Greater Alma District

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Area surrounding Moose Mine on Mount Bross, in Park County, Colorado, 1996

The mining industry was significant throughout many parts of the Colorado including Park County, which sits at the heart of the Colorado mineral belt. One of the more prosperous mining districts in Park County, Colorado is the Greater Alma District known for its gold and silver mining.[1]

 

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Citizens standing in the town's dirt road at Alma, 1800s

The town of Alma, CO, the heart of this district, was established on December 2, 1872 by miners working the area, though that area had been actively mined since 1860. Alma is also known as “North America’s Highest Incorporated Town” at 10,578 feet of elevation.[2]

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Map Showing Geology of the Alma District, Colorado

 

The Alma District is made up of several smaller mining districts including Buckskin, Mosquito and the Consolidated Montgomery District. This district covers roughly 50 square miles and stretches from the Continental Divide all the way to the Sacramento Creek.[3]

Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc have all been mined in the Greater Alma District, with the London Mine as the largest producer.[4]

[1] James E. Fell and Eric Twitty, “National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form,” History Colorado, 1992, https://www.historycolorado.org/sites/default/files/media/document/2017/651.pdf.
[2] Nancy Comer, “About the Town of Alma,” Town of Alma, October 20, 2018, http://townofalma.com/wordpress/about/.
[3] Lisa G. Dunn, Colorado Mining Districts: A Reference (Golden, CO: Arthur Lakes Library, Colorado School of Mines, 2003).
[4] Dunn, Colorado Mining Districts.