Howbert, Colorado, Park County is a fascinating ghost town with a history that intrigues many ghost town enthusiasts. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Park County
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 39.0086° N, 105.3336° W
Elevation: Approximately 8,500 feet (2,590 meters)
Time Zone: Mountain Standard Time (MST)
Established: 1880s
Disestablished: 1933
Comments: Howbert was a thriving settlement during its time, primarily serving as a community for workers involved in the construction of the Denver, South Park, and Pacific Railroad.
The town was strategically positioned to take advantage of the burgeoning railroad industry, which provided employment and transportation for the residents. Howbert was a defunct community from 1887 to 1933 in southeastern Park County in central Colorado.
Begun as an outpost of the former Colorado Midland Railway, it was named for Irving Howbert, who was an organizer and officer of Colorado Midland, a former member of the Colorado State Senate, a banker, a silver mine owner, and a founder with General William Jackson Palmer of Colorado Springs. Irving Howbert never lived in the community.
Howbert and two nearby communities were submerged under Eleven Mile Reservoir in Eleven Mile State Park.
Remains: The remains of Howbert are quite sparse today. Most of the structures have been lost to time, with only a few foundations and scattered debris marking where the town once stood.
The construction of the Eleven Mile Reservoir in 1933 led to the submergence of much of the original townsite, further erasing its physical presence. Howbert was a ranching outpost, where an eight-thousand-head cattle sale was concluded in August 1907.
The community was first called Dell’s Camp, presumably for B. R. Dell, who had opened a general store there before the arrival of the railroad. The United States Post Office opened in Howbert in December 1887. The next year, 125 lots were platted on land owned by James M. Petty.
To accommodate growth in the community, Dell constructed a three-story building in 1888. The store and post office operated on the ground level. The basement was used for storage and the upstairs as a church and meeting hall.
Current Status: Howbert is currently considered a ghost town. With most of its original structures submerged or destroyed, it is a historical site of interest for visitors.
Remarks: Howbert’s history poignantly reminds us of the transient nature of many frontier towns in Colorado. While its physical presence has largely vanished, its rise and fall story reflects the broader themes of expansion and change in the American West.
The area around the former town is now popular for recreational activities, particularly those related to the nearby Eleven Mile Reservoir. The city and county of Denver’s water needs increased as the area grew.
The Eleven Mile Canyon Dam was built from 1930 to 1932. The Howbert public school was relocated just before 1930. In 1933, the dam’s completion caused the South Platte River to flood Howbert, Idlewild, Freshwater Station, and nearby ranches.
An extension of the dam in 1957 buried more ranch land. The capacity of the reservoir was brought to nearly 98,000 acre-feet of water. The dam was the largest artificial body of water in Colorado then. It is one of seven reservoirs that still contribute to the drinking water of the Denver area.
