Gilman, Colorado | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Gilman in 2020, showing the abandoned houses and part of the old mine | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 39°31′58″N 106°23′38″W / 39.5328°N 106.3939°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| Counties | Eagle[1] |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Elevation | 8,951 ft (2,728 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code[2] | 81645 |
Gilman is an abandoned mining town in southeastern Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The Gilman post office operated from November 3, 1886, until April 22, 1986.[3] The U.S. Post Office at Minturn (ZIP Code 81645) now serves Gilman postal addresses.[2]
Founded in 1886 during the Colorado Silver Boom, the town later became a center of lead and zinc mining in Colorado, centered on the now-flooded Eagle Mine. It was abandoned in 1984 by order of the Environmental Protection Agency because of toxic pollutants, including contamination of the ground water, as well as unprofitability of the mines. It is currently a ghost town on private property and is strictly off limits to the public. At the time of the abandonment, the mining operations were owned by Gulf and Western Industries.[4]
In 2007, The Ginn Company had plans to build a private ski resort with private home sites across Battle Mountain --- including development at the Gilman townsite. On February 27, 2008, the Minturn Town Council unanimously approved annexation and development plans for 4,300 acres (6.7 sq mi; 17 km2) of Ginn Resorts’ 1,700-unit Battle Mountain residential ski and golf resort; Ginn's Battle Mountain development includes much of the old Gilman townsite. On May 20, 2008, the town of Minturn approved the annexation in a public referendum with 87% of the vote.[5] As of September 9, 2009 the Ginn Company has backed out of development plans for the Battle Mountain Property. Crave Real Estate Ventures, who was the original finance to Ginn, took over day-to-day operations of the property.[6]
- ^ a b "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ a b "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. January 3, 2007. Archived from the original (JavaScript/HTML) on November 4, 2010. Retrieved January 3, 2007.
- ^ Bauer, William H.; Ozment, James L.; Willard, John H. (1990). Colorado Post Offices 1859–1989. Golden, Colorado: Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation. ISBN 0-918654-42-4.
- ^ "Eagle Mine site summary". Colorado Department of Health and Government. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
- ^ "Minturn Citizens for Annexation, Official Website". Archived from the original on April 26, 2009. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
- ^ Miller, Scott. "Ginn drops out of Vail Valley ski resort". www.vaildaily.com.