!! Exciting New Cache Series!!

"COLORADO SPIRIT QUEST"

The Colorado Spirit Quest is a series of Caches placed by many individuals, near cemeteries and historic sites in hopes of paying respect to the many pioneer ancestors that have 'walked' before us.

There are hundreds of cemeteries in the rural and mountain communities across Colorado. This series will introduce you to many of them.

The cache pages will provide a virtual history tour of the cemeteries and tombstones.

COLORADO SPIRIT QUEST is not affiliated with any other 'Spirit Quest' group. Special thanks and credit are given to SixDogTeam who started the Indiana Spirit Quest in 2004. The idea has rapidly spread into many states.

The CSQ endeavor is an enormous and relentless task. It cannot be accomplished by just one or two people. This project will only flourish if there is a multitude of volunteer cachers willing to place these caches.

After locating the cache container, take some time to reflect back on the lives of those pioneers and the effort it took to make Colorado such a great state.

If you are interested in joining the "Walking Through History Clan" contact may be made by sending an e-mail to the owner of "Colorado Spirit Quest #1 - Mountain Passage". Use the 'Send Message" link at the center of the page of their profile.

Each person that places a CSQ cache is responsible for its maintenance.

REMEMBER:

If you are APPREHENSIVE about cemeteries - AVOID this series.

Thanks to Clan Members: Greasepot, Taylorgeotracker, Ivy Dog Parents, Team Boogity3, and Grand High Pobah, CDirtO, FulComers, and Boborr 80909. New Clan members are always Welcome

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Although there is no cemetery at Gilman, it is in itself a graveyard. In 1886 Gilman was founded on the steep sides of Battle Mountain by miners who lived in the nearby town of Red Cliff. These miners soon tired of the hike to and from work each day and established a camp near their claims. The Empire Zinc Company bought up the claims around the time of WWI and Gilman became a company town; many new homes were built in the 1940s.

The population reached an estimated 500 and the town boasted a barber shop, bowling alley, company store, a 7-bed hospital and a clubhouse fashioned from the old opera house. The Empire Zinc Company ceased zinc production in 1977 but a small copper and silver operation remained. In 1985 all production stopped and the few remaining residents were given 90-day eviction notices.

Gilman's mines produced for 99 years - mostly zinc, but also lead, copper, silver and gold.

Gilman is closed to the public and posted against trespassing. Please enjoy the view from the pullout on U.S. 24.

To view Gilman, drive 1.5 miles north of the turnoff to Red Cliff on U.S. 24 (6 miles south of I-70). The cache is discretely hidden in the guardrail at a perfect overlook for this forlorn and long-forgotten town. There is no need to get too close to the edge of the cliff or to traverse down. Take a peek down there though to see the handiwork of beavers in the creek below.