Irondale got its start in 1870 after large deposits of iron were discovered on several settler’s lots. In the 1890s, Irondale boasted three hotels, boarding houses, miner’s cottages, a second store, a shoemaker, St. Johns Church and a barrel factory. By 1890, there was a sawmill and a music teacher. Phone lines arrived by 1898.

The mine closed for good in 1900, and the town went bust.

Today, Irondale continues to exist as a small backwater community and summer tourist haunt. Most of the early mining remnants have disappeared.

Photo: Vlad Umnov