1980-07-11_REVISION - M1977493 (8)

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area resources , requiring native timber for cross ties and land clearance for maintaining suitable grades and rights-of-way. The railroad located a section house and wye at the summit of Fremont Pass on ground that presently is the site of the main entrance to the Climax plant. The railroad named this point "Climax Station" ( commemorating the first point that narrow-gauge rails had crossed the Continental Divide within the borders of Colorado) . Thirty-five years later, the mining company organized to develop the deposit in Bartlett Mountain elected to call itself "Climax Molybdenum Company" . Eagle Valley On the drainage to the west of the Climax Mine site , the settlement of Eagle City was founded in 1879 . Its popula- tion of approximately 100 persons engaged in timbering and producing charcoal for the smelters in the Tenmile District. This put additional demands on the native timber stands. Arkansas Valley Three settlements were located along the Arkansas River drainage in the vicinity of present Climax operations . Wortman was located farthest upstream and only a short distance below it was the settlement of Alicante. (Highway 91 , as it crosses the Arkansas River at the head of the valley near the Storke Area, separates these former townsites. ) The drainage in the area was clear cut and a number of prospect holes were developed. At least two mines , the John Reed and Zephyr, were developed. A mill was also constructed at the John Reed mine, but not much production was reported. These structures later burned to the ground . Also in the Arkansas River drainage near Climax was Tabor City at the junction of Chalk Creek and the Arkansas. Although these hamlets were short-lived , the effect of their timbering operations and the continuing drainage of some of the mine openings into the watershed can still be observed. 3-2