Written by James S. Kane, an Aspen Historical Society research intern in 1978, the paper provides insights into the history of Ashcroft after the boom busted.

Introduction:

Introduction
While the exact date assigned the discovery of Ashcroft has varied from the summer of 1879 to the Spring of 1880, the first semi-legal entity was a Miner’s Protective Association formed on June 17, 1880. This organization,
with Charles B. Culver acting as President, gave the town a sense of permanence. The group constructed a courthouse and, later, found it desirable to establish itself as a town, as the population now stood at ninety-seven. In Leadville, at the General Land Office, the townsite was entered as the Castle Forks Placer, United States Survey Number 2016.
Utilizing the northern portion of the placer, the site was divided into 840 lots and apportioned equally to the original ninety-seven members of the town company. From these humble beginnings, the town of Ashcroft rapidly grew. By the winteJ;’ of 1880 – 81, the following buildings had been built on Castle Avenue, a major north-south artery: the Town Recorder’s Office, Post Office building, two stores, several saloons, in addition to numerous dwellings. 4 A multitude of mineral discoveries were made that year, including the Montezuma-Tam O’Shanter mines, later owned by H.A.W. Tabor. Winter was fast approaching and the final meeting for the Miner’s Protective Association of 1880 was held.