Montezuma, Colorado

The Town of Montezuma is a statutory town in eastern Summit County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 42 at U.S. Census 2000. The town is a former mining camp that sits at an elevation of 10,200 feet, just west of the Continental Divide, nestled among mountains that reach 12,000-13,000 feet around it. It is situated in the upper valley of the Snake River above the resort town of Keystone in the Rocky Mountains.

The Montezuma schoohouse, where the children of Montezuma attended school from the late 1800s through the 1950s.

Description

The town, which is named for Montezuma, the Emperor of the Aztecs, consists largely of historical buildings and houses lining unpaved streets at the end of the paved county road that ascends the Snake River from Keystone near the west side of Loveland Pass. The town sits in a high steep valley surrounded by forested peaks offering good access to higher national forest land destinations. The road up from Keystone leads mainly through national forest right up to the entrance of town, which is marked by a sign over the county road. In addition to the recent building boom of several upscale second homes, the town itself retains many older structures, some of them dating from the late 19th century, such as the picturesque school house dating from the 1880s. The town is often included in lists of ghost towns in the Colorado Rockies, but it nevertheless retains a small, dedicated population of full-time residents, as well as many absentee homeowners. As of 2005, a small low-power FM station (KMZM 96.5), receivable only near the town, operates from one of the houses. Montezuma has some of the most popular backcountry skiing, biking, snowmobiling, and hiking trails in Summit County. Montezuma is listed as one of Colorado's top scenic places in John Fielder's Best of Colorado.

The scenic drive from Keystone to Montezuma.

History

The town founded in 1865 following the discovery of silver in the vicinity of nearby Argentine Pass. It was populated by prospectors coming over the passes from nearby Georgetown. In 1890, at the height of the Colorado Silver Boom, the population reached nearly 1000. At the time, the town had two stores, a post office, two hotels (the Summit House and the Rocky Mountain House), and a sawmill. It eventually had a smelter, as well, which allowed local separation of the silver and lead ores, which are typically found together in the region. At the town's peak, the mountainside around the town was location of numerous mines on the Belle and Blance lodes, opeated by the Sts. John Mining Company, after which the nearby ghost town of Saints John is named. Saints John now consists of three cabins near timberline, which could be considered the highest populated place in North America at 11,000 feet. During the boom, the town experienced an influx of Mexican mine workers from Chihuahua.

The town experienced a steep decline after the Silver Bust in 1893. It experienced a slight revival in mining interest in 1940, but has remained fairly quiet since World War II. The town has experienced five major fires throughout its history, including ones in 1949 and 1958 which destroyed many of the historic structures, including the Summit House, which burned in the fire of Christmas 1958. Other fires in the 1970s and 1980s destroyed additional historic buildings and businesses, leaving the town with little current economic base. Presently, the town is experiencing a high surge of interest as the value of real estate in proximity to ski areas and with access to wilderness increases substantially.

Geography

Location of Montezuma, Colorado

Montezuma is located at 39°34′53″N 105°52′4″W (39.581389, -105.867778)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 42 people, 20 households, and 6 families residing in the town. The population density was 202.7/km² (548.4/mi²). There were 35 housing units at an average density of 168.9/km² (457.0/mi²).

There were 20 households out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.0% were married couples living together, and 70.0% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the town the population was spread out with 19.0% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 50.0% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, . The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 133.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 161.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $38,750, and the median income for a family was $53,750. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $16,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $31,924.

View of one of the mountains that encircle the town.

Further reading

• Jeep Trails to Colorado Ghost Towns, Robert L. Smith

References

<be clear=all/>