Ward is one of Colorado's oldest and longest lasting mining camps. The town is much quieter than during its boom years in the 1800s, but nonetheless it has endured for over 160 years, quite a feat for a small alpine mining town.
The first placer deposits were discovered in 1860, and in 1861 the famous Columbia mine was located. The Ward Mining District was organized in September of 1861.
Founded in 1860 as a gold mining settlement during the Colorado Gold Rush, named for prospector Calvin Ward. The town boomed, becoming a rich mining center, but experienced significant decline after a devastating fire in 1900 and later periods of abandonment during the spanish flu pandemic and world war II, though it does experience some revival by the construction of the peak-to-peak highway in the 1930s. Today Ward named after Calvin Ward, is a small, historic mountain community known for its rugged character, fierce independence and as a gateway to outdoor recreation.
