Leadville, Colorado
Posted by: 
94RedRover
N 39° 14.374 W 106° 18.237
13S E 387468 N 4344172
Welcome to Leadville, Colorado... "On Top of It All", at 10,430 feet above sea level it is also known as "The Magic City", "The Cloud City", and "Two-Mile High City" and is the highest incorporated city in North America.
Waymark Code: WM7V91
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 12/06/2009
Views: 5
In 1860, Abe Lee and the Slater Party discovered $8 million in gold in California Gulch on the outskirts of what is now Leadville, Colorado. The "Gold Rush" had begun. Thousands flocked to "Oro City", as the settlement was called, to stake their claim of the golden fortunes. By the mid 1860s, however, was short lived, as the vast numbers of prospectors quickly depleated the gold reserves.
Alvinus Wood and William Stevens, gold miners in Oro City, discovered that "all that black stuff" in the sand that seperated from their gold search was actually silver bearing lead ore and recognized it's worth in 1874. Old gold claims were quickly bought up and the "Silver Boom" had begun. Millionaires were made almost overnight, such as: Horace Tabor, David May, J.J. Brown and his wife Margaret, the Guggenheims and the Boettcher family.
"Cloud City" as it became known, incorporated and changed it's name to Leadville in 1878. By 1880, some 30,000 residents had swarmed to the rich, second largest city in Colorado.
Horace Tabor and his wife, Augusta, owned a general mercantile store in Leadville. Profits from his store allowed Tabor to invest in silver mining operations. Tabor's success made him a powerful man and politician in town.
The fame and fortune of Leadville did not attract just the business barons. Molly Brown (Unsinkable Molly Brown) arrived in Leadville in the 1880s, as a seamstress and eventually married J.J. Brown. Susan B. Anthony, Jesse James and "Buffalo Bill" all visited during the Boom Days.
Doc Holliday moved to Leadville shortly after the shootout at the OK Corral. Ill with tuberculosis, Holliday was confronted by ex-lawman Bill Allen about a $5 debt. Records indicate that Holliday shot, but did not kill Allen...the last man to be shot by Holliday. Though penniless, the $8,000 bail was raised by Holliday's wealthy friends and he was acquitted in March 1885.
The repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893 spelled ruin for Horace Tabor and many others who profited from the mining riches of the area. Now destitute, Tabor died penniless and Baby Doe froze to death in the small shack at the Matchless Mine.
The "Silver Boom" was over, and miners in the area now had to mine for other, less productive minerals, such as lead, zinc and molybdenum (named for Molly Brown).
This sign, which is on Highway 24, on the south side of dowtown, says
"Welcome to Histoic
Leadville
"On Top of it All"
10,200 ft. Elev"
In 1966, Leadville was designated as a National Historical Landmark District and one can walk through the original 70 square blocks of Victorian architecture and adjoining mining district, full of shops, memorable restaurants and museums.
Type of community: Town
|
Visit Instructions:
More pictures of the sign would be great. Try and take a picture of yourself with it if you can!