Ghost mining town

Arthur Rothstein, October 1939, in Georgetown, Colorado:

"Georgetown, Colorado — an old mining town in the mountains."

"Georgetown, Colorado. Ghost mining town."

"Georgetown, Colorado. Silver mining town ghost town."
[Photo: Shorpy/Arthur Rothstein]

Founded in 1859 during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush, Georgetown rapidly became a centre for silver mining, reaching its heyday in the 1880s when its population exceeded 10,000, and a movement arose briefly among local citizens to move the state capital there from Denver. It was long past its prime by the time Rothstein took these photos, with a population down to the hundreds.

Now it's a popular tourist destination.