Welcome to
Collectors Corner!
Ed Sandoval Gallery's Newsletter
119 Quesnel Street, Taos, NM 87571
edsandovalart@gmail.com
(575) 770-6360
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Hot Springs, Ghost Towns, Railroads & Bars |
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It’s October, and I’m continuing to share some of the places we visited on our road trip up into Wyoming. Let’s get into the spirit of this spooky month and start with a ghost town. |
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This ghostly story begins in an unlikely place – the luxurious setting of Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort that sits on 70 acres near Salida, Colorado. Oh folks, if you love hot springs, this is truly one of the best. They have so many LARGE pools: a soaking pool, exercise pool, adult spa pools, creek-side hot springs, private hot springs, a water slide and my personal favorite, an INFINITY pool, all filled with natural spring waters feeling so toasty due to geothermal heat. Divine… especially in the mornings when only the resort guests can use certain areas. If you stay overnight, you get to access all of the pools for two solid days – the day you check in and the day you check out. That’s lot of soaking! |
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Water Slide (Once Was Enough...) |
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So what does this have to do with a ghost town? Well, as we were leaving, the front desk agent told us about the wonderfully preserved ghost town of St. Elmo that was “just up the road.” We asked how far, and she replied, “Oh about seven miles or so – turn left and it’s just up the road.”
The first couple of miles through the canyon were beautiful, but the pavement started becoming pretty darn narrow as we wound up and up the mountain. Driving the Volvo and slowing down considerably, Gwen turned to me and said, “Well, at least it’s paved.” Literally 20 seconds after she said that, the pavement ended. The dirt road was rough… rocky and bumpy with wash-boarding… and fit more for ATVs and trucks than cars. After 30 minutes of this, you start wondering to yourself, “Was this a good idea?”
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We kept creeping along at 10 mph, turning a seven-mile trip into a somewhat stressful, hour-long, “just up the road” quest. BUT, we finally arrived. It’s adorable! I’ll highlight a few facts from historical summaries that were posted (along with photos) in some buildings. |
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St. Elmo is one of the most intact ghost towns in the West. The entire town (43 buildings) is on the National Register of Historic Places and is an excellent example of wood frame construction in the 1880s and 1890s.
The development of a transportation system in the Colorado Rocky Mountains was driven by gold and silver. Prospectors and miners had been exploring and developing claims on foot and with horses and mules since the 1860s. In 1879, the Denver South Park and Pacific Railroad wanted to build up Chalk Creek (tunneling through the Continental Divide) to develop a route to Gunnison. It would serve the mines and provide a railhead for wagon freight to Aspen and Glenwood Springs. The railroad reached St. Elmo in 1881, the Alpine Tunnel was completed in 1882 and by 1883 there were 50 producing mines in the district.
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The railroad changed everything, and, after driving all the way up there, it’s hard to imagine such a thriving, fast-growing population (1,500 – 2,000 people) and booming commerce (2 sawmills, smelter and concentrator, 3 hotels, 5 restaurants, doctor, lawyer, and several stores and homes). Many merchants decided to “spruce up” the town and put false fronts on many businesses to look like a typical Main Street of the times.
What goes up must come down… The railroad faced harsh weather above 11,000 feet, with heavy snows often blocking the tracks and causing rockslides. In the winter of 1890, they closed the Alpine Tunnel, and it stayed closed for five years. A fire also started on the north side of Main Street, likely in the Clifton Hotel, and spread until it destroyed the entire block. Many business owners left, but the town kept going, focusing on milling operations.
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Things were looking up in 1895, when the railroad thought that tourism dollars would make the Alpine Tunnel profitable and reopened it. But another fire struck in January of 1898. The fire hydrants that were installed after the 1890 fire were useless – the water in the pipes was frozen. The aftermath of the fire left the town much as it is today.
There are a few stores selling antiques, gifts, snacks and sodas, but most of the buildings are closed up or have photo/story/artifact displays in them. Such a charming place!
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Our journey continued north through Leadville, and I'm pretty sure the St. Elmo railroad I talked about went through Leadville too. When you first enter from the south, you see piles of ore and what appears to be abandoned mining and industrial equipment left over from the boomtown days. Not too pretty, but continue and you'll see a glorious old-time saloon. |
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Silver Dollar Saloon (Established 1879) |
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Front Room of the Saloon w/ Bar |
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Who could see this historic saloon and NOT go inside for a drink? Not me! Walk in, and you'll be blown away by the authenticity of the Silver Dollar Saloon (established in 1879). It is obviously the oldest bar in Leadville but also the 4th oldest bar in Colorado and has continuously operated since its opening, even during prohibition. Bootlegging of high proof liquor continued, and a trap door behind the bar got rid of the evidence.
When you walk in, there's a "windbreak" that helped to keep the harsh winter winds from entering the bar but also kept wives and other community members from seeing who was inside drinking whiskey. The mahogany bar, mirrors and other features arrived by covered wagon and by train from Missouri. The two booths in the front bar are actually seats from that train. The original floor tile is from Italy (first tile floor in Leadville).
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Front Booths (Seats from Train) |
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Back Room (Gambling Back in Day) |
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"Doc" Holiday moved to Leadville around 1883 and came over for drinks and gambling for years. In 1884, he shot and killed an ex-policeman who threatened him about a $5 debt, but the jury found him not guilty. At age 18, the "Unsinkable Molly Brown" also moved to Leadville, married a mining engineer, and showed her unconventional spirit by frequenting the bar (quite a scandal in that era!). Other famous patrons were Oscar Wilde and Jimmy Buffet. Oscar Wilde loved the notice over the piano: "Please do not shoot the pianist. He is doing his best." The staff were so friendly, telling stories and showing us around the place – I wish we had more time to spend there, to just take it all in. Magnificent!
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We just LOVE bars and visit as many as possible whenever we go anywhere. Don't worry – we won't list them all (ha ha) and we don't get sloshed. There is something wonderfully fun about having a beer in a new place, sitting back, people watching and chatting with locals.
I'll give a shout out to the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson Hole for having saddles as bar stools. Oh that is so cute! And it was a blast seeing tourists who had never been on a horse or saddle... especially a couple from London... try to figure out how to get onto one.
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One night, while staying at The Virginian in Jackson Hole, we were tired of the car and asked about nearby bars. "Oh, just walk across this side street to that strip mall over there. You'll see Eleanor's, which is a liquor store, but there's a bar in the back." Hmmm... that sounded... quite odd and not very fun... but we were tired and decided to give it a shot.
Imagining a few tables in some sterile environment, we trudged over and opened the door. It was indeed a liquor store, so we proceeded to an opening in the back. Holy Secret Beer Garden! Every local in town seemed to be in there – it was packed. Grabbing two open seats at the bar (and there were only two), we ordered drinks. Turns out, we were sitting next to a father and son who were also on a cross-country road trip, visiting some of the same places we were. We kept talking to everyone and drinking for a couple of hours. Finally, we made our way back to the hotel thinking that Eleanor's was the best bar ever.
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Happy Throng of Bar Patrons |
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Us with the Father-Son Travelers |
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Here's the funny part – two days later, we're back at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar for a beer. A random guy working behind the bar comes running over saying excitedly, "Dudes! How are you? Oh fun to see you here!" He fist bumps both of us, happily chatting away as we stare at him. We... have... no... idea... who... this... guy... is... Eventually, he says, "Wasn't that fun at Eleanor's the other night?" We realize he was one of the locals we chatted with, but we talked to so many people we didn't remember him at all. Faking it, we say, "Oh yes," and talked to him about stuff. Later, Gwen looked at me and said, "We've only been here three days and already have local peeps." She gave me a fist bump. LOL.
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To inquire or request a high-resolution photo, contact 575.770.6360 or email edsandovalart@gmail.com. For all available paintings, click HERE.
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"Setting Summer Sun" (12x16) |
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On our road trip, we decided to stay two nights in Rock Springs, WY, to go on a tour of the Flaming Gorge. Neither of us had heard about it, but when looking up "things to do and see" and making a list of scenic places, this was always mentioned. We booked a van tour to go all the way around it (91 miles long!), which would stop at several overlooks for photos. Well, the tour was cancelled – too few people signed up – and since our hotel reservation was set, we decided to drive it ourselves. Back into the car we went, along with our fishing poles and boxes of poor worms in a cooler that we had drug across three states.
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Beautiful drive! Named for the fiery red canyon walls, the topography changes as you wind around, through grasslands, canyons, cliffs, forests... so interesting. And the reservoir is HUGE. It goes from southern WY down into northern UT. We stopped at the visitor's center to get a fishing license and learn where we could fish, but realized we were on the Utah side and our licenses wouldn't be any good when we got to Jackson Hole... so the poor worms would have to wait a few more days. Since the reservoir spans two states, you CAN buy a license in one state, but then you have to go into the other state to get a permit. Sounded WAY too complicated. |
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Okay, just ONE more short bar story. LOL. Returning to Rock Springs, an Interstate city that exists only to service road traffic, we wanted to stop for a beer after all that driving. Our phone led us to a strip mall that looked... well... rough... and to a bar called The Wolf Den. Sometimes, you become cautious before entering a dingy brick building that has no windows. It could have gone really wrong...
BUT, when we entered and moved past pool tables with a few locals playing to the bar, the bartender welcomed us right away, smiling, talking and joking. As we sat there, she was unloading deliveries and cleaning – oh she was working SO HARD. We each had two beers, and since I wanted "red beer," I also got a big glass of tomato juice (and a bag of potato chips). When we were going to leave, she said "That will be $15." Really? Only $15 for four beers, a huge tomato juice and chips? We gave her $25 and said, "We're good." She was so grateful! It's a reminder that no matter where you go, there are hard working folks who are just trying to make ends meet, and we should help when we can.
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Contact
Ed Sandoval Gallery
119 Quesnel Street, Taos, NM 87571
www.edsandovalgallery.com | (575) 770-6360 | edsandovalart@gmail.com
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