Thirty-Three historic structures in various stages of decay are all that remain of the gold mining
community of Summitville. Summitville, which is nestled in the mountains of southern
Colorado, was once known as one of the most productive gold mines in all of the state. This
community was organized into a Company Town in 1934. There have been no prior
archaeological investigations at this site, and, therefore, little is known about how far the
company went to control the residents and their everyday lives. Based on the results from survey,
readings, and interviews it can be shown that Summitville had a different social dynamic when it
came to the company versus employees. What emerges from this research is a picture of a
company town that seemed to occupy a more central location somewhere between complete
paternalistic control and something that is more akin to benign paternalism. Background
research, ethnographic interviews, in addition to comparative research into regional and national
company town comparisons aided in the archaeological interpretations of what was a unique
version of a Company Town.
