Starting in 1878 with one cabin and by June 1880 having more than 5600 residents, Silvercliffe sprung up around a cliff of Silver discovered in different ways, depending on who you ask. Regardless, Silvercliffe was the county seat beginning in 1878 and until 1926, when it was moved two miles away to Westcliffe. At one time it had 10 miles of streets, however today most has returned to sagebrush.

West Cliff, located less than two miles west, was well established by 1886. When the railroad was laid through the Wet Mountain Valley, it did not intersect Silver Cliff and the rival town of Westcliffe sprang up nearby.

Ironically, the railroad which determined the fate of these two towns was destroyed in 1889 by a flash flood. Today, the two towns are connected via Colorado 96, and it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Most of the section of road between them does indeed have newer businesses. It takes a keen eye to look behind them and see sagebrush where homes once existed.

Updated : I returned to this area May 20th, 2009, and took some photos of some era buildings near the cliff of which Silvercliffe bears its name.

Ghost Town Silver cliff-Westcliffe Photography Pages Available

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The cemetary was featured in National Geographic for paranormal "lights". A friend of mine once told me she had seen these lights. Note the sign at the gate. Incidentally, my radar detector rebooted inside the gates for no reason.
Camera Used: Canon Canon PowerShot S5 IS
Exposure Time: 1/500    Aperture: f/4.0    ISO: 80
Date Taken: 2007:11:23 03:30:32

The original Silver Cliff town hall turned museum.
Camera Used: Canon Canon PowerShot S5 IS
Exposure Time: 1/160    Aperture: f/4.0    ISO: 80
Date Taken: 2007:11:23 03:38:44

This image to 0121 represent some of the original buildings from Silvercliff's early days.
Camera Used: Canon Canon PowerShot S5 IS
Exposure Time: 1/640    Aperture: f/4.0    ISO: 80
Date Taken: 2009:05:20 15:10:57

Camera Used: Canon Canon PowerShot S5 IS
Exposure Time: 1/500    Aperture: f/4.0    ISO: 80
Date Taken: 2009:05:20 15:11:41

Camera Used: Canon Canon PowerShot S5 IS
Exposure Time: 1/500    Aperture: f/5.0    ISO: 80
Date Taken: 2009:05:20 15:12:16

Ghost Town Silver cliff-Westcliffe Photography Album Pages Available

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