Leadville Colorado

Leadville is one of the most historic towns in all of Colorado. The third highest incorporated city in the US, the towns elevation is only exceeded by Alma Colorado, the second highest incorporated city and Winter Park Colorado, the current holder of the title “Highest incorporated city in the US”. A true visit to this area will require several days in order to see all the museums, take the walking tour, the Mineral Belt Trail and of course enjoy the exquisite beauty of the surrounding mountains and lakes. Year-round opportunities await you throughout the county. Regardless of the season, outdoors is the place to be in the Rockies. Nature flourishes whether snow is flying or just beginning to melt, revealing the glory of abundant mountain wildflowers.

More Leadville Town Facts

Leadville began in 1860 when over 8,000 prospectors began arriving in “Oro City”. That was the name placed on the assembly of tents and cabins that would become Leadville Colorado in future years. Within 5 years, over 4 million dollars worth of gold had been pulled out of the Leadville mines. After another five years, gold was becoming hard to find. Fortunately, silver was there to pick up where the gold left off!

By the time 1880 rolled around the town had grown to over 30,000 residents. There was more than 100 saloons and dance halls, plus stores, hotels, boarding houses.. the town was booming! It wasn’t long before the Colorado and Southern Railroad line pulled into town, ready to bring supplies in and take the silver out. Needless to say, Leadville was a rough mining town, but as the riches from the gold and silver continued to grow, an upper class of towns people began to emerge. Horace Tabor, a store owner and investor made millions by investing in silver mining. In 1879 he opened the famous Tabor Opera House. He also owned the Bank of Leadville and the Tabor Grand Hotel. His business savvy helped him rise from a local businessman to a national political figure. In time he left Leadville, and built a mansion in Denver Colorado where he continued to live a very wealthy lifestyle. He and his wife Baby Doe and the Matchless Mine have a very interesting historic place in Colorado.

Margaret Tobin Brown, or the “Unsinkable Molly Brown” as she later became known, came to Leadville with her sister when she was 18 years old. She found work as a seamstress in one of the many Leadville dry goods stores. Eventually she met James Joseph “J.J.” Brown. On September 1, 1896 Molly married “J.J.”, She was 19 years old and he was foreman of the Louisville Mine. The Browns were far from rich, however, James’ hard work and ingenuity earned him a seat on the board of directors for one of the highest producing mines in the area. The “Little Jonny Mine” had a grade of gold that was so pure and a vein so wide that it was heralded as the then world’s richest gold strike. By 1893 the Browns were becoming very wealthy, having come a long way from the two room cabin where they lived when first married! Of course Molly Brown is probably best known for surviving the sinking of the Titanic, but she was also deeply involved in women’s rights and she helped to establish the Colorado chapter of the National American Women’s Suffrage Association. After moving to Denver, she became a charter member of the Denver Women’s Club and was one of the first students enrolled in the Carnegie Institute in New York.

Molly though was only one of many famous individuals who started out in Leadville. Others were David May, owner of the nationwide May D & F store chain, and Charles Boettcher, who owned a thriving hardware store in Leadville.  Boettcher eventually moved to Denver and became one of its most successful businessmen and philanthropists. The Guggenheims, Marshall Fields, W.B. Daniels and James V. Dexter also owe their starts to Leadville. Famous visitors to Leadville include; Doc Holliday, Texas Jack, Buffalo Bill, Chicken Bill Lovell, Broken Nose Scotty, Soapy Smith and Teddy Roosevelt.

Leadville Colorado has been able to preserve an astounding amount of its history right down to today! Seventy square blocks have been designated a National Historic Landmark of Victorian Architecture. That area features more than fifty nineteenth century buildings. Other historic attractions include a twenty square mile mining district, a historic railroad, more museums than any other Colorado town and the yearly Boom Days in August to celebrate it all! Even for a day trip, pack the necessities, get the kids and drive up to where this all started to see for yourself.

Leadville Town Photo Gallery

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