
Local Color/August 5, 2026
Carbonado Outlived Its Coal, and Every Other Town on the River
Follow the Carbon River up toward Mount Rainier and you pass through a string of towns that no longer exist, Fairfax, Melmont, Montezuma. Carbonado is the one still standing. Here's how the little "black diamond" town outlived its coal, its railroad baron, and every neighbor it had.








