Colton, Utah

Colton
Ghost town

Hilltop Country Store, one of the last remnants of Colton
Colton
Colton

Location of Colton in Utah

Coordinates: 39°51′09″N 111°00′47″W / 39.85250°N 111.01306°W / 39.85250; -111.01306Coordinates: 39°51′09″N 111°00′47″W / 39.85250°N 111.01306°W / 39.85250; -111.01306
Country United States
State Utah
County Utah
Established 1883
Abandoned 1950s
Named for William F. Colton
Elevation[1] 7,237 ft (2,206 m)
GNIS feature ID 1437529[1]

Colton is a ghost town located in Utah County, Utah, about 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 through Spanish Fork Canyon between the cities of Spanish Fork and Price.

History

The site was first settled in 1883 under the name of Pleasant Valley Junction,[2] where the Pleasant Valley Railroad connected the mining town of Winter Quarters, 20 miles (32 km) to the south, to the Rio Grande line.[3] This line was soon abandoned, replaced by a Rio Grande branch along a much easier grade between Pleasant Valley Junction and Scofield.[2] Pleasant Valley Junction quickly grew to include a store, hotel, and five saloons.[3] In addition to the railroad, the mining and milling of ozokerite was important in the local economy. Sometime just before 1898 the town was renamed Colton[2] in honor of railroad official William F. Colton. Two years later in 1900 the Scofield mine disaster dealt the entire area a serious blow, but Colton survived.[3]

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1890427—
1900107−74.9%
191019481.3%
192049−74.7%
1930538.2%
194026−50.9%
19505092.3%

In 1915 Colton nearly experienced a second boom when the railroad considered forming a division point here, but they eventually chose Soldier Summit instead. Colton stayed a fairly busy railroad town—in fact, the town burned and was rebuilt three times. When the introduction of diesel locomotives began to eliminate the need for helper engines to push trains over the Summit, Colton rapidly declined. By the 1950s most of the railroad operations were stopped and the buildings removed.[2]

The most noticeable remnant of Colton is the Hilltop Country Store, which was moved up to the highway in 1937 and is still in business. A few intact buildings and ruins are still found in the townsite itself.

References

  1. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Colton
  2. 1 2 3 4 Carr, Stephen L. (1986) [June 1972]. The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns (3rd ed.). Salt Lake City: Western Epics. p. 70. ISBN 0-914740-30-X.
  3. 1 2 3 Thompson, George A. (November 1982). Some Dreams Die: Utah's Ghost Towns and Lost Treasures. Salt Lake City, Utah: Dream Garden Press. p. 96. ISBN 0-942688-01-5.

External links

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