# Castleton, Utah

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Castleton,_Utah
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Castleton,_Utah.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castleton%2C_Utah
> Source revision: 1351304165
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Castleton** is a [ghost town](/source/Ghost_town) in the [Castle Valley](/source/Castle_Valley_(Grand_County,_Utah)) in southeastern [Grand County](/source/Grand_County,_Utah), [Utah](/source/Utah), United States.

## Description

The community located on the [La Sal Mountain](/source/La_Sal_Range) Loop Road, some 18 miles (29 km) northeast of [Moab](/source/Moab,_Utah). The nearest inhabited town is [Castle Valley](/source/Castle_Valley,_Utah), approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) to the northwest.

## History

A short-lived gold [placer mining](/source/Placer_mining) camp existed here in the 1860s,[2] but the area was first settled by a [prospector](/source/Prospecting) named Doby Brown in the late 1870s or early 1880s. By 1882 enough settlers had gathered to establish a [post office](/source/Post_office).[3] In 1888 when a local [gold rush](/source/Gold_rush) began at nearby [Miners Basin](/source/Miners_Basin,_Utah), Castleton became important as a supply town.[2] It had a [general store](/source/General_store), hotel, two [saloons](/source/Western_saloon), and several other businesses. At its peak in 1895, the population exceeded that of Moab.[4] In fact, when Grand County was organized in 1890, Castleton vied with Moab for the chance to be [county seat](/source/County_seat).[5]

The [Panic of 1907](/source/Panic_of_1907) closed down the area's mines, and soon ranchers were Castleton's only residents.[6][2] By 1910 the businesses were gone, leaving only the post office, and the population had dropped to 50.[4] In 1930 there were six residents.[5] A few people stayed in the dead town for decades, but in 1967 the [county commission](/source/County_commission) officially vacated Castleton as an occupied town.[7]

## Climate

According to the [Köppen Climate Classification](/source/K%C3%B6ppen_Climate_Classification) system, Castleton has a [semi-arid climate](/source/Semi-arid_climate), abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.[8]

## See also

- [List of ghost towns in Utah](/source/List_of_ghost_towns_in_Utah)

## References

1. Thompson, George A. (November 1982). *Some Dreams Die: Utah's Ghost Towns and Lost Treasures*. Salt Lake City, Utah: Dream Garden Press. p. 122. ISBN 0-942688-01-5.

1. Firmage, Richard A. (January 1996). [*A History of Grand County*](http://utah.ptfs.com/awweb/guest.jsp?smd=1&cl=all_lib&lb_document_id=34305) (PDF). Utah Centennial County History Series. Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah State Historical Society. p. 137. ISBN 0-913738-03-4. Retrieved July 15, 2012.[dead link]

1. Carr, Stephen L. (1986 [June 1972]). *The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns*. 3rd ed. Salt Lake City, Utah: Western Epics. p. 155. ISBN 0-914740-30-X.

1. Firmage, p.267.

1. Van Cott, John W. (1990). [*Utah Place Names: A Comprehensive Guide to the Origins of Geographic Names: A Compilation*](https://books.google.com/books?id=z3Pqk9tazU4C&pg=PA70). Salt Lake City: [University of Utah Press](/source/University_of_Utah_Press). p. 70. ISBN 978-0-87480-345-7. [OCLC 797284427](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/797284427). Retrieved 7 May 2018.

1. Firmage, p.350.

1. [Climate Summary for Castleton, Utah](http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=32134&cityname=Castleton%2C+Utah%2C+United+States+of+America&units=)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Castleton, Utah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castleton%2C_Utah) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castleton%2C_Utah?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.