The Historic Mining Community of Summitville During the Great Depression: A Historical Archaeological Approach.

Summary

Thirty-Three historic structures in various stages of decay are all that remain of the gold mining community of Summitville. Summitville, which is nestled in the mountains of southern Colorado, was once known as one of the most productive gold mines in all of the state. This community was organized into a Company Town in 1934. There have been no prior archaeological investigations at this site, and, therefore, little is known about how far the company went to control the residents and their everyday lives. Based on the results from survey, readings, and interviews it can be shown that Summitville had a different social dynamic when it came to the company versus employees. What emerges from this research is a picture of a company town that seemed to occupy a more central location somewhere between complete paternalistic control and something that is more akin to benign paternalism. Background research, ethnographic interviews, in addition to comparative research into regional and national company town comparisons aided in the archaeological interpretations of what was a unique version of a Company Town.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• August Potor

Keywords

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: 1873 to 1992 (Full span of mining)

Calendar Date: 1934 to 1947 (Mining boom of study)

Spatial Coverage

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