In 1919 the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad moved its operations from Helper to Soldier Summit to cut operating costs, but the effort failed under the area's severe conditions. Early housing consisted of thin wood-framed canvas tents on cement foundations wrapped with tar paper, later replaced by company "half salt box houses" or "Squat houses," many of them little more than an 850 square foot shed divided into smaller rooms. With 6 to 16 feet of snow common for up to 6 months of the year, the town's 2500 residents dug tunnels between buildings, including outhouses, to get around. In 1929 the equipment and buildings were moved back to Helper because of the costs of those harsh conditions, though a few hardy residents remained for many more decades. In 1979 complaints from passing motorists about a speed trap led the state to dissolve the police force, removing the town's revenue source and effectively ending Soldier Summit as a town. Today a few residents and a gas station/convenience store remain.