Manhattan, Colorado, Larimer County is a ghost town with a rich history that echoes the spirit of the Old West. Once a bustling mining community, Manhattan now is a tribute to the boom-and-bust cycles of the 19th-century gold rush era. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Larimer County
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 40.7311° N, 105.5866° W
Elevation: Approximately 8,000 feet
Time Zone: Mountain Time Zone (MT)
Established: 1886
Disestablished: Early 1900s
Comments: Manhattan, Colorado, was established during the Colorado Gold Rush when gold was discovered there. The town quickly grew as prospectors flocked to the region, hoping to strike it rich.
At its peak, Manhattan hosted several hundred residents with businesses, saloons, and a post office. However, as the gold veins were depleted, the town’s population dwindled, leading to its eventual abandonment.
Remains: Manhattan’s remains are minimal, consisting mainly of scattered foundations and remnants of old structures. Some mining artifacts and equipment can still be found in the area, offering a glimpse into the past.
Nature has largely reclaimed the site, with vegetation covering many of the old town’s footprints. The town was founded as a gold mining camp after a “rich strike” was discovered west of Fort Collins in September 1886 between the Seven Mile and Elk Horn creeks. This resulted in a rush of miners to the area along Manhattan Creek.
The town was platted in 1887, and a post office opened in March of that year. Today, only a few boards remain of the town with the Ace of Cubs saloon, a hotel, a butcher, a livery stable, a blacksmith, and houses. At first, people lived in tents, and by the end of October 1887, there were 100 miners in town, and 125 claims had been made.
The previous month, a school that served Manhattan, Rustic, Elk Horn, and Seven-Mile was opened. Little gold was found, and getting it deposited deep into the earth was expensive. There were about 50 people in Manhattan in 1888.
A discovery in the fall of 1890 led to a boom in building construction. Two people died in a mine explosion at the Black Hawk mine on November 13, 1892. There were about 300 people in Manhattan in 1898, but that had dropped to 50 in 1899.
The post office closed at the end of 1900, and the school closed in 1904. A school was established in Elk Horn, which became part of the Fort Collins schools in 1970.
Current Status: Manhattan is classified as a ghost town. It is on private property, and visitors should seek permission before exploring the area. History enthusiasts and those interested in ghost towns often visit the site, though access can be limited.
The United States Forest Service owned the town and became a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) site in the 1930s. Some of the buildings from the town were moved, the Forest Service burned those that remained in the 1930s. The Manhattan Cemetery remains on Country Road 68C/162.
Remarks: Manhattan is a fascinating snapshot of Colorado’s mining history and the transient nature of boomtowns. Its remote location in the Rocky Mountains adds a sense of adventure for visitors.
While much of the town has faded away, Manhattan’s story continues to captivate those interested in the legacy of the American frontier. About 300 men mined the Laugh-a-lot, Little Tipsy, and Katy’s Pet mines, but the town never realized the boom predicted by The Denver Post in 1897.
A radio soap opera, Our Gal Sunday, and the book A Lady from Colorado, later adapted into an opera by Robert Ward, were based upon the life of Irish immigrant Katie Lawder, who was orphaned at the age of 12 and lived in Colorado beginning at age 18.
In 1888, she married Cecil Ernest Moon, an Englishman and Oxford graduate who later attained a title and a fortune. Katie took her cowgirl clothing and western frontier ways on trips with her husband to England.
Ultimately, she fell out of favor with Cecil and his family, and the couple was divorced. She then lived entirely in Colorado and wished to continue to be called Lady Cecil Moon. She bought a ranch 1901 for US$2,500 (equivalent to $71,970 in 2016).
