Ironton got its start in 1882 due to the success of the nearby mines of Guston and Red Mountain. Ironton was named for the high iron content of the ores. In 1883, a post office opened here. That same year, Otto Mears built a road that reached Ironton. His railroad soon followed. It was an important shipping center due to the difficulty in getting to Ouray to the north. Now Ironton was an unloading point for goods bound for Ouray. The were unloaded off of the trains and packed in wagons and on horses and mules. They were then hauled down the steep maountains to Ouray.
In the early 1900's, the mines started giving out and people started moving away. By 1920, the Ironton post office closed. In 1926, the railroad tracks were pulled up.
Today, there are a quite a few old residences left. A few of them are two story houses that are quite interesting.
Alta was the company town for the Gold King Mine just south of Telluride. The ore body here was discovered in 1878. There was an aerial tram that brought ore down from the mine. It stretched for tow miles from the mine on the mountain, to the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad terminus in Alta. It had a elevation drop of 1800 feet. The mine produced very well until the 1940's. Then in 1945, there was a fire in one of the mine shafts. This essentially ended all mining operations at Alta.
Ironton is located about halfway between Ouray and Silverton right off of Highway 550. It is just about 3 or 4 miles south of Red Mountain Pass.
Alta is located 5 miles south of Telluride on Highway 145. Then take Foresrty Route 632, and go 3.5 miles east.
