Dakan, Colorado

Dakan was a short-lived mining town, now a ghost town, in western Douglas County, Colorado, United States, in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The Dakan post office operated from December 30, 1896, until August 2, 1898.[1]

History

The town was founded in 1896 by prospector William Wanner, who announced that he had made a shipment of ore worth $35 per ton in silver and gold from his claim, and the Castle Rock Journal declared “The future of Dakan is assured.”.[2] By Christmas 1896, there were about 300 people in Dakan.[3]

In January 1897 Dakan was described as having eight buildings, including hotel, restaurant, saloon, and grocery store, and contracts for five additional buildings as soon as lumber could be delivered.[4] But the ore did not live up to the hopes of the prospectors and promoters. By August 1898 the post office was closed, and the town disappeared.[5]

Geography

The town was said to be "in the shadow of" Dakan Mountain, which is located at 39°14′15″N 105°03′59″W / 39.23750°N 105.06639°W / 39.23750; -105.06639.

See also

References

  1. ^ Bauer, William H.; Ozment, James L.; Willard, John H. (1990). Colorado Post Offices 1859–1989. Golden, Colorado: Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation. ISBN 0-918654-42-4.
  2. ^ Castle Rock Journal, 18 December 1896, p.2 c.2.
  3. ^ Denver Post, 25 December 1896, p.6 c.6.
  4. ^ Denver Republican, 12 January 1897, p.7 c.3.
  5. ^ Josephine Lowell Marr, Douglas County, A Historical Journey, (Gunnison, Colorado: B&B Printers, 1983) 213.

External links