Castleton, Utah

Castleton is a ghost town in the Castle Valley in southeastern Grand County, Utah, United States.

Castleton, Utah
Ghost town
Castleton
Location of Castleton with the State of Utah
Castleton
Castleton (the United States)
Coordinates: 38°36′12″N 109°19′4″W
CountryUnited States
StateUtah
CountyGrand
Establishedc. 1880
Vacated1967
Elevation5,896 ft (1,797 m)
GNIS feature ID1439525[1]

Description

The community located on the La Sal Mountain Loop Road, some 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Moab. The nearest inhabited town is Castle Valley, approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) to the northwest.

History

A short-lived gold placer mining camp existed here in the 1860s,[2] but the area was first settled by a prospector named Doby Brown in the late 1870s or early 1880s. By 1882 enough settlers had gathered to establish a post office.[3] In 1888 when a local gold rush began at nearby Miners Basin, Castleton became important as a supply town.[2] It had a general store, hotel, two saloons, and several other businesses. At its peak in 1895, the population exceeded that of Moab.[4] In fact, when Grand County was organized in 1890, Castleton vied with Moab for the chance to be county seat.[5]

The Panic of 1907 closed down the area's mines, and soon ranchers were Castleton's only residents.[6][2] By 1910 the businesses were gone, leaving only the post office, and the population had dropped to 50.[4] In 1930 there were six residents.[5] A few people stayed in the dead town for decades, but in 1967 the county commission officially vacated Castleton as an occupied town.[7]

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Castleton has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.[8]

See also

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Castleton
  2. Thompson, George A. (November 1982). Some Dreams Die: Utah's Ghost Towns and Lost Treasures. Salt Lake City, Utah: Dream Garden Press. p. 122. ISBN 0-942688-01-5.
  3. Firmage, Richard A. (January 1996). A History of Grand County (PDF). Utah Centennial County History Series. Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah State Historical Society. p. 137. ISBN 0-913738-03-4. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  4. Carr, Stephen L. (1986) [June 1972]. The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns (3rd ed.). Salt Lake City, Utah: Western Epics. p. 155. ISBN 0-914740-30-X.
  5. Firmage, p.267.
  6. Van Cott, John W. (1990). Utah Place Names: A Comprehensive Guide to the Origins of Geographic Names: A Compilation. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-87480-345-7. OCLC 797284427. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  7. Firmage, p.350.
  8. Climate Summary for Castleton, Utah

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