Castleton, Utah | |
|---|---|
  Castleton Location of Castleton with the State of Utah  Castleton Castleton (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 38°36′12″N109°19′4″W / 38.60333°N 109.31778°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Grand |
| Established | c. 1880 |
| Vacated | 1967 |
| Elevation | 5,896 ft (1,797 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1439525 [1] |
Castleton is a ghost town in the Castle Valley in southeastern Grand County, Utah, United States.
The community located on the La Sal Mountain Loop Road, some 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Moab. The nearest inhabited town is Castle Valley, approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) to the northwest.
A short-lived gold placer mining camp existed here in the 1860s, [2] but the area was first settled by a prospector named Doby Brown in the late 1870s or early 1880s. By 1882 enough settlers had gathered to establish a post office. [3] In 1888 when a local gold rush began at nearby Miners Basin, Castleton became important as a supply town. [2] It had a general store, hotel, two saloons, and several other businesses. At its peak in 1895, the population exceeded that of Moab. [4] In fact, when Grand County was organized in 1890, Castleton vied with Moab for the chance to be county seat. [5]
The Panic of 1907 closed down the area's mines, and soon ranchers were Castleton's only residents. [6] [2] By 1910 the businesses were gone, leaving only the post office, and the population had dropped to 50. [4] In 1930 there were six residents. [5] A few people stayed in the dead town for decades, but in 1967 the county commission officially vacated Castleton as an occupied town. [7]
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Castleton has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. [8]
Moab is the largest city and county seat of Grand County in eastern Utah in the western United States, known for its dramatic scenery. The population was 5,366 at the 2020 census. Moab attracts many tourists annually, mostly visitors to the nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. The town is a popular base for mountain bikers who ride the extensive network of trails including the Slickrock Trail, and for off-roaders who come for the annual Moab Jeep Safari.
State Route 128 (SR-128) is a 44.564-mile-long (71.719 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Utah. The entire length of the highway has been designated the Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway, as part of the Utah Scenic Byways program. This road also forms part of the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway, a National Scenic Byway. Residents of Moab frequently refer to SR-128 as "the river road", after the Colorado River, which the highway follows.
Kelton is a ghost town, just north of the Great Salt Lake, in the Park Valley area of Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The town was inhabited during the period of 1869–1942. Once an important section station on the First transcontinental railroad, Kelton was dependent on the railroad throughout its history. The town suffered serious setbacks in the 1880s when its busy stagecoach route to Boise, Idaho was discontinued, and in the 1900s when the Lucin Cutoff left it off the main rail line. The strongest earthquake in Utah history caused severe damage in 1934, but Kelton ceased to exist only when the rails were completely removed during World War II.
Mammoth is an unincorporated community and semi-ghost town in northeastern Juab County, Utah, United States.
Kiz is a ghost town located in arid Clark Valley, in the sparsely populated eastern part of Carbon County, Utah, United States. This agricultural settlement existed between approximately 1906 and 1940. The nearest currently inhabited town is East Carbon.
Tucker is a ghost town located near the east end of the Spanish Fork River in Utah County, Utah, United States 7 miles (11 km) below Soldier Summit on U.S. Route 6. It was once an important loading point and construction camp on the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW). After the town was abandoned, the state of Utah used the town site for a rest area. In 2009, the site was buried as part of a project to re-align a portion of US-6's western approach to Soldier Summit. To honor the town, the state of Utah built a replacement rest area about 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream from Tucker, called the Tie Fork Rest Area.
Colton is a ghost town located near the southeastern edge of Utah County, Utah, United States, approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Soldier Summit. Formerly a busy railroad junction on the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, Colton is a landmark on U.S. Route 6 between the cities of Spanish Fork and Price.
Mohrland is a ghost town located in Emery County, Utah, United States. Lying in Cedar Creek Canyon near the Carbon County line, Mohrland was Emery County's largest coal mining town, with a history more typical of Carbon County's coal camps than of most Emery County communities.
Paria or Pahreah, is a ghost town on the Paria River in Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument in central Kane County, Utah, United States. It was inhabited from 1870 to 1929, and later used as a filming location.
Widtsoe is a ghost town in Garfield County, Utah, United States. Located in John's Valley northeast of Bryce Canyon and along the Sevier River at the mouth of Sweetwater Creek, the town existed from about 1908 to 1936.
Dewey is a ghost town in along the Colorado River in southeastern Grand County, Utah, United States.
Sego is a ghost town in Grand County, Utah, United States. It lies in the narrow, winding Sego Canyon, in the Book Cliffs some 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Thompson Springs. Formerly an important eastern Utah coal mining town, Sego was inhabited about 1910–1955. The town is accessed via the grade of the Ballard & Thompson Railroad, a spur from the Denver and Rio Grande Western built by the founders of the town to transport the coal.
Newhouse is a ghost town located on the eastern edge of the Wah Wah Valley in Beaver County, Utah, United States. A silver mining town based on the Cactus Mine on the western slopes of the San Francisco Mountains, Newhouse was smaller and quieter than Frisco, 5 miles (8.0 km) to the southeast.
Giles is a ghost town located along the Fremont River in the Blue Valley of Wayne County, Utah, United States. The town was inhabited circa 1883–1919.
Hebron is a ghost town on Shoal Creek in Washington County in southwestern Utah, United States. Hebron was inhabited from 1862 until 1902, when the already-declining town was mostly destroyed by an earthquake. The present-day city of Enterprise, 6 miles (9.7 km) to the east, was settled largely by people leaving Hebron.
Grass Creek is a ghost town in Summit County, Utah, United States. Lying some 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Coalville, it was once an important coal mining town. Grass Creek was inhabited circa 1860–1940.
Silver City is a ghost town located at the mouth of Dragon Canyon on the west flank of the East Tintic Mountains in northeast Juab County in central Utah, United States. It was a silver mining town approximately 90 miles (140 km) south-southwest of Salt Lake City. This area was considered part of the Tintic Mining District and also produced bismuth, copper, gold, and lead. Settlement began with the first mining strikes here in 1869. Silver City was inhabited until 1930, after the mines played out. Jesse Knight, known as the "Mormon Wizard" for his ability to find ore easily, decided to build a smelter in Silver City because it had the flattest ground in all of the Tintic Mining District. Silver City had several mines in 1890, but the mines hit water and were abandoned. Now there is little left other than a few holes where mines were, and a number of tailings piles. The Silver City Cemetery, however, survives and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Winter Quarters is a ghost town in Carbon County, Utah, United States. Coal was discovered in the area in 1875, and later that year, the Pleasant Valley Coal Company began coal mining operations. A group of coal miners was delayed during an early winter storm in 1877, which led to the town's name of Winter Quarters. On May 1, 1900, an explosion in the Winter Quarters Number Four mine killed 200 miners. Despite the mine explosion, the coal mining operations remained active until 1922, when the opening of a new mine in Castle Gate caused many people to relocate there. By 1930, Winter Quarters was abandoned.
Victor is a ghost town in Castle Valley in northern Emery County, Utah, United States.
Desert Lake is a ghost town in Castle Valley in northern Emery County, Utah, United States. It was inhabited from 1885 to about 1910.
Media related to Castleton, Utah at Wikimedia Commons
Municipalities and communities of Grand County, Utah, United States | ||
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