North London Mill - Leadville, CO - Mills and Gins on Waymarking.com

Mosquito Pass, reaching 13,185 feet, was once used to haul mining supplies and passengers from Leadville to Alma, Colorado. The pass, built in 1879, was built as part of the toll road from Denver to the mines at Leadville. Once it was called the "fast freight route" and the fare from Fairplay to Leadville was $6!

In June 1861, a camp was settled on the pass over the Mosquito Range to mine in the area. A mosquito was crushed between two pages of a book during a town meeting, and being the only name they could agree on, the camp of Mosquito was born.

In 1874, the first London mine was opened, named for the mountain it burrowed into. The London mines became one of the most productive mines of gold, silver and lead in the area. During the ten years between 1879 until 1889, some $82,000,000 of silver was processed through the North London Mill.

Due to the rugged environment and high altitude, transportation of ore between the mines and mill was difficult and costly. Thus, the first rope cable-way in Colorado was built to span the 3300' drop from the mine to the mill. Visitors can still see remnants of this tram way running up the mountain towards the mill.

The North London Mill is along the Mosquito Pass road, and is one of the most photographed in the area. The remains are a remarkable look at the mining operations of the late 1800s.

Please, remember, this is private property and mines are not safe to enter. Please enjoy the beauty and history from the outside.

Year built?: 1874 Is the mill or gin still in operation?: No What is or was processed here?: Gold, Silver, Lead Are tours available?: None offered, view from the outside only. How is or was it powered?: Unknown Related link to this waymark.: [Web Link] What is it used as today?: Not listed

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A picture of the mill or gin along with any information you can provide about the waymark and what you might have experienced while visiting.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/02/2021 Tom.dog visited it 09/19/2015 mr.volkswagen visited it

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