Rosita Colorado

Post by Doris McCraw
writing as Angela Raines

I've been doing research on the town of Rosita, Colorado for a current project. Located in the Wet Mountain Valley in south-central Colorado, it has a history that begs to be told.

Driving into the Wet Mountain Valley
photo property of the author

I knew of the town from the writing of Helen (Hunt) Jackson. She set her story, "Nellie's Silver Mine" in the region. The book was published in 1878. Many consider this children's book to be a wonderful description of what life was like in the 1800s. While the language is that of the time period, the book has such wonderful detail of the region and what was going on. You can find a free copy from The  Gutenberg Project online.

The town, now a ghost town, sits at 8,809 feet. It came into being when silver was located in the area. Founded in 1872 it grew from a tent town to a population of 1,000 by 1874 with stores, hotels, saloons, and a school. Unfortunately, the boom didn't last long. Soon Silver Cliff then Westcliff took over as the county seat of Custer County.

Headstone in Silver Cliff Cemetery

Below are some news clips about the town and region. Both are from the Sierra Journal (Rosita) from August 13, 1885.






For more information you can check the following article: Rosita Colorado Mining History

Drew Carson is released from prison on the condition he kill a woman who is living on land wanted by someone else. Will he follow through or will the Angels in the Valley change his mind. This story, with its paranormal elements, is a perfect read for this time of year.

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Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Angela Raines - author: Where Love & History Meet

Books: Angela Raines Books