Animas Forks, a former mining settlement high in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, grew rapidly after prospectors discovered valuable mineral deposits in the surrounding area. Established in the 1870s, the remote town attracted miners, businesses and families hoping to benefit from the silver and gold boom. But its growth came with considerable challenges, including extreme winter weather, declining mining profits and destructive fires. Over time, these pressures emptied the settlement, leaving only 9 historic buildings as reminders of a community that once supported hundreds of people.
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