Nevadaville, Colorado
In the 1880 census Bartholemew Ryan is seen living with his relatives, John and Mary (Ryan) Boney. It appears that the Boney's operated a boarding house in this large mining camp during this time. We don't know how long Batt Ryan stayed in Nevadaville, but based on historical information available to us, we do know how long the Boney's remained (see first panel)
The following shows the 1880 census, including a photo gallery of the ghost town of Nevadaville. Some of these buildings would have been familiar to the Ryans and Boneys.
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(Brule County Archives regarding James Ryan, John and Mary's son) John Boney and Mary (Ryan) Boney... were...originally from Ireland and initially resided in Allamakee County, Iowa. The family located in Colorado when “Jim” (as he was known) was a young man. Jim and his brothers worked in the coal mines there. In 1886, the Boney family came to the Smith Township in Brule County. | |||||||||
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This is the old city hall and fire department for the "city" of Nevadaville, Colorado. This mining village had 4000 residents in the late 1800's. Today it has fewer than 6 residents. | |||||||||
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This is the old Masonic Lodge which was built in the late 1870s. This used to be a thriving "city" until the gold and silver mines no longer produced enough ore to keep the mines running. The Boneys worked in the coal mines, which was probably an occupation they already had some experience with. See next "panel" | |||||||||
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This is one of the few remaining miners shacks still standing. Most likely the boarding house of John and Mary Boney looked very similar - unpainted like many of the houses of its day, but larger to accommodate the number of people living at this location. If I compared the "boarding houses" to those I saw on Walworth Street (Brooklyn where the Smiths lived with other families), it would have been this size but with a second floor included. | |||||||||
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A typical abandoned mine in the area. The largest mine was the Prize Mine. Gold was discovered in 1859 near North Creek, and this stimulated the rise of mining camps, including Nevadaville. | |||||||||
