A snow scene in St. Elmo, southwest of Buena Vista. St. Elmo was originally settled in 1878 and was made official in 1880 when gold and silver began to bring many people to the area. Beginning with a high moral character, the settlement went the way of other booming mining towns, reaching a population of more than 2000 and taking on all the trappings of a single male population with saloons, dance halls, and bawdy houses.