From a silver mining ghost town in Colorado...

Item # 644342

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September 08, 1881

THE ELK MOUNTAIN PILOT, Irwin, (Ruby Camp), Gunnison County, Colorado, September 8, 1881

* Rare ghost town title

A quite rare mining town camp newspaper which lasted about 5 years. At the turn of the 19th century this title was resurrected in nearby Crested Butte. The only holdings of this title from Irwin noted in Gregory (Union List of American Newspapers) by any institution have since been purchased by us.
Irwin and the camp of Ruby were founded in 1880 about 9 miles west of Crested Butte in central Colorado. The discovery of silver the previous year brought people to the town by the thousands. Within 6 months the town grew from about 50 to over 5000. In its prime, Irwin was described as a wide open bristling town with hotels, sawmills, stores, churches, dance halls and saloons. Today there is basically nothing left but a few minor structures.
Various news and advertisements of the day, most with a mining theme. Complete in four pages, a little wear on page 2 with small holes near center, small tape mend along bottom margin, generally nice.

Category: Post-Civil War