piles that are still evident on the surrounding hillsides today.
Horace Tabor and several eastern investors owned the most productive silver mine in the area. Located approximately eleven miles south-southwest of Ashcroft, the Montezuma–Tam O’Shanter Mine at its peak produced $20,000 worth of silver a month. This mine operated for forty years before costly freight bills and low quality ore caused the owners to give up hope. As was the case of many “boom towns,” decline set in quickly. By 1883, miners were becoming disillusioned by the poor quality of silver ore, so they followed the next tale of fast money down to the town of Aspen. By 1885, Ashcroft’s population had declined to around a hundred residents. The town’s final blow occurred in 1887 when the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad completed a rail line through Aspen that bypassed Ashcroft.
Whispering on the winds that blow through Ashcroft are the words of a resident ghost and town native named John Leahy. Leahy was known as the “Poet Laureate of Ashcroft.” Leahy, Ashcroft’s mayor and Justice of the Peace, was also the town scholar. He was considered the region’s expert on mining claims and boasted an expansive library in his home. The man was a prolific writer and expressed his love for the land in volumes of poetry. The following is an excerpt from a poem titled “How We Built a Church at Ashcroft.”
Come all ye Irish gentlemen,
a story I would tell
Of St. Tim’s church at Ashcroft
and all that there befell.
Since snows did fall and streams run down
from lofty Castle Peak,
More witching spot could ne’er be found,
of poet to speak;
Or lovely vales, bestrewn with flowers,
or Columbine more rare;
Or sparkling waters foaming down,
or azure skies more fair.
Legend says that Leahy, an avid gambler, won the right to deliver the mail in a roulette game. One day during a blizzard, he strapped on his “Norwegian snowshoes” and started his death-ridden journey into the mountains. Being a man true to his nature, Leahy’s brave spirit was buried in an avalanche while reciting his beloved poetry. He was said to have died clinging to a rock singing in his fine tenor voice an old Irish tune “Come-a’ye.” The tale says that his song outlasted the storm and he sang until all he heard was his own voice. Some locals claim that Leahy’s ghost still lives in the Castle Creek valley.
The Ghost Town of Ashcroft is a National Register Historic Site that is maintained as an educational resource by the Aspen Historic Society. Walking tours are given twice daily and are wheelchair accessible. Tours begin around June; admission is $3.00 for adults and free for children under age ten. There are nature trails near the town and fishing in Castle Creek River. For meals, the Pine Creek Cookhouse, opening for the season June 17, is by reservation only. Toklat Art Gallery is just across the street from the Ghost Town parking lot. For the animal lover, guided llama treks are available.
Directions: From Denver take I-70 west to the Glenwood Springs /Highway 82 exit east; At Maroon Creek Road (the first light before Aspen) turn right, then make an immediate left on Castle Creek Road. Ashcroft is approximately ten miles south on Castle Creek Road.
Tracy Houston describes herself as the “chief ruffian” for Historic Colorado, LLC.