The rural highways of Southern Colorado meander through a harsh landscape where abandoned homes and businesses stand as crumbling monuments to the broken dreams of those that once lived there.
After exploring the ruins of Ludlow, Colorado, a bleak mining ghost town and the site of the infamous Ludlow Massacre, I turned my sights northward. Only a few hours of daylight remained and I intended to make the most of them. I stopped in Trinidad to refuel before following Highway 350 toward the crown jewel of my road trip, an abandoned Titan missile silo complex.
Several interesting sights caught my eye, and I ended up staying in Trinidad longer than anticipated. Just off the freeway I spotted a cluster of mysterious old brick buildings on large piece of land.
I drove through the neighborhood and parked to take a few pictures. One of the neighbors was getting home just as I arrived, so I asked him if he knew anything about the old buildings. He didn't have any concrete information about them, but believed the site had once been a farm, and at one point had housed military personnel.
I was dying to get a closer look, but my hopes were dashed when I came to a gate with no trespassing signs.
I settled for a few low-quality zoomed-in shots and then got back on the road.
On the way out of town I spotted a few other neat old buildings and snapped a few quick shots from the road.
I had a long drive ahead of me, but was determined to reach an abandoned schoolhouse in the rural community of Tyrone before dark. About twenty miles from Trinidad I passed a sign for the oddly named town of Model, Colorado. I hadn't planned on stopping there, but an abandoned store caught my eye, and I could resist pulling over for a closer look.
I walked down the dirt road and caught sight of a desolate little town full of decaying buildings.
I immediately knew I wouldn't make it to Tyrone before dark; there was too much to explore in Model.
My heart pounded as I roamed the town, taking in the unexpected beauty of the place. It was one of those torturous moments that simultaneously filled me with wonder and frustration. I wanted to explore the entire place, but the sky was darkening and I knew it would be impossible to see everything before the remaining daylight faded away.
There were many abandoned homes in Model, ranging form one room shacks to full-sized houses.
Many of the homes still had possessions in them, like this cute little shack with a chair, a sink, a fridge, a stove, some shelves, and not much else.
While running around to the different properties I encountered a feral cat outside that almost looked like a bobcat. It was pretty big and brown with black accents on its fur. When it saw me, it moved, but then stood there watching me from a couple yards away. It had been well concealed in the scrub before I disturbed it. It didn’t act pissed or anything, so I just continued on my way.
The only homes that still seemed to be inhabited were on the far side of town. One or two porch lights shone in the distance, and the urgent barking of a dog carried through the cold evening air. The dog, unaccustomed to visitors, continued to bark the whole time I was there.
There was no graffiti anywhere in the town. And all the damage done to the structures was the result of weather – mostly in the form of dripping ceilings and the weakened flooring that follows.
It got dark very quickly, so I used the hell out of my flash. The camera I had at the time wasn't great at handling low light conditions, so most of the pictures ended up very grainy.
A few abandoned vehicles and trailers sat rusting in the yards.
An old car propped up on a stack of wood reminded me of the Ghostbusters car.
I didn’t go into many of the structures, mainly because of time considerations, but I did take a look inside one house near the highway, adjoined to a shuttered mechanic shop.
The place was in bad shape. Water from thawing snow dripped continuously from a damaged ceiling.
The place looked like it had been abandoned for several years. It seemed like the person who used to live there had died, and the trustees didn’t put much effort into emptying the place out. It reminded me of the junkyard house in Desert Center, CA.
Clothes still hung in the closet.
Appliances, light fixtures, and a few odds and ends remained in the kitchen.
It looked like someone had come in and sorted through many of the deceased's possessions and gathered them in the living room.
A junk room/workshop was cluttered with machine parts and equipment.
The living room was huge and contained some interesting artifacts including an oscilloscope,
a set of encyclopedias,
a bunk bed,
a homemade bookshelf,
and a pressure cooker.
A whiteboard listed several items and their estimated cash value, most of them quite low. The camper, valued at $100 was still parked in the backyard.
I imagined the former resident of the house as a self-sufficient do-it-yourself type of guy, who didn't care much about appearances. I felt a little sad that the life he made for himself was now sitting in perpetual decay, discarded by his next of kin.
With a name like Model, I expected there to be an interesting story behind the town, but my research turned up surprisingly little information about the place. The region was home to local farming and was gradually abandoned due to competition from corporate farms and devastating droughts.
If you have any more info, please share it in a comment at the end of this article.
I continued up the dark Colorado highway until I reached Tyrone, a tiny unincorporated community with barely anything in it. I stopped at a very old mechanic shop along the highway.
I have no idea when it was built or when it closed, but it is in a very advanced state of decay, literally coming apart at the seams.
One room was filled with a huge pile of tumbleweed.
No artifacts remained, but I found the place incredibly interesting.
In others, not so much.
Nearby is an old schoolhouse. A piece of construction equipment sat outside, so it might be under renovation.
But work hadn't started yet when I was there. A lot of junk was piled up in the schoolroom.
And the basement contained several old desks, which appeared to be the only school-related artifacts left.
I left Tyrone and continued north through the darkness, finally stopping outside Denver to get a good night's rest.
I could hardly wait for the morning, when I would experience the most highly anticipated exploration of the entire road trip: an abandoned Titan I missile silo complex.
I could hardly wait for the morning, when I would experience the most highly anticipated exploration of the entire road trip: an abandoned Titan I missile silo complex.
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Thank you!
Looks like you stumbled onto a very nice surprise with Model.
ReplyDeleteNice photos--and I actually think the low light/flash made it look even more "creepy".
Be careful out there, kiddo
It really was a nice surprise. I'm so glad I decided to stop there. And I'm glad you like the low light photos. I'd like to go back there and see the town in daylight. I promise I'll be careful :)
DeleteHey Jim I was the resident living in the store that you took pictures of with the barking 🐕....at the time u put this article up a buddy if mine purchased the store the buildings all around it and the house of the loner u took pictures of......I have sinced moved but the landowner is still there look him up we really fixed up the place nice....his name is Hughey. Mine is Boston Tommy....i have some old pictures as well of all the hidden gems we found in the bldgs if you care to see them
DeleteHe owns the Ghostbusters car too....he is guna fix it up and put it in the annual weird car float parade they have in Trinidad
DeleteHi Boston Tommy,
DeleteThanks for commenting. It's nice to meet you. I'm glad to hear the place has been fixed up. I'd love to see your pictures. Where can I see them?
Thank you! I wish I could have gotten a closer look at those brick buildings. I bet there's some interesting history behind them.
ReplyDeleteThose cars! Bet they would look amazing against a starry night sky with a long exposure and maybe some fill light on the car! :D
ReplyDeleteThat's an excellent idea. I wish I'd been better prepared to shoot at night.
DeleteThe most interesting part for me was that old XT class IBM PC wasting away there, I would have been super tempted to rescue the old girl and give it a good home.
ReplyDeleteI love finding old technology. It provides a clue about when the place was abandoned.
DeleteAMAZING! I agree about the low light photos! Wowza!! I would love to know about the red brick buildings.
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteGreat photos and story!
ReplyDeleteI retraced your steps it seems a few days back. Hit Ludlow, then down to Morley. My group and I then headed out to Model. Such an incredible location. Sad to see everything just left behind like that. The poor cat you saw during your exploration has left us I am sad to say. We saw it too...but it wasn't breathing.
Thanks for getting shots inside that schoolhouse in Tyrone! We stopped there but some old guy who lived across the highway drove up and yelled "Private property!" at us every 5 seconds. So we left before we could peek inside.
So many cool places to be seen and explored along that stretch of road! Too bad there is so little information about them online.
Thanks for commenting! Sorry I didn't see it until just now. I'm sad to hear that the cat is no longer alive. At least he probably had a pretty interesting life (or 9). I'm glad I didn't run into the angry man. I suppose it's tough for him to know whether people are there just to take pictures or to make trouble.
DeleteThat sure is an awesome part of Colorado. I hope someone has written a book on those old towns, so their memory is preserved somewhere. If not, maybe someone who knows more about them will leave some comments here.
I've been stopping there for a cold one for the last 25 years on my way to Sturgis. I have 2 good Trinidad friends who's moms grew up there. They told me an military plane crashed there maybe in the 1940's. They are pretty old, but still alive, I'll see if I can get some information....Russ
DeleteMust have been crazy to witness the plane crash. Where do you like to stop for a cold one? I'll check it out next time I'm in the area.
DeleteYes there was a military plane crash in the Model area, my aunt & uncle were first on the site. My Dad & family were raised in Model as was my Mom's family, my Granddaddy had a Farm there, Mom used to tell me you could see the ruts of the wagons on the Santa Fe trail thru the farm. My Dad was raised in the 2 story house across 350 and the railroad tracks.
DeleteI hope you are able to go back in the day time and get more pictures! Love what you did!
DeleteThis is so cool! I'm really interested in that sort of stuff but I'd be scared to go there in case it was haunted! I'm such a scaredy cat! ��
ReplyDeleteThank you! I don't blame you; these places can be pretty creepy, especially after the sun goes down.
Deletehow do i find an address for my gps to go and see model, colorado also?
ReplyDeleteCheck out the map on my "Places I've Been" page.
DeleteThat would be cool! I remember going in that store.
DeleteSomeone recently purchased the entire town and lives in the general store. He is photographer friendly but will greet you armed if you catch him off guard! If you ask nicely, he might even open the old store next door for you. :)
ReplyDeleteBe extra watchful for snakes if you do visit this location.
DeleteThanks for the update. I'll have to get in touch with him the next time I'm in the area. I'd love to see the old store.
DeleteHey I'm him....well my buddy n I ....i commented earlier about ur trip....His name is Hughey and yes he is armed always lol but nice guy...i have piks of the store n its contents
DeleteI used to live in Model... houses were painted in colors. I lived in the pink house.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, the car that resembles a car form Ghostbusters, I used to play, as a child, in that car. Wow that was 40 years ago...
ReplyDeleteJust stopped in Model on our drive across the country. Very interesting! Got some good photos.
ReplyDeleteso tell us about it?
DeleteHello, My family is from Model. They settled there in the 1870’s from New Mexico (we have a small family ranch, about 800 acres, yes, that is small). I didn't see any pictures of the old church in Model, CO. Both my brothers (55, deceased, and 54) both had their Holy Communion at that church. And my Grandmother and Grandfather were very active at that church. I was very young then. If I can find the photos I have I will share them with you. There used to be a store and a post office. After the decline we went to Church in Hoehne, CO. You may have missed Hoehne because it is off the road a bit. Glad I stumbled upon this blog. Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'd love to see your photos if you find them.
DeleteMy mother drew a picture of the little church, with the mountain in the distance. The mountain that looks like a man laying on his back resting. I went to the school in Hoehne for 7th and 8th grade. Waited for the bus at the store. Dust storms were horrible to walk in. I remember the family from across the road, they had a few horses and that is where I first rode a horse. What an amazing place to live. I think perhaps my favorite place. I love to tell my students about Model.
DeleteFrom Canada,toured through that area probably in the late eighties and have never see such a sight of total abandonment anywhere and have never forgotten it. What really happend there?The official reason is corporate farms taking over and drought.There isnt' an acre of land farmed for about 50 miles,not a cow,horse or any farmyard animal,nothing but weeds!!Corporate farms don't buy huge tracts of land to just to let it grow weeds.Same with drought,the weaker farmers go first and by the time the rains return there are always a few strong farmers left that absorb their neighbors.We missed Model but did tour the school.The desks were in neat rows with the kids books still on and in the desks.Above pictures of Model show houses with the furniture all left,as well as dishes on the table and clothes in the closets.It's like every one was forced to leave with little or no notice!! Did they test a nuclear device here,or was that military plane that crashed near here carrying some kind of ordinance that was found to be detrimental to humans and animals decades later?? Something is just not right here!!
DeleteMy sister and I grew up in Model during the 1970s and 80s. My family lived in the old schoolhouse, which at the time was the largest building in town. It burned down a couple years after we sold it, sometime in the late 80s.
ReplyDeleteI have quite a few good memories of the place, growing up there.
That must have been neat to live in an old schoolhouse. It's a shame it burned down. I wish I could have seen the town when it was still populated. Small towns have such great character.
DeleteI know your parents. I was a young girl. I had just turned 12. Your parents were so amazing. My sister got a baby goat for her birthday from your dad. Your mother taught me how to make salt dough. I think we lived there from 1975-1976.
Delete@gmdefazio, back in March of this year I shared your post with my mom and she remembered you, though she couldn't recall the family name (she was dying at the time). I'd enjoy reconnecting. My email is yann(dot)dubois(at)gmail(dot)com.
DeleteI don't think I can attach photos to posts on here but my parents had quite a few photos of Model back in the day.... I'd be glad to share!
I lived next door to the school house
DeleteMy family and I lived in Model when I was in the 7th and 8th grades. I loved the little town. When we first moved there, we lived in the yellow house. My uncles family lived in the blue house. Later we moved to the blue house. After we moved to NY my sister stayed with my grandparents and they lived in the brown house. There wan an orange house that was never lived in because of water rights. There was an adobe house next to the yellow house and a white house on the other side of it. We used to borrow bikes from the store owner. His name was Charlie and he and his wife owned almost all of the houses. The old school house was owned by a family from who had immigrated from France and they raised goats. I loved every minute of living in the wonderful little town. When I lived there the population was 27, but only if you counted the family that lived on the other side of the railroad tracks.
ReplyDeleteI remember you and your family. I lived in Model also. I lived across the tracks in the first house. Yann you were in my brothers class at school and your sister was in my class.
ReplyDeleteI remember you and your brother well! Would love to reconnect with him if possible - my email is yann(dot)dubois(at)gmail(dot)com
DeleteI'm sure my sister would love hearing from you as well.
I remember you as well. My sister stayed the night over tou house worh you. You were very young at the time
DeleteMy grandmother and my aunts ad uncles lived here also. It's an amazing place. I'm glad I found this blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm glad you found it too :)
DeleteIm considering purchasing some land in model and the comments were encouraging. Glad to have gotten a few perspectives of the area. Hopefully one day the town will come back to life.
ReplyDeleteI lived in model from a young age with my grandparents and 2 brothers. We lived in what was called the brown house as my aunt and uncle lived in the blue house. We raised goats and had untamed cats, maybe a long ago relative of one you saw. I was there when the schoolhouse that is mentioned burned to the ground. We used to ride our bikes and play on the tracks. We moved to the adobe house but always ended up back in the brown one, mostly because of my grandma's goats. When I was there the store was operational and we always went there with our friends to buy can and sodas from Charlie and his wife. There were very kin people. The wife suffered bad effects from a stroke so she couldn't speak and shuffled about the store but very nice. Oh man so many memories about that place, it was my home for so many years. I miss it sometimes but it was a hard life
ReplyDeleteYes good Charile sheehorn and his wile Elvira
DeleteWe just explored Model and posted some pics on my photography page on Facebook. The biggest question I have is why everyone left in such a hurry that they left all their belongings. Can you help explain that?
ReplyDeleteThey call it, "Giving it a go". Colorado has always lured adventure/fortune seekers, a few up and move everything there in hopes of sustaining themselves but life is really hard and desolate there., not much in the way of opportunity so most fail miserably and wander back from whence they came..., as I did. I left a lifetime of stuff too.
DeleteNo one has said yet what happened to this town?? Why did people up and leave everything? It's like a nuclear fallout ...
ReplyDeleteWater-no water, no town. Eisenhower drained the reservoir and sent that water to Kansas. That's what I've been told anyhow. Town still has one of the deepest water wells in the county, but not enough to support agriculture or much else. I currently own the store front, my buddy Hughey the mercantile building. End goal is to create a HipCamp spot there but I'm currently working a 2 day ride from there and it'll be a bit.
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled on this but wanted to comment. my wife and I drove through Ludlow and Model 3 years ago or so, Model was fascinating but kind of a creepy vibe so we didn’t stay long , someone was for sure living in the back of the grocery store and possibly one of the homes near by . We took a couple good photos and got out of there
ReplyDeletemy dad was born in the too story house with the brick grain silo in 1960. last name barber
ReplyDelete