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The town of Independence lies in a picturesque meadow on the west side of Independence Pass alongside State Highway 82 at an altitude of 10,880 feet. According to legend, Billy Belden, one of the original prospectors in the Roaring Fork Valley, hit a rich vein of gold on July 4, 1879 and named the claim, and the tent city around it, Independence.
By 1881, the Farwell Mining Company had acquired most of the leading mines in the area including the Independence No. 1, 2, & 3, Last Dollar, Legal Tender, Mammoth, Mount Hope, Champion, Sheba, Friday, and Dolly Varden. The company also operated the Farwell Stamp Mill and a large sawmill for their mines. That summer, the population grew to 500, served by four grocery stores, four boarding houses and three saloons. The Independence Miner started printing in October. By 1882 the Town of Independence had over 40 businesses with three post offices and an estimated population of 1,500. A miner could get room and board for $2 at the New England House, a boarding house on the east end of Main Street.
Peak production in Independence occurred between 1881 and 1882 when $190,000 (more than $4 million in today's dollars) worth of gold was recovered from area mines. Only about 350 people lived in Independence year round although the population swelled to 1,000 during the warmer, summer months. The remains of the 1881 Farwell Stamp Mill can be found near Mile Marker 57. The ore was played out by 1890 and the town went into decline, with its last resident leaving in 1912.
The Independence Ghost Town was partially restored by the Aspen Historical Society. Today, the Aspen Historical Society manages the poplar tourism site with interpretive displays and artifacts that provide information on the early mining days in the Roaring Fork Valley.
A few buildings remain, including the stables, used to house the horses and burros that hauled ore to Leadville, the general store, and a log cabin that was restored to serve as a residence for the Historical Society's intern who used to live at the site during the summer. A self guided tour is available at the site.
The old stage road was installed on Independence Pass in 1880-1881 by B. Clark Wheeler, officially opening on January 1, 1882 as a toll road, collecting 25 cents per horse and rider and 50 cents per wagon for passage. The old toll road carried travelers over the Pass between 1882 and the coming of the railroads into Aspen in 1887. Although the existing road was built over the old road in many places, the remains of the original road, including logs laid down over boggy spots, and the ruins of corrals and way stations, can still be found. The shadow of the old road bed, cut by erosion gullies and partially revegetated by native plants, is clearly visible just west of the summit. One section of the old road has been maintained for hiking and public access near the Grottoes day use area. There are also a few remains of the old toll stops at Lost Man, Weller, Tagert Lake and North Star Preserve.
Independence Pass was one of the original travel routes into Aspen dating back to the 1880s. Remains of the original toll road and the way stations that serviced travelers on the road can still be found today. The route is now part of the Top of the Rockies Scenic and Historic Byway.
Independence is available for self guided tours during the time the pass is open.
Fun Facts to Know and Tell: The high point of the road is 12,095' and the low point in Aspen is 7,900'
During the winter of 1899 the worst storm in Colorado's history cut off the supply routes to Independence. The miners, who were running out of food, dismantled their homes to make 75 pairs of skis and escaped en masse to Aspen. They made light of their adventure by making it a race of the Hunter's Pass Ski Club–entry fee: one ham sandwich
Other Places to Visit: Aspen Historical Society, Wheeler / Stallard Museum Ashcroft Ghost Town Twin Lakes
Best Times to Visit: Summer and early fall while road is still open
Byway:Top of the Rockies Collegiate Peaks
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