If you can stand some more...
Como is a small historic community located at 9,800ft. elevation in the high meadows of South Park, Colorado. While golden ores were the draw at most area mining camps, it was black coal leading to the establishment of Como in 1871. Italian coal miners named the camp after Lake Como, in Italy. In 1879 the Denver, South Park & Pacific railroad build a depot here, along with narrow gauge tracks over nearby Boreas Pass. Well, for a few decades thousands lived here. Today, perhaps around 100 is the pop. Most of the structures are old. The place looks authentic. Here's a then/now tour.
Well, first, a few "now" structures, but no "then", just to give a feel for the place...
Here's the Catholic church in the late 1800's...
I found the above image after taking a pic of the Catholic church today...
Here are some of the miners gathering for a group photo...
Same backdrop but I'm much further away and using a serious zoom. Several fenced properties between me and where the miners stood...
Here's Como about 80 years ago...
Alas, a rancher's fence and gate that I'm leaning against behind me threatened serious prosecution if I snuck across for a better now perspective...
At about the same time, 80 years ago...
Today...
Merged...
Here's the Como school around 100 years ago...
Now it is the Como Civic Center...
Something about seeing youth long ago. Guess overalls were the apparel choice for boys back then...
And where they stood...
The Como General Store long ago...
Until a few years ago it remained open. Maybe someday someone will give it a go again...
Last, In the 1930's the train gave way to autos. The tracks were pulled up and operations shut down. Here's the train roundhouse in the 1950's...
And here's the train roundhouse in 2012. It is on the National Register of Historic Places...