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Photo Gallery Forty

Animas Forks area - San Juan Mountains - Colorado

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Animas Forks

View southeast from the CR 9 Bridge over the Animas River just below Animas Forks, CO.  The West Fork and North Fork of the Animas River meet a few hundred yards above this point to form the headwaters of the Animas River.

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Animas Forks

View southeast from along the banks of the Animas River near the CR 9 Bridge.  The peaks on the horizon are Jones, Niagara and Crown - all thirteeners.

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Animas Forks

This is the most prominent home left standing in Animas Forks.  A full two story home with a bay window in the front room.  It is known as the "Walsh or Duncan House".  Animas Forks had a Post Office until 1915.  The town was founded in 1873 as a central supply point for the many mines in the mountains above.

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Animas Forks

View looking northwest to this fairly well preserved wood frame home with Houghton Mountain on the horizon.  A railroad spur from Silverton was built to Animas Forks in 1904 to support the Gold Prince Mine.  Foundations are the only remaining evidence of the Gold Prince Mines Stamping Mill. 

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Animas Forks

Looking north with the stacked cribbing foundation of the "Walsh or Duncan House" clearly in view.  This house is somewhat exposed and the fact that it is still standing would imply that it must be well connected to a good foundation.

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Animas Forks

Front view of east elevation with bay window.  Apparently, Animas Forks did not succeed as a town because the area was prone to avalanches. Many buildings were simply swept away each winter.

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Animas Forks

Close-up of previous view.  Animas Forks is located at 11,150 feet above sea level.  The air is very dry and the lack of moisture in the wood prevents rot. The legend is that Evalyn Walsh lived in this home for a short time.  Evalyn's father, Tom Walsh, founded the Camp Bird  Mines near Ouray, CO

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Animas Forks

Tom Walsh, became one of the wealthiest men in the United States in the late 1890's. Tom Walsh gave Evalyn the "Hope Diamond" as a wedding gift.  Evalyn was the last person to privately own the Hope Diamond. It is now on display in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. The house has also been, however, credited to a William Duncan.

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Animas Forks

Full view from the bay window north to what little remains of the Columbus Mill and Mine.

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Animas Forks

Close-up of the curling clapboard wood siding on the Walsh house.

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Animas Forks

View southwest from the back of the "Walsh or Duncan House" to a more simple one story wood frame building.

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Animas Forks

View of the front porch of the house in the previous image.

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Animas Forks

Another view of the one story home looking northwest.  Animas Forks is one of the largest "somewhat intact" Ghost Towns in Colorado.  Hopefully, it will remain so for many years. Maybe additional buildings could be reconstructed.

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Animas Forks

View northeast from one of the many simple wood frame homes still standing in Animas Forks.  The "Walsh or Duncan House" is just visible as the last building in the image at the bottom of the hill.

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Animas Forks

Front entry to one of the simple one story wood frame homes in Animas Forks.  Most residents left in the fall and returned in the spring to avoid the brutal high mountain winters and avalanches.

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Animas Forks

Front porch of another home in Animas Forks.  Animas Forks was home to approximately 200 persons at it's high point just before the turn of the 20th Century.

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Animas Forks

This is the second largest home in Animas Forks next to the "Walsh or Duncan House".

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Animas Forks

This is the fireplace in the main room of the wood frame house in the previous image.

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Panoramic of mill site

This is a panoramic image looking north with the "Walsh or Duncan House" on the left and the Columbus Mill ruins beyond.

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Animas Forks

Ruins of The Frisco Mill & Tunnel Complex near Animas Forks in California Gulch.  This is a large three gable building in various stages of repair.  The intact two gables have been stabilized with steel cables.  A 7,500 foot long tunnel starts here and bores into solid rock.

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Animas Forks

This is an ore bucket of some kind near the mine shaft entrance at the Columbus Mine & Mill above Animas Forks.

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Animas Forks

Another view of the ore bucket and some kind of mine support building beyond.

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Animas Forks

This is an old pick-up truck in the Animas Forks vicinity.

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Animas Forks

This is an overview of Animas Forks, CO from the higher ground across the creek at the Columbus Mine & Mill just before sunset.  The town was slowly abandoned after the Gold Prince Mine closed in 1910.  By 1917 there were no permanent residents.

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Gold Prince Mine

View northwest to what was the Gold Prince Stampimg Mill at Animas Forks, CO.  The foundations of this construction can still be seen as you approach the parking area.

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