Leadville, Colorado
Leadville, Colorado | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Downtown Leadville | |
 | |
| County | Lake County |
| Elevation | 3,094 m (10,152 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 2,688 |
Leadville is the county seat of Lake County, Colorado. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 2,688.[1] The city is historically a silver mining town on the Arkansas River, lying southwest of Denver, Colorado.
History
Oro City
Placer gold was discovered in California Gulch on 1860, during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, and the town of Oro City sprung up near present-day Leadville. The boom was brief, however, and Oro City never became a major settlement. The placer gold mining was hampered by heavy brown sand in the sluice boxes.
Discovery of Silver
In 1874, gold miners at Oro City discovered that the heavy sand that impeded their gold recovery was the lead mineral cerussite, that carried a high content of silver. Prospectors followed the cerussite to its source, and by 1876, had discovered several lode silver-lead deposits. The city of Leadville was founded near to the new silver deposits in 1877, setting off the Colorado Silver Boom. By 1880, Leadville was one of the world's largest silver camps, with a population of over 40,000.
In 1882, the Tabor Opera House hosted Oscar Wilde on his lecture tour of the West, one of many celebrities who graced the city. Mayor David H. Dougan invited Wilde to tour the Matchless silver mine and open their new lode: "The Oscar." Wilde later recounted a visit to a local saloon, "where I saw the only rational method of art criticism I have ever come across. Over the piano was printed a notice - 'Please do not shoot the pianist. He is doing his best.'"
In its early years, Leadville was the site of some famous mining swindles. When the Little Pittsburg mine exhausted its rich ore body, the managers sold off their shares while hiding the real condition of the mine from other stockholders. “Chicken Bill” Lovell dumped a wheelbarrow of rich silver ore into a barren pit on his Chrysolite mining claim in order to sell the claim to Horace Tabor for a large price; but Tabor had the last laugh when his miners dug down a few feet farther and discovered a rich ore body. Later, the manager of the Chrysolite mine fooled an outside mining engineer into overestimating the ore reserves of that mine.[1]
Decline
The city's fortunes declined with the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893, although afterwards there was another small gold boom. Mining companies came to rely increasingly on income from the lead and zinc.
The district is credited with producing over 2.9 million ounces of gold, 240 million ounces of silver, 1 million short tons of lead, 785 thousand short tons of zinc, and 53 thousand short tons of copper[2]
During World War II, Leadville was a popular spot for visits by soldiers at nearby Camp Hale, but only after the town acted to curb prostitution; until then, the United States Army declared the town off-limits for its personnel. The war also caused an increase in the mining of molybdenum at the nearby Climax mine. At one point the mine produced 75 percent of the world's molybdenum.
Life After Mining
The closing of the Climax mine in the 1980s was a major blow to the town's economy. In addition, the many years of mining left behind substantial contamination of the soil and water, so that the Environmental Protection Agency designated some former mining sites in Leadville as Superfund sites. The town is now 98% cleaned up and the Superfund designation is about to expire. The town has made major efforts to improve its economy by encouraging tourism and emphasizing its history and opportunities for outdoor recreation.
The National Mining Museum and Hall of Fame opened in 1987 with a federal charter. The town is the site of the Leadville Trail 100 series of races and other events for runners and mountain bicyclists. Leadville is known for its festive atmosphere. Local celebrations include Boomdays in early August (a tribute to the city's mining past) as well as the Crystal Carnival late each winter featuring a skijoring competition on Harrison Avenue. As a center for such celebrations, Leadville has unofficially been labeled "Parade Capital U.S.A."[citation needed] in recognition of the frequent, though sometimes small parades held in the downtown area.
Geography
Situated at an elevation of 10,152 feet (3,094 m) above sea level, Leadville claims a number of "highest" honors. The city is the highest incorporated city in the United States. At an elevation of 9,927 feet the Leadville Airport (KLXV) is the highest airport in the United States. At 9,680 feet, the Mount Massive Golf Course is the second highest golf course in the United States.
Leadville is located at 39°14′50″N 106°17′33″W / 39.24722°N 106.29250°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (39.247200, -106.292414)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.7 km² (1.1 mi²), all land.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 2,821 people, 1,253 households, and 675 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,027.5/km² (2,659.5/mi²). There were 1,514 housing units at an average density of 551.5/km² (1,427.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.52% White, 0.14% African American, 1.28% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 12.34% from other races, and 2.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.45% of the population.
There were 1,253 households out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.1% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.91.
The age distribution is 21.1% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 109.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,714, and the median income for a family was $44,444. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $23,512 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,607. About 9.1% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
References
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Colorado" (CSV). 2005 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. June 21 2006. Retrieved November 17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|year=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Ogden Tweto (1968) Leadville district, Colorado, in Ore Deposits in the United States 1933/1967, New York: American Institute of Mining Engineers, p.683.
Dan Plazak – A Hole in the Ground with a Liar at the Top ISBN 978-0-87480-840-7 (includes a chapter on mining swindles of early Leadville)
External links and references
- "Leadville Today"
- Leadville.com
- Twin Lakes Chamber of Commerce history
- Today in Literature remembers Leadville's introduction to Aestheticism
- Leadville photos and information at Western Mining History
