At the mouth of Three Mile Canyon is a lovely reservoir called Rockport Reservoir. I wonder how many people who fish here know there used to be a town here. There are no signs acknowledging the town's demise, but you can see the old main road going into the water.
This town changed its name a few times in the beginning. First settled in 1860, it was called Crandall, the next year it was renamed Enoch City. In 1866 the whole town left for Wanship, a few miles north when the Black Hawk War started. The next year they moved back and built a wall around the whole town and renamed it Rock Fort. When indian problems went away they used the wall to build other things and renamed the town one last time to Rockport.
In 1872 the town gets its first concrete building taking materials from the wall that had surrounded the town. They built a general store and a post office. From what I can find, the population never went over 200. The quarry is still there and working, but the school and post office were taken down in the 1940's.
In the 50's the whole area was bought by the state to make Wanship Dam. I can't find records for hearings or anything related to the decision to move the families and build Wanship Dam, but there must have been something for those families, who must've been there since the beginning, to voice their anger. The church was moved north of the dam, and is still used for services and weddings. It's lovely! A few houses can also be found at Lagoon's Pioneer Village! I must go to Lagoon this summer for and take some pictures.
When the reservoir is low you can see the old main street. We tried fishing, but we didn't catch anything, though everyone who was out on a boat caught fish.
There is a little cemetery on a hill by the main road, but with the exception of these few families, Rockport families used the Wanship cemetery.
And now, for pictures! :)
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| Remnants of the old general store/post office? The wall? |
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| The mine still in operation |
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| This is from the little cemetery on the west side of the main road, looking at Rockport's disappearing main street |
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| outside |
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| inside |
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| Corner of... something |
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| The old mainstreet. Rockport Reservoir is low |
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