Montezuma still has a few dozen residents. Silver discovered in the area fueled the population explosion in the Montezuma area. This happened in the late 1870's to very early 1880's. The population grew so fast that a school built in 1880, had to be replaced by a bigger school built in 1884. The 1884 school still stands, along with its two seater outhouses behind it. There are still a few old houses remaining in Montezuma.
To get to Montezuma, start in Keystone. Take Highway 6 east to Highway 5. Turn here (you can only turn one direction). Proceed a few miles to Montezuma.
St. John came into existence due to the discovery of a rich vein of ore in 1861, by John Coley. The discovery soon became the richest producer in the area. Another, popular rumor of the area was of another mine discovery. A miner awaking after taking an afternoon nap, used a rock to support him as he stood up. The rock broke off to reveal a rich vein of ore. By the 1880's to early 1890's, the ore played out and the mines closed. Many people moved to nearby Montezuma. One of the biggest houses in St. John was the mine superintendant's house. It still stands along with a few other old houses. St. John is located a few miles southwest of Montezuma on FR 275.
Waldorf was strted by the discovery of the Big Stevens Mine in 1868. Waldorf boasted the highest elevation post office in the U.S., when it was in operation. Waldorf sits at a hefty 11,666 feet in elevation. The post office still stands today. During its heyday, Waldorf had a railroad line to haul out its ore. Over $4 million woth of ore was taken out of Waldorf. Many mines operated in the area, including the Santiago Mine.
To get to Waldorf, start in Georgetown. go south on RD 381 for 2.5 miles. then take FR 248 a few miles to the townsite. The Santiago Mine sits above Waldorf.
photo by John Wise
