Ghost towns are a common fixture across the United States. Like other abandoned places, ghost towns are formerly populated small communities, often with buildings and other structures still left standing.
How are these places, mostly abandoned, administered? The answer varies depending on the state and county in which the ghost town resides. Today, we will examine St. Elmo, Colorado, a small, historic mining town founded in 1880. The count of ghost towns in Colorado alone is estimated to be over 1,500.
For starters, we can look to the Colorado Revised Statutes for legislation. C.R.S. 24-80-1201 states that, sans opposition from preexisting public or private ownership, for the purpose of historic preservation, designation privileges of ghost towns are granted to the state historical society. History Colorado, the Colorado State Historical Society, was established as an educational institution in 1879. (C.R.S. 24-80-201.) To access this legislation for free, log in from the Colorado Revised Statutes page on the Colorado General Assembly website, by looking under the Title 24: Government – State tab.
Required by law in these spaces is signage with the inscription, “The historical heritage of the state of Colorado can only be preserved by the citizens themselves.”
On September 17, 1979, St. Elmo was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places by a descendant of the town’s owners. Though privately owned, the site enjoys the benefits of federal funding and assistance where preservation and historic education are concerned.
Today, the town’s mercantile serves as a gift shop for tourists passing through. Though the town remains largely empty of civic life, tourists can gather across Main Street from the mercantile at Chipmunk Crossing. For fifty cents a bag of sunflower seeds, tourists can gather to feed a friendly bunch of chipmunks living in the area. Feeding certain wildlife such as “deer, elk, pronghorn, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, mountain lions and bears” is illegal according to Colorado law. Though these tiny critters are not listed by name, it is recommended to be mindful when approaching their habitat.
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