Castleton, Utah

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Castleton, Utah
Ghost town
Castleton is located in Utah
Castleton
Castleton
Location of Castleton with the State of Utah
Coordinates: 38°36′12″N 109°19′4″W / 38.60333°N 109.31778°W / 38.60333; -109.31778Coordinates: 38°36′12″N 109°19′4″W / 38.60333°N 109.31778°W / 38.60333; -109.31778
CountryUnited States
StateUtah
CountyGrand
Establishedc. 1880
Vacated1967
Elevation
[1]
5,896 ft (1,797 m)
GNIS feature ID1439525[1]

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

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. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Castleton
  2. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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

External links[]

Media related to Castleton, Utah at Wikimedia Commons


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