Holy Cross City, Colorado

Holy Cross City is a ghost town in Eagle County, Colorado. Holy Cross City gets its name from Mount of the Holy Cross, located nearby. Presently, the former townsite is located along Holy Cross City Trail within Holy Cross Wilderness, part of White River National Forest.[3] The Mount is not visible from the townsite.[4]

Not to be confused with Holy Cross City Trail.
Holy Cross City
Ghost town
Cabin in Holy Cross City
Holy Cross City
Location within the state of Colorado
Coordinates: 39°24′54″N 106°28′41″W
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyEagle
Elevation
11,427 ft (3,483 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total0
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP codes
81645[1]
GNIS feature ID179537[2]

History
Mount of the Holy Cross in 1900, the mountain for which the city is named.

Discovery of valuable deposits of lead, manganese, and trace amounts of gold made the Holy Cross Mining District a densely mined region in the 1880s.[5] The town was populated between 1880 and 1884, with a peak population of 300, though the mines ceased being profitable in 1883. A brief repopulation of the town occurred in the 1890s as the mines were worked for a short time.[4]

At its peak, the city contained a post office, boarding houses, a hotel, as well as other amenities. Only small remnants of the town remain, with four scattered cabins comprising the largest standing structures as of 2017.

The trail–constructed in 1883–remains accessible, but by road is difficult to reach by car due to rocky conditions. The trail is rocky, provides vistas of the Mount of the Holy Cross, and terminates at two lakes.[6]

References
  1. "Holy Cross City (historical) - Populated Place Feature (Populated Place) in Eagle County". CO HomeTownLocator. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  2. "Feature Detail Report for: Holy Cross City (historical)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 13 October 1978. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  3. "Holy Cross City, Eagle County, Colorado". Bud Werner Memorial Library. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  4. Otte, Mike. "Holy Cross City". Ghosttowns.com. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  5. "Holy Cross City (historical), Eagle County, Colorado, United States". mindat.org. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  6. "Holy Cross Wilderness Area". PeakVisor. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
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