Keota, Colorado, Weld County is a captivating ghost town that once buzzed with life on the expansive Great Plains. Despite its desolate state today, Keota’s story is a tribute to the resilient spirit of early 20th-century settlers. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Weld County
Zip Code: 80726
Latitude / Longitude: 40.7000° N, 103.6900° W
Elevation: 4,964 feet
Time Zone: Mountain Time Zone (MST/MDT)
Established: 1880s
Disestablished: 1950s
Comments: Keota was founded in the late 19th century and experienced growth with the arrival of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad in the early 1900s.
The town served as a hub for ranchers and farmers, benefiting from the Homestead Act, which brought settlers to the area. However, the Dust Bowl and economic challenges led to its decline.
Keota is a mostly abandoned town located on the prairie in the Pawnee National Grasslands in Weld County in the U.S. state of Colorado. Keota’s elevation is 4,964 ft (1,513 m). Keota is located approximately 50 miles east of Greeley on County Road 103.
Pawnee Buttes, a pair of prominent sandstone escarpments that are significant nesting areas for hawks, falcons, and eagles, is located nearby.
Remains: Today, Keota is marked by a few remaining structures, including the schoolhouse, foundations of other buildings, and the cemetery. These remnants offer a glimpse into the town’s past, inviting exploration and reflection.
Keota was established as a homestead in 1880 by two sisters, Mary and Eva Beardsley, and sold to the Lincoln Land and Cattle Co. in 1888. Keota was a station stop on the “Old Prairie Dog Express” on the Colorado-Wyoming Division of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad.
The railroad was abandoned, and the trackage was removed in 1975. It was mainly used for cattle shipping. Keota lost its incorporated status in 1990. From 1908 to 1975, there were four different newspapers.
A post office operated briefly in 1890, was reopened in 1909 and closed in 1974. The school was established in 1888 and closed sometime in 1951, but the foundation remains. The schoolhouse was torn down in the 1950s.
The Dean Bivens family, who maintained the roads, moved out in September 1999.
Current Status: Keota is considered a ghost town with no active residents. However, it is accessible for those interested in exploring historical sites and experiencing the solitude of the plains.
The Keota water tower still stands today; however, it is not in operation and would likely no longer be safe for storing public drinking water. Due to its isolated location on Colorado’s eastern plains, water was once brought to Keota via rail cars.
Remarks: Keota’s story is emblematic of many small towns that sprang up across the American West, rising with the promise of opportunity and falling with the harsh realities of environmental and economic challenges. It remains a poignant reminder of the impermanence of human endeavors against the timeless backdrop of nature.
