Most people are familiar with Nevadaville Colorado as a road-sign they pass on their way to the glittery casinos of Black Hawk or Central City. However; if you make one wrong turn on your way up I-70, you may find yourself in one of the many ghost towns that are crowded into the landscape of Gregory Gulch. One of the most stunning and well-preserved examples is Nevadaville Colorado. In the 1800s Nevadaville was bustling with businesses, families, and of course; gold miners. It was founded in 1859 when John H. Gregory discovered the first lode-gold (or underground gold) in what would later become the state of Colorado. However, when Mr. Gregory was prospecting in Nevadaville; it was not yet a state and still a part of the western Kansas Territory. The town was primarily Irish and the miners worked two large gold lodes; the Burrough lode and the Kansas lode.​ Today the community is largely abandoned, but it is not completely deserted; a few very determined residents call Nevadaville home to this day. Only a few buildings stand on the main street. Acting as tributes and relics of the Old West version of Colorado. The Masonic Lodge continues to hold regular meetings. A tradition stemming back to the start of the temple in 1861. The lodge was a planned part of the post-fire reconstruction and has remained active ever since, though it was not completed until the 1870s. Despite not having a lodge, the masons were already active and well established in the area. For the miners of the late 1800s becoming a Freemason was something to aspire to. The dues to be a member were $4 a year and the average miner made $1 a week. Meaning the cost of membership was an entire month's wages and not easily obtained. Being a member of the Nevadaville Lodge gave men high status and wealth. It was an assurance that the brethren would help pay for medical needs or after-death expenses. A tradition stemming back to the gilded and medieval ages. It served as an early form of health insurance, life insurance, and general welfare services. It was the social-safety-net of its time. Larger modern institutions have adapted and incorporated elements of this system into theirs; such as labor-unions, international trade packs, and democratized medicine systems. Even to this day, the brethren of Masons help each other with their monetary needs. ↓Learn More & See Extended Content Here↓ www.derelictdoug.net/derelict-doug-blog/a-ghost-town-populated-only-by-freemasons-nevadaville-colorado Keep Up-To-Date with Me Here: derelictdoug.net Or Follow Me Here: www.instagram.com/derelictdoug twitter.com/Derlict_doug

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